Just saw kill your idols upstairs, great bartenders. Cold beer fast service and amazing sound. A perfect show read more

Rudyard's - Kill your idols great show - Music Venues Near Me - Houston, Texas

Tried out Rudyard's - would NOT recommend. I asked the bar tender what she would recommend for vegans - she suggested the pasta. I said I didn't like mushrooms or capers... instead of suggesting replacements, they took them out & I was left with an overpriced bowl of small pasta. I asked about the sausage/burger options - she seemed clueless. I asked if the bread was vegan - she said she didn't know, but knew it was vegetarian. She did not offer to find out for me. Very poor customer service - will not return. read more

Stopped by here for lunch and was craving the black beans....sadly to say I was extremely disappointed with them, they were no where close to being good. I actually had to throw them away...something has changed in the recipe or even the cook, not sure though. I'll probably try them again to see if they have completely messed up the recipe or if it was a fluke. I also order the pulled pork tacos and enjoyed them extremely....sweet and spicy, not burn you mouth spicy but just enough kick. They come a bit bare...meat and tortilla with sides of chopped white onions and cilantro...simple wasn't bad though. read more

found this place on so many websites calling this the living room of montrose. we were so impressed by the food and drinks. the bartender was very nice and while we went for lunch they had a comedy mic night later that night so seems like a great atmosphere. 10/10 recommend read more

Rudyard's - the gay-Gay Fil-A and Brick Pizza - Music Venues Near Me - Houston, Texas

Rude and unprofessional staff. Spend your money elsewhere. I understand being overwhelmed or busy but it's not excuse to be rude to paying customers. I will not be returning nor do I recommend it to anyone. read more

I've traveled most of Texas and this is my favorite bar who had the best staff... Why would you fire them and think you'd get business? Horrible idea read more

Great selection of beers, happy hour gives $1 off, much better options out there, tried food twice here and unimpressed, not sure why folks say food is good? It's average at best, good neighborhood bar atmosphere but that's about it read more

Hmm. Pretty good place. This was the second time I visited. My experiences were mostly positive: good recommendations, variety, good food, friendly service, there are events that I would be interested in attending. I can't give it a high rating, though. When I went for the second time last week, an honest mistake happened, but it was kind of a biggie that could have affected my health. Without going into too much detail, my drink came from a beer tap (or cider tap, to be more precise), and as the bartender put it when I asked after nearly choking on what I swallowed by reflex, it was "not fit for human consumption." He apologized, but I mean, I *REALLY* think he could have done more than apologize for that kind of mistake. A beer on the house wouldn't have cost the bar that much, and it would have made me feel like a valued customer. I guess I'm not. As stated, I am sure it was an honest mistake, and those do happen, but when mistakes happen that make someone gag, I believe it's good business/training to make it right by the customer. I didn't ask for anything because I don't like to seem like I'm out to get something for free. Making the customer feel valued is up to the business. Idk if I'll be choosing this place in the future. If I ever go along with others who've chosen it, I'll certainly be more cautious about what's being served. read more

Been coming to Rudz since 1978 always enjoyed this place still do. Not wasting time writing a long rant about the Karen behind the bar . Very plainly the black beens were ice cold over the nachos next to the hot chicken, a perfect set up for food poisoning . Anyone in the food business knows this is a bad situation when cold touches hot. I think Karen was offended because i brought this to her attention. Sorry you felt it was so negative to let you all know and that you were soooo offended. In all my visits i have never encountered this until know . read more

I come here for comedy night and for shows. I am certain that they water down the drinks. So a 6 dollar well gin and tonic tastes like a tonic. I even had the bartender pour me another. I watched the pour. Still tasted like tonic. Go there for shows, but dont expect to get your moneys worth at the bar. Unless you get a beer with the cap on. read more

New menu/chef is great! Best Detroit style pizza in Houston, and a great craft beer selection!

