Rudy's Prime Steakhouse — Restaurant in Clarkston

We visited Rudy’s three days after its opening, excited to try a new spot, but unfortunately, the experience left much to be desired. The first thing was the dress code—a policy hidden on their website under “More About Rudy’s” that we only discovered after the fact. My friend was asked to remove his hat upon arrival, which seemed unnecessary, especially for a restaurant trying to feel fancier than it actually is.

The oddness continued when our waiter gave an explanation about the “course system,” suggesting we start with an appetizer, follow with an entrée and side, and finish with dessert. This explanation felt out of place—like they were trying to pass off a basic dining format as something unique. For all that talk, the pacing of the meal was completely off. Both appetizers arrived together, followed by our salad halfway through the appetizers, leaving the meal feeling rushed and disjointed and then left us waiting for our entrées.

As for the food, it didn’t live up to the price or the hype. We started with the Burrata appetizer, which came with what seemed like store-bought sliced bread. It was cold, lacking any crispiness, despite having grill marks. The burrata and tomatoes were fine but nothing beyond average. The Scallop appetizer had better execution—the scallops themselves were cooked perfectly, but the sauce was too heavy and dominated the delicate flavor of the scallops but had good flavor was just too much. It would have been better as a light dollop on top of each scallop instead of being spread across the plate. The Caesar salad was as expected—good.

For our entrées, we ordered the Allen Brothers Prime Filet, which was cooked perfectly but lacked the richness or flavor that would set it apart from filets we’ve had at other steakhouses. They also forgot the Béarnaise sauce we ordered, which took away from the overall dish. We had originally planned to try the mushroom pasta, but they were “out,” which was disappointing for a restaurant in its opening week. We were there at normal dinner hours, so running out of a key item seemed like poor planning. Instead, we settled on the vodka pasta, which was fine but nothing unique or craveable.

Dessert was another misstep. We were looking forward to the crème brûlée, but once again, it was unavailable. Hearing that two items we wanted were “out” was definitely a red flag. We went with the carrot cake, as suggested by our waiter, but the frosting-to-cake ratio was way off—far too much frosting, which made the cake overly sweet and hard to enjoy. To top it off, more frosting was used as a garnish, which only added to the sweetness. The dessert, like much of the meal, felt like it missed the mark in both execution and presentation.

The restaurant is clearly aiming for a high-end dining experience, with people in suits and tuxes moving about, but the atmosphere doesn’t match the quality of the food. They would do much better to relax the vibe, focus on executing dishes well, and perhaps lower the price point to align with the quality they’re currently delivering. In the end, the experience and food didn’t feel worth the...

I’m going to give it to you straight up—good but not incredible. Went there with friends and we all have eaten the new/best restaurants in metro Detroit, so not our first rodeo. The pros: The decor inside is excellent. Very clean and chic with good lighting. Comfortable seating with beautiful style. The staff is attentive and not overly intrusive. They were efficient and dinner came out with proper timing. The portions were small by typical American standards but satisfactory. They replaced silverware and cleared courses quickly as you finished them. The signature cocktails were delicious and nicely done. We didn’t order wine but the selection looked excellent. The restaurant is a little loud but has a great feel to place and I’d say they hit the mark.

The cons: As you look at the menu, you’ll realize they aren’t messing around. Extremely expensive. They are definitely the most expensive place in town……and the next town……and the next.

The food: Now I am happy to pay the prices if the food and experience is amazing. Each one of us tried different meals and were underwhelmed. The scallop appetizer were 3 very small scallops in a sauce with a blend of vegetables. The grilled octopus, two small pieces plus some greens. They both were good, but not shareable and the staff should have mentioned they were individual servings. Salads were good but unusually small…why? But average price point for a good restaurant.

We had steaks and pork chop. Most were cooked well (although my $74 prime NY strip was cooked closer to med-well than med-rare). It was a steak on a white plate. The quality was good but not anything overly special to justify the prices. The sides were à la cart and supposed to be shareable but again, weren’t anything that special. Broccoli was fine and fresh, and a Hasselback potato was a small potato with a green goddess sauce on it…..no one loved it.

The service was good but commanding these prices requires something over the top. Not very welcoming, and no smiles. They were busy and stressed. They delivered EVERY course to the wrong person at our table. They never talked about a meal or described an entree, or told us about a dessert. Even when we were getting up to leave, the manager barely looked at us as he said “Thank you for coming in” stepping across us to pick up our napkins and water glass off the table, as if he was clearing a table at Outback. I’m sorry, but after spending $600 to experience your version of an elegant dining experience, you can wait until we walk away. Overall, I’d say it’s a good place to try and definitely a solid B+ restaurant. We left satisfied but not full, with nothing to take home, so if you’re a big eater and expecting a large meal, this may not be the place for you. At this price point, the owners should know that everything will be scrutinized because it should be not just good but EXCELLENT-our consensus was it’s not...

Overrated. Overpriced. Boujee hangout with average and underwhelming food. Not sure what all the hype is about Rudy's? But there again you don't need to try that hard when there is little competition. Overall I wasn't impressed. Food: Arancini was dry, the burrata was old, beef - Black Angus corn fed, which is literally just a great marketing campaign, (as anyone who actually knows good beef cattle will tell you.) My steak - Creekside Filet @$55 was overcooked ordered med rare, it came out med-well. It went back, second time medium and I gave up - a steak restaurant that can't cook med-rare steak?? (yes, I was aware that it was cornfed beef, but I expected grass fed-finished, not eating steak that tastes like corn) Sides all $13+, Mashed potato for $14!! Fish dishes $35+ (both fish dishes were overcooked) Steak prices are over market price for cut and quality, if I wanted to eat corn fed beef I'd go to the supermarket and cook my own. Wine Selection: Reasonable, decent bottles but nothing outstanding. Would have expected better. Wine by the Glass is overpriced for the cheap wine thats available. Cocktails were OK but not amazing. Atmosphere: is pleasant - but nothing special, the lighting is poor and makes reading the menu a challenge. It is nice to have a dress code, so you avoid the flip flop and shorts crowd. It is loud, so it can be difficult to hear, we found tables near us almost shouting. Price:well honestly I've had way better for less. I'm no stranger to $200pp dinners - but Rudy's are way outside what the food quality is worth. Not saying its bad, but it certainly isn't 5 stars, or the hype and not worth the price tag. Service: is solid, professional and attentive. Price? App, entree and a couple of drinks and there will be no change from $150+ pp without the tip. When you claim "We pride ourself at being Michigan's Best Steakhouse" you should at least know your beef and how to cook it. Summary: Michigan is surrounded with amazing local farms that raise grass-fed and finished beef, traditional foraging pork and yet their go to is corn fed? I'll pass and spend my money elsewhere. Interesting Note: Owner only ever comments on 5...