Rudy’s Bar-B-Q

Rudy’s Bar-B-Q

Austin is most certainly a town gone BBQ mad. Some local grill masters like Aaron Franklin have evolved to the point where they are on a first-name basis with the culinary gurus of our time. But I’ll bet you couldn’t tell me a single name of any of the honchos at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q. All they do is run a very exemplary business (they won the national Baldridge award), maintain a low profile, and sell the hell out of their smoked meats.

We’re at the Research store today, and the smells alone are enough to make you hungry. You start at the counter with the sometimes wise-cracking order takers, choose your items, and then presto zappo, you’ve got meat! You can watch them cutting the brisket, sausage chicken, turkey, ribs and the rest while they wrap it up in wax paper for you. I’ve been tempted at times to leap over the counter (that would be a sight) and just start chomping on my favorites. Luckily, for all, I’ve managed to restrain myself until I got to a table.

Where to start? With me it’s always the Moist Brisket. This is melt-in-your-mouth BBQ Heaven. A little bit spicy, but with the most ingratiating back flavor that just lingers on the palate. I think A&M also might have released a study a few years ago that asserted moist brisket is good for you! I’m not 100% down with that, but by God this meat is tasty!

Next, I also am very fond of the Sausage. It is rich with deeply satisfying flavors. They’ve solved a naggling problem with the casings, and now it all cuts very easily.

The Pork Loin is yet another favorite. The key is the authentic pork flavors and an amazing tenderness that makes your knife a needless implement.

I’m not crazy about St. Louis as a rule, but the Ribs that bear it’s name at Rudy’s are spot-on good. This is a five napkin affair (or paper towels at Rudy’s), and for good reason. These ribs are why Rudy’s sauce was born: this is one-to-one goodness with gnawing permissible.

Smoked Chicken and Turkey are heavy heavy hitters in the fowl family at Rudy’s. The turkey is a huge favorite in our house with its moist whiter meat, and I’ve often made my way through several halves of chicken or even more.

The sides at Rudy’s are mighty fine! The Creamed Corn may be a bit pricey, but it sure eats well. The flavor and texture of this dish is simply exemplary. The Butter New Potatoes are almost too good. Sometimes I would just like to sit there and watch them. The Cole Slaw could be a bit dryer for my taste (well, can’t like everything) but the sause, the foundation upon which all else is built at Rudy’s, is so good that I’ve been known to do drink the entire bottle. Man, that’s sauce!

Finish up with some Banana Pudding and you’ve just joined hundreds of thousands of your fellow cue lovers in their weekly or monthly ritual: chowing down at a place that says it has THE WORST BBQ in Texas. Yeah, and I have the biggest head of hair in Austin!

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