Do you like going to places where the staff is slow and rude? If so, this is the place for you! You can be sure any time you ask them to change the channel for a game the bartender will make a snarky comment, like "what's on the TV is the last thing I give a shit about" and other pleasantries. Do you want efficient service? You can be sure you'll wait in a line and not be greeted with a smile when it's your turn. Spend your money elsewhere, folks. These people are not grateful for your hard earned money. read more

It's in a n older building so it's kind of cramped and very loud. I went as the first stop of my 20th HS reunion. I don't think any of the staff knew we were there for something out of the ordinary. I had to look around until I finally found the group tucked in the back room. The bar was not staffed for the extra influx of us {40-60 people they normally wouldn't have in on a Fri night} and the one brunette bartender had turned ignoring people into an art form. What the hell kind of British Pub *DOES NOT* have Guinness on tap?! AT one point the sour rotten smell form the dumpster wafted in on us for a good 15-20 minutes and a couple members of my group almost puked on the floor. Given that it takes more than an hour to get to from my home I do not see myself ever returning here. read more

So good...any place that has bottles of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and Smithwick's on tap is a friend of mine. Real laid-back feel, cool crowd, and killer fish and chips. Food is a little pricey sometimes but absolutely 100% worth it. Bathrooms are gross but all bar bathrooms are. Get the fish and chips, a Smithwick's (pronounced Smithicks NOT SmithWicks), and sit back and people watch. read more

Rudyard's - Fish and chips! - Music Venues Near Me - Houston, Texas

We ordered the Traditional-ish pizza and the taste was definitely there, I wish I could rate them at 4.5 but it won't allow for it my only complaint was the portion could have been a bit bigger. read more

No access to food but they do have access to an overpriced corner store! The alcohol options are cool (the in-house tequila is nice but overpriced). This is the place to go if you like Fireman's #4....not that special. read more

Went to the upstairs for the Friday comedy show, I'm gonna give it two stars for the comedians. Everything else was terrible. I paid $41 for a petite table of 2. Ordered the tender fry basket and 2 salads, one being a side salad. When our food came out, only the salad and chicken tenders came out. I went to the bar and spoke with Rachel about not getting the fries. And she misunderstood that we wanted the salad in addition to the fries that come with the basket. She was rude about it but she put the fry order in. Food was mediocre but I had a good laugh so I wasn't tripping. When I closed the tab we got charge incorrectly so I asked the other bartender to fix it because I didn't want to speak with Rachel. She understood and directed me to Rachel since she put in the order and immediately Rachel got defensive and started rolling her neck. I asked for a manager and I was told to go call them, like I work there or something. We had a back and forth, then Rachel says "I can't believe you are trying to argue with me about $3, I'll give you $3." At that point Rachel got the cuss out she deserved, insinuating I'm broke or something. It's the PRINCIPLE. Some Zack Galifianakis looking guy in an Hawaiian shirt comes up. I thought he was coming to deescalate the situation, I told him what the problem was and he verbatim says "idk what to tell you, whatever Rachel says goes." Which got me hyped because, why are you here? In conclusion, the comedians were the only good part about this place. read more

I used to love rudyards food. They had the best single layer nachos. Yesterday we went and tried to order the usual. They changed the menu, but I ordered their new and "improved" nachos. When I received the nachos, it was essentially a messy bunch of chips and salsa. It was a basket of chips with some sauce strewn all about, absolutely not worth the $11. The BLT we ordered was bland and was tough to eat, but we were starving so we took back the nachos and just shared the bland blt. The tator tots are still good though. Wouldn't want to eat there again. read more

Really unprofessional wait staff and service... our friend originally had a spot for their Monday night comedy show. After 25-30 of our friends show up and order food and drinks, basically the only audience that is there, they inform us they cut our friend from the list and "emailed him earlier". Realizing that pretty much their entire restaurant would leave if they didn't let him perform, they made him go in the last spot, cut the lights off on him when he was 5 seconds over, and lowered his mic volume the entire performance (just bc the girl who finally let him go on was being petty). 0/10 would not recommend giving business to this place..... my 8 month old puppy is more professional than this and she eats rocks so.. read more

