Review of Rudy's BBQ (Round Rock, TX)  

Rudy's BBQ Website, Facebook, & Twitter 

While running errands for my wife today I decided to pick up dinner from Rudy’s. I was craving BBQ and I realized I haven’t actually reviewed them yet. 

 

(Al's comment: Craving for BBQ? Didn't you just go to the Houston BBQ Festival this weekend? I'd call withdrawal pains from being in a meat coma.)

Rudy’s is the quintessential gas station BBQ in Central Texas. They offer a wide variety of products and are known for consistency. They also offer breakfast tacos.  

I decided to pick up a selection, and got moist brisket, pork loin, St Louis Ribs, Pork Ribs, turkey, and prime rib. I take all this home and sample.  

Brisket: The brisket is moist and reasonably tender. There’s a decent bark on it. It has  good amount of smoke flavor, but there’s an aftertaste that I’m not fond of that is almost metallic in nature. I’ll call it 6.0/10.  

Pork Rib: The rib has a good crust but is a touch tough. Like the brisket, it has a good smoke flavor, but again has that metallic aftertaste. Call it 6.0/10.  

Pork Loin: The pork loin is tender, but a touch dry. It has a good flavor however, and a decent crust. It also does not have that weird aftertaste. It’s pretty good actually. Call it 7.0/10.  

Turkey: The turkey is also tender but a touch dry, It has a nice flavor as well. Again, call it 7.0/10.  

Prime Rib: I got an end piece, which will tell me a lot about the flavor and less about the quality. It’s a touch tough even for an end, but has  good flavor. Lots of pepper and a light smoke flavor. Call it 7.0/10.  

St. Louis Rib: Smaller than their pork rib and bigger than a baby back, this is reasonably tender and juicy. It has no crust to speak of, and a mild flavor. Call it 7.0/10.  

I do owe Rudy’s a bit of an apology. They are a bit better than I expected, with 4 items in the 7 range. Honestly, if they weren’t in the business of making sure they had product set hours, they might actually be able to move into the exceptional range.  

Is it worth a visit? Yes. It’s a perfectly fine place to pick up lunch or dinner.  

Is it worth a trip? Not quite. They need just a little work on their items.

(Scott's comment: Did your drink the sauce??)

Tom