Rudy's

I've probably eaten 200+ hotdogs from Rudy's in my time and guess what? I'm still alive and fairly healthy. I'm no historian, but I think Rudy's may be the oldest dive in HK. I used to go there with a fake ID, back before they had that nice backyard. I think a blonde pitcher was $9 and a red was $11. Their red taped sofas will never die.

That’s the spot that gets me hot! There’s something about Rudy’s free hot dogs! (Don’t tell anybody!)

There was a time in the early 2010s when I went to Rudy’s almost every Thursday night for Drinking Liberally (which is a national social organization started by a friend in Rudy’s backyard that gathers to socialize and talk politics). I don’t go as often now, but it still feels like home when I walk in and order a pitcher of Rudy’s Red to share with friends.

Literally the best deal in town. I don’t even really like hot dogs, but the fact that you can just get a free hot dog with any drink? My go-to beer is Rudy’s Red. You get two beers and two hot dogs and you’ve got dinner for $10 including tip! I’ve been going there since before I even lived in the neighborhood and was just visiting NYC.

There’s not a lot to say about Rudy’s that hasn’t already been said, but where else in the City can you get a nice beer and hotdog for just $4! It’s an institution, and while some days I might want a fancy cocktail, most days it’s just about having a nice cold beer surrounded by happy folks in the best dive bar in the world.

I dig Rudy’s because it still has local color and history. There is a mix of regulars but many patrons live in the neighborhood or did at one time. Also, the Steely Dan boys hung out there. “In the corner of my eye I saw you in Rudy’s You were very high You were high It was a cryin’ disgrace... “

Rudy’s makes everyone happy in so many ways. The best free hot dogs with a drink purchase. Cannot be beat! Locals and tourists continue to fill the place as it’s legendary. A real HK institution.

I love history and this place has plenty! The prices are amazingly reasonable and you get a free hot dog with every round! You can’t argue with that deal!! And its always full of an eclectic cast of characters, no matter what hour you visit!

Of course this is my number one favorite. From the first time that I stepped into Rudy’s, back in the 80s, I knew the place was special. I love hearing the stories of so many people from all around the world about what Rudy’s means to them. I was able to make new lifelong friends, from local regulars to people that came to visit once or twice and we still keep in touch after they went back home.

It’s just an absolute staple as far as dive bars go. I always tell tourists to hit up Rudy’s for a real and time-tested New York experience. The cheapest cheap beer in the city, plus a free hot dog with each drink. You can’t not talk to the people next to you at Rudy’s, and I usually end up meeting people both from the neighborhood and all over the world.

Love it or hate it, Rudy’s is an institution now. It’s not only the crown jewel of NYC dive bars, I’d argue it’s the crown jewel of dive bars worldwide. No other watering hole gets such an eclectic mix of local regulars mixing with a stream of visitors from all over the world on a daily basis. These days, Rudy’s has gone from the last place we’d end up at after a night of carousing in the old days, to the last place I knew back then that’s still standing. While my bar hopping days are now behind me, I still walk our dog by Rudy’s most every night, and chatting with Joe and the other staff and regulars outside is always a highlight of the day. And you still can’t beat their prices!

The place where I met my husband Peter. Rudy’s will always hold a special place in my heart, but aside from the romantics, Rudy’s was also the place where a younger, more adventurous self could get cheap beer and a hotdog, meet aspiring writers that actually could edit the novel you were working on, as well as get your Tarot cards read. I will always recall the red duct-taped booths and its 80s rock music selection, but Rudy's truly was a special place because it cared about people. Rudy's collected people's mail for them when they did not have an address, they paid for funerals and offered Thanksgiving Dinner to those that had nowhere to go. That, to me, is the definition of what a neighborhood bar can be to its community.