OMG! They used to have the best food but it has gone downhill. My fried okra was soggy. The onion rings used to be good but they have changed it from a crispy batter to a tempura which was also soggy. I was so disappointed. This used to be my go to place but no longer. What the hell? I recently heard from someone else that the food has gotten worse since my last post. They had a good thing but the food sucks now. read more

Enjoyed watching a couple bands the other night. Drinks weren't the best and the bartender was a little rude but the black bean nachos were killer. read more

Rudyard's - Music Venues Near Me - Houston, Texas

As everyone before me has stated, some of the bartenders friendliness and attention to service is poor. The food on the other hand is not! The cowboy burger and diablo hot dog are both delicious. They have a great variety of draft beer, they're dog friendly, and there is FREE parking right across the street. They have karaoke and stand up comedy certain nights. Pool, darts, etc. This is a nice spot to come watch a sporting event on TV or catch a comedy show. read more

Rudyard's - Music Venues Near Me - Houston, Texas

I used to love this bar. I've been attending shows there for nearly ten years. They have a female bartender who is not only rude to her patrons, but attempted to ban me last night for her personal feelings toward me, and she shoved me multiple times as I was simply trying to leave. She also told my friend that she was going to curb stomp me if she caught me alone. After I left Rudyards, I went to next door bar to close my tab I had left. This bartender left her post at the Rudyards to come next door to further accost me, screaming at me in front of patrons and friends alike. The bartender at Next Door had to get between us because she was getting very close to me and just kept screaming like a lunatic. I was calm and collected, and just trying to leave. Now tell me, is that the type of person you want representing your bar? read more

Loved the dim vibe. Definitely very "bar" feel. The food is also definitely bar food. So don't go expecting restaurant food and then complain. The drinks were also pretty good. Had an intense conversation after one long island there! Wooh! Would definitely go again, or bring friends there. Maybe not a date night though. read more

They just came out with a line of amazing new pizzas, Houston or Detroit style! Unique and epically delicious. Also, they don't do anything without elevating the standard- not your average anything --down to the Gourmet grilled cheese. Nice bar staff, tons of beer on draft, knowledgeable bartenders! Not to mention the manager is pretty cute! That never hurts. Rad chick with blonde hair and face tats is legit too. read more

Tried to come twice for grown up story time. Website says they are only doing 8pm shows. When we got there the sign said 7pm shows. Unacceptable read more

DO NOT COME HERE. THIS PLACE IS ABSOLUTE WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. The staff will treat your rudely. And one in specific named dusty will absolutely ruin your night. I want the owner to know this. read more

Very nice gastro pub menu. Regular visitor Saturday afternoons ANC's the menu doesn't get old.

I love a good dive bar. There's just something about disgusting bathrooms, dingy tables, and low lighting that get me excited. That being said, Rudyard's epitomizes these qualities to the max. Fantastic. The first bartender I had was great. And older guy who knew how to talk to customers and did me a favor by not only recommending beers to me, but also recommending food (I ended up with the bacon cheeseburger). I ordered tater tots since everyone raves about them, but somehow I ended up with fries. No biggie since the fries were actually pretty good. The other two bartenders weren't nearly as friendly. They seemed very caught up in being "cool" and seeing as how I was coming straight from work, I probably looked too corporate to be considered "cool". Evidently there are amazing bands that play upstairs. Seeing as how I'm not a music person, this really didn't get me all excited. It did, however, make me want to double check before just showing up here on a random day so I won't have to pay a cover charge. I'm cheap like that. The beer selection was pretty extensive and I was happy to see so many beers on tap considering how much they have by the bottle. I'm not sure how crowded it gets on the weekends, but I had no problem going straight to the bar to order drinks and never had to wait. Big plus in my book. On the downside, the parking isn't fun. Nor is it great when you're trying to parallel park in front of the bar with a huge audience that is just making you more nervous. And it definitely isn't fun to do a 30 point parking job. And to receive a standing ovation when you finally DO end up parking in the spot. While my terrible parking skills are not the bar's fault, I do wish they had better parking. read more

