Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In

Great food. Depending on what you order, portions can be a bit small and things can add up to be expensive pretty quickly. You have to check it out at least once. For summer time on the water, you can’t beat it!

returning home from Alexandria bay and passing through this area when hunger strikes! Defineltly wanted to sit by waterfront and found Rudy’s! It’s always a good thing to see a parking lot full of locals! Fried Haddock dinner was awesome! as were the fried pickles. My husband had to try the smelt, which weren’t bad! Sitting next to the beautiful lake Ontario made everything tate even better!

We love it we get the fish sandwich and clam strips. It always taste great been going there over 30 years. So when we are in the area it is Rudys for us Keep up the great work.

I really enjoyed my haddock sandwich and sidewinders. I’m very picky with my fish, but it was perfectly crisp and tasty.
The high review is not only for the food, but also the incredible view of Lake Ontario. We drove out to Oswego on a whim specifically for a change of scenery and some good food, and we found both at Rudy’s.
Disappointed they aren’t open year-​round, but we cannot wait to go back when they reopen!

Drove an hour because of the (re)views. And, my goodness, they delivered.
This place is very reminiscent of an old soda stand, which it totally stills is. They are serving up some super fresh seafood, great sides, and Perry’s Ice-​cream.
I had the lobster/​shrimp roll. It was overflowing the plate. It was a glorious amount of delicious and flaky seafood. I will not be trying anything else on the menu because this is too good to pass up.
The lobster bisque I had for a side was nothing short of amazing. It was perfectly creamy with subtleties of lobster. It was perfect.
My partner had the haddock and sidewinders. She thought the batter was great on the fish. The fries were decent.
But, what made this place great was the view! It is nestled on the side of Lake Ontario where you can eat lake side with the family, a date or even alone.
No matter where you are, this place is worth the drive.

As we arrived in Oswego the first thing we heard from the local people is GO TO RUDY’S FOR SOME SEAFOOD! So we did the view was great (not the nuclear plant tho) we ordered haddock sandwiches… lemonade and a beer ! 20 dollars ! we said ok looks pretty good let dig in !! ewwww the sandwich was literally dripping water… i had to use a bunch of napkins just to soak it up… the batter was pretty usual but the fish had no flavor to it what so ever… I asked my husband what he thought about his sandwich and he replied «nothing to write home about!’ and he was right!!! thank God for some salt and hot sauce we managed to not to let 20 dollars to go to waste !!! i would never eat there again !! also the restaurant it self could use cleaning it looks like a typical greasy spoon… very disappointed!!!

Food was delicious but the restaurant itself was very HOT! The ice cream was so good as well! I recommend sitting at a picnic table next to the lake

Also called, ‘The Loop,’ by the Oswego regulars. It’s through the campus of Oswego. I don’t love white hot dogs (coneys) or seafood, but theirs is apparently the best! I went with my Dad and step-​mom. They both got the clam strips and a coney hot. I tried the clam strips which were actually pretty good and I don’t even like seafood. I got a cheeseburger and onion petals, which were pretty average but good nonetheless.
Beautiful view right on Lake Ontario, which I loved. They also serve beer? Which was awesome. They even have a mini bar in the back and they have some drafts.
Overall, great experience and it was very relaxing. I can see why people frequent it!
X’s and O’s!
J

A great location, right on the lake away from the city center. Staff is always very friendly! Super affordable and yummy if you’re in the mood for fried food or ice cream! (There’s other items but that’s a majority of it). The first visit to Rudy’s I ate outside and my friends son was attacked by a seagull for his fried clams! So this time we ate inside. My only suggestion would be for them to offer a few local brewery beers. We plan to make this a repeat stop whenever we’re in the area!

I’ve heard wonderful things about Rudy’s, but when I went during my first week of work here, I was somewhat disappointed. The service was a little slow, but they were very busy. I got the shrimp plate and felt like I’ve had much better friend shrimp at other places. Not very impressed, but willing to try other things on the menu.

A day trip brought us to Rudy’s, only 40 minutes from Syracuse. Located right on Lake Ontario, Rudy’s offers plenty of simple choices to eat lakeside on picnic tables, a few with umbrellas. A covered pavilion is provided as well, and there is access to the lake. Most treats are fried here, but some items can be grilled. Fish can be baked. No credit cards! They are friendly and well organized behind the counter. Restrooms are relatively clean, small and unisex. Definitely worth the trip!

I’ve eaten at Rudy’s on many occasions, and I’ve always been enamored by the controlled chaos of ordering, cash only, a million fried food options, can of beer place that it is. It’s a great location with wonderful views, but honestly the food is just fair. It’s definitely a favorite of the locals and is always packed. I recently visited on a Friday night and had steamers, a haddock sandwich and a beer. I ate about 4 clams before I gave up due to the amount of grit and sand in them. Terrible. The fish was soggy and on a plain hamburger bun, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t haddock either. Tarter sauce was more like mayo with nary a speck of relish. In the past I’ve gotten fried clams and fries and I should have stuck to that. All in all, I enjoyed the view, company, and nostalgic beer, but that didn’t outweigh the gritty clams or the queasy feeling my dining companion and I both had on the ride home.

