Rudy Royale

Amazing food and amazing service! - Crab Dip (starter): You can really taste the crab—it’s rich, cheesy, creamy, with a touch of acidity. All the flavors hit at once. Pair it with the crispy baguette for a perfect texture contrast. - General Rudy’s Chicken (main): Similar to General Tso’s but with a creative twist. The rice has a subtle cheesy aroma (even though you don’t see any), and the chicken is perfectly crispy with a sweet and sour sauce. Just thinking about it makes me hungry again. - Chicken Pot Pie (main): My husband loved it. To me, it tasted like a chicken version of clam chowder—super fresh and hearty. Service was excellent: We wanted an extra plate to share the crab dip, but didn’t explain ourselves well and the server split the chicken dish instead. When we looked confused, the lead hostess noticed right away and came to check in. I loved how attentive and professional they were!

My husband and I came for lunch and sat at the bar with Carmen as our server/bar tender. Let me start by saying she was the only one at the bar for drinks and she was taking tables, but she did so very well. We got just as much attention as if she was to be behind the bar the whole time! Carmen was friendly and kind, she took the time to tell us about all the foods and what was made in the kitchen. Let’s get to the food we had fried picked as an app and they did not disappoint the Rudy’s sauce that comes with it as a little sweetness to it, if you want some spicy to them ask for the smoked comeback sauce so yummy!! My husband got the fried chicken sandwich and said it was easily the top fried chicken sandwich he has ever had which is the same about what I said about my fried chicken Caesar the salad has brioche bread crumbs instead of croutons and they were heavenly. Like I said we sat at the end of the bar by the doors opened to the street and it was so nice to be able to people watch while we waited for our food.

★★★★★ Incredible experience at Rudy Royale! Bartender Maryann was fantastic—she served up a stunning layered martini from her secret drink menu that paired perfectly with my delicious salmon veggie bowl. I loved sitting at the bar, sipping my cocktail, and perusing the pages of the many cocktail books they have on hand. Her creativity and skill made the drink an unforgettable highlight of the night. Great service, amazing flavors, and an overall 10/10 visit! Can’t wait to come back!

We came for lunch and enjoyed everything. The service was great. For our appetizer, we ordered the cast iron cornbread with honey butter and strawberry jam, which is a must! I ordered chicken pot pie and my husband ordered the flounder sandwich, both were so good! Looking forward to coming back to try more from the menu!

Good option for having lunch. Loved the ambience and the staff were very nice. We had to wait for a while to be seated. Not a lot of parking nearby.

Scottie was awesome! We were visiting from raleigh, NC. The food was great! I had the salmon entree, i added a side of the honey glaze from the general Rudy chicken entree, highly recommend that combo! My boyfriend had the short rib ragu, also very delicious!

Food was AMAZING!! We got Chicken Fingers, Brisket Egg rolls, Watermelon, Mac & Cheese and a frozen Sangria. Service was great! Atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

My husband and I started our date weekend downtown at Rudy Royale during Restaurant Week. Scotty, our waiter, was very attentive and always came by at the right time to check on us. We started with the barbecue baby back ribs and deviled eggs. Both were great. The barbecue ribs appetizer was the clear winner of the two. I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken pot pie, and he enjoyed his two pieces of fried thighs. For dessert, we had the chocolate flourless torte and the pistachio cheesecake. They were both very good. My husband, who does not normally enjoy chocolate desserts, really enjoyed the torte. We have dined at Rudy Royale a number of times and have always enjoyed the food, the service, and the atmosphere.

Great place. The food was very good and Tri our server was awesome! ( he answered all our questions) My chicken pot pie was awesome. Didn’t look like I thought it would look but it was delicious 😋. Get Devil eggs. My wife loved her roasted veggies and the people who got the fried chicken had great things to say. Cracker pepper potatoes were like crack…I couldn’t stop eating them!!!

Excellent food, service, & ambience. Not too pricey either. Not sure how long they have been open, but Rudy Royale is located on East Bay Street, next to Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar. We are thrilled to add this to our list of favorite places downtown! We simply ordered five different appetizers and sides, and snacked on them "Tapas" style. For our main course, we got a full order of fried chicken. The appetizers and sides were so delicious. The fried chicken was perfectly cooked -- juicy on the inside with perfectly-fried and perfectly-seasoned batter. The only item we weren't too crazy about was the skillet corn bread. Our party of five arrived near closing, so perhaps we just got the last of it. We'll try it again next visit. Kudos to our server, Mary, who made terrific recommendations, and was very attentive & efficient.

