Stopped in for lunch here with my college girl. We ordered garlic parm wings and WoW! Yum! Great wings! We all ordered burgers and they didn't disappoint . Thick, juicy and flavorful . Fries or frites are ok. I think that's more about the sauce for dipping . It's a whole page of sauces you pick from for the fries . I had siracha maple and bbq ale. Bar tender was friendly and attentive . Will be back for garlic parm wings next time I'm in town ! read more

I was not a fan of the fried chicken entree or the chili. The fried chicken came out black and burnt. I'm not sure why they even served it. I don't even think they apologized, but I did get a new order. It was pretty awful. The chili wasn't any better. It was super spicy which I don't mind, I did mind the strong smokey burnt flavor. The service was just okay, it wasn't the wait staff's fault that they were understaffed and extremely slow to getting around to all of their tables. It was a busy night. read more

Came here for lunch the other day with a few coworkers and I really enjoyed it. This place has great food. I ordered the Barnyard BBQ burger and it was delicious. A little overwhelming and you definitely want to make sure you have extra napkins, but nevertheless, very tasty. In addition, they also have a pretty good beer selection and a decent happy hour. read more

I'm typically a fan of dive bars, but I will only give this place two stars based on my experience here. Came here in a party of four for dinner. I was surprised that we were seated immediately on a Saturday night in New Haven. Our waitress was friendly, a little too friendly at times, but I'd rather have the service available than be completely ignored during my meal. As the other reviewers have mentioned this place is pretty well known for their frites which is accompanied by a menu of about 20 different dipping sauces. (mostly mayo based) Our table's order consisted of BBQ Pulled Pork Flatbread, Mac and Cheese with Buffalo Chicken, a side of frites, and two orders of the Roasted Half Chicken. I had the chance to sample the flatbread and mac and cheese. Flatbread was yummy, a lot of pork and not an overpowering amount of BBQ either. Mac and cheese was very very cheesy - the kind of dish to put you in a food coma upon completion. Now the reason for the two stars, both orders of the roasted half chicken were not cooked! As I cut through the skin, a ton of blood gushed out everywhere, needless to say not too appealing. Also, the veggies that were served with the chicken looked frozen and soggy. Our waitress graciously and very apologetically took the mishap off the bill. A little queasy from my first selection, I decided to go with the Shrimp and Belly Wraps. The wraps were tasty, enjoyed they had jalapenos as I always love a little kick. I would have preferred the pork belly was shredded or diced as the wraps were pretty hard to eat. All in all, despite the chicken issue, I wouldn't be opposed to coming back to try other menu items or just for drinks. Rudy's has a cute atmosphere and seems to be a crowd favorite. read more

Drinks, great fries with huge selections of sauces to dip and enjoy! Right along the parade route on St. Patty's Day!! Irish car bombs, cider, Guinness, and free Jameson tee shirts! Go and come back! I'll be back. The burgers looked off the hook, we will be back. read more

Great dive bar - where every body knows your name. Good for groups, after a game or after an oral exam. Great french fries. Minus: they only take cash. read more

Reviewing Rudy's solely on its own merits, I might give this place 4 stars. The food is decent (if a bit pricey), the fries are great, and they have a strong beer selection that's matched only by Cask Republic in the New Haven area. But the unfortunate thing is that Rudy's was a dive bar before it moved to the new location, and now it's basically like any other place on Crown Street that caters to a relatively upscale crowd (Yale vs. town, to put it another way). It was nice having a true dive bar in town, and without Rudy's, the options are slim. If anything, the bar that took over its old location (Elm City) has more fidelity to the old concept. The new Rudy's is basically Cask Republic II. read more

I came here with a friend to get some dinner and drinks on a Saturday night. There was room at the bar for us to sit down for just a few minutes and order a couple of beers before our table was ready. They have 'gansett on tap, so that was nice. My friend and I each ordered burgers. The waitress made a point of asking for a temperature, so I asked for mine medium. The toppings were good, but, unfortunately, the patty came out as vulcanized as the hockey puck in the Rangers game on the TV. ;( The saving grace was the french fries. They were as great as promised, and the barbeque dipping sauce was really tasty. All in all, II was disappointed with the burger being way overcooked (2/5 stars), but I would give this place another chance based on the rest of the experience (5/5 stars for the fries and 4/5 for the beer selection). read more

Food was not that good. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich and it was chewy. They serve it on toast which wasn't the best bread for a chicken sandwich. There was only ONE Waitress in the dining area and she was doing it all by herself (Bussing tables, hostess, serving food) I felt bad for her but she was nice and kept a good attitude. Overall, the place felt dirty and food was mediocre. read more