It has been around for years and years, what can I really say to add to the mystique that is Rudz? There is a sign when you enter that says "Montrose's Living Room." I think this short phrase is a great description particularly if your living room is a little dirty, your friends come over regularly, and you have a decently stocked bar with a focus on beer. The upstairs area has housed many great concerts and will hopefully continue to keep it going in the future. It also hosts a great monthly now called Grown-up Storytime where people write stories and other people read them. What else are you going to do on a Tuesday night? I will say I miss the colorful bathroom walls upstairs which have since been painted. I know it looked somewhat grungy, but it gave the place character. Rudz, you aren't the bar du jour for the 'trose these days, but you'll always have a place in my heart. read more

I like Rudyard's. I don't love it, but I like it. Nice beer selection. Food is decent. I have a friend who RAVES about the tater tots, but they just taste like normal tater tots to me. I've never found the bar tenders to be too friendly. They're not rude, but they're a little snobby...like you'd expect bar tenders to be at a fancy restaurant or something. But this is NOT a fancy restaurant, it's a slightly seedy bar, so I don't get it. Anyway, not my favorite place, but not a bad place. I don't see anything particularly British about it. read more

Thank goodness Rudz has survived the music venue battle ax that fell on just about every other venue between the 1990s and today. Actually, no. I think it's the lone survivor. Fitz (the playpen) doesn't count because that shell was inhabited by some other ghost - kind of like a snail. And it unforgivably dumped Zelda's, so it doesn't count. Rudz was where all the cool bands played. For a while it seemed it was (now pardon my journey back into time) de Schmogg's only home. Anyway, it was the cool bar and venue, where all the cool kids hung out, watching all of the cool bands. ie - it was 21 and up. It still is 21 and up, but when you're on the other side of that age, one week can last an ETERNITY! On this side of 21, the mystique of actually being 21 having worn off quite some time ago, the place still lives up to all of my expectations. It's still the coolest kid on the block. (The block being all of freaking Houston.) de Schmogg and Sprawl may have broken up/moved on some time ago (lone tear falls), but you can still catch some pretty awesome local, Texan, and touring bands upstairs. (Some flops, too.) Ignore the idiots who complain about the topography of the floor - no the floor is not raked. Ignore the bougies who insist on eating(!) at tables(!) while the bands are playing. So what if you have to push aside a shower curtain to gain entrance - obviously you never used the women's loo at the Ritz in Austin. If these few things "frighten" you, wouldn't you rather be in your Aunt Beatrice's front parlor, sipping on Mai Thais and playing Bridge or Mah Jong anyway? read more

Rudz does two things better than just about any place in Houston. First, there's no other place I'd rather see a local rock show. White Stripes, Spoon, Iron & Wine, Solex, Low, Les Savy Fav... I've seen some of my favorite shows ever here. But it's also the best place for local bands to play in town. I've played there at least 50 times myself, and the reason it's so good is their sound guy Joe Omulchuck. He's outfitted that place with the best gear and the best lights, and he gets incredible sound from that room. He treats every band the same, whether they're famous or not. Your stuff is perfectly miked and impeccably balanced. And he watches your set, tweaking things as the night goes on. He's been there for more than 10 years, and I hope he never leaves. And the other thing they do better than anyone? Bar food. You want a burger? I've not had better than Rudz. Weirdly, they also have my favorite calamari. You might not expect to find the best calamari in town at a neighborhood pub. But Rudz is where it's at. read more