Out of all E Bay St restaurants, this is the most price-efficient but very good place you will find for dinner. Mac&cheese was so delicious I almost wanna order a second portion! Flounder is very moist but crispy and the sauce is interesting with it. The only thing I wish if it will come with a side included. General Chicken had lots of flavor and the dish was a big size that makes you completely full once you done with it. Service is amazing, Chris cared about our table and that’s the type of situation when you feel good about tipping 20% of your check. The crowd is mostly young people. You can watch TV. Seating is great as well — we got a 4 people table just for 2 of us without any reservation. Recommend!

Rudy Royale is my new favorite restaurant! The mac and cheese is hands down one of the best I've had. My husband enjoyed the chicken pot pie the first visit. On the second visit, we ordered General Rudy's Chicken! Omg!!! Delicious!!!! I highly recommend the mac and cheese and General Rudy's Chicken. It's a great restaurant for date night or a ladies' night!

Chicken pot pie, get it! We booked Rudy for our rehearsal dinner last weekend because we fell in love with Rudy the year before on a random trip to Charleston. The Ragu & filet are amazing, but you have to go with the Chicken pot pie! It tastes like comfort & home! They were amazing to work with during the planning process. Casey was attentive & sweet during the booking & the night of. She worked with us to set up the menu we wanted.

Happy Hour from 4-6 everyday of the week is tough to find, grateful they have options at the bar in a great part of town! $5 rail drinks is a cheap way to start any great night! For $8, I was blown away by their she crab soup! And all the HH food options looks amazing. Even the locals were there getting chicken tenders and sandwiches! That's the best sign for any spot! Ambiance is great too, clean and not too cramped! Tony was okay as a bartender, didn't really connect with us but offered solid service overall!

We hosted a welcome dinner for our wedding guests (about 40 people) here and it was the perfect atmosphere for this dinner. Booking was super easy, setting the menu was easy, the event itself was wonderful and the staff was amazing. And the food!! Everything was so good. Specifically, we got the crispy garlic crack potatoes and everyone at the wedding raved about them, rightfully so because they were delicious! We reached out to a lot of restaurants for this dinner and Rudy Royale checked all the boxes for us. If you’re looking to host a similar event, I highly recommend Rudy Royale!

We had such a great lunch here. The beet and pear salad was yummy and the she crab bisque was rich and decadent. Hubby had the tempura flounder sandwich he loved. It came with a lobster bisque that was also terrific. We overdid it and started with the warm crab dip too. Very rich and luxurious. Toooo much food, but all good. Our server, Erica, was smooth, efficient, friendly but very professional and thorough. Definitely recommend!

My sister and I came in for lunch during a quick trip to Charleston. Casey, our server, 2”was very friendly and personable. Her energy was great! We ordered the fried pickles and warm crab dip to start which were both very flavorful and a good serving size. For entrees, we had short rib ragu and the chicken pot pie. Both were amazing! We’d definitely come back.

Everything that we ordered was probably the best that we had ever eaten. Chicken Pot Pie, Fish and Grits, She Crab Bisque, and the chicken tenders and fries. We normally share desserts but we devoured them so quickly we didn't even think about sharing. Bralyn was phenomenal! She made an already excellent experience over the top. This will be first on our list whenever we are back in Charleston.

We accidentally walked in about 30 minutes before closing while wandering around downtown. At first, it felt like we might’ve arrived at a bad time since they seemed a little annoyed when we walked in at that time but they quickly changed how they were acting, and provided great service. They handed us menus, and we realized they don’t normally serve burgers for dinner… which was exactly what we were craving that evening. We thanked them and were about to leave, but before we left, they called us back in and told us they checked with the kitchen—and they’d make burgers for us anyway! The burgers and fries were absolutely delicious and surprisingly inexpensive. That kind of above-and-beyond service is rare and seriously appreciated. Amazing food, amazing service, and a great experience overall. We’ll definitely remember this place and will come back to try other things.

We are here on a long roadtrip spanning 6 days and this was the highlight meal of our trip. Everything from the drinks to the desserts were amazing. Every first bite has us all pawning our food on one another to try as much as possible. My group of four cannot recommend Rudy Royale enough!

We stopped in here for a quick bite before some shopping. Our server Brody was fantastic, she was very attentive and friendly. The chicken and waffles were amazing 10/10. Would definitely recommend and can’t wait to go back!

Popped into Rudy Royals for a late lunch today and it was quite enjoyable overall! Well seasoned. Solid and nicely cooked. The chicken 🤤 stood out, was juicy and crisp! Nice atmosphere and good service.

Wonderful lunch for a mid day break while visiting Charleston! Donald was a friendly and delightful server. Bonus was a table by the window. Perfect for people watching! Will return!

What a value find on east bay! Chicken forward menu executed well and for a fantastic price. Went for brunch and got a classic chicken and waffles and a chicken pot pie - both delicious. The Bloody was stacked high with a slider and some other nibbles which was affordably priced. Wife had a frozen house sangria which was tasty. Total bill for two people with alcohol, cocktails, came out to around $50, which these days is pretty unheard of. A strong value play in town.