Rudys - Chicken sandwich - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I'm almost certain I came in on a bad night. It was a midweek evening, around say 9pm. I sat down to order dinner in at the bar, but the service took so long getting to me (not super busy, either) that I wound up deciding on a burger and fries for takeout. Long story short, I got my order around another 30 minutes later. It was hot, no complaints there, but the medium burger was just past well done, so maybe it had been reheated? Anyway, I didn't realize any of this until I got home, which is the main issue. If I had stayed, I probably could've had the burger swapped out - who knows how long that would've taken, but... Fries were and always are pretty great, for that style. If you like beers, they have a good selection and sometimes some good deals. I've tried their BLT a few times, and it's always been perfect... But the mediocre reviews I've heard about the burger and grilled cheese ring a lot truer to me now. If you want a real juicy perfect burger in that area, try O'Sullivans one block back up Chapel towards campus across from the Study Hotel. If you want better service... Well, there are a LOT of options. Chapel and Howe seems to attract just really slow and/or apathetic crews for some odd reason (see my Miya's review for more on that). If this place wasn't constantly full of grad students and professors from the Art School and other surrounding halls who loathe to interact with the general student populace, I'm not sure how long it could survive. read more

I always have a great experience here. The staff is friendly, fun and the food is always good. A great place for lunch, dinner or a latenight drink. read more

If you want a burger and a beer, and you're in New Haven, this is your place. We rolled up to this place early on a Friday evening, and it was pretty packed, so we sat at the bar to wait for a table. They have a good selection of draft beer. We got a table within twenty minutes. I ordered a New Haven burger (medium rare, of course), which comes with Swiss cheese, bacon, pickles, lettuce, grilled onion, and a house sauce. It was everything and more than I hoped it would be--pretty close to perfect. Practically everything on the menu is served with Belgian frites. They alone are worth the trip. read more

Love Rudy's. Don't get the nachos. Cheese is weird can crap prepackaged goop not real cheese. Everything else is fucking amazing.

Rudy's is a low key bar famous for its frites (get the pesto mayo!). The staff has always been nice to me and my friends: they're attentive and helpful. No one was ever rude to us here. I'm a big fan of the bistro burger with goat cheese and arugula. read more

Rudys - We spent the NYE here and it was quite chill and nice - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Rudy's is great! It is a place you can go after work, for dinner, weekend brunch, or a night out. Rudy's is typically known for its selection of beer and frites. The tap list is one of the better ones in town. Also at very reasonable prices. A couple dozen different brews always with a solid Belgian selection. They also have a variety of Belgian bottles, including my favorite the Rochefort 10. They have the standard selection of craft and not so so craft bottles and cans, if you they don't have anything on tap that suits you. Oh yeah, two dollars off drafts every day of the week from 2:30-6:30. The dinner menu is small but every item is tasty. They recently updated their menu but still have a great variety of apps, burgers, sandwiches, flat breads, and larger entrees. Also amazing frites. If you don't get them as a side(or just want more), they come in two sizes. The larger size comes with three sauces, which is great if you and a few of your friends(okay maybe just you) want to go to town with a bunch of fries and a variety of sauces. The sauces are, also, of note. I am partial to the chipotle ketchup, but I like to try a new one each time. The brunch menu, gives you few tasty options. Whether it is an egg sandwich, an omelette, pancakes, or a cheeseburger, you can probably find something from everyone. The kitchen is open late and the back room becomes a dance party Saturday night. So if it is like 10:30 and want a bite, a beer, and some exorcize makes it a fun spot to check out. read more

Delicious burger? Check. Even more delicious beer? Check. Rudy's has one of the best beer selections around in New Haven and their Delerium Tremens never does me wrong. This is my kind of going up on a Tuesday. Even better, they have a happy hour where you can get two dollars off any draft before 6. It is one of my personal missions to try every burger on Rudy's menu and like all my missions, I play on staying committed. I'm not ashamed to say that food is one of my first true loves and even if we do go on a break when I have to get my wisdom teeth pulled out in a couple of weeks, we will always, always get back together (I'm looking at you, Taylor Swizzle). read more

Rudy's was the first bar I went to after moving to New Haven. As soon as I walked in the door I knew it would be my local hang from that moment forward: Red Sox baseball on the flat screens and weird (sometimes incredibly good) bands on the stage. What more could a guy want? Oh yeah, how about cute and chatty girls, a pinball machine, a pool table, a kick-ass jukebox, friendly bartenders, beer specials and tasty fries? You can find all this at Rudy's. Regrettably, the college crowd does pack this place on the weekends, but that's to be expected. Is Jeff still working here? He's the best. Hell, I saw the Sox win the '04 World Series in this place. I shed a tear yelling to my dad on my cell phone while the whole place went nuts. Glorious. It's been a few years now since I've been back to New Haven. I hope Rudy's hasn't changed. Much later: I am so distraught. Why is Rudy's closing? Leo! Leo! Leo! This is absolutely terrible. I'm way out in Los Angeles, but want to book a flight to the East Coast just so I can go to Rudy's for one last drink. Maybe I'm too late. So many tears in my beers. I don't think I can ever go back to New Haven again. For reals. Amy, if you ever read this... raise a glass to our favorite watering hole. read more

