Rockit Bar & Grill

pretzel cheese bites were delicious! unique/​extensive wine/​beer/​drink list. service was fairly slow for a Tuesday night.

Loud one man bad on a Saturday afternoon. College basketball sports on the tv’s overhead. Very crowded, and a few fans of the tv. It was about 2pm. So loud with the one man band behind me that the bartender can’t hear me. When I do make contact and he comes back down to earth he’s warm and friendly. I take a looky at the menu. The bartender is playing with his phone, checking in on the future lady Tinderella prospects for the evening I think.
It’s brunch, why not a grapefruit mimosa? Sweet, tasty. Effervescent.
I’m craving a burger. It’s charbroiled outside, more than medium center requested though. Melted Brie cheese ontop. Oh Brie. You are my lover. Unusual to have this on a standard, I give Rockit props! Accompanied by tiny onion rings and a honey mustard? Mayo Truffled fries are great. Crispy and slightly greasy. Good amount of rocky sea salt. Love. This burger, though a smidgen over cooked has my heart. I hope the bartender finds a girl tonight like I found this burger. Just right, and something special ontop, along with a refreshing mimosa. He deserves it. Thanks for the suggestion sir, I hope Karma serves him well tonight.

This place has gone really downhill. The food was borderline inedible. We had some of the grossest nachos I’ve ever even that were served with hard and stale pita chips. Then we all had the standard burger which was burnt and made us all sick to our stomachs. Considered asking for our money back-​which I never do-​it was that bad. Instead, I probably just won’t be back.

Visited on a Saturday around 5:30pm, it was not packed what so ever. My fiancé and I get to the hostess and she asked «how can I help you» we asked for a table and she sat there and itched her head. There were plenty of room for us to sit but no room near the bar. We stood standing near the door way for five mins as the hostess spoke to her self. We finally get seated and have to wait another 5 mins for someone to finally introduce their selves as our waitress. We finally get or two drinks in glance over the menu decided not to eat there because the lack of customer service. When the two drinks came we told our waitress we won’t be dining in and if she can please bring the check. As my fiancé was drinking his drink he noticed his glass was cracked and chipped.

Been coming a long time. Always great. Kinda liked the original layout before the remodel, though. Kinda weird sitting at a bar with someone sitting across from you. Wife thought the person was the bartender and tried to order from her. Was hilarious (except the woman apparently didn’t think so).Food always great. Place always brings in a bunch of interesting people. Some of the best wings and bloddys in town. Can’t ever go wrong here. I would bring clients here.

First of all, i ordered an old fashioned and pork belly on the same tab. That should say it all! OMG
MIND = BLOWN. Also ask for Nick, best mixologist I have ever had. The Pork belly and Lamb Nachos are a must! You won’t be disappointed with Rockit Bar and with Nick!

For food, this place is delicious. I know they changed their menu last year with some new options. Their burgers are all really good, especially their veggie burger!
For drinks, this place is meh. It’s always super crowded around the bar and hard to get drinks, especially when there is a sports game on. The place has two floors the bottom more
For food and the upstairs has a bigger bar and a dj at nighttime. Drinks aren’t terribly priced. Only complaint is their house-​made fireball which is a bit of a letdown. However, I’ve spent many a night here and had a blast, including seeing the Stanley cup numerous times when the Hawks won.
One of my go-​to bars in River north.

Was here for their «Super Bowl party». We bought tickets and we’re excited about going… the place was empty. They refused to give us a table because they were all «reserved». The place is DEAD! Horrible waitstaff, horrible bartenders. And I’m pretty sure the security dude wreaked like red bull. This place sucks big time.

Great location, bloody mary bar, vegetarian and vegan options, and they serve brunch late. Went here for brunch and got the kale and chickpea burger with truffle fries. The service, food and music were all good. The bloody bar was also really fun! Although they didn’t have a bottomless option from what I remember which would be nice.

Came at Rockit for Restaurant Week lunch, following an invitation email from them.
Good point they have live music at Sunday lunch. Food was good. Nothing special.
I had the beef wagyu burger with truffle fries, chicken green chili soup and a Laguniyas beer. They did not offer restaurant week special on Sunday (per waiter).
Bar atmosphere, live music and average food.

Bill knows how to do it right! Fabulous staff, Fabulous cuisine, Fabulous FUN and Fabulous Sounds! Sweet!!!

