Rudolph's Minneapolis

Rudolph's Barbecue
1933 South Lyndale Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403-3104


We know that barbecue isn't usually the first thing that people think of when we say Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, lutefisk and fried walleye sandwiches. While searching restaurants for our current trip there, however, we stumbled upon lots of good reviews for Rudolph's, which is in Loring Park, a lovely neighborhood in the southwest corner of downtown Minneapolis. We almost always hesitate to eat barbecue while we're anywhere but in barbecue territory, as we're so often disappointed, but we're glad we did, as this turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
Rudolph's has been in business since 1975, when it was opened at its' present location by Jimmy Theros. The restaurant looks like an upscale Hollywood supper club, named for Rudolph Valentino and abounding with black and white movie stills of his films on every wall and servers dressed in butcher style jackets. Not your typical barbecue joint. There are no picnic tables nor mix and match furniture. The menu goes beyond barbecue into steak, pasta, burgers and the ubiquitous walleye territory, but still with plenty of barbecue offerings...brisket, baby back and spare ribs, pulled pork and chicken were all there. Doug went for the Bruce Wayne, a combo of baby back ribs and a quarter chicken with 2 sides; he chose the grilled corn on the cob and slaw. I got the Double Feature, a combo of 4 spare ribs and a quarter chicken, which I had with baked beans and slaw. The waiter brought out our iced teas and served the slaw first, like they do in some delis and diners we've been to. They sell their cole slaw dressing in 13.5 ounce bottles, as they do their barbecue sauces, and we liked both. The slaw dressing was light enough that we still tasted the cabbage and other ingredients, a quality that characterizes all of their food. The spare ribs come without sauce, and they tasted meaty and lightly smoked. Chris, our waiter, said they smoke the meats for 24 to 36 hours over hickory, and the smoke is subtle. Doug's baby backs were dry rubbed then sauced while they finished, so they had a slightly caramelized coating. He had almost finished them when he said, "I could eat alot of these". The chicken was perfectly cooked, moist and yummy, lightly brushed with their thick sauce, which was a nice blend of sweet and vinegar, and the baked beans struck a nice balance between slightly sweet and a little spicy. We also recommend the corn on the cob, grilled to perfection.

We returned to Rudolph's last night for dinner in the interest of trying a bit more of the menu before giving it two thumbs up. Doug ordered a combo of 3 meats, barbecue pork, beef brisket and Dracula wings, and I ordered the buttermilk fried chicken. We also decided to try their cornbread, which they serve with a generous scoop of honey-maple butter. The cornbread was delicious...dense and sweet enough to bring dessert to mind. We both liked the barbecue pork, which is pulled pork shoulder in their signature sauce. It was tender with plenty of smoke flavor, and we got a bit of the burnt end. We also liked the Dracula wings, which they coat in a dry rub and grill. The brisket had good flavor, but was dry and not tender enough, so we'd skip that next time. My fried chicken was a surprise. I expected to get Southern fried chicken on the bone, but this was chicken breast pounded thin, breaded and pan sauteed, served over smashed potatoes with asparagus. It was good, just not what I expected. The mashed potatoes were too heavy on the garlic, butter and cream, so I only had a little of those. I think they ought to better describe this dish on the menu, as I would have skipped it and had something else instead.
So the winners here are the ribs, both the spare ribs and the baby backs, the barbecue chicken and the barbecue pork, and their delightful cornbread, which you can order a whole skillet of if you're really hungry. We also liked the clever Dracula wings, and can recommend their creamy coleslaw, baked beans and grilled corn. We didn't try the gumbo, as there's only so much we can eat, but our waiter told us that the same guy has been making it since the place opened, and that he's now in his 80s and just comes in a couple of days a week to make it. Rudolph's gets a "very good" vote from us...not pilgrimage worthy, but definitley worth a trip if you're in The Twin Cities.