Rudy's Pub is more than just a sports bar

*Editor's note: the writer of this review was  previously employed at Rudy's Pub & Grill*
By Priya Gupta, Staff Writer

Logo courtesy of Rudy's Pub & Grill

Great food, friendly service and sports galore are hallmarks of the Rudy’s Pub and Grill experience.

Usually when you head down to a pub, you brace yourself for the greasy—and usually not too tasty—pub fare, however, eating at Rudy’s requires no such preparation.

In addition to all the normal amenities of a sports bar, such as the 38 TVs throughout the restaurant and the full service bar, Rudy’s also offers patrons a full restaurant menu.

Rudy’s menu includes a variety of food, from gourmet pizzas and burgers to pasta roma and shrimp scampi. The restaurant also offers wings, sliders and an assortment of the usual pub food suspects.

When I stopped by the establishment with a friend to watch the US vs. Colombia soccer game Tuesday, we started ourselves off with the Carolina pulled-pork sliders. The slight sweetness of the rolls was perfectly offset by the tang of the sauce and the crisp of the fried onions gave the sliders just the right texture.

The spiced pear and pecan salad that followed had a nice touch of sweet to its dressing but not too much to be overwhelming. The greens tasted like they were fresh from the farm and the pear slices had a great crunch to them.

Also delicious was the baked macaroni & cheese with its spicy Italian sausage and its roasted tomatoes; an all out infusion of Italian spices baked into an American favorite.

The Thai chicken pizza slice I stole from my friend’s plate almost made me rethink my choice of an entrée. It’s not a combination I would have thought of for a pizza, but Thai spices and pizza seem to mix a lot better than one would think.

We split, the brownie ice cream sandwich for dessert and it was also a big win, figuratively and literally; it’s big enough to be a meal all on its own.

Rudy’s has two locations, one at 26772 Portola Parkway in Foothill Ranch and at 3110 Newport Blvd. in Newport Beach.

Prices at Rudy’s range from $4 to $10 for first courses, low to mid-teens for entrées and around $6 for dessert; happy hour, from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, makes the place more than affordable for a good, casual meal.

For more information visit their website at http://rudyspubandgrill.com/