My boyfriend, myself and my bff’s came here to celebrate my birthday, Jonah, our server was great, he made awesome food suggestions and gave me a complimentary Washington Apple. I had the mussels with pork belly, fennel, leeks, belgian ale, french fries. After dinner, we went upstairs to the lounge, it was great. The DJ played great music, nice strong drinks. I will definitely be back.

Good drink selection, great bartender service, mediocre food.
Date of Visit: 10÷31÷15
I stumbled upon Rockit Bar while searching for post-​travel grub in downtown Chicago. I was pretty impressed by their beer list, not because of breadth but overall quality. Offerings from many top Midwest breweries along with a few good seasonals. I ordered the Thai Cobb salad (green curry chicken, sweet peppers, carrots, bean sprouts, snap peas, coconut peanut vinaigrette), and while it was a decent portion, both the chicken and dressing were almost flavorless. That said, the bartenders were very personable and attentive, and the drink prices were pretty good considering the location.

Rockit is a dark and trendy restaurant and we had a nice team dinner. The bar is really cool with all kinds of beers on tap and a marble countertop. There are TVs if you want to watch a game and long high top tables near the bar. We were about 15 people and had a great time. The lamb nachos were fantastic and many people ordered burgers. I also highly recommend the mango curry wings as an appetizer. We did order buffalo mac n cheese to go along with dinner and it was brought out early. We had to send it back to warm it up but other than that, the service was great and they kept refilling our drinks and water. The lamb burger was good (a little on the salty side). The hamburguesa looked awesome and everyone was pleased with their entrees.

I am a expert when it comes to nacho’s and theirs are fantastic!
I have eaten at Rockit four times and the food as always been good.
Great place for groups.
No complaints. Good service too.

I’ve been a long time customer of Rockit until this past weekend how I was treated horrible. My date was a bit intoxicated but did not cause a fight at the bar. Next, he is surrounded by a few security guards. I was sober to immediately attend to the issue. I paid the $ 100 tab at the bar. I was escorted out with him. I asked to grab my jacket and was denied. I stood outside freezing until one of my friends received my text to retrieve my jacket.
Since the business is in the hospitality service; it was horrid this past weekend. In result, I would never step inside this place. Nor would I recommend it to my friends, board members and clients.
Rockit, you just lost a loyal fan.

Rockit, I love you. I know you’re just one of many bars on Hubbard, but you hold a special place in my heart. Not only have I had many a fun times dancing, singing, and canoodling with my friends, but you also made two of the best nights of my life just that much more amazing.
You hosted my wedding after-​party and held an area for us to eat, drink, and make merry with all the wedding guests who weren’t quite ready to go home. For a bride who barely ate anything during the day or reception, I will never forget the amazing sliders that seemingly appeared from nowhere and made me the happiest newlywed on the planet. Rockit, you didn’t charge us an outrageous minimum and you had the Backstreet Boys playing so after getting iced on the post-​wedding party bus (yes, that happened) I will look back fondly on my last wedding moments as a singalong of «I Want It That Way» with my bridesmaids and wedding guests and never forget how you welcomed us warmly after such an amazing night of drinking and dancing.
Then two years later, as I hosted my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party and we were so rudely turned away from Studio Paris because one of our group was not up to their disgustingly narrow standards, we ended the night dancing our asses off and downing shots with your amazing pop soundtrack in the background, making memories that none of us really remember but that we will surely never forget.
Thank you, Rockit. You’re an important part of my life fabric and I will forever return to you with the warm feelings of happiness and love. Damn weddings.
Muah!

Really nice venue! Was here during my trip to Chicago last week. Everything looks really upscale, but it’s still such a chill environment. There’s a calm downstairs area where you can sit at the bar or at a table for a nice dinner, and there’s an upstairs area that’s more like a sports bar/​hangout spot.
I sat downstairs and ordered the lamb burger, which was a recommendation from my very helpful waiter. Turns out, it was great! All of the menu options seem fun and creative. There were quite a few things I would have been interested in trying. Prices weren’t outrageous. Ultimately, a place I would return to.

Rockit Bar & Grill recently remodeled and it looks fantastic — brighter and roomier. However the food and service quality are pretty much the same and the value just isn’t there…
I am not sold on $ 14 — $ 19 (and one is $ 45) for a signature cocktail in a casual atmosphere with friendly but average service. I’d rather go to a bar with more formally trained mixologists such as Sable, The Broken Shaker etc.
One of the game day specials is a 16 oz. Absolut and your choice of mixer for only $ 8. So I thought that was a good value… WRONG! You get the same amount of alcohol as a normal drink but just more mixer. BOO!!!

