Rudy's Backyard Saved, Set to Reopen Next Spring

midtownlunch.com

Thanks to a community group and a gaggle of loyal patrons, a Hell's Kitchen mainstay gets to reopen the door to its backyard, which (alongside cheap booze and free hot dogs) has always been a big customer draw.

Earlier this summer, the backyard of Rudy's Bar and Grill was closed with a stop work order by the DOB, which cited a "routine work audit" on a fire exit being built. Living Liberally, an organization "dedicated to creating communities around progressive politics," launched an online petition to reopen the backyard and save the beloved dive bar, whose bottom line was taking the brunt of the closure. Recently, Rudy's has confirmed that the stop work order has been lifted and that the backyard will reopen to patrons next March. Sometimes, it appears, the squeaky (free-hot-dog-purveying) wheel really does get the grease.