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

Food is excellent, service not so much. Ordered takeout twice. First time, no one was answering the phone. I went to make an order, and was told I had to wait in a long line. I asked to speak to management, who acknowledged the problem with the phone, and took my order on the spot.

Second time, a young woman took my phone order. She could not properly add the cost of my order, and said it was $50+, when it should have been around $25. Then she told me it was a 2 hour wait. I called around 5 PM, and she told me to come in around 8 PM. 5+2=8???? I asked to speak to a manager who confirmed the correct time. I arrived a little after 7 PM, and my order was no where to be found. I had to wait an additional 15 minutes for my 2 hour wait phone order.

This was when they first opened. Hopefully things have improved otherwise they will be driving away a lot of business with incompetence.

Update: On 6/18 I did an online order. It was about a 1.5 hr wait. When I walked in about 10 minutes early, my bag was being packed. Very efficient and very professional. The young inexperienced girls were not at the counter. A manager and a TX employee (who was packing my bag) were there taking care of business. They even got my order right this time with my requested moist brisket instead of brisket i received the two previous times. Keep this up, and people can enjoy their food without the frustration of poor service. Their food is the best I have received in SF.

7/22/2022

When the clueless young girls are at the counter, that is when service takes a nosedive. My online order was set to be ready at 6:45. I arrived at that time. The bag felt cold. I asked when was my bag ready, and was told it was prepared 15 minutes earlier. I said "My food is cold!" "I assure you you food is not cold" i was told by a clerk with braces on her teeth, and a smug look on her face. She didn't just pay $28 for an order so what did she care? She was still being paid. When the adults are working, the service is superb. When teenagers are there, it takes a precipitous nosedive to mediocrity and incompetence. They DO NOT understand that without the customer's money purchasing your product, there would be no purpose for them bring thereto collect a paycheck. Their service is the reason for success or foalure of repeat business.

Do NOT order take out from this establishment. It is woefully inconsistent at best. As I do not eat in restaurants, this will be...

I am writing to express my disappointment following a recent visit to the Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q location in Santa Fe, NM. Unfortunately, my experience fell far below the standards I have come to expect from the Rudy’s brand based on prior visits to your other New Mexico locations.

From the outset, the level of customer service was subpar. Upon entering the establishment, the staff appeared inattentive and disengaged, offering little to no assistance. I ordered the chicken, which was severely overcooked and dry, rendering it nearly inedible.

Of particular concern was the state of the self-service beverage area. The ice machines were actively leaking, causing water to pool across the floor and creating a clear safety hazard. Despite the obvious risk, this issue appeared to be neglected by staff.

When I brought these concerns to the attention of the manager on duty, Mr. Bedford Richardson, I was met with indifference. He showed no willingness to listen or investigate the issues raised, and his dismissive attitude only compounded the dissatisfaction with my visit.

This experience stands in stark contrast to my visits to Rudy’s locations in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, where facilities are consistently clean, staff are professional and courteous, and the overall dining environment is well-maintained. Unfortunately, the Santa Fe location demonstrated none of these qualities. The dining area had a noticeable presence of flies, and there was a visible accumulation of greasy dust in the air vents—clear indicators of poor maintenance and hygiene.

In summary, the Santa Fe Rudy’s falls significantly short of the quality and service associated with your other locations. I would strongly encourage a thorough review of both the management practices and facility maintenance at this branch. Until substantial improvements are made, I cannot in good conscience recommend this...

You go through a line by bins of chips and tubs of chilled soft drinks (Zia Root Beer -- YAY!), look at the posted menu and displayed varieties of beer available, and then order at the counter. Last night, we got sliced turkey breast and brisket, new potatoes (I was asked if I wanted butter these came in so much butter it was like butter soup with potatoes), the root beer, and a beer. When you charge your meal, the cashier swings around a screen to let you add a tip. The tips start at 5% and are also offered at 10% and 15% or you can do a custom tip. Given the wages restaurant workers earn, a 5% tip seems insulting. I wish they would chop that option off and add in 20% at the top. I did a custom tip for more than that but I suspect most folks don't even see the option since they are in a hurry to get their food to their table.

We choose our table, got the spicy BBQ sauce, napkins, plastic ware, and sat down. My husband's beer was delivered except it was not the one he ordered. The server apologized and quickly returned with the correct one.

Both of the meats were quite delicious. The potatoes, as noted, were swimming in way too much butter and were soggy as a result. I won't be ordering them that way again.

We passed on the butcher paper to cover our table as we already felt like we were generating way too much trash. Since they apparently have a good dine in business, I was saddened that they don't have flatware and plates that could be re-used. Instead, we generated a lot of waste. They also do not recycle glass bottles so we took ours home to add to our glass bin and will get them recycled ourselves. I will try to remember to bring our own knives and forks the next time we plan to go there so we don't need to use their...