Rudy’s BBQ: “The Best-Worst BBQ in Texas”

I cannot remember if I read about Rudy’s BBQ (www.rudys.com) while researching BBQ establishments on www.10best.com or in our Frommer’s San Antonio/Austin Travel Guide (www.frommers.com). But once again, Rudy’s was considered to be “quintessential” Texas BBQ and said to be “worth the drive beyond San Antonio city limits.” We decided to try the Leon Springs location. Rudy’s, like County Line, grew from one establishment into a local chain. The following quote was found in the San Antonio Current’s “Best of 2008″ issue (www.sacurrent.com):

“Rudy’s is a good reminder that behind every chain is a wo/man and a myth, and that sometimes purveyors of rustic Texana are actually hawking a reasonable facsimile. In this case, those occasional long Sunday lines outside the “country store” (quotes theirs) began in 1989 in scenic Leon Springs, when Q was added to the 60-year-old gas station and grocery. From there, the family-owned business, a direct descendant of the Leon Springs founder Max Aue, spread as far as Lubbock, El Paso, and even Albuquerque. But, shoot, we’re just reading this off the website so we can finish this writeup and head out to second-place winner and personal favorite Bob’s Smokehouse. [See our San Antonio Backyard Barbecue Issue, October 17, 2007, to find out why.]” I find it weird that they would list Rudy’s as the “best,” but pick their favorite as Bob’s Smokehouse. Whatever…

After a 20+ minute drive we found the Leon Springs location at a busy crossroads. Rudy’s was connected to a gasoline station and above the tin roof the sign stated “Rudy’s BBQ: The Worst BBQ in Texas.” A vinyl banner tacked up near the entrance stated, “Thank you for voting Rudy’s the “Best-Worst” BBQ.” I believe the sign was thanking local readers of the San Antonio Express-News.

You enter Rudy’s BBQ and store and pull a bottle of soda or beer from the wall-tubs filled with ice. You are immediately hit by the wonderful smoky smell and heat coming from the pits behind the counter. At Rudy’s you order meat by weight. My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ordered a pound of pork ribs, a half-pound of marbled brisket and cole slaw. Nancee ordered a sausage link, pickle and peach cobbler. We carried our food inside the convenience store on old plastic Pepsi bottle flats to get out of the heat and sat down at long conference tables covered with vinyl red-and-white check tableclothes with other hungry, sun-baked customers. The meat, both the ribs and brisket, were very good. Rudy’s “Sause” was spicy and featured plenty of kick. Nancee was amazed that I was consuming so much and honestly, I met my limit, but plowed ahead with gusto. While sitting there a very nice local woman who overheard our conversation told us that if we wanted “better” BBQ, although she did like Rudy’s, we should go to Boerne, Texas (pronounced “Burn-e”) to the Riverside Market, an old Shell gasoline station, and sample their brisket. This lady, we should have gotten her name and address, told us that she drove from the “other side” of San Antonio to Boerne (15 minutes past Leon Springs) to eat at the Riverside Market. She also told us about The Grist Mill in Gruene (pronouned “Green”), which was not BBQ, but was an excellent restaurant that also housed the oldest dancehall in Texas. When I told her that we were searching for the “best” BBQ we could find she also recommended Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas. We thanked her and headed back to San Antonio, but made plans to visit Boerne the following day for lunch. 

The relaxed local atmosphere was perfect and I would most definitely eat at Rudy’s again. You could buy their sause if you chose and I believe they sold a dry rub as well. Check their website. Next time I will eat less meat so that I may get a Blue Bell Bombstick (chocolate and banana) ice cream, which I never saw again during our stay.

[NEXT UP: RIVERSIDE MARKET...]

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~ by scrivenerstomb on July 24, 2008.