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One of Hell’s Kitchen’s most beloved bars has finally reopened its doors after being closed for over 16 months.
Rudy’s Bar and Grill, a Manhattan watering hole known as much for the smiling pig statue standing outside its door and generous free hot dogs as it is for its neighborhood feel and dive bar prices, is open once again. New York's comeback has never felt so real.
The local bar, an authentic go-to in an area chock-full of tourist traps and overpriced pre-theater spots, has returned looking a bit different as well. The bar’s general manager, Danny DePamphilis, tells NY1 that he used the time the bar was closed to renovate the ceilings, renovate the bathrooms (!) and install an air filtration system.
When grilled on why the three-dollar-beer destination remained closed for so long with countless other bars and restaurants having reopened sooner, DePamphilis cited the inability to socially distance in the tight quarters of the bar and the friendly-atmosphere of the place. (Which scans!)
After you pay your respects at the newly opened bar and pick up a hot dog, you can start working your way through the rest of our list of the best dive bars in NYC.