RUDY

I was excited to come eat here because I was told it was amazing and they couldn’t stop raving about it. It was disappointing in almost all respects. There is no seating at this location, you can’t even go inside. You order from a window and wait on the side of the street until it’s ready. So there’s little overhead when it comes to seating, cleaning up after customers, etc. That is fine and understandable yet they’re asking for tips to take your order while you stand outside and wait. The order in question: two burgers, two drinks and fries. I was given 1 napkin for all of that. Just one napkin. The burgers were small, just a bit bigger than a slider but thin and they were overcooked and burnt all around the edges. The fries were fine, golden and crispy but served in a small bag for $5. If Rudy is trying to save money in this economy, that’s fine, but I don’t feel the need to give them mine.

Visited Rudy while in the Entertainment District/Queen Street area. Rudy has a number of locations in the city, with this location on Queen being more of a takeout/pickup location but is also one of the few options open very late on Friday nights and weekends. Rudy is best known for their smashburgers, as one of the popular smashburger options in the city among others. One of their specials was their Canadian Bacon burger, which was their cheese smashburger (The Rudy) with fried peameal bacon and was a special only during TIFF. Their regular menu items also include their special take on a Big Mac (the Big Rudy) and their fried chicken sandwich (the Valentino), alongside their regular smashburgers. Overall, it is a decent spot to get a smashburger especially during late nights in the area on weekends and is a reliable option for one. As their Queen St./Duncan location is a pickup location only, all orders are takeout only.

I was put on to this place by one of my close friends who actually lives out in Brampton. He told me that when he comes into downtown Toronto, this is usually one of his go-to burger spots. One day, as lunchtime was about to start, I hopped on Yelp and realized that this location was within walking distance of my workplace. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that ordering was done at a pickup window a la one of those classic hole-in-the-walls systems. There were maybe 2 groups ahead of me. In the span of 15 mins, the area in front of the window became chaotic after I ordered. I got a Crudy combo which came w/ poutine (opted for regular fries instead of the poutine) and a drink. The burger included 2 smash patties, cheese, fried onions, pickles and rudy sauce. The fries are shoestring variety (they were average tasting). At the cashier's recommendation, I got a chocolate shake to round off. My friend wasn't wrong. This was one of the best smash burgers I've EVER consumed. The patties were oh so crispy/caramelized and onions were layered between the patties for even distribution in every bite. I also liked that while the patties were pressed for the crispy edges, they still retained enough thickness. I've eaten some smash burgers where they press the patties so flat that they basically turn into crepes instead of patties and lack mouthfeel. The buns were super pillowy. While the burger WAS insane, I paid close to $30 for 3 items!!! Priced themselves JUST like Shake Shack at Dundas Square. Do I think the combo altogether was worth $30? Not a chance. My friend also told me the price has sadly, spiked tremendously for no reason in the last year. I will definitely return for a burger once in a while but will probably skip out on anything else due to the astronomical prices for the sides and drinks. 5 stars for the burger quality (prolly just a 3 star rating in terms of value).

We’re visiting Canada, so of course we had to try poutine — and this place did not disappoint! On a bit of a touristy whim, we also ordered the fried pickles, thinking “we’re on vacation, why not try something new?” Honestly, they blew my mind. So crispy, flavorful, and addictive — I indulged every bite. The poutine was absolutely delicious, with a generous amount of cheese curds that made every bite so satisfying. It did take a bit of time for the food to come out, but it was totally worth the wait. We also got a vanilla milkshake, which was thick and creamy without being overly sweet — a perfect treat to round out the meal.

Edit - came back and found out my servers name Samir, great service by him!! Wow!! I can’t even explain my experience here. My go to spot is usually Rosie’s but I decided to switch it up and try Rudy. Now I think I’ve found my new favourite smash burgers. I came here during lunch time on Wednesday, I didn’t know what to order but the server he took his time, described the whole menu to me and even suggested what I should try. I went ahead and got the Big Rudy, pickle chips and a vanilla shake. The server, he mentioned that they released banana pudding so I thought to myself “might as well try it” I am a big fan of puddings from Rosie’s. I was curious to see how it tastes. I can say that it did not disappoint! Big Rudy was great, the way the patties were smashed the edges were crispy but the inside thick with meat and all produces inside were fresh just awe, but I definitely think the Rudy sauce was the best part. Pickle chips were pretty great also, I don’t mind pickle but not that big fan of it. The shake on the other hand was top notch, full of vanilla flavour and thick but not too thick. The pudding was good to I didn’t think it would that good to be honest. I was pretty impressed. Out of everything Rudy has to offer the customer service was definitely the best. From the moment the server saw me in the window he came in with a big smile and made a conversation with me which is different because most restaurants just want to take your order and move on. Rudy is my new go to smash burger spot.

One of my favourite burger places, come here too often to get The Crudy. Definitely the best burger there! Also have had the Rude Dude and Big Rudy. Recommend to get 2 patties since they’re thin and add Bacon (thick and good quality). Perfectly crispy patties and the softest potato buns that just make the burger more pillowy. Their special sauce really adds to the burger, tastes like an elevated big mac sauce.

My rating: 7.0/10. I ordered a large selection of burgers and sides from here for a group dinner, and was left a little disappointed after all the praise I had heard. We did get the food delivered, which means it wasn’t super hot (although it did smell very good), so I can’t hold that against the restaurant. The fries were the first disappointment for me. They were pretty plain, sparsely seasoned, nothing to write home about. For a burger joint with a relatively short menu, I would have hoped for more. The poutine was also pretty unexciting. It is easy to mess up poutine, and this one wasn’t bad, so that says something, but it wasn’t anything spectacular either. The chicken sandwich let me down because it was much smaller than pictured and didn’t contain very much of the sauce or coleslaw that it promised, it was predominantly fried chicken and a bun. The shake was super thick and tasted like vanilla ice cream with a tiny bit of milk added, sugary and sweet certainly, but nothing remarkable. The burgers were the bright spot, smashed well, topped with a nice sauce, warm and tasty. Not the best burger I’ve ever had, but certainly not a bad burger. Overall I was a little let down after all the good things I’d heard about Rudy. I would go back if someone else wanted to go, but I certainly won’t be rushing over.

Rudy burger was awful. Patty was mashed up with chunks missing and over cooked burnt. The chicken burger was dry. Both awful. Mcdonalds is better than what we got...what's the hype about? UPDATE: Customer service is 5 star. Within less than 12hrs after my review the owner reached out and provided a resolution. Update to 3 star for service. And 2 star overall.