The bald dude with the birthmark has some of the worst hospitality I've ever seen, and I've hung around a LOT of servers and cashiers. A group of us walked in, and before asking about our IDs, the bartender notices the can in our friend's hand. The bar was loud and he clearly has a mumbling problem or something, but he said something along the lines of "no outside food or drink, you need to leave." The rest of us waited while our friend quickly apologized and stepped outside to get rid of it. I guess he had already made up his mind about not serving us because the closest thing to asking what we wanted to drink was a dirty look from across the bar. Our friend stepped back in, and he muttered something that none of us caught. When asked to repeat himself, we were met with an attitude and he told our friend to leave. Trying to clarify, one of us asked if he was really getting kicked out over a mistake. In response, we were told that our friend was stupid, hard of hearing, and banned from the bar. Obviously, we weren't going to stay without him, especially with a rancid attitude like that, so we shrugged it off and left. The bartenders response? "Oh noooo, we're losing customers," in a shitty little mocking tone. I'm sure the other bartenders are fine, but this guy needs to find a different career. At no point we're we loud, rude, or trying to start anything. Just a stupid mistake and genuine questions met with nothing but bitter, middle-aged animosity. Try any of the other bars within walking distance. Edit: After reading some of the other reviews, probably about the same guy, I guess it's relevant that two of us were brown and the guy he kicked out was Polish. read more

I ordered BBO wings half dozen a little pricey but good. Service was very good no problems there. Nice atmosphere for a corner bar. Close to downtown and street par read more

Rudys - I had class of Pino and BBQ wings. - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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One of the best burgers in town! Service is difficult, given it's a college bar, and you have to fight for attention at the bar. Also there was a crowd of 10 people who were standing at the door despite there being ample open indoor floor, which made a barrier to entry. Nothing not to be expected with college grads celebrating with a beer. You can find ample seating by the window and have a nice corner view. I will be returning again with my family. read more

Good local bar, good selection of beers on tap. Brisk service. Don't try to order fancy cocktails here, there are other places for that. Lots of loud students here but it's a bit quieter in the back room. read more

Rudys - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

As others have said, terrible hospitality. We went there earlier this week and the black waitress is not only rude (Rude-ies) but she is also racist against white people. read more

Stop by Rudy's on our visit to New Haven since it's one of our daughter's favorite place in to go with friends. It's a casual place with a good selection of beer on tap. The staff is friendly and attentive. We had beer and some amazing fries with a verity of sauces. We will back, to try their burger. read more

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If I could rate this bar (bartender) a negative 0 I would. We went there because our hotel was 0.2 walk away. The bald bartender that every review has complained about was absolutely the worst person I have ever encountered behind a bar. It took 7 minutes for him to acknowledge us when we sat at the bar. There was only one other couple at the bar and one other couple inside the restaurant. He finally acknowledged us after talking to the sky or whoever he was talking to, checking the pencil behind the cash register to see if it was sharpened and talking to it too. He finally approached us without speaking. This was the conversation: Me: Hello, how are you tonight? BT: Next Question Me: Excuse me? BT: Next Question Me: Sorry, seems like are having a bad day BT: It's July 4th and I am working at this bar. I would rather be in Ohio doing something else. Me: That sucks, can I have an Allagash White? My husband: What other IPA's do you have on draft? BT: Look at the taps My husband: I'm not from here BT: Just get Two Roads Summer Haven We got our beers and said to each other we would finish that one round and go somewhere else. Tab paid. THEN... Monsoon sideways rain, and lighting. I was afraid to leave. My husband even checked Uber 0.2 miles to hotel. We ended up having one more beer and paid the tab immediately. The rain let up and we killed our beers and left. This guy has no compassion, no personality, no speed, zero customer service, and left the most negative experience for us. HE SHOULD BE FIRED. LOOK AT YOUR REVIEWS! We went back to our hotel to a bar downstairs. Had the best time there. read more

Maybe the best fries of my entire life ..... and a veggie burger to die for !! And do not skip the pretzel!!!!!! read more

Rudys - Veggie Burger, Pretzel - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I came in with two other people just to grab a quick shot. When I tried to be friendly and asked the bartender if she remembered me, she responded, "yeah, you're the short guy that didn't tip." I told her that was rude, and she replied, "you were rude for not tipping hopefully you tip this time." That interaction felt really unprofessional and uncomfortable. I wasn't even staying long, just trying to have a quick drink, and instead got singled out and spoken to disrespectfully Her name was Ariel , Ariel always has a face and seems like she doesn't want to do her job that's ridiculous I'm forced to tip she seems busy with being on her phone but doesn't wanna serve people me and my group walked out before we could even ask for shots I'm not spending my money here at all I tried giving it another chance but this the last time the same girl with a attitude she needs to be fired I don't mind tipping when I receive good service, but this kind of attitude makes it hard to want to come back if I could rate no stars I would read more

Rick (Lin Manuel Miranda) runs a great shop! This bar has EXCELLENT comfort food! The fired chicken mac n cheese was excellent! Great ambiance and atmosphere. The Brussel Sprouts were crispy and juicy and I don't know what kind of sorcery is necessaary to make that happen, but they got the magic he read more

Rudys - Some friends and I at Rudy's for supper - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Went for lunch. Great bartender. I had the veggie burger which was great. The fries could've been hotter. Solid beer list.

Worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant and we left before even ordering anything. My son and my daughter in law live on Chapel Street and we've all been to Rudy's before. Especially my son... many times. He and I had an extremely hard day with emergency family problems so We all decided to take a walk to get some fresh air and get a bite to eat....he wanted to go to Rudy's. The same bartender everyone else here is complaining about was the most miserable human being I've come across in this business. After completely ignoring us for what felt like forever (it was Sunday night, there were only 2 other men in the entire place) He was muttering so much, talking crap under his breath to the point where I asked if there was someone standing behind me that he was talking to. Then my sweet DIL (who was the only in a happy mood). Asked if she could get a virgin mojito. The bartender shouted "no! we don't do that here!" Still happy my DIL asks what she can get that's non alcoholic. Bartender says water or soda so she orders water. He cards her for the water. She gives him her ID (she's 27). He was awful to her. My son who's also having water is also ID'd . At this point I tell the kids let's just leave. So we left, walked down the St to another restaurant where we were welcomed and treated with kindness and amazing food. My son being sad that he'll NEVER go back to Rudy's. All I can think info after reading these reviews is that this guy has some stake in this business. Why else would they keep him around? read more

Experienced some of the worst serive. The bartender was so racist and disrespectful. Been ordering from her for some time and I will never again. read more

The bald bartender that others have mentioned is just as awful as people say. He's extremely rude, mutters under his breath, and clearly doesn't want to be there. If you hate your job that much, you shouldn't be in customer service--especially behind a bar where you're the face of the place. Ruined what could've been a decent experience. I won't be back. read more

No servers and a single bartender on staff. Half the menu wasn't available, and the bartender was shitty with me as if I was at fault for ordering a crispy chicken sandwich. Not sure what was going on, but I'm not inclined to go back. read more

Fries are my favorite part I got a wrap but it's fun to come here and try the fries and sauces with friends! read more

Rudys - Regular Frites - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Food was good, I'll give them that. The service was awful though. They had no table service. I had to order everything at the bar and was forced to close my tab on the spot because the waitress didn't feel like waiting around. I had to go to the bar repeatedly to ask for silverware, then ketchup, and then buy additional beverages. Why have a bunch of tables and offer food if you don't have table service? Ambiance was ok. The lights were flickering for no reason, other than that, it was pleasant. read more

This is your classic dive bar with a Belgian theme. It was down the street from our hotel so we stopped by for a drink. You have to stick to the classic belgian beers when here. The leffe is one of my favorites and they have it on tap here. I don't think you can go wrong with a belgian beer but be careful since they usually have more alcohol than normal american beers! There is nothing fancy about this place but that is not why you come. It is a cool neighborhood spot that probably fills up with college kids and locals. It was empty when we came one Sunday night but we can blame Covid for that. Cool place to check out when in New Haven. read more

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I visit home from Hawaii and when I do my brother and I frequent Rudy's because of the great selection of beer, the food and the bartender Wesley. We always get great service and look forward to seeing him. See you in September. read more

Great food as always and friendly staff. Impressed by the customer service. The two bartenders Jordan and Claire handled a large crowd very well. read more

Rudys - Great drinks. - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

This was the first bar I'd ever gone to in New Haven, so it feels special for me! :) In fact I came here for three weekends in a row straight with other post-grad students. Cider (my drink of choice) tastes fine, prices I think are in line with other places, place is spacious with nice lighting and sufficient seating room. Lots of students come here and in general a pretty popular place! read more

Extremely rude in town on business during March Madness. Went in Sat at bar and ordered a drink and asked bartender if she could change the channel to a different game ( the one on was a rout and no one was watching ). Bartender tells me rudely that " they can't find the remote " and the channels were staying as they were ! I was stunned and said to her pleasantly " you know this is kind of crazy right ?" after another patron made the same request. the manager stormed over and yelled " the channels are NOT being changed ! while the bartender grabbed my check, slapped it down and said , " you are all done !" ( I had no intention of staying anyway. I travel a ton , this was the rudest place I can ever recall ! read more

