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

Saturday May 30th, 2020 I arrived at Rudy’s Richmond,Texas location at 6:50 pm. There was a line and I waited 10 minutes. I felt uncomfortable in line because customers were not practicing social distancing even though the floor was marked where customers should have been standing and Rudy’s did not enforce social distancing.

I ordered a half chicken and 2 small peach cobblers. Before paying I looked in my husbands wallet and I noticed there was a 20, 10 and 5 dollar bill. The young man that helped me said your total is $13.50. I handed him the 10 and 5 dollar bills. He then said they we’re out of chicken and gave me $1.50. He didn’t refund the peach cobblers which was fine. I ordered 1/2 lb of lean brisket and then canceled because the same paper he laid the $1.50 on was where he placed the brisket and the counter was wet. I told him I didn’t want anything and he refunded me $6.47. I went to the car and told my husband what happened and he said where’s the money since you didn’t get anything. My husband said he had 20, 10 and a 5 totaling $35 dollars which was the what I saw and confirmed before paying for the 1/2 chicken and peach cobblers.

I immediately returned to the front counter and asked for the manager. A lady named Beth assisted me and after I explained to her what happened she said I was not due a refund. I then asked to speak with another manager and Senior Manager, Rachel Sapp assisted me and I explained to her what happened. She asked who waited on me and said she would check the drawer to see if there was an overage.

I informed Ms. Sapp I should have a total of $10 dollars change, not $7.97 which is what was laying on the counter. Ms Sapp had me wait 10 minutes while she checked the register. When she returned she said the drawer balanced and the money was not there.

I have the 2 receipts that show I gave the young man $15 dollars and he refunded me $1.50 and another receipt that shows he refunded the 2 peach cobblers in the amount of $6.47. If you add the $1.50 and $6.47 it totals $7.97 and I was still due $2.03.

Ms Sapp refused to refund the $2.03 and offered the difference in a Rudy’s gift card which I declined.

I spent one hour at Rudy’s while my husband waited in the car and walked out without purchasing anything feeling frustrated and humiliated and Rudy’s owing me $2.03 One of the young ladies behind the front counter saw the $7.97 on the counter, looked at me and said “what’s that?” I asked her what did it look like and another young lady said to her Beth is helping her so she walked away. Beth, Senior Manager Rachel and the young lady who asked me what the money was on the counter were rude and unprofessional.

I am extremely disappointed with Rudy’s. My family and I have lived in the area 30 years and we have dined in and out of this Rudy’s location since it opened. In fact, for my 60th Birthday a few years ago my family purchased food from Rudy’s for my party because they knew how much I enjoyed it. Although this may not seem like a lot of money however the principle is it was my money.

I expect to receive a formal apology and a refund of $2.03. Because of this horrible experience I will never patronize Rudy’s again and will make certain my friends and family are aware of what I experienced.

This email was also sent to Rudy’s Corporate Office where my contact information was...

Looking for a late night venue in the area, Rudy's was the only nearby place open until 10pm, so it won. There was a nice selection of smoked meats; unfortunately our first two choices of brisket and pulled pork were unavailable. Just an FYI: you should probably stock enough product to last you until closing...

But I digress. My wife chose the smoked turkey sandwich, and I went with the spicy chop sandwich. Both were well prepared, with generous portions of meat on a flavorful bun. Mine tasted like a sloppy joe, which is high praise in my book. My wife's smoked turkey was excellent, moist and tender with a mild smoke flavor. The sides (corn on the cobb and chicken stew) were unremarkable, perhaps again due to the late night 'bottom of the barrel" remnants.

The server was friendly and helpful, explaining how things worked, answering our questions and making appropriate sorrowful noises when informing us of sold out choices. However, there was a young man behind us in line who was ignored for quite a while until he called out for help. With a seemingly full staff behind the counter, this was a jarring contrast to how my wife and I were treated.

In all, it was an "okay" experience and we may be back, but probably not...

I recently had an experience at Rudy's Barbeque that truly showcased the exceptional leadership and customer service skills of their manager, Adam Baldwin. After encountering an issue with an order that wasn't correct, I reached out to express my concern. To my surprise, Adam responded immediately and handled the situation with genuine care and professionalism.

His sincere apology made me feel valued as a customer, and he went above and beyond by inviting me to meet him at the restaurant to discuss my concern in person. This level of dedication is something I have rarely encountered in the dining industry, and it speaks volumes about Adam's commitment to ensuring a great experience for every guest.

Thanks to Adam’s prompt action and willingness to make things right, I left the restaurant feeling appreciated and satisfied. It's clear that he takes pride in his work and truly cares about his team and customers. Thank you, Adam, for turning a potentially negative experience into a positive one. You have definitely earned my loyalty and respect, and I can't wait to return to...