(617) 623-9201

248 Holland St
Somerville, MA 02144 42.4027 -71.1271

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Neighborhoods: West Somerville, Teele Square

RUDYSCAFE.COM

Years in business

Established in 1982

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Cash, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Family-Friendly Dining, Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Southwestern, Mexican

Smoking Permitted:

No

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Rudy's Cafe

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – The only tequila bar with a children's menu, Rudy's appeals to both the young and old. The early crowd is young and professional, often with kids in tow. After dark, couples cool down with the bar's large selection of draft beers, tequilas and mezcals. Layered, glowing walls bathe everyone in the flattering colors of a Tequila Sunrise. The affordable Tex-Mex menu includes items like Mexican pizzas, chicken chimichangas and enchiladas.

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
On a cool night, angle for one of the two tables next to the gas fireplace in the Teele Square corner of the dining room. Otherwise, the four booths near the bar are the most comfortable seating.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The service was good and I found the atmosphere relaxing.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Their food is good, their drinks are tasty, the waitstaff is friendly.”
food quality
86.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Also, I was disappointed in having to order my chips and salsa, something that is a complimentary staple of every good Mexican restaurant.”
  2. “Great food, and affordable!”
  3. “The food is simple mexican fare, consistently good, and consistently served extremely quickly.”
  4. “great food, great prices”
  5. “Food was delicious and bountiful.”
  6. “It serves up decent and reasonably affordable Tex-Mex food with varying degrees of "authenticity" - I'm from the Northeast, so I defer to my friends of more Texan orientation for that particular observation.”
  7. “Great Salsa, food is always fresh and they have a great attitude in here.”
  8. “Their food is good, their drinks are tasty, the waitstaff is friendly.”
  9. “Since it is so close to Tufts Univ it has a bit of a college feeling and the mediocre service attests to it, but you come here for the food and the rita's not the service.”
  10. “Everyone I have gone there with that enjoys Mexican food would return so if you fall into this category, give Rudy's a shot.”
  11. “Great Mexican food”
  12. “The salsa is good, but the rice is a little bland.”
  13. “tasty tacos for less than $7?”
  14. “The food is great and the prices are so cheap.”
  15. “agree with bosox - their charging for chips & salsa is lame.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “Everyone I have gone there with that enjoys Mexican food would return so if you fall into this category, give Rudy's a shot.”
service
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The service was good and I found the atmosphere relaxing.”
  2. “Their food is good, their drinks are tasty, the waitstaff is friendly.”
  3. “Since it is so close to Tufts Univ it has a bit of a college feeling and the mediocre service attests to it, but you come here for the food and the rita's not the service.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “Excellent Tex-Mex cusine at a great price!”
  2. “The food is great and the prices are so cheap.”
  3. “great food, great prices”
  4. “It serves up decent and reasonably affordable Tex-Mex food with varying degrees of "authenticity" - I'm from the Northeast, so I defer to my friends of more Texan orientation for that particular observation.”
  5. “Great food, and affordable!”
3 Star Rating: Average

01/13/10

Nice, but not sure why it's so packed

by leadlike , Citysearch Contributor

Every time I talk to someone about Teele Square, inevitably Rudy's comes up as if it were the secret hide-out of Mexican cuisine. It serves up decent and reasonably affordable Tex-Mex food with varying degrees of "authenticity" - I'm from the Northeast, so I defer to my friends of more Texan orientation for that particular observation. The salsa is good, but the rice is a little bland. I also find the ground-beef that's used throughout the menu to be sort of lame in an enchilada. The food can be a bit over-cheesed, which I guess can go either way depending on one's mood. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but I am always surprised at how crowded it is and how excited people get for it. Its not all Tufts students either, so I'm a little miffed why it seems to be a destination restaurant.

  • Pros: big margaritas, relatively inexpensive
  • Cons: surprisingly crowded
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

04/12/08

I love you!

by away

I love you Rudy's!! You make Friday nights fabulous! Chips and chili con queso + Margarita is the best part of this place (I hate to say this, but the entres don't live up to the chips/dip/margarita combo... but after a few margaritas, who can tell the difference... really..?).

  • Pros: Nada!
  • Cons: Margaritas!
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/30/06

Mmmmm. Great food, and affordable!

by cheesemonger11

I really love Rudy's. Their food is good, their drinks are tasty, the waitstaff is friendly. I agree with bosox - their charging for chips & salsa is lame. I'll definitely be back!

  • Pros: Great value
  • Cons: Charging for chips & salsa
4.5 Star Rating: Recommended

07/25/03

Excellent Value

by driscolljc

Over the past few years I have dined at Rudy's many times. The food is simple mexican fare, consistently good, and consistently served extremely quickly. 3 tasty tacos for less than $7? Margaritas that are amongst the best I've had anywhere in Boston? Can't beat it!

Everyone I have gone there with that enjoys Mexican food would return so if you fall into this category, give Rudy's a shot. You won't be disappointed.

  • Pros: Unbelievable Value, Speed
  • Cons: On the small side, Can be a wait
3.5 Star Rating: Average

01/11/03

spunky drinkage

by rudedude

Wonderful ambiance and aerodynamics. Food was delicious and bountiful. Tried 3 different margs. The frozen "traditional" was not impressing. The 1800 on the rocks, tart and surprisingly (as it went on) great. The gold cuervo on the rocks - excellent - good blend of margar tastings with a distinct tequila tangation.

  • Pros: seating, parking, drinkability
  • Cons: menu readability, booty, lobster

The Details on Rudy's Cafe

Place Categories:

  • great mexican food
  • always fresh great salsa
  • great price
  • mediocre service
  • tasty tacos
  • good mexican restaurant
  • great rocks
  • tasty drinks
  • friendly waitstaff
  • really love rudy
  • lame charging
  • order chips
  • excellent tastings
  • consistently good simple mexican fare
  • great attitude
  • good blend
  • reasonably affordable texmex food
  • fabulous friday nights