The Backyard BBQ sandwich is amazing! Wash it down with an Allagash White brew and it's pure money. Don't have your dad get punched in the stomach over a can of soup. Upgrade to Rudy's for awesome pub grub. read more

I came to Rudys for a nice salad and I got more than I expected. Not too many restaurants do good salads anymore. They slap some lettuce on a plate add veggies and that's it. Well Rudys did a good job and gave me an awesome Cobb salad with shrimp! It was amaze balls. read more

Yes, this is a staple dive bar. Yes everyone goes there, their beer selection is pretty good and their Frites and sauces are the best. However, I can't stand the place and it's no fault of their own. It's that dive bar that every drunkard, "rocker," low-class male I have ever encountered is comfortable in. And when you are there it is impossible to avoid them. When there's a bad local band playing, it's absolutely intolerable and most of the time I'm only ever comfortable if I'm hanging out with a group of people I can hide behind-- and that's coming from a very social person. It's the type of place that makes me hate humanity. But, like I said the frites are amazing and I will continue to support them and drink their beer. **UPDATE** I just had a fantastic burger at Rudy's. I still don't like the bar for the above mentioned reasons, but, like I said, the food and beer are worthwhile... read more

If you love to look cool and you want to bang, go to Rudy's. Nix the Yalie season and go during the summer when the locals are more visible- they're the ones who ride their bikes and stay for 30 minutes, but still quite a parade. Eat frites with samurai, curry ketchup, dutch special, or pesto mayo. Say something under your breath to the bartender and depending on the time of day, you'll definitely get some spit in your Stella Artois. I like Rudy's, really I do. It can be a bit overwhelming for the conscious, daily alkie, but a treat for the once-a-monther looking to tear someone a new asshole or share a drink with friends. Don't be overwhelmed by the dank sweathole and live a little. read more

Great beer selection, usually pretty good music. Depending on the night it can get REALLY busy... I much prefer Rudy's during the summer when they open the windows! I've seen some decent shows there as well. Usually a safe bet for a week night. read more

TRFESI BABY FRITES!! I couldn't believe it! Rudy's frites are almost as good as it gets, [obviously], but then I went home and read the entire Sunday Times. That may seem odd, but I was never able to do it before. You see, I suffer from the cruel disease, Dyslexia. But after a day of eating their frites with various dipping sauces, I was able to finish the entire paper. I personally attribute my recovery to the aioli-garlic and pesto-mayo. Sure, the place, since the move, tends to be a bit too pro-Yale for my liking; but as I basically said, I wouldn't be able to write this without their frites and sauces. read more

I was hesitant to try this place because the outside looked a little dumpy but boy was I proven wrong!! Nachos + guac = AMAZING! Mac and cheese is absolutely to die for. Also the vegan chicken nuggets literally taste REAL like McDonald's chicken nuggets and take that from someone who isn't even a vegan. Such a good little dive spot for comfort food. I love the food read more

This was an amazing experience! I'm from Belgium, and this bar has awesome beers. Orval, Omer, Duvel, Chouffe, Kwak,... all wonderful Belgian beers. The bartender was so fun and nice! Looking forward to coming back and trying the fries... read more

Rudy's is a solid spot to hang out at when you want a more casual night out. Lots of brews and also woodchuck cider (my favorite) for good prices. I love the wooden booths and tables. The frites are okay, but some of my friends are obsessed so I figured I would mention them. Also, just something to be aware of: there's usually no cover, but on some nights, often when there's a DJ, there is a $5 cover. read more

Dudes...cool your jets. They're just fries. The new location is a lot better than the old one. It's a little bigger, and it's not right across from Alpha Delta, so it's much easier to resist your inevitable Wenzel temptation. Other than that, not much is different. The bartenders are still pretty cool, and the craft beers aren't bad. A good horse to have in the stable. read more

good breakfast/brunch options. Especially LOVE the fries, and all the awesome dipping sauces that come with them. coffee isn't great, but apparently the drinks are tasty (it was too early in the morning for me to attempt alcohol). We came here to play boardgames with friends in the back room, which is a nice area for groups. Service is good, and the eggs benedict was tasty. My favorite was the egg burrito/wrap. read more

