Rudy’s of the Cape

Good dinner, good drinks and crummy lunch. Not taking reservations is a bummer.

I’m a fan! I live in the San Francisco area but visit Maine often. I’ve been a few times for dinner and just tried their brunch a few weeks ago. The atmosphere, the vibe … I love it. From the moment you walk in the door and are greeted by the friendly Chefs to the Manager that stopped by near the end of our meal to see how everything was (both times for dinner this happened). They’ve managed to create a funky but upscale restaurant, like some of the best you would find in San Francisco!
So the food… Dinner — the specials are truly delicious, we had a special pizza that had sausage, feta and fennel — delicious! The perfect thin crust, not soggy but not burnt either. It’s not easy getting that perfect! We’ve also tried the Margherita pizza, so yummy!
The special starter of the night that included house made pasta and house made mozzarella — so tasty. Our plan was to try several starters and take some home, this one didn’t survive, my daughter and I finished it before we knew what happened.
Mussels are delicious, beets, duck confit, fried chicken, fish and chips… All recommended. Only item I was not impressed with was the Brussel sprouts. The sauce was too salty and Brussels way over cooked.
Quick note on Brunch. AMAZING! Salmon eggs Benedict was Sooo tasty, hollandaise light and fluffy and just the right amount. Their fresh fruit bowl was truly beautiful ripe fresh fruit and their potatoes… Deliciously crispy whole potatoes on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Oh yes, and try the Bloody Mary! perfectly flavorful, but not too spicy.
Hope everyone enjoys Rudys as much as we do!

A pizza place this isn’t. Crust overcooked and dry. Toppings thin, runny, and bland. Three stars for ambiance. Four for table service. For pizza, zero.

Great food, great service and 27 beers on tap. We went on a Monday and they are one of the few restaurants open. They have a limited menu — primarily pizza. We had one of the best pizzas (it was Mediterranean) that I’ve ever had.

I appreciate Rudy’s and what they’ve created, and I would probably come back again (I know this is random, but especially with my Dad who I think would really like it).
Drinks:
+ Moscow Mule (made with 22 Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice): So happy to see this come in a traditional copper mug. The drink tasted exactly like I had hoped it would/​how mule’s should taste, and made for a great «second drink» after some of the ice had melted.
— Midnight Affair (made with XO Patron Café, Baileys, Kahlua, Bard’s Coffee, and salted caramel sauce): It tasted like just another milky, espresso martini and there was no salted caramel sauce in/​on the drink.
Food:
+/​-​Fried Burrata (with turnip apple purée, raw kale sofrito, and husk cherries): Fried cheese is delicious. End of story. While this was flavorful and well balanced, but it seemed like much of the burrata escaped the fried exterior creating an eventual bowl of melted cheese. Not sure how to fix this issue, but am hoping Rudy’s does because fried cheese really does taste even better when it stays inside it’s friedness!
+/​-​Blistered Shishito Peppers (with black garlic aioli): How can you go wrong with shishito peppers? They make for a GREAT shared appetizer amongst friends or coworkers, it’s kind of like playing Russian Roulette with your gastrointestinal system (because there’s always a couple insanely firey peppers, and you never know which ones it’s gonna be), and they’re darn delicious. My hesitation with Rudy’s was the black garlic aioli — which didn’t taste like anything in particular and had a very plasticy texture.
— Toasted Pistachios (with bourbon, maple, smoked maldon sea salt): Just not for me at all. I found the pistachios to be soggy and couldn’t really taste any of the flavors advertised.
+ Quinoa Burger (with pea greens, roasted red peppers, scallion basil mayo): I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t really love veggie burgers. They’re boring. As such, in nearly a decade I’ve not ordered one at a restaurant… until Rudy’s. And I’m SO happy I did, because it was sincerely delicious. The best thing I ate all night (and one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever consumed anywhere!) and ABSOLUTELY what I would a) reorder and b) suggest you order if you’re a vegetarian. It was hearty, it was dense, it was filling, it was flavorful, and it was a delight to eat something with that much «umph» to it. Does that make sense? So, so, good!
— A layered lemon, blueberry cake for dessert: We only took a couple of bites before deciding this just wasn’t for us. It was just a little underwhelming after such stand-​up mains.
+/​-​I just saw Rudy’s at Harvest on the Harbor and they were giving out samples of pumpkin polenta with manchego, fig pearls, and greens. I could eat a bath-​tub sized bowl of this — it was perfection on a plate… so why, oh why, isn’t this on their menu?!
The nitty-​gritty:
+ They have an abundance of parking — yay!
+ Along with the burger, the other highlight of the night was our server. She was so personable and raw and honest. She made great suggestions, she seemed really knowledgeable about the menus, and — yes — reacted with outward emotion at some of our food choices.
+ The atmosphere was really great! It seemed rustic and warm; the giant windows are such a great touch, I mean who doesn’t love natural light in spades? Seemed like a great space for date nights, or birthday dinners, or family outings.