Went here for a late lunch today with my bf. We were the only people in the whole place. The bartender was SO INCREDIBLY RUDE to us that we almost walked out. He (bald white male) seriously talked down to me and tried to make me feel really stupid while I was ordering. So much so that I even stopped mid order and firmly said, "Excuse me??" to one of his rude remarks that he uttered under his breath. (I was letting him know that I can still hear him perfectly even though he was turned slightly away from me.) Talking to customers (or anyone) like that is not appropriate and should not be tolerated. I am all for playful sarcastic banter but this wasn't that. He was extremely condescending to us. After I kind of confronted him, he was a little nicer but still rude to my bf and I. He just ruins the whole vibe there with behavior like that. Another note -- I appreciate that they take disinfecting things seriously, but they're using way too much bleach in their solutions to clean. It smells very strongly of bleach in the restaurant, enough to give one a headache. A tip for them would be to dilute the bleach more with water. Altogether, the food was good, but seriously not worth going for when you get treated like garbage by the bartender (who takes the food and drink orders.) Save your time and money. Go somewhere else! There are so many better bars and restaurants in this area with nice staff, better food, and better vibes. read more

Just had the worst bar experience in New Haven. The white male bald bartender with the beard was extremely rude to my friend and didn't want to let him place an order for drinks. When we tried to ask the bartender as to why he wouldn't serve my friend, he dismissed us with "have a good night". I still paid for my drinks and before I left I tried to talk to the bartender and he provided me a bogus reason stating "two drinks for two IDs" and was still very curt and totally disrespectful. We wondered if the reason we were treated differently had anything to do with us being the only minorities we could see in the establishment. read more

I don't consider myself a beer snob but a beer lover, my wife and I will take a ride every Sunday during the summer in our convertible to an art show or some kind of exhibit and we always end up at craft beer tavern looking for the best draft beer in the area and after visiting Rudy's about 5 times in the last year I have to admit its right here with 15 tape beers (guessing) beers like Palm my personal favorite, Weihenstephan, La Fin Du Monde, Guinness, Grimbergen to name a few imports plus local craft beers East Rock, Two Roads, No Worries, Rogue. I hope you find this useful. There that's my story and I am sticking with it. read more

Rudys - Rudy's is for serous Beer lovers or Soccer Fans hang out.Palm my personal favorite. - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Low key, not crowded, and the BEST Belgium fries I've had since Pommes Frites in NYC (if you know, YOU KNOW)! We were only here for a quick drink and to try the fries, so I can't speak on any other food. The service was very nice and helpful. I loved being "surprised" with my fry sauces! Which, btw, I've decided all ketchup should be garlic ketchup...sooo good! read more

Rudys - Beer - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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If I could give Zero stars I would. Bartender, dark hair, Caucasian, just an Absolute See You Next Tuesday. Unbelievable how rude she was. Did a FULL eye roll at my wife because she's pregnant and ordered a Non-alcoholic iced tea. Then when we asked if there was an outside area, which there is, she said "Is this even serious? You came from the front, so where do you think you should go?". We had never been there and we will NEVER GO BACK. Disgusting Trash. read more

We went on a Friday evening with some friends and acquiring food was an adventure. After 30 minutes of waiting, we determined that there weren't enough wait staff to order from our table so I ordered at the bar (which took 20 minutes since there were lots of people ordering drinks, as one does, at the bar). Their fries are EXCELLENT as are the dipping choices. We also had fried pickles which were a bit batter-heavy but good. Drink selection is fairly decent but not outstanding. Will return for the fries. read more

I've been to this bar a few times and in multiple instances over the years I've been told that I was cut off from drinks and I did not tip well before closing my tap. I go to a bar for drinks and a good time. Not to be racially profiled, but over the years I've been told that I'm not a good tipper (after tipping well over 20%). I wanted to provide a review for other POC. If you're coming to New Haven and looking for a good time and aren't white. This isn't the place for you unfortunately. read more

Rudy's hands down is my favorite bar in New Haven. Fun atmosphere, good food and a great selection of beers. I came on Tuesday, Claire and Jordan were working. By far the best service I've had in a very long time. They are both friendly and attentive. I never felt rushed or not taken care of. I will be back on every Tuesday for sure!!! read more

I don't live in New Haven but I've been there often and I've been to Rudy's. Wanted to grab dinner and drink at the bar. Bar was quiet (2 people there total). Bar tender was counting under his breath when we sat down. Ignoring us completely for about 5 min just talking under his breath. We asked him if he was the bar tender and he answered "sometimes". We ordered a drink. After a few min he asked if we were good and I said yes. He said ok I'm going to kitchen for min. As soon as he came back we just asked to cash out. Food wasn't moving there and we were too scared to order. The doors were open and it was nice to feel the breeze but the weed smell is overwhelming. Not everyone likes the smell of a skunk. It's pretty much all of New Haven right now... unfortunately. Also. Worst Bloody Mary I've ever had in my life. read more

