Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Allen

I was surprised to call ahead and be told they weren't busy at 2pm on Memorial Day. I'm not surprised any more. I won't go as far as to say this place is sacrilegious calling itself a BBQ place in the Greatest of States. The dining area was very cold, which is typical of large franchise restaurants as a trick to chill hour food making it less palatable and then causing you to be physically uncomfortable so that there is a higher turnover rate of tables which theoretically should lead to more sales, the calculable pulse of a restaurant; Rudy's saving grace in this area was the covered outdoor seating which only had fans, no AC vents. It was comfortable. The layout is a but confusing at first, largely due to the fact that there is a 'convenience store' like Cracker Barrel has a 'Country Store'. And yes, Rudy's does have four functioning gas pumps. The walls are cluttered with an excessive amount of signage for flair, and so if there are any directions as to the flow of customer service, it is non-evident upon one's first visit. Therefore, as with similar establishments and experiences, guest service should be the guiding factor. For being manned by essentially a team of young (16-22 years old) females, these girls were salty. If I go to a dive bar on the other side of the tracks where everybody knows your name and I'm an outsider, I am prepared to be treated as such. However, if I get turned around and ask for help in the Chuck E Cheese's version of Dickey's (Dickey's is better BBQ by the way), I'd expect a young lady to offer some pleasant guidance as opposed to telling me how hard she has it cuz it's her third day in a row at work and she also has to babysit tonight. However, this is the suburbs at the brink of the rural county but with an average income per capita higher than most, so I guess little things like explaining the menu might be a lot more traumatic. Which brings to point the ambiance. It seems silly making such a comment about a BBQ place, but it bares mentioning because this place missed every mark: cold air, cold people, and the food wasn't great. Brisket was decent, nice smokey flavor. I am the type who has a salt lick for lunch. I took a bite of the ribs and my mouth imploded on itself from immediate dehydration. When I told my girlfriend that the rub was too salty, she was astounded. I thought a cold bottle of the official bear of Texas would help wash it down. No, not Shiner, though that Rudy's had in it's small selection of iced down brews, but Lone Star. For those heathens from out of The Republic of Texas, Lone Star will be about $2 even in Deep Ellum, where the new influx of California hipsters have smuggled their ruined economics apparently (i.e. everything is overpriced). Rudy's sells Lone Star for $4 a bottle. I think I figured out why the rub is so salty: to create desperation. There are two sauces: regular and "sissy". The regular had a little more kick, like when your nephew's foot hits you that one time you got trucked into changing his diaper because your brother had already passed out drunk and y'all decided for the last time to let your ladies have a 'Girls' Night Out'(GNO). Fine. Saving grace. My lady friend noticed some dessert on the way in. Some cheese cakes (!?), but at least the staples of warm peach cobbler and banana pudding. So I order one of each. They both came in styrofoam cups about the size of the ones at the condiment bar for pickles. After a discourse with a disgruntled young lady who looked like the Wendy's billboard but had attitude more like the door greeter at the Walmart on Wheatland Road in Dallas before it got closed. She wasn't that bad, but the overall service of most of the employees at Rudy's was pitiful for a place with their prices in an affluent area like the shops on Stacy Road. I'm almost out, when I inquire about the vanilla ice cream that crowns every serving of warm cobbler served south of the Mason Dixon Line, per the Old Testament, to which I was informed that commies had taken over and therefore it us sold...

This past Saturday, my family and I decided to stop by Rudy’s barbecue and get something to eat after my son’s peewee football game. We look at the menu and decide what we wanted. My wife got the brisket sandwich which was kind of chewy wasn’t as tender as I’ve had before. My seven-year-old gets the pulled pork and he really enjoyed it. I couldn’t quite make up my mind, but I settled on a baked potato with two meats on it, usually if I go to a really good barbecue place the baked potato is cooked to where if you choose to you could eat the entire thing. Skins and all. I unwrapped my baked potato from the foil, and the outside of the potato is just burnt. There’s no way that you could eat the skin of the potato. But some people don’t, I get that, but to me it was overly done. I get the chop beef and the jalapeño sausage to go on top of it. The sausage wasn’t very spicy at all. You could barely tell it was jalapeño, but the beef that was on it was was OK. It had a good flavor. It had a good lean meat to fat ratio. It wasn’t overly fat wasn’t overly lean so I didn’t mind it. It was good. My wife got this side that I’ve never never had before. It was the green chili stew. It was OK wasn’t horrible. Wasn’t good. It was just meh. Now here’s the real kicker for me. After I ate, my wife and I decided to to split a dessert. We decided on the peach cobbler and ice cream and I go up to the counter. I ordered, the guy waited until I put my card in paid for it, it asked me for a tip a tip on a Three dollar 50 Cent of cobbler. And for a dollar more you get a little bluebell individual serving of vanilla ice cream. What got me was the guy waited until I put a tip or not . He did a double take of the screen. It appeared that he looked at if I gave a tip or not. Because afterwards his demeanor did a 360. He walked over scooped the cobbler into the cup. Slapped it on the counter and said ice creams over there. (For me to get myself) He left my credit card still in the machine after I handed it to him, didn’t say anything and then walked away. I’m not in this area that often, but if I all (with the attitude I was given the second time) it might not be on the cards to make a second visit. Was he in a bad mood already? Was he mad he didn’t get a tip on a $4 scoop of cobbler? Who knows. Maybe your visit will...

Well …. This was such an amazing experience …. Had to come write a review in the middle of the night so I won’t forget tomorrow. It would be a shame not to recognize this place and its people. I was late for work :) and I needed gas … so because it is on my exit (Stacy rd) and they always seem to have cheaper gas, I stopped. I usually go to qt or 7eleven bc my points but whatever…. I stopped here. I’m so HAPPY my card was declined on pump #4 :) I had to come inside, no biggie :) once there, I met Chris HE IS AMAZING ! So while I was paying I told him about me being the first time at this place etc and he welcomed me with a coffee that … hello !!! Tasted amazing !!! The smell was sooooo good inside I had to get some breakfast tacos for me and my coworker. But …. What made it amazing was Chris. He was so nice that after work I came back to order through the drive thru so I could taste more deliciousness :) I order brisket sandwich, cole slaw, creamed corn and chocolate pudding. This is for me and my toddler …. WELL …. Nice nice service once again:) I’m happy …. Ohhhh but wait bc I needed a piece of what brisket before my 30 min drive AND BAM….. let me tell you…. Besides delicious …. A LOT of brisket !!!! Like I could make 2 nice sandwiches with that. Made me happy to spend $20 on this meal. I’ll do that gladly … forever hshshs ….. anyway I got home, tried the slaw, it was good. Tried the creamed corn and oh YESSSSS… so good. Their mild bbq sauce is great and the chocolate pudding …. I can cry. So good. I still have half of everything for tomorrow (I don’t eat a lot) even tho I shared with my toddler :) I’m happy. Tomorrow I’m coming for the breakfast tacos and coffee bc Chris introduced me to it. I’ll try every flavor bc if the potato was good …. If the bacon one was good (my friend told me) I need to try them all. See what great customer service gets you ??? Plus great food ….. I’m a fan. Period. Thank you all that work here and my friend Chris that was there at 7 am today...