Rudy's Brisket Beats All in Colorado Springs



Dining room at Rudy's Colorado Springs

 After having played 18 holes of golf on a warm Sunday afternoon, nothing sounded better to my husband and me than some brisket and sweet tea, so we headed over to the new Rudy's Bar-B-Q location that opened in June on the corner of Hwy. 24 and 31st St. in Colorado Springs. 
 

When it comes to eating at Rudy's, this wasn't our first rodeo.  We've been a fan of the Texas barbecue joint since moving to Albuquerque -- which has two locations -- about four years ago.  Then, a year ago, we decided to relocate to Colorado Springs.  We tried the popular local barbecue places (Front Range, Firehouse, and Bird Dog), but none had brisket that measured up to Rudy's.  We missed Rudy's so much that our family, who drove through Albuquerque on their way to visit us, actually stopped there and bought us a whole tray of green chile stew and a couple of bottles of Rudy's spicy "sause."  If my throat starts to get sore, Rudy's green chile stew is my go-to remedy, so I like to keep some in my freezer at all times.  I also became a fan of Rudy's Facebook page just so that I could beg the company to find a willing franchisee here in Colorado Springs.  (Yes, I was desperate!)  So when I learned that Rudy's was actually coming to the area, I was thrilled.  We made several visits to the restaurant during its first few weeks.  It was packed, but that was to be expected given the local buzz that often surrounds new restaurants.



Line to order at Rudy's

Several months later, on a Sunday evening, the scene was no different.  The dining room, which features long tables decorated simply with red and white gingham tablecloths, was bustling with people.  The line to order snaked around all the way to the door, though lines at Rudy's always move relatively fast.

The food, as usual, was fantastic.  I ordered my usual, a jumbo baked potato -- a steal at just $5.99.  The potato skin is always crispy and smoke-flavored, and the potato is stuffed with artery-clogging favorites like moist brisket, butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese. 


Jumbo Smoked Potato

I also love Rudy's green chile stew, spicy jalapeno sausage, and pinto beans, but the smoked potato is always more than enough food for me.  My husband ordered some chopped brisket and pork ribs.  We'd only tried Rudy's ribs once before, and that time, we weren't impressed.  Unfortunately, this time, we still weren't impressed.  Although Rudy's brisket beats that of any other barbecue place in Colorado Springs, the restaurant's ribs don't hold a candle to Bird Dog's.  

Rudy's Menu

Drinks at Rudy's

Rudy's Fare

Barbecue is very personal, but if you're the kind of person who likes your meat so moist and smoky-flavored that it doesn't need sauce, check out Rudy's.  Oh yeah, and their peppery, spicy sauce isn't too bad, either.

My rating:  5 (on a scale of 1 to 5)