CHECKING IN WITH...RUDY’S PUB AND GRILL:

With football season getting into gear, Rudy’s Pub and Grill’s staff will have its work cut out for it. The sports bar is a local favorite on the Balboa Peninsula, and during big games, the spot is standing-room-only. We checked in with Head Chef David Baumann to see how he’s preparing.

It’s football season, with the NFL kicking off Thursday and the college season already underway. What does that mean for the bar?

It’s busy. That’s our season. That’s what we do. It’s nice, too, because as the Peninsula fills up for summer, our season slows down. Then, when all of the tourists go home after Labor Day, our season starts to kick into high gear. So it gives the bar a real local feel.

What team has the most fans represented at the bar?

We’re all over the board. The big rivalry that runs through Rudy’s is between Todd [Carson] and Rudy [Kaminski], the owners of the bar. Todd is a huge Cowboys fan and Rudy is a die-hard Packers fan, so they sabotage each other all the time. For instance, I just picked up a measuring tape with a Cowboys logo on it and Rudy put duct tape on it. It’s a real college mentality here.

Why do guys come to Rudy’s instead of just buying food and beer at the grocery store?

We’re a whole lot more than your typical sports bar. We have 32 screens. We have a very progressive menu. We have great food, great-looking girls, and the building looks great. The whole roof is retractable, so it’s a real open feel.

Do you have any superfans who come in?

We have a lot of alumni groups that come through. When the place is full and going off, it has to be one of the loudest places in Newport Beach. It gets so packed that nobody really stands out. We don’t really get guys in here with face paint and stuff. The biggest superfan I’ve seen is Rudy himself. If we could serve green cheese here, he would.

What’s the hardest thing about running a sports bar?

The volume of people when there’s a game on. The place fills up in a half hour, and everyone wants everything at the same time. It doesn’t follow a normal pattern of a restaurant or bar, it follows the games. If people are really savvy, they come a couple hours early when there’s a big game on and stake out a table.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.