Pleased to see Rudy’s join the neighborhood, and even happier that their food offering continue to be enhanced. I’ve been there several times this summer, and enjoyed the food well enough, but based on tonight’s experience I think other have made some welcome improvement to the fare.
Looking forward to more of the same going forward!

Wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff, very clean. AWESOME food! We loved that the menu had a wide variety of options, but kept it simple. Food is very fresh and well thought out. The fall soups were phenomenal! Highly recommend for any social gathering– dinner/​drinks with a friend, a date night, or family supper out! Can’t wait to come back!

Really nice dining experience here, starting with some killer cocktails. There is a nice airy and rustic feel to the interior design that sets a nice, comfortable mood, with large glass windows for a view of the outside.
The cocktails are definitely impressive, as is the beer list. I started with a strong Gin-​based drink (forget what it was called) and then followed with a coffee-​based drink (Midnight something) that, while tasty, was lacking the advertised salted caramel.
The menu boasts a nice focused list of snacks and appetizers. The shishito peppers with aioli dip on the inside rim of the bowl (almost overlooked by us) were outstanding — be mentally prepared for the random hot ones — and the fried burrata was creamy and delicious, adorned by a ring of flavorful pesto. The pistachios, while tasty, lacked the crunch and were a slight disappointment as a result.
I got the Juicy Chicken Thighs as the entrée, which were lightly fried (the description on the menu failed to note this… I was thinking fall-​off-​the-​bone slow cooked) and not necessarily high on the juicy scale, but still very good. They were delivered atop a creamy, risotto-​like pearl pasta with spinach and mushroom ragout mixed in. This was absolutely delicious, however, there was an abundance of garlic in this that wasn’t totally apparent to me until the next day. I drank about half a bottle of straight lemon juice the next day to kill the flavor, and to prevent killing those within a 10 foot radius.
A birthday cake desert with blueberry filling in the layers was oddly bland and unsatisfying, and ultimately the only forgettable part of the meal.
The service was excellent. My server actually did an over enthusiastic fist pump when I ordered my entrée. OK then…

We went to Rudy’s for dinner at 5:00 when they had just opened for dinner. Although we were the first ones in for the dinner shift, the floor had crumbs and even a french fry. The plates under the linen napkins were dirty as was my napkin. Some of the flowers on the table were wilted. The trash in the bathroom was filled to the brim with paper towels. Again, this is upon opening, so you’d think they would start out clean.
We ordered three appetizers.
The Brussels Sprouts were outstanding and beautifully presented. We ate them too quickly to take a pic. Daddy’s Fried Chicken looked weird but tasted ok (shown). The Hay Roasted Carrots were abysmal and way overpriced at $ 9! I took the pic of them before we had touched them so you can see the actual presentation. I feel ripped off but didn’t want to make a scene.
Now for the pizza. I got the Greek Special on gluten free crust and I give it four out of five stars. The crust is outstanding and the toppings good, but the sauce was tasteless. I asked for some on the side and it was like watered down tomato paste. If they could get a better sauce going I’d give it five stars.
Oh, and they should consider changing the «Jars and Such» heading over their appetizers. I have no idea what that means, and neither did my companion or the people at the table next to us who asked what it meant. I asked the server and she said she didn’t know either since nothing was served in, or came from a jar. Maybe it’s some kind of hipster talk.
There’s potential here but they need to pay attention to things like cleanliness and making sure a $ 9 appetizer doesn’t look like something a Lunch Lady would slop on your plate at the school cafeteria!

