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Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe for kids

The Cafe That Can't Fail. The true story of Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, near Emeryville, CA, told for kids.

Watercolor illustration for The Cafe That Can't Fail
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Are you hungry? Over in Emeryville there is a diner with a very silly name. Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe! It is named after a song by a band called the Clash. And one owner is Mike Dirnt from the band Green Day! Imagine a real rock star helping run the place where your pancakes sizzle.

Long, long ago, this building was another diner called Eugene's Ranch. It stayed open for thirty-six years! That is longer than a lot of grown-ups have had their cars. Now, Rudy's has a super sandwich called the BLAT. It has crispy bacon, crunchy lettuce, and juicy tomato. Crunch, crunch, crunch!

But what is the secret A? It is something creamy and green. Say your guess out loud! Then rub your tummy and say, yum!

Quiz the back seat

What is the creamy green A in the BLAT sandwich?

Show the answer

Avocado. Avocado! The A in BLAT is avocado, so it is a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with avocado. Yum!

Fun facts

  • Rudy's is named after the Clash song Rudie Can't Fail.
  • Mike Dirnt of Green Day is part-owner.
  • It was previously Eugene's Ranch, open for 36 years.
  • The BLAT is a BLT with avocado.

For grown-ups

Every Tumbly story is checked claim by claim against the sources below before it's published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.

Sources

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Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

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