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CITY NEWS

Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe: Delicious Diner Keeps on Rocking

Roger Brigham
The Emeryville Connection Staff
August 2007

Most working stiffs brag if they can shorten their working hours. Ask Doug Smith, manager of Emeryville’s Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café what he’s proudest about with his job and he’ll tell you it’s the fact that the place hardly closes its doors to grab a bit of shuteye.

“Rudy’s opened in 2002, and when I started working in April of 2003 they were closing at 3 p.m.,” Smith said. “Now we close at 1 a.m. Having people know they can come somewhere safe and comfortable at those hours and knowing I helped create that makes me proud. There are not a lot of places to go at that hour, so we provide a valuable service.”

It’s the kind of place that with one mouthful or one glance can make you remember why American diners were invented. Unlike many new diners, however, Rudy’s doesn’t give you a lot of retro design and 1950s grease. Instead the menu plays homage to the East Bay music scene – Rudy’s is named after a song by Clash and is co-owned by Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt – and daily specials that bring up such homey classics as meatloaf, mac ’n cheese and fried chicken.

They take their food and their service seriously, but themselves? Not so much.

“First time diners are usually probably most surprised by the collection of action figures dressed at Rudy’s servers and wearing ‘I Am Rudy’ pins,” Smith said.

Indeed. The action figures are on shelves everywhere and then some. Chalkboards give the daily specials, booths line the walls and stools give a top-notch view of the bustle behind the counter.

The clientele “really varies day to day,” he said. “We have a lot of people from trades and construction and folks from city hall. Then we have a whole section of Pixar staff. We get a lot of families for weekend brunch and at night. It’s a real diverse mixture.”

Several clubs meet and eat at the café. “We have a Berkeley knitting club that comes in regularly,” Smith said. “The knitters told us we have the best lighting for knitting in the area.

“I think people come for the friendly service and the good music.

And the burgers. Rudy’s has won awards for best breakfast (served all day), best burgers and best fries. Brunch features such specialties as French toast made with Challah bread from Semifreddi’s, eggs Benedict on hash browns and topped with a fragrant Hollandaise sauce, and Huevos con Rajas, a classic Corned Beef Hash, a great selection of omelets and scrambles, and tasty pancakes and French toast.

Rudy’s employs about 30 workers and serves roughly 400 people on weekdays, 600 on weekend days. Patio dining is available in front but if you’ve never been, trust us: you don’t want to miss seeing the tabletops inside.

Roger Brigham is a writer for The Emeryville

Connection. If you have a question or comment, please contact him at ecocnews@gmail.com