Rudy's BBQ - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Someone once said the two great American inventions were jazz music and barbecue. While I happen to be a huge fan of jazz, I can't say that I'm as diehard a fan for barbecue. The only reason I'm not as much of a fan of barbecue is because I haven't had the ability to try some of the best examples of American barbecue in its natural state: the briskets of Texas, the vinegar-based pulled pork of the Carolinas, the Kansas City standbys, the ribs of Missouri, the Memphis spots. Does this mean I don't passionately enjoy barbecue? Well ain't I a foodie? Few things get more me excited than the aroma of spices and meat that have been smoked, grilled, or both. In a way, I can't call myself a diehard because if I did it would be like saying U2 was my favorite band but I'd never made the effort to see them live.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Rudy's BBQ place a stake in Albuquerque, an extension of their many chains spread across Texas. Before this experience, the best barbecue I had experienced was at a dingy spot in Tulsa, Oklahoma called Billy Ray's, where the sweet, smoky sauce spread its ruddy self over huge hunks of brisket and ribs. I was 12 years old when I was last in Tulsa, so transformational 'que experiences have been few and far between.


Rudy's BBQ certainly looks the part, located in a bright red building on Carlisle just northeast of Albuquerque's "Big I" (for intersection of Interstates 25 and 40). Inside you can see long tables with plastic red tablecloth (the better to wipe them clean of the sticky signature sauce). Two large yellow panels display prices of meat, all for sale by weight instead of a specified portion. I went straight for the brisket, knowing that this was the specialty of Texas-based barbecue. The meat is covered in a spice rub and then smoked slowly with oakwood for hours. The magenta smoke ring was prominent on the beef.


Since I was in New Mexico, I had to order the green chile stew, a thick, spicy comfort food that's endemic to this particular branch of Rudy's. I threw in some creamed corn because...well it's just delicious. The green chile stew had a nice spicy punch in the palate, making it one of the better versions I'd tasted in New Mexico this trip.


In the back I could see the guy take out a huge piece of brisket and slice it by hand right after I ordered. I asked for a half pound and he gave me 2/3 of a pound. I was going to complain, the $5.79 per half pound seemed reasonable and a little more "lovin'" wasn't going to hurt.


At the table, I saw that I was given 4 pieces of the whitest bread I'd ever seen, the stuff Wonder Bread only dreams it could be, with more heft and probably a higher sugar content than the industrial version. On the table, I could see the huge bottles of Rudy's BBQ sauce, known for its peppery, spicy kick with requisite smoky-sweet tomato flavor.


I put together some sandwiches of the brisket and doused it with the bbq sauce, and covered it with some more. One can never have too much sauce with barbecue. The meat was a tad on the dry side but exhibited enough smoky beefy goodness to satisfy. The tangy sauce was the ideal partner, making up for the slightly dry beef. I quickly consumed two sandwiches, dispatching the 2/3 pounds of meat.

I imagine that an experience at the Salt Lick or various other Hill Country barbecues in Texas would be better, but I still found Rudy's in Albuquerque to be very good. For one thing, this experience has only made me ache for more barbecue joints in the future. Isn't that the real symptom of fan-dom? - the unending quest for more.

Rudy's BBQ
2321 Carlisle Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque
http://www.rudys.com/
(505) 884-4000