Dinner Fail? Hardly!
On a Sunday afternoon, Enrique and I just wanted a lazy, casual and tasty dinner that is also not far from the hood. Gotta support Oaktown!
Rudy's seems to be the perfect spot. At the very least, Rudy's is fun! It is a diner in the trendier-by-the-minute Uptown Oakland.
Rudy's is spacious, airy, metallic with high ceilings.
The spinning Rudy's flat "statue" indoors is a unique work of art. Rows and rows of Kens and Barbies sporting "I am Rudy" nametags; with some random doll morped into Joker/Zombie wannabe made Rudy unique and funky, and slightly creepy.
Think 50s diner that got lost and time travelled to 2012 and decided to stay instead of finding its way back to be-bop era.
Oh, if only! The big IF! If only I were not watching the scale I would park my behind at Rudy's for few hours and go through its sinful list of cocktails. Or at least have the ALCOHOLIC CHOCOLATE SHAKE.
So, for the sake of the waistline, I opted for BLOODY RUDY ($7.25).This drink was okay and not the best Bloody Mary that I've had and a little bit on the bitter side. But it was also strong and almost knocked the fat girl out of me.
The Carnivore ordered ONION RINGS $5.95 and CHEESE BURGER $9.25: The onion rings were enough to feed the planet. Enrique devoured the whole thing and had the mind to leave 2 onion rings and then declared "Everything's good!"
Being an occasional pescetarian, I ordered the BUFFALO TOFU $6.95: Vegetarian version of Buffalo Wings. Instead of chicken I got a generous plate of thick-cut tofu doused with savory buffalo sauce, a side of Ranch and celery sticks. I passed up on the dressing but devoured the medium-soft tofu. I loved it and it could have been a meal in itself.
I had the CAJUN CATFISH (BLACKENED CATFISH W/ BLACK BEANS, RICE, MANGO SALSA and AVOCADO) $12.95 as my main dish. I usually stay away from "blackened" because what I have gotten instead in the past was "burnt." Not RDCF's version of this dish. The catfish was sweet and fresh. The crust was well-seasoned providing a nice crispy outside but juicy fish on the inside. The mango salsa was sweet but complimented the fish. The black beans were tasty but slightly oily that I did not eat it. Instead of rice, I asked for steamed veggies which were simple but crisp. A delighful meal with leftover for lunch the next day.
TOTAL: $56 including Arnold Palmer and tip
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe is a fun modern diner. A great place for not-so-greasy diner food with inventive booze to quench your thirst. Generously portioned and reasonably priced. Service was friendly and attentive. Our drinks were refilled like clockwork. A great place to grab a pre-show meal at the Fox Theatre next door.
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe is a new Oakland resident but with its fun and funky atmosphere, it fits right in and should be allowed to stay.
It was not such a shabby ending for me and Enrique but I will return for my Happy Endings. All I have to do is go back for the BOOZE-IN-IT, SHAKE AND FLOATS. Here are some of the items:
- Shakin' Jesse: Guinness Stout, Chocolate Ice Cream & Espresso Milkshake
- Jesse James: Our signature Shakin' Jesse Milkshake with a shot of Jameson
- The Malt Liquor: Makers Mark, Bailey's, Vanilla Ice Cream & Malt Powder
- Dr. Zenzero: Fernet, Vanilla Ice Cream & Ginger Ale Float
(Otherwise, I will just be dreaming of Rudy's until then.........)
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