Rudino's Sports Corner — Restaurant in Raleigh

It's been a long time since I had service as bad as what was experienced here. We were there early, just around five for an event at the Fairgrounds so the restaurant while not empty had less than 20 people in the entire place. There was nobody at the door when we arrived, so we sat ourselves. The hostess, the bartender and the waitress all walked by our table at least five times each, while completely ignoring us. After 10 minutes we went and talked to the hostess who said we needed to be sat to get service (OKaaaayyyy.) One of our party arrived late so her food was late. She asked for mayo, silverware and pickles. One of our party asked for more dressing which was never brought. Ten minutes later, she asked again (mayo, silverware, pickles) while the food sat untouched and getting cold. The server brought mayo and pickles, no silverware, which we again, got up and got ourselves at the hostess station. We asked for to go boxes and the check. Those were brought but the dirty plates were left on the table even after we asked the waitress to take the plates (huge pet peeve.) We heard the table behind us complaining about the wrong thing being brought to the table- I think it was a meal that they requested to no chicken and it came with the chicken. They removed the chicken and put it in the middle of the table. We heard them complain they weren't supposed to get it, and wanted it removed from the bill, but the manager said that since someone else ate the chicken they couldn't refund it. I never heard of such a thing! Anyway, it wasn't one thing in particular that was bad, and the food was perfectly OK, it was the overall prevalent eye rolling attitude by every person working there who seemed they just couldn't be bothered with anything. The staff spent most of the time off to the side looking at their phones. I don't generally write reviews and to be fair, I sent my first 'complaint' review to Rudino's only, but five days later, having not heard from them... I can only assume the staff gets their "I don't give a shit" attitude...

We really wanted to like Rudino’s. Living right across the street, it would be great to have a go-to neighborhood spot. Plus, we were friends with the couple who moved here 25 years ago to start this restaurant, full of hope for its success. Unfortunately, after four visits, three of them have been awful, and this last one sealed the deal—we won’t be coming back.

From the moment we arrived, the service set a negative tone. Our server greeted us at 8:42 PM with, “Our late-night menu starts at 9 PM.” When we said, “Okay, we’re ready to order now,” she seemed irritated, as if she didn’t want to be there. That attitude carried throughout the experience.

We started with the chicken nachos, requesting extra cheese. When they arrived, they were dry, bland, and incredibly generic—nothing like the satisfying, indulgent nachos you’d hope for at a so-called sports bar. It was a major letdown.

What’s frustrating is that Rudino’s calls itself a sports bar, but it’s really just a mediocre restaurant with TVs showing sports. A true sports bar welcomes fans, encourages guests to stick around, and embraces the energy of a game night. Here, it’s the opposite. The restaurant closes at 10 PM, isn’t even open on Mondays during football season, and by 9 PM, the staff makes you feel unwelcome—like they’re just waiting for you to leave so they can close up.

The only semi-decent experience we had here was the one time we sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly and made us feel welcome, even though the food was still disappointing. That’s why we gave it another shot, hoping for a similar experience. But tonight’s visit was the final straw.

We eat out five nights a week and love supporting our local restaurants. Unfortunately, Rudino’s just doesn’t measure up. The food is bland, the service is disinterested at best, and the overall experience is just sad. There are so many other great options nearby—don’t waste your time or money here. This is easily the worst dining experience in...

I recently had a disappointing experience at Rudino’s on Edwards Mill that I feel compelled to share. Our soccer team visited after a game, eager to enjoy some post-match food and drinks. However, we were denied service due to the staff’s rude demeanor and questionable management decisions.

Upon arrival, we were informed by the manager, Chelsea, that they wouldn’t serve our group of about 20 because they were prioritizing another team that had just walked in. When I inquired if they would serve smaller family groups of the same size, she confirmed they would, which seemed utterly inconsistent and unfair.

Chelsea mentioned they were understaffed, but it was a busy sports bar during a World Series game. We ended up going to a neighboring establishment, The Mill, which graciously accommodated us without hesitation. The Mill has better food and better service.

As a regular patron of Rudino’s for beer and pizza, this experience was a letdown. I’ve never faced such dismissive treatment before, and it’s clear the restaurant needs new management and a significant boost in customer service. I can only give one star for this visit, as it was not reflective of the welcoming atmosphere I’ve...