The place was a lot of fun, had several tvs for football. However, it was really really loud. The food was great and the drinks were good.
It was really difficult to hear the waitress and made ordering a little irritating. She was nice and pretty quick. We had a group of 8 and got seated fast.

DON’T GO HERE. IF YOU DO, CHECK YOUR BILL VERY CAREFULLY. I was here with a friend on 6÷6÷15, the night of a Hawks’ playoff game. Tab came with 2 copies of ONLY final amount — no itemization. Place was a nightmare so I left.
My friend asked what her half was next day and said amount was WAY TOO high. Called to get itemized bill and after massive run around, got bill with a bunch of drinks in it that weren’t ours and a $ 2 – 4 up charge PER drink for «rocks.» Yes, for ice. Called Esther in accounting to straighten it out, she never called back. Emailed GM, he apologizes and PROMISES to fix it. NOTHING. Email random party planner person on Rockit Ranch productions website and she forwards to someone who says he’s new GM and it will be straightened out that day. This is end of July. NOTHING.
Finally have to dispute through credit card company and it’s FINALLY resolved as of today, 9÷19÷15, OVER THREE MONTHS LATER. It’s my opinion this may be how Rockit bar employees buy friends drinks and supplement their tips, so check your bills friends. I’ll never go to a Rockit Ranch bar/​restaurant again.

The new and improved Rockit is great! I only had the hummus and some cocktails but I will be back :)
The lakeshore drive pisco sour was amazing! I was recently in Lima and they did a great job replicating the drink. Then we had the hummus plate, I loved all the different options it came with for dipping.

Man, what great food! I wanted to keep eating and eating. The bartender Chris was awesome! I sat at the bar for a few hours and watched the football game, I had a great time.
I love that you a group can sit at the bar facing each other (I was jealous that I wasn’t with a group).
I look forward to my next trip to Chicago to go back again.

SO MUCH FUN! The bottom floor of this bar has nice seating options for a classy feel. The upstairs is a fun dance party with great music and entertainment!
We got there a little after 11 and there was a girl performing. No one knew who she was, but she sang really well. After that, the house DJ came on and played a lot of great mixes and music! Drinks run $ 10 which is pretty standard.
This place is well worth a visit if you’re looking for a place to dance with friends. There isn’t a ton of space but it’s super clean and nice!

We decided to check out Rockit after they recently re-​opened from renovating for the last few months. I gotta admit that the inside definitely looks much nicer now. The décor had a sleeker, more clean cut look with dark furniture and a marble bar top. We sat in the upstairs area and it had a more open layout now, and they also had an impressive amount of huge TVs to watch whatever game is on. I did find it really annoying though that the air conditioner or something from above kept periodically dripping water down onto our table.
The menu seemed to try to be a little more upscale than typical bar food, featuring mostly main course entrees in the $ 20+ range. Even the burgers here were much more expensive and less inventive than the ones at Rockit Burger Bar. I stuck mainly to the burger/​sandwiches section.
Thai mango curry wings — These were pretty tasty. It wasn’t overly spicy, but had just the right amount of kick for me. They had a strong cilantro flavor to it I thought. The coconut ranch it was served with was definitely different, but I would’ve preferred a more traditional style dipping sauce.
The Abe Froman — Meh. $ 14 for basically a dressed up hot dog. The sausage itself didn’t really have any unique flavor or spice to it. It just tasted like a generic sausage you can get from Costco. The bun wasn’t anything special and the giardiniera wasn’t spicy at all.
Rockit Burger — I thought the burger was pretty good. I honestly can’t tell if a Wagyu beef patty is that much better than just a regular angus burger patty (esp with the inflated price), but either way it was juicy. The brie cheese melted beautifully and was super creamy, and the fried shallots, which were pretty much onion strings, added some a nice salty crunch to each bite. The red onion in the bun gave it a little hint of sweetness too. The medjool date aioli sounded interesting, but it was sort’ve lost among the other flavors and I didn’t really notice it. Overall, I enjoyed the burger, but it didn’t seem to be worth $ 19.
Truffle fries — Easily some of the best truffle fries I’ve had in a while. The fries were crispy and the truffle flavor was much more distinct than the truffle fries I’ve tried elsewhere. They also came with an awesome chipotle ranch dipping sauce.
Gelato — Insanely strong hazelnut flavor. Awesome.
Overall, the food was pretty good but it was a little on the pricey side. This place seemed to fit right in with the other higher end, yet generic bar food options in River North, but I didn’t think the food was anything too memorable. Rockit has a cool atmosphere to hang out, grab a few drinks, and catch a game, but I wouldn’t come here for just for the food alone.