2 stars means I’ve experienced better and its right past Rudy’s on Rt77. Would absolutely go to the Good Table right around the corner for lunch again, versus Rudys.
I was a fan of Rudy’s when it was far less trendy and served great chowder and had a comfortable area to catch up with friends. The new design was not to my taste — sitting on wood benches in an airy setting — it was okay, but like I said, Good Table is far more my favorite.
I couldn’t find much on the menu (as it turns out I was given the gluten free menu!), and finally landed on a pizza. Would tell a friend not to order the pizza if I went there again. My lunch companion had a chicken salad that she said was great.
So hit or miss, with better options near by… did I say Good Table?

Wifey wanted to try a new place for lunch nearby, and living so close we had no reason not to stop here. I’d read great things about it, and after our Saturday lunch, we were not disappointed.
Started with a cold beer — what a surprising local tap list this place has! I’d read that, too, but it was even better in person.
I’d also heard how good the turkey burger was, and I wasn’t disappointed. Juicy & flavorful as any beef burger I’d ever had. Wifey went with the crispy chicken sandwich; kiddo had a «regular» beef burger. All were excellent. Notable about the crispy chicken was that it is made with chicken thighs — an EXCELLENT departure from the usual, bloated white meat chicken breast sandwiches. The portions were perfect — well enough to fill us up but not so much that you’re leaving much, if anything, on the plate.
Excellent service and a very laid-​back ambiance; at least for lunch. I imagine it gets dimmer & a bit more sophisticated for supper. And the space was open & airy — kind-​of a high-​end mountain cabin feel.
We’ll definitely be going back!

Food was great as was the service. I had fish and chips and it was very fresh and very light. Not greased at all. It came with a carrot Raisin salad that was really good. Beer selection was great.

Stopped here after kayaking one evening and were seated right away. Unfortunately, we sat for 15 minutes before anyone came by. They ran around bussing or setting table or whatever, oblivious to us being there. Still, the burgers was very good. The fries were okay — though frozen. My father had the clam chowder and brussel sprouts — he said they were both very good. Also, there is a very good beer selection. But we waited quite a long time for the server to return at each stage of the meal. She always blamed this on the kitchen or the # of tables she had or the # of people there. It would be so much better if she would just apologize for taking so long and leave it at that.
For dessert, the server raved about their ‘banana split’, so we each got one. Ehhh, that’s not a banana split. It was 3 small discs of banana bread, each topped with a tablespoon of ice cream, drizzled with chocolate or caramel, and some banana slices scattered around. It tasted fine, but it was extremely small, and it was certainly not a banana split. I wouldn’t order that again.
Ambiance was a loud bar feel, but very clean and bright.

It is very good. The food is decent. Just don’t order the savory cakes. The come out raw and I’m not the only one who has had this issue with them. Good burger and even better drinks.

