Rudi's SeaGrill opinions please

[ober134]

Sorry if this is a duplicate item.... I tried searching. Is it worth the cost? I know this is hugely subjective, just wondering if its really that special. We've booked Celebration and want to get the trip planned. Have not been on MG yet. 

[balcony bound]

 

the meal I had at Rudi's on the MG was one of the best meals I've ever had.  Go for it.

[evandbob]

A different opinion:  We were on MG last November and the meal at Rudi's was okay, nothing bad, but nothing spectacular or special.  I've always enjoyed Carnival's Steakhouse, probably eaten there on maybe 35 cruises, so we were looking for another great experience and felt a bit let down.

 

Nothing bad about Rudi's but not as good as the steakhouse, and we do enjoy seafood.  We'll probably give it another shot when we sail MG again this November, hopefully it'll be a better experience.

[jimbo5544]

Been there three times on three cruises.  Better than the steakhouse and close if not the best meal we have had at sea

[WKUTopperFan]

I enjoyed my meal at Rudi's on my April sailing aboard Mardi Gras. The ship was over 100% capacity and the service in the specialty restaurants (I dined at steakhouse 2X that sailing) was rushed and food quality below average. Rudi's was the best experience all week. The servers were personable and smiled (the manager was phenomenal)... the only crew smiles I saw all week. The food was great and hot. The restaurant is beautiful (at least on Mardi Gras). I actually did not notice that pants were required (I always wear slacks to the steakhouse) and when I checked in the manager commented they were required. She gave us the option to dine outside or to go change. I APPRECIATED her holding to the dress code and told her as much. I was in shorts but had the matching jacket and bow tie... I was dressed up but no pants. Since I bought the outfit to wear one evening I elected to dine outside and it was the perfect night for it. I discovered I wasn't the only person dressed up with shorts on and made some friends to boot that night.

 

Eat at Rudi's... the menu is full of great items.

[crewsweeper]

I enjoyed Rudi's. Mussels, Cioppino, Red Snapper and bread pudding!  DW had the Sangria and I had a pretty decent Pisco Sour.

[sunkey1]

It's all going to be subjective. Personally my husband and I thought it was overrated. While the presentation was wonderful, the service we had that night was seriously lacking. The food was good, although not significantly better than any other specialty restaurant we've been to. Put it this way, we went last October on the Mardi Gras, do not plan to on our upcoming cruise. Everyone is going to have a different take based on their personal likes/dislikes so go ahead and try and decide for yourself!!

 

[FiredogCruiser]

2 hours ago, WKUTopperFan said:

I enjoyed my meal at Rudi's on my April sailing aboard Mardi Gras. The ship was over 100% capacity and the service in the specialty restaurants (I dined at steakhouse 2X that sailing) was rushed and food quality below average. Rudi's was the best experience all week. The servers were personable and smiled (the manager was phenomenal)... the only crew smiles I saw all week. The food was great and hot. The restaurant is beautiful (at least on Mardi Gras). I actually did not notice that pants were required (I always wear slacks to the steakhouse) and when I checked in the manager commented they were required. She gave us the option to dine outside or to go change. I APPRECIATED her holding to the dress code and told her as much. I was in shorts but had the matching jacket and bow tie... I was dressed up but no pants. Since I bought the outfit to wear one evening I elected to dine outside and it was the perfect night for it. I discovered I wasn't the only person dressed up with shorts on and made some friends to boot that night.

 

Eat at Rudi's... the menu is full of great items.

Like you, did not notice the pants requirement until we arrived, and like you opted to dine outdoors. Great meal, prompt service. Highly recommend.

[dbrucern]

We were disappointed with the lobster bisque which is one of our  favorites. It was a little watery. I had the  snapper which is one of my favorite fish however it was very fishy tasting and I could not eat it. My husband had the stuffed lobster which he said was delicious. But with all this said we will be trying this restrauant again in March.  

[ProgRockCruiser]

We enjoyed Rudi's tremendously on our cruise in Dec.  Not one thing to complain about - great selection of seafood dishes.  Service was fantastic.  We aren't in a hurry with such meals, and we weren't rushed, and they weren't slow, by our standards.

[wardwhitty]

We thoroughly enjoyed it .  We found the food to be very good and the service was excellent.  It's nice to have a different option if you are a loyal Carnival cruiser.

[sid_9169]

I thought it was good, and the service good as well... I've already made a reservation for my upcoming Carnival Celebration cruise in December to give it another go round... 

[lazydayz]

This is our favorite restaurant on the MG.  Been on MG twice and ate at Rudi's twice each cruise.  And on our upcoming cruise, we have already booked two dinners at Rudi's.  We liked it much better than the steakhouse on MG.  

[scottsgal]

It was our favorite meal on the Mardi Gras, the scallop appetizer was amazing and the stuffed lobster as well.  Food is subjective but we would definitely return there.