The relaunch of Rocket Bar & Grill is AMAZING! My husband and I were lucky guests to come in on a weekend for their relaunch party and check out the upstairs lounge. It still has the same bar scene and tables but if you don’t try the moscow mule in the perfect size cups– you are missing out. The bartenders are awesome– they work hard and quick. Incredibly friendly service. We tried sample bites of their burger and steak.
We also dined and had an old time favorite– the rockit pockets. The ingredients were more fresh than the last time I was here. I am excited to come back for Brunch and try the bloody marys. So excited about the new lounge and returning. Thanks Billy Dec and Katie Rose Kronin for all your hard work!

Excellent portion and quality of ingredients. Lunch combo is around $ 12. Dinner is a better value.
MUSSELS ($ 16) — A great dish for the mussel newbie as you can taste pork belly first (2 – 4 pieces stuffed in mussel) then mussel. Without the shells, a wonderful stew.
ROCKIT CHEESY FRIES — generous cheese. Peek A Boo mushrooms.
PISTACHIO SUNDAE ($ 8) — tasty but one scoop for $ 8 is too expensive.
MINI CREME BRÛLÉE ($ 3) — adorable and perfect for those who had a heavy lunch.
VENUE — eternally clean and organized.
SERVICE — Ron was pleasant with worthy recommendations. Great service timing.

I made reservations at Rockit Bar & Grill for my fiancé’s birthday. Their booking coordinator was very much on top of things when I first reached out to them, but attention to detail seemed to slip at the end.
The original reservation was for 20 people at 7pm and they were made aware that all attendees intended to have a full sit-​down meal. I was assured that this wouldn’t be a problem and went ahead and confirmed. I even called 4 days ahead of the date to update them that the headcount had dropped to 15. After all, I knew accommodating such a large group could be problematic and I didn’t want us taking up valuable real estate for people whom I knew wouldn’t be coming. The person with whom I spoke said he would pass the message along and update our information.
Pretty much all of us showed up a little bit before 7pm and we were escorted up to the second floor and put in the front area near the chilly windows. It was mainly decorated with large couches and teeny tiny tables. We were worried if the area could hold all of our drinks, let alone a plate of food. When my friend spoke with the waitress, she told us that another group had made a last minute reservation so the seating chart had to be reworked. I had made this reservation about a month ago and even updated to reflect that we had fewer people a few days earlier. I’m not sure why a place would give us the shaft. Poor form.
We also came to find they were still working under the assumption that we had a group of 20. When my friend pushed for the matter to be resolved and it was made clear that only 15 would be attending, she was able to secure us a few tables together that would soon be vacated. We ordered drinks and were able to take over the table when we finished those, so the timing ended up working out pretty well.
Once things had been sorted out, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Our waitress and servers were on top of things. The food took a while to come out, but that’s to be expected with 15 people. They want to make sure everything comes out together. That gave us time to chat and order more drinks. And the drinks were really tasty. I went with the Bomb Pop cocktail and the Chicago Mule cocktail.
The food was also good. I’d have liked it to be a bit fresher but, again, you can’t expect perfection with such a large order. The Bourbon Chipotle Maple Wings were really good. The Rockit Burger I had was decent but nowhere near as good as what I’ve had at their sister spot Rockit Burger Bar. The $ 10 Macaroni and Cheese is laughably bland and overpriced (I took the leftovers home and ended up throwing them away after giving them a second chance). The truffle fries were the highlight of the meal and reheated well the next day. They comped us a dessert for the birthday boy. I think it was the Hot Fudge Brownie. It was tasty, too.
If you want to have a relaxed meal and talk with people comfortably, don’t do what I did. Don’t have such a large party. You’re pretty much forced to go upstairs. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with that, aside from the seating chart stress, but the second floor is more like a club and we ended up right by the DJ. The music wasn’t all that loud, really, but it is when you’re trying to have a conversation and have to yell over it. We felt much relief when we left and made our way through the downstairs dining area. The first floor is so much more relaxed and the music is subdued. I’d like to come back and try experiencing Rockit Bar & Grill’s alter ego.