"The Detroit Cobras are about to start, are you coming?" Inadvertently eavesdropping on one end of a cell phone conversation with my uncanny sense of hearing, it occurred to me that this girl's question highlighted what makes Rudyard's so great: it's a party, and everyone's invited. Can you imagine someone calling from the Verizon Wireless Theater and saying "Come quick! Mandy Moore is playing!" Fuck no! (And even if it was a free ticket, that friend needs to be disowned immediately. Not that I have anything against Mandy Moore - she's pretty, but her songs lick balls. Except "Crush," but that's only... oh, nevermind.) If you're into non-groupie intimacy with the band, then this is where it's at. The stage - if you can even call it that - is raised about five inches off the floor, thereby giving the audience ample opportunity to step on up and get down. Don't worry, unless you're the kind of person who thinks slam-dancing is still rad, you'll be welcomed with open arms and a pint of Lone Star. Drinks are cheap, cover for the 2nd floor is usually under $10, and the crowd is full of people who just plain love music. There's a certain energy generated when the band, the audience, and the stars are in perfect alignment - so when it's on... IT'S ON. Plus, where else can you witness a contentedly drunk lead singer being half-dragged across the floor next to your feet so she can bust out the encore? Rachel Nagy, you rock! read more

Great British dive bar. The hamburgers here are to die for, especially after about 5 beers and you get that drunken hungry feeling rumblin in the tummy. The live music that comes here is always very entertaining and the staff is on point when it comes to service. Oh, and they are very tolerant of drunken patrons, especially upstairs. When The Drunks played.. awesome band... we rocked it so hard, me and 3 friends fell over the speakers more than once and they still hooked it up on our beers when we closed out our tab. ... *sniff*... good times.. Cheers- read more

Went to Rudyard's for the first time for the Deadbolt show. Downstairs was great, food was good, and there was loads of good beer. So I figured things would be great upstairs, right? Wrong. While the bands and music were great, the crowd there was a bunch of hotheaded idiots who tried to start fights over nothing. Really a big downer. NEWSFLASH: If you bully away everyone who's not in your little rockabilly clique, there are going to be less people coming to shows and therefore less artists coming to town. read more

Best cheeseburger in Houston. No lie. I got the Rudz burger. It came with fries. Best fries in Houston. Like Wendy's but better. Drinking a Shiner Prickly Pear too. So damn good. read more

After having been assaulted at Rudyard's, I wrote a review on Yelp which received a very thoughtful response from the owner that assured me it was a one-time incident bound to never happen again. I thought maybe things would be better so I decided to go back tonight. Wrong. The same bartender still works there (how did that happen??) and apparently she remembers that her friend was the one who assaulted me while she was tending bar, because she addressed me by name and refused to serve me. Now, back when the police investigated the assault, she apparently told them that I was somehow being aggressive. Well, I was sitting at the bar talking to this guy when he jumped off his chair and grabbed my neck so hard and for so long that my throat closed up and my shirt ripped. I could have broken his nose right there, but I didn't even touch him, I just walked away. Does that seem aggressive? The bartender also refused to tell the police that she knew my attacker personally, delaying the investigation by weeks. But now obstruction of justice isn't even enough for her: she doesn't like me because I blew the whistle on her friend, so now I'm not even allowed to sit in the corner and work on my laptop and have a beer by myself. Is that professional behavior for a bartender? You be the judge. Shame on Rudyard's for employing such people. And this review isn't going to come down like the last one. read more

My human drinks Manhattan's, and he says that the bartenders here know exactly how to make them. The food is delicious. We usually get the chicken tenders or nachos. We especially enjoy the laid back, dog-friendly atmosphere on the patio. We usually visit every time we visit H-town. I love this place! read more

Like many others have noted, I have seen some rather amazing artists play Rudyard's upstairs. The acts are usually local, but some of the best indie bands in the country have played this venue. However, I'm not as sold on this place as everyone else as a casual place to hang out. A large percentage of that is the rather judgmental clientele. I understand it's a dive bar, but I guess my definition revolves around the concept that you just go whenever and however. In other words, if I came straight from work, I found I was often glared at for entering a non-corporate bar. Whatever. It was annoying, but I had a ton of friends who loved to hang out at this particular place so I just came to accept that it's funny how upset people get simply based on appearance. Just go for the beer and the musical acts, and you'll be fine. If you want to avoid the attitude from the clientele, you might want to try Mucky Duck, but both places are worth visiting. read more