[AtSeaWithChris]

18 hours ago, ober134 said:

Sorry if this is a duplicate item.... I tried searching. Is it worth the cost? I know this is hugely subjective, just wondering if its really that special. We've booked Celebration and want to get the trip planned. Have not been on MG yet. 

This is my personal opinion but we are not impressed for the cost. I got the sole and spouse got the colossal shrimp. Honestly my fish in the MDR was better and the shrimp was pretty much the same shrimp available at Cucina or the MDR I don’t recall which.
 

I will usually eat at the steakhouse every cruise but unless I get a feee invite to Rudy’s, I’ll pass. 
 

Your mileage may vary but that’s my opinion. 

[Momma1980]

Thought Rudi’s was very good for the price. Food was very good although my fish was over cooked and I only ate about one third of it. That was disappointing. 
 

Service was good. Don’t expect to be catered to, but courses arrived with good timing and wine glasses were refilled. 

I will likely go again if I could choose outdoor seating. Our table for two was uncomfortably close to the two tables next to it. Had to turn sideways and shimmy past people next to us while leaving. Heard every word of the conversations next to us as well. One couple next to us was apparently in the midst of an argument- made it awkward and unpleasant  for me. 
 

Expect very good food for the price paid. To avoid disappointment,  don’t expect phenomenal food or outstanding service. The staffing shortage does extend to the specialty restaurants as well. 
 

[IntrepidFromDC]

We are foodies and we give Rudi's two thumbs up with a drooling smile.  Like Steakhouse, you can tell by the quality and freshness of the food - as well as the presentation, sauces and overall taste - the kitchen is run by chefs, not cooks.  Next Mardi Gras cruise we'll eat at Rudi's twice and Steakhouse once.

Edited August 1, 2022 by IntrepidFromDC

[TrqoisWtrs]

7 hours ago, sunkey1 said:

It's all going to be subjective. Personally my husband and I thought it was overrated

Agreed.  Its a beautiful atmosphere, but I thought the food was just ok, although the scallop appetizer was very good.  And honestly, it ruins the vibe when I get a piece of shell in what is supposed to be a high end restaurant.

[CruizinSusan70]

Food is always subjective and we thought it was OK.  Loved the chocolate bread pudding for dessert, but was disappointed with the Bisque, and the lobster mac n cheese and the stuffed lobster.  When Rudi's first opened, the stuffed lobster was a large stuffed lobster tail and after a few weeks it got downgraded to a smaller stuffed whole lobster which of course gave you substantially less lobster meat. 

[CruizinSusan70]

Score at halftime ...11 👍   4 👎  2  👉

[obx_fintoo]

Make that 12 👍.  We really enjoyed Rudi's and definitely plan to try it on the Celebration.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

On 7/31/2022 at 9:43 PM, jimbo5544 said:

Been there three times on three cruises.  Better than the steakhouse and close if not the best meal we have had at sea

 

I'll second that (though we've only been there on two cruises - with about 6 nights spent there). Our steakhouse experiences over the last few years have been steadily slipping. Of course, I've felt that way ever since they switched from the Supper Club. Like many other things in life, the price goes up as the quality goes down...

 

My favorite meals on the Mardi Gras were at Rudi's, Chibang (though I miss Ji Ji's), and - oddly - Shaq's Big Chicken, lol !!

 

Tom

[crewsweeper]

I would love for Carnival to swap out Chibang for Ji-Ji's.  We loved breakfasts at Emeril's.  And either Street Eats or Serenity Salad Bar for lunches. Rudi's, Steakhouse or Cucina for dinner always depends upon what gets ordered, much like the MDR.  You could be eating a great meal and others at your table eating something different are ready to gag.

[jimbo5544]

8 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I'll second that (though we've only been there on two cruises - with about 6 nights spent there). Our steakhouse experiences over the last few years have been steadily slipping. Of course, I've felt that way ever since they switched from the Supper Club. Like many other things in life, the price goes up as the quality goes down...

 

My favorite meals on the Mardi Gras were at Rudi's, Chibang (though I miss Ji Ji's), and - oddly - Shaq's Big Chicken, lol !!

 

Tom

Cannot argue any of that

[Bandman]

Our meal at Rudi’s in late May was a disappointment.  The first dish we ate was the “complements of the chef” offering that night… Beef Tartare.  A very odd choice for a seafood restaurant we thought. Many plates went untried at the tables around us. 

 

The scallop appetizer was good. My wife had the Bisque and said seemed watery or missing something and the house salad I had was warm and full of discolored lettuce. My entree, the snapper, was nearly inedible. Overcooked. Dried out. Extremely fishy.  My wife had the stuffed lobster and enjoyed it, although the portion was small. For desert i had the key lime pie and it was flavorless. My wife loved the chocolate cake.

 

In addition to several food disappointments, the service was really subpar. It was so bad we couldn’t remember a time we had poor service like that on Carnival.
 

We were on a back to back and had a reservation for Rudi’s for the next week and immediately cancelled it. We will be on Celebration next and are not planning on Rudi’s unless we hear of significant improvement.

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Bandman