I have been here a few times but Rudy's will never reach its potential until they figure out whatever is going on with the Bartender (bald). Bartender (Bald) is very cruel to female patrons. My partner and I came in to watch a football game and had to listen to Bartender (Bald) rant about women for hours. I put in my order for food but Bartender (Bald) would not even hear my girlfriend's order before going back to his friends at the bar to call the modern woman a "pussy" for being sad tiktok was banned by the government. It was an infuriating experience as he refused to hear my partner's order over the hour we spent at the bar. He went on a rather long rant about women that made my partner very uncomfortable. He bartended for 3-5 of his friends at the bar rather than 10-12 others who were trying to put in drinks/food. Bartender (Bald) was a total mess yesterday and the reason we are never coming back there read more

This was the first bar I went to while visiting New Haven and they wouldn't serve me because they thought my out of state ID was fake. I'm 24 and the bartender said "so you're really saying we're the same age..." we asked for a scanner or black light but they claimed they didn't have one and flat out refused us. Beware young bar goers, they discriminate. read more

Can't believe my first time here. Legendary French fries were drawing me here decades ago in the original location but I never made it here. Between three of us, we got 2 burgers, fries, Caesar salad and a nacho app. The nachos were very good. What tastes like fresh tortilla chips were topped with a cheese sauce, pico and plenty of sour cream and freshly sliced jalapeños. I typically do t like cheese sauce vs actual shredded melted cheese but this was very good. We got 2 Classic burgers, one with cheddar and the other with no bun topped with avocado, bacon and American cheese. They were cooked perfectly at medium and obviously don't on an open flame grill. I used to prefer meat this way but now prefer it on a flattop. Regardless, it was a good burger. They came with fries and choice of one sauce. Extra sauces are $0.75/each. We got the chipotle mayo and Belgian mayo. I didn't try the Caesar salad so can't comment on taste but we got the dressing on the aide and it was extremely thick. Great selection of draft beers. The service was great; very friendly. I would come back, but only for the fries and beer. The burgers were solid but for $15+, there are much better burgers around (and for half the price). read more

So I have a mini long haired hotdog that now looks like a sausage and I'll tell ya why. He loves human food and when you give him it he just chomps it from your hand and swallows. No chewing no indulging in the flavor just gulps it down. The veggie burger from here helped me understand how bomb human food is to dogs cause I turned into my dog that evening, I call him baby geets in case your wondering. I loved it and I really wanna order from here again but I don't want to turn into a sausage dog. Moral of this yelp is, Go here the people are so welcoming and it's bomb af duh, just make sure you have someone reminding you to chew and indulge. Anywho, Here's a pic of the baby geets wondering why tf I didn't give him the last fry. read more

Rudys - You really just ate the last fry? - Dive Bars Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I am a neighbor of Rudy's and have been a long time customer. Over the past few years I have seen a marked decline in the quality of the overall experience. I like the space, and the servers have always, and continue to be mostly good. Even the food tonight was ok although the selection is half what it used to be. I miss the mussels and the selection of flat breads. Particularly the bar seems to offer less of a selection of beers and spirits. Tonight they were out of olives! My biggest complaint tonight was that I was looking to escape the heat wave we are currently experiencing only to find that the AC in Rudys was weak if it was on at all. We asked our waiter to amp the cooling and we were told it should get better shortly - it didn't. All thru dinner my guests and I were sweating profusely. Even the table was sticky from the heat and humidity. I am disappointed with Rudy's because it was our "go to" place for a good inexpensive dining experience. It was a place I was proud to share with colleagues and friends. I had trepidations before going there tonight. The food selection had been shrinking over the years but I still expected a comfortable environment. We came close to leaving before we ordered our food, now I wish we had. read more

Watch for the additional charges! I ordered the New Haven burger which, written on the menu, includes swiss cheese. The price- $18. I received the check with an additional $1 charge for swiss cheese. I spoke to the bar person who understood my concern exactly. The employee told me the bill cannot be adjusted because the owner wants the billing to be as is. Doesn't make sense. I am a New Haven native who has been patronizing Rudy's for years and I love this place. John D. Rockefeller said, "How much money does it take to make a man happy? Just one more dollar." C'mon John and Rudy! read more

Great experience. i had the pleasure of being severed by Jordan. Would gladly recommend!!

Not sure how Rudy's has a 3.5 star on Yelp. This is one of our favorite places to hit consistently in New Haven. The food has always been on point. Unique brews. Cool atmosphere. And best Poutine in the area. Take a look at their sauce list for frites, its extensive but one of my favorites is the andalouse. Give it a shot if you're in the area and looking for a casual, laid back, dine in experience. read more

$18 for a mediocre burger that you have to order at the bar after waiting for the bartender to finish her conversation about the Gilmore Girls? Hard pass. read more