Rudy's BBQ Shack

1305 Calumet Ave, Valparaiso
(219) 242-8898

Recent Reviews

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Andrew Bell

Alishaaaa! Best customer service. She cares :)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Dawn Dalton

Our food was delicious! Even better than I even remembered it being. Our server, Alisha, was phenomenal. She was attentive and patient while we pondered over the amazing options. Her demeanor was a breath of fresh air. Loved her positive spin on things. Thank you for such a wonderful evening and fantastic meal! Can't wait to go back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Cassandra Daly

Came in for Valentines day lunch with my son and husband. We got the dinner special for lunch and it was way more than enough food. Took home 2 boxes of leftovers. Kori our server was extremely attentive and kind. Can't wait to go back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Bill Davies

Rudy has retired but this place is still delicious. I've been here a dozen times at least and the food is always great and the service is fantastic. I've also ordered their food for my company Christmas parties the last few years and it's always reasonably priced and tasty. I do miss chatting with Rudy at the bar though.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

R S

Omg.. smells, incredible...food...AMAZING...service, excellent...this may be my new fave food place! TRY THE BRISKET & PULLED PORK!!!! 💖💖💖💖

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Douglas Pauley

Love this place each time I attend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Martin Duffy

Nice place. Good BBQ.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Patrick Kelly

The staff were the friendliest people ever. The cook even brought out a big sheet of paper and crayons for my kids to color on. The food was excellent and it was very clean inside. Really nice setup too. How this place doesn’t have 5 stars is beyond me.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Kendra Lester

I was really looking forward to trying this place, but my visit was disappointing. I ordered the onion rings, which were $8, and received only eight pieces—and unfortunately they were cold and mushy. I actually had to put them in my air fryer once I got home to make them edible.

The pulled chicken sandwich was also served cold, and it was supposed to come with slaw, but there wasn’t any included. The house chips were hard, cold, and just not enjoyable.

I’m hoping this was just an off day, because I wanted to like this place, but the overall quality just wasn’t there for the price.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 4

Anna Lizabeth

Amazing food and service!! My son and I love this place!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Charles Carter

Great food, service, and playlist! Ribs were tender and fell off the bone!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Aaron Risner

Food was amazing I’ve drove past this place 100 times it will be hard to pass this place with out stopping from here on out Alisha was our server and she was awesome and very helpful with deciding what to order!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ash

Rudys is definitely one of our favorites! The service is ALWAYS A+ The food is ALWAYS amazing! Worth every cent!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

AvgJoe

Rolled into Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q just before 6 PM on a Wednesday—prime time for folks grabbing to-go orders, but the dine-in scene was chill. No line battles, no elbow jabs. Just me, my appetite, and a mission: brisket or bust.

🍖 The Meat Rundown

• Moist brisket: Oh baby, it lived up to the name. Juicy, tender, and rocking a bark that could win a seasoning contest. No sauce needed—this brisket was a solo act and it nailed the performance.
• Pork ribs: Seasoned like they were kissed by a pitmaster angel. Great bite, no gnawing required.
• Regular sausage: Meh. Not bad, not brag-worthy. But dunk it in Rudy’s regular sauce and boom—flavor upgrade unlocked.
• Potato salad: It showed up. It did its job. It didn’t steal the spotlight. Think of it as the polite cousin at the BBQ reunion.

🌶️ Sauce Talk

• Sissy sauce: Sweet and friendly, like your grandma’s hug.
• Regular sauce: A little heat, a little sass. Like your cousin who brings fireworks to the Fourth of July cookout.

🪑 Atmosphere & Vibes
Staff? Absolute gems. They made rounds like BBQ guardian angels—checking in, smiling, making sure no one was left sauce-less.
Outdoor seating looked inviting, but I parked myself inside near the condiment bar (which, by the way, is a treasure trove of pickles, onions, and other BBQ bling).
No plates? No problem. Butcher paper spread = rustic charm meets meat runway. I laid out my feast like a caveman with taste.

💸 Prices: Not dirt cheap, not wallet-wounding. You’re paying for quality and a little Texas soul.

🎯 Final Verdict
Sure, some BBQ snob might say there’s a better joint out there. But Rudy’s? Rudy’s is the kind of place that makes you smile mid-bite and consider a second round. If you’re cruising by—don’t just wave. Pull in, park, and prepare to get sauce-drunk.

#BrisketBliss #RudysBBQ #MeatSweatsActivated #ButcherPaperFeast #TexasBBQTrail #SausageWithSauce #PitStopPerfection #FoodieFuel #BBQHeaven

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Brisket Sandwich, Ribs, Sampler

Sarah Keyl

Came in and spent $80 on their feast. It comes with 5 meats and 4 sides. We got brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, rib tips, and hot links. For the sides we got 2 mac and cheese, green beans, and fries. This was the most flavorless bbq ive ever had. The pork belly was literally thick strips of bacon, which fine, i get thats pork belly, i guess thats just not what you expect at a bbq place. The hot links were okay, i will say those were juicy with a nice snap. Brisket was the best out of it all. I dont think the rib tips are smoked. The mac and cheese was lacking in flavor and cheese. I asked if the green beans were fresh, she said yes, these certainly have to be canned and the most unseasoned. The pickle chips were mushy. We had 3 flavored bbq sauces, all 3 delicious, none of them spicy though, which she said she put in the bag.

In all, i wont be back and it definitely was not worth the money for us.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

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