Quick, name five full service dinner restaurants in Cape Elizabeth: The Good Table… that’s about it for me. So when I was challenged to «Go find a random Cape restaurant,» I thought it would be impossible. Located shortly before Two Lights, Rudy’s was a pleasant surprise.
The inside looks expensive and new. It’s a trendy bistro and would fit equally well in downtown Portland. The clientele was mostly older and the army of servers were college aged, which was an interesting combination. We played it safe by sitting at the bar and quickly ordered «Social Hour» (this is Cape Elizabeth) cocktails just before the 5:30 deadline. For $ 5, the punch of the day was a refreshing mojito that we savored.
The drink menu in general was excellent. This is one of the few local restaurants to have wine on tap, and the only I’ve seen with cocktails on tap. I expected a draft cocktail to be watered down, but the Rusty Siding was potent. Cougar Juice (A+ for the name) was less strong but tasty. There are also many wines by the bottle and glass and a decent beer list. Price points are below similar Old Port establishments.
The food menu is varied enough for most diets. The daily deviled eggs were some of the better ones I’ve ever had. The truffled fries were ok but not great. The cheese pizza was solid (if not plain) with fresh tasting homemade sauce and a thinner crust. Nearby the Fish and Chips could feed a whole family and the burger looked amazing.
I prefer apps and drinks over big entrees (or I’d be broke) and Rudy’s is a great place for this. Now I can name two restaurants in Cape Elizabeth…

This was our first visit to Rudy’s of the Cape. We were treated at the door by extremely friendly staff who extended themselves to accommodate our seating request.
The beet salad with goat cheese was delicious and the perfect set up for grilled yellow fin.
Brianna behind the bar was attentive and friendly. Although not in the mood for one of the 27 draft beers from Mane on tap, we will be back.

First time mussels were good but small and burger was just ok and service was good price was a bit high for a fancy pizza joint, bar, restaurant –whatever it’s trying to be?
Second trip sealed the deal– we were there early I was offered the bar menu– when I asked what was the bar menu the hostess had to ask the «Manager» and she says «pistachios» Beautiful Goodbye.
Really they might make it because option s are limited in this part of town but oh what a waste of great construction and a location.

Not my favorite meal… I was really looking forward to trying Rudy’s. Everyone is really friendly there. We each had a glass of wine, price wasn’t too bad and a generous pour. We ordered the Brussel sprouts and the fried chicken appetizers. The Brussel sprouts were just ok and the fried chicken was ordinary. There was a clump of mushy sautéed onions plopped on the side of the plate. The chicken was chewy and not as crisp as I’d like. There was really no taste to the coating or chicken. Next was a pizza with sage (waaay too much sage) cream sauce (no taste) and squash (undercooked and crunchy) we ate ½ of the pizza and when the waitress asked if we wanted to take it home, we said no. She never asked why we didn’t want it… We also ordered the truffled fries. Limp, not crispy and I detected no truffle oil. Our favorite part of the meal was the wine. hope they get the food part fixed because the space is cool.

Cool, clean, upscale sort of… schizophrenic…as they apparently cannot decide if they want to be a pizza and burger and bar joint or an upscale fancy organic restaurant?
Really nice clean Décor with a cool vibe, made me think of when pigs fly in Kittery, With a much smaller beer selection of course. They had just recently opened and we’re very busy. Service was a little slow but friendly and attentive.
I had a simple and tasty magherita pizza, And she had what she described as a very good organic turkey burger.
Will most likely go back. Still many other places in the area to explore and try first though.

Let’s start with the highlights. The décor is beautiful, with a central bar and lovely tables, fresh flowers and a cool vibe. Wait staff was pleasant and attentive. Meh — I’m not impressed so far with either menu choice or food quality. Ordered the house Pinot Noir and sent it back, acetic and undrinkable. Cabernet was better, Ordered the attractive beet salad (palatable) and tasty clam chowder (served warm, not hot). My entrée was Berkshire pork tenderloin, with mushrooms and polenta. Totally unappealing and tasteless dish. Pork was chewy and lacked flavor, all the elements were bland and dish was warm, not hot.
Entrée #2 was yellow fin tuna. Tuna was cooked perfectly, but the taste of soy sauce drowned out all other garnish in the dish. The menu is an assortment of dishes that aren’t all that appealing. Expectations were high for the opening, but sadly, the food does not live up to the hype.