We came here for a Sunday brunch on a late afternoon. We had a couple stragglers but Ashley was very patient with us and checking in. We got sat in kind of a semi private room and there was another large group in there so it got a bit loud. I think it would’ve been nice to sit in the main dining room near the windows. We really enjoyed the cinnamon roll appetizer, the hot chicken, chicken with waffles and those sweet and crispy potatoes! My friend didn’t enjoy her Bloody Mary bc she found the mix to have too much garlic but powered through it. Ashley did offer some remedies but did tell us it was homemade so it couldn’t be modified. I also didn’t love the drinks, thought they were pretty standard and the NY sour was a bit too sweet for my liking but again that’s just my preference. Service and food overall was good! Thank you Ashley for putting up with us!

The Chicken Pot Pie was perfect on a cold day! So good! We also started with fried pickles were good. The fried chicken was okay. The breading was a little heavy but the chicken had good flavor. It was a good stop for lunch. Server was fantastic! Very attentive and was so friendly. Thank you!

Beautiful interior great for any date night, Mother’s Day, or dinner to treat yourself. Food: 5/5 the chicken was great and hand breaded. The French fries were crispy. The cornbread was moist and delicious with the jam. The fried pickles were awesome and the Mac and Cheese that we got was okay too. Service: 5/5 Chris did a great job with our table. We had dirty plates at the table and before I would have said something he took them away. Came by frequently as well and took care of the group. Hostesses at the front were nice as well the bartender. Price Point: 3/5. 16$ for 2 hand breaded chicken tenders with a side cucumber salad and honey mustard seems quite ridiculous. Even more for the Sandwich. Even though it was great fried chicken, I still wouldn’t pay more than 12$ for that and that’s being generous and dumb with my money. Overall Rudy Royals is another Charleston Restaurant. Nothing terrible nothing great either.

My family insisted that we come here because they raved about the chicken(which I didn't get,lol). We came here on a Sunday and it wasn't packed in the restaurant at all, but if you've never been to this area of Charleston, it gets pretty packed around here. Anyway, I decided to try the Swordfish steak because it was something that I never had before. I wanted something different. I'm glad I did because it was really good and the sauce that came along with it was really tasty. My only complaint is how small that thing is.lol. I was done in a few bites but I guess it is an expensive product so to make it affordable, I guess it has to be a small cut. Our waiter was excellent and the service was great. They had live music the day we went and the young man performing was extremely talented in my opinion. I wouldn't recommend the cornbread due to it being very basic for my taste but I highly recommend the Mac & Cheese(So good). Hope you enjoy it if you decide to try them out. Take Care.

We drove from Folly Beach into Charleston for a local non-seafood dinner place and chose Rudy’s due to the menu online. The food was good and service was top notch! We had the following: Fried Pickles (typical fried pickles) Mac-n-Cheese (extra delicious and creamy) Chicken Tenders (juicy and excellent breading) Chicken Pot Pie (flavorful and savory) Flank Steak (divine) Garlic Cracked Potatoes (delish with a twist) Strawberry Shortcake (this was just okay, as the shortcake was very dense) There was initially a weird smell to the entry area and where we were seated. Might have been sewer or cleaning products? It went away as we acclimated and food smells filled out table.

We had lunch at the Rudy Royale. Real chill ambiance with comfortable seating. Our server Scott was cool, attentive and extremely pleasant. We ordered Delicious salmon sandwich, flounder sandwich, chicken and waffle with fried pickles appetizer. And Food has great flavor and seasoning. My wife had the chicken tender they were the TN hot. I had to wipe my nose several times but I’m a whimpy when it comes to heat/ spicy food. The crispy garlic cracked potatoes were good, warm cooked potatoes topped with sweet garlic flavoring sauce. The cornbread was delicious served with honey butter and strawberry jam. That was eaten quickly. First time trying fried pickles they were enjoyable served with their in-house dipping sauce. I would return to try the royale cheese in honor of the motion picture Pulp Fiction.

Waiter and service was excellent. Low noise and good for conversations. The food was prepared tasty and at the appropriate temperature. Portions were remarkably small and not accurate relative to animal portion descriptions.

I really liked the atmosphere plus it has some very cool esthetics and the staff was really nice to me. But the waiting time is a bit long we were waiting for a bit be served a dish, one thing if you are going to order crab dish ask them to cut it fully so it more easier and faster to spread the dip. It's totally worth the wait and to visit they have really interesting and unusual sea food which are also tasty

We decide to order and pick up, we got a half fried chicken you get the back, wing, leg, thigh, and a half of breast. I believe the cut the bottom off. The chicken was moist and crispy cooked to perfection. This meal comes with 1 side and a biscuit. The Biscuit is moist and warm. The whipped potatoes are INSTANT. The meal itself came out to 38.00 with tax. For that price sorry use real potatoes they are very cheap.