If it is a beautiful day this is a great place to go and grab a bite by the lake. There is an ice cream place next door that is also really good. The fish is high quality and not fishy or overcooked and rubbery like you get at so many places. There are picnic tables to sit outside at and have a romantic evening. The fried haddock is kinda greasy so I recommend the baked version but you will have to wait a little longer for it.

Also known by locals as «The Loop» or «The Stands,» this is THE go-​to place for hand-​breaded highest-​quality fresh fish, clams, etc. in central New York on Lake Ontario in Oswego. They also make an amazing chili-​style sauce (it’s pretty mild IMO) that is a combination of ground beef, spices, mustard and onions that they use to make «Texas Hots» and many customers like it on their burgers and fish sandwiches as well.
My favorite combo is a fishtail hot with cheese (sandwich) and mushrooms (hand battered and fried to golden brown). The Red plate version (fish pieces without the bun) is awesome too.
Not everything is fried nor is there just burgers, dogs and fish/​seafood. They have lots of items that you can get steamed and they have a chicken breast sandwich called Chicken Napoli (locals call it a chicken nappy) that is pretty delicious.
They also have an entire ice cream sundae area and handmade milkshakes. Yum!
You can sit outside and watch people skip stones, waves roll in, take in the gorgeous sunsets. There’s a couple inside tables too, but there’s only counter service. Don’t feed the seagulls.
It’s not an inexpensive meal, but it’s well worth it when you have a hankering for great fast food.
Please note that they do NOT accept credit cards. They do have two ATMs on site and there is no tipping, so please keep that in mind.
As explained in their website:
:
«FUN FACTS:
We use 200 gallons of ketchup every week.
We cook 2000 pounds of FISH every week.
We are in the 3^rd generation of family owner/​operation since it’s incept… and the fourth generation has already started in the stockrooms!
We have always and will always strive to find new ways to reuse-​reduce-​recycle.
We sell our used cooking oil for refinement into bio-​diesel.
Our scallops and fish are the highest grade A select rated.
Our Rice Pudding, Mac salad, Slaw, and Tzatzaki are all proprietary recipes prepared fresh daily.
We pound our Burger in-​house daily.
Our local butcher, Boscos, has been supplying our beef for over 50 years and our fresh produce is handpicked daily from our local farm market, Ontario Orchards.»
I’ve been coming here since I was too small to reach the counter. The family is very nice and the employees, being a seasonal restaurant, come back year after year (some have been there well over twenty years).

We found Rudy’s via Unilocal and knew immediately that we had to come out and try.
The environment of the restaurant is fitting. Huge tables with booths and a long counter to presumably deal with the lines that come in the summer. Behind the restaurant there are about a dozen picnic tables overlooking beautiful Lake Ontario, which makes for a memorable meal with friends and family alike.
As for food, they have an incredible selection. Everything from haddock, to shrimp to chicken, to a huge variety of sides and soup. Everything is being fried behind the counter as you order which is makes you hungrier as you wait. There is also a huge ice cream selection on the far end of the restaurant which finishes the salty meal quite nicely.
The staff is extremely friendly and catering to first timers. Make sure you bring cash because the atm has a convenience charge.

Rudy’s is an Oswego staple! I think the food is pretty average, but the ambiance with the lake can’t be beat. Try to go in between regular mealtimes to avoid large crowds.

A Classic!
I have been going there since I was a child. It has been the, «must go to» seasonal spot for Locals & Travelers alike for many years.
Sits right on Lake Ontario with tables outside for watching the Beautiful Sunsets while enjoying the great Fish fry, Steamed Clams, Scallops, Hot Dogs, and an array of other food options.
We will be stopping in AGAIN this week!

I finally made it to Rudy’s after hearing much hype from my mother and husband. One of the first nice days we had, we decided it was a great day to take a drive out to Oswego and have lunch at Rudy’s. We arrived and the view is breath taking. Got inside and it was totally packed. Took a bit of time to get a chance to place our order, but once we did, the wait to get our food was reasonable considering how busy they were. We had haddock sandwiches, fried clams and fries. All the food was delicious and the portions were a decent size. Everything, along with two beers, came to $ 27 which wasn’t as expensive as we though it might be. All around had a great experience and this food lived up to the reputation. We’ll definitely be back!

I definitely enjoyed the scenery. However, the food was just ok. I ordered spicy green beans as a side dish in hopes of a healthy option but they were fried. I don’t like fried food so there’s a lot on this menu I didn’t care for. I was happy the salmon burger came with a wasabi sauce.
One other problem. .they’re cash only. The atm next door cost $ 5 in convenience charges.
But all in all… I’m still glad I came for the scenery.

If you’re looking for some serious fried food with a cool location then Rudy’s is the place for you. Don’t try and be healthy it’s just not going to happen here. They are only open from March to September and is right on Lake Ontario. There is seating outside which makes for a nice afternoon. You can bring your dogs and sit outside if you want.
Some memorable dishes that stand out are the fried haddock sandwich, blue plate which includes fried haddock and scallop pieces, their coleslaw, zucchini sticks and fried mushrooms. Like I said, not very healthy but your typical summer time fried stuff.
NOT CHEAP!!! There is seating inside but the whole vibe is really loud. I actually came here on a date and it was awkward to yell out my order to the lady helping me at the counter. They are usually pretty busy too.