Great food, great beer selection, as always, BUT--a new bartender seems hellbent on clearing Rudy's out tonight! Entering hour three of nonstop Taylor Swift, and said bartender angrily confronting any customer who politely requests less grating music. Will steer clear for a while... read more

I'm surely in the minority here, but I enjoyed the new location on Chapel Street far more than the old one. It's far more welcoming enviornment. The new location also doesn't require a cover charge, which I always thought was odd at the old spot. Rudy's is always a cool place to grab a few pints with your friends. The bartenders are usually pretty nice, and there's always something for everyone to drink. Craft beers, wine, mixed drinks, they do it all. And pretty well. I was impressed with the selection of beers the last time I was in. I had a Dale's Pale Ale on tap which I had been wanting to try. Don't forget to order the frites either. Belgium fries, they're served with homemade dipping suaces and are a nice compliment to a few beers. read more

It's true that the new Rudy's is missing the atmosphere the old joint created throughout the years (and that it's colorful matinee crowd), but the new Rudy's is excellent. It's slowly building up its new cred. Beer selection is very good and the waiters really know their stuff, so they can help you decide or simply get acquainted with it. Food menu is far better than it was at the old place. Fries are still there (although they charge now for their sauces -I don't remember it being that way before-). Bucket of mussels is huge and delicious. Wings, burgers and the roasted beet salad are always my top choices. read more

I am unlucky in that Rudy's is close enough to my work place that is the happy hour spot of choice of the most regular attendees-- making it tough to get them to switch to something better. One, the bartenders work super slowly at happy hour-- they should have more staff behind the bar so that you don't have to awkwardly wait 5 - 10 minutes or more to get a drink. I have never had any food here that was bad-- but nothing that was great. Personally, I don't see why there is so much hype around the frites-- guess they are just not my thing. The back room is fun for large groups which we usually have. I think the drink specials are not a super deal either. So-- long wait for drinks, average food, prices for happy hour not memorable. I want more for my time and money. Went to Barracuda's down the street the other day-- had amazing $5 mojitos, my friend had a great beer and their app specials for happy hour are more affordable-- and at least on the menu, much more appealing. Gotta work on swaying the crowd... read more

yum! I love all the dipping sauces. The food is tasty. The environment is cozy and believe it or not it's pretty kid friendly. I brought my infant several times. read more

Good food, cool/funky decor, open space, nice bar area... love that the walls in the bar open up to the sidewalk in the summer. Kinda wish this place was closer to the other downtown venues. I've had a sandwich from here and also one of the personal pizzas and really enjoyed both. My fav was the frites with the curry dipping sauce. mmmmm. Wide variety of beer. Our waiter was really polite and friendly, can't remember his name. read more

Their Crusty burger and Belgian fries are my favorite in New Haven. They're casual, cozy, fun. Good beer list and great, friendly service.

My cousin just graduated from Yale and she lived half a block away from this "hole in a wall". My friends and I decided to give this place a shot and little did we know that we would get addicted to Rudy's Frites and their special sauces. A medium order goes at 5 dollars and is enough to feed four buzzed people. The inside of my the bar may be known as historical, with key and nail marking's on their wooden wall. The beer is at a reasonable price, and from the ambience of the place there are many locals. The best thing about the place is the patio they have in front of the bar that makes a personal connection with the streets, apartments, and people of New Haven. read more

i was under the impression that this place was a great spot to go but based on a recent experience where some guests were treated very poorly without cause, I would not go there unless you are a long time customer who is well known by the staff. this appears to have become another spot that has lost sight of treating all customers the same way. read more

THE REVIEW BELOW IS FOR THE OLD RUDY'S: I can't think of a bar I'd rather go to. Cheap. Wide selection of beer. Great jukebox. TVs if you need to catch an inning or a score. Outside chance you'll see a new local band that actually has an ounce of style. Above average burgers and frites. Patio as of a few years ago. And (usually) not filled with assholes. read more

Stopped here passing through town. Not only did they let us put on the Syracuse game, but they had beer other than craft and Budweiser products. The aioli is amazing!!! I am looking forward to another trip in Rudy's direction. read more

Edit: They refused to accept my friend's foreign ID. most bars in New Haven accept it. Sorry bouncer, you just took away a lot of your goodwill. It looks exactly like it is - kinda divey, but with a solid juke box, beer list, and frites. Also, it is larger than it looks, so you shoudn't have a problem finding somewhere to sit besides Saturdays. Its a great place to nurse a pitcher and some frites with friends. The bartenders and crowd treat you with the same indifference no matter how you are dressed, who you are with, etc.... Why complain? read more