They serve a good drink, but then it goes downhill a bit. Service was ok. The mac and cheese is a bit soupy, but nonetheless very flavorable. The Nashville fried chicken- our waitress described the heat as 7 out of 10; I put it at 4 at best. I felt like I was eating more breading than chicken, which is never good. The sauce was oily, and they somehow made the chicken dry, perhaps overdone. The biscuit was dense and bland. Mashed potatoes were seasoned well.

Just Okay – Some Hits, Some Misses Rudy’s Royale has a nice vibe — trendy interior, solid cocktail game, and friendly service. It feels like the kind of place that should be better than it actually is. The food? Mixed bag. Some dishes were genuinely tasty, but others felt under-seasoned or just kind of… forgettable. You get the sense that there’s potential, but the execution doesn’t always match the menu’s ambition. Service was polite, though a bit slow, even when it wasn’t packed. Nothing awful — just enough little hiccups to leave you with that “meh” feeling when the check comes. If you’re in the area and want a casual night out, it’s not a bad option — but don’t expect to be wowed. It’s one of those places you might try once, enjoy a few things, and then move on to see what else Charleston has cooking. But outdoor seating is cool tho!!

I recently dined here, and while I had high hopes based on the reviews, my experience was unfortunately just okay. I tried the General Rudy’s chicken, which turned out to be extremely salty. I don’t consider myself to have a very sensitive palate, but I found it inedible due to the saltiness. I even took it home, hoping I was just being overly sensitive, but trying it the next morning confirmed my initial impression—it was still too salty to enjoy. On the other hand, the cornbread was fantastic. It was served warm, had a delightful texture, and was the highlight of my meal. The fried chicken was crispy, which was great, but it lacked much flavor, making it quite underwhelming. The atmosphere at Rudy’s was bright and inviting, which I appreciated. However, it was notably quiet with not many people dining there. This was surprising given the positive reviews I had read beforehand. Overall, I had higher expectations for Rudy’s based on the reviews. While the cornbread was excellent, the rest of the meal did not live up to the hype. The bright and inviting atmosphere was a plus, but the overall dining experience left much to be desired.

Was excited to try this place buuuut....did not live up to my expectations. I ordered off the restaurant week menu. Everything was just south of where it should be...all servings were small (not sufficient if you are hungry). The peaches were mealy (this should not be the case in SC! I've have bought better peaches at Costco), the summer salad under the salmon (which itself was seasoned appropriately-but a small portion) was underwhelming, just basically all tomatoes and 5 tiny pieces of squash and little to no seasoning (not a salad IMO) and so liquidy it only served to make the bottom of the salmon soggy, and the key lime pie was literally 2 bites...6 if nibbled! Whole meal did not inspire or make me want to come back. We also ordered the short rib pasta. It was ok, nothing to write about . The roasted potatoes were pretty much the only food I'd give a positive to. Oh they did make a stiff drink though! Service was a good pace even though they were busy but our waiter touched their face a lot, things like that eek me out. Ambience was nice, table and seats were clean. The music wasn't too loud easy to converse. There were Christmas lights were falling down off the shelf near our booth and spider/dust webs could be seen on the plants, little things like that make a big difference in one's opinion of a place especially if other things like the food aren't great. It's a restaurant...can you eat there? Sure. Will it be out of this world? Unfortunately no, not in my experience. No pics of the food as I wasn't impressed at all..only took a pic of the pie because it was so tiny and "cute" (not) 🙄

We visited for a family outing while in town. We ordered the macaroni and cheese as an appetizer which was good and the crab dip with the baguette which was delicious. Two of the dishes that I was really looking forward to eating were the cornbread and the fried chicken. They were both a total disappointment. The chicken was overcooked and dry, mostly skin and no meat. The cornbread was very, very dry and not moist and fresh. My husband asked for a steak which was overcooked and he did not eat. We also asked for the brownie and the pumpkin cheesecake as a last attempt to save the night, but alas, another disappointment and both dry. We should have dined at another restaurant while in town but chose this one instead hoping for some good home cooking. That was not the case.

Service and atmosphere were great but I was extremely disappointed with everything we ordered. I wouldn’t go back, and suggest you skip this place if you’re in-between to options. The only thing I actually didn’t throw out was the crab dip. That was pretty good. The shrimp appetizer is a complete waste of money. The shrimp are tiny and unseasoned— even with a bowl of butter.

We walked in with no wait that was the only plus to our meal and experience. Nothing we ordered had any flavor at all! The chicken tenders were over cooked and it was $22 for 3 small tenders! The $29’salmon was awful and had no seasoning. Our waitress had zero personality and was not very helpful. Sorry but we will not go back. Feel like we wasted a chance for a nice dinner night in downtown Charleston!!