The ROCK Cafe & Restaurant

Tonight we tried The Rock. At first we weren’t going to consider going because their website booking system said there were no reservations available but on a hunch (it’s a Tuesday), I called to inquire whether they had room for us — they did! So off we went! We parked in the pay lot behind the restaurant and walked in the back door — it was empty ;) It was a hot hot day so the lights weren’t on in the restaurant but it added to a cozy atmosphere. We settled on the chicken corn chowder to share as a starter (even though it was 29 degrees outside) and it was flavorful and fresh. The veggies were firm and clearly hadn’t been sitting in a soup pot all afternoon. For our mains my husband had the Bison burger with yam wedges — he loved it. The juicy and flavorful burger came on a cheese bun with MOLT (mayo, onion, lettuce & tomato); the best part was the addition of Brie. I had the organic chicken club with regular fries (also wedges). I was truly shocked at how perfectly they cooked the chicken breast: it was flavorful and juicy (my experience is that you need the cheese, bacon and MOLT to give your chicken any nuance of flavor — NOT HERE). My sandwich came with a ciabatta bun that I opted to remove as it detracted from the rest (nothing wrong with the bun but it wasn’t essential… I wonder if one could switch to a cheese bun).
All in all we’re very glad to have tried The Rock! My sole criticism is that I wish the regular fry wedges had their own signature dipping sauce. Their flavour paled in comparison to the yam fries and their special dip.

The reviews don’t lie! Went here tonight with two girlfriends and everything was outstanding. Friend got tomato soup before her meal — have NEVER tasted tomato soup so good. All 3 of us couldn’t believe it. She wanted to order another bowl with her meal! Plus the presentation was even beautiful — like the way they make designs in lattes…
I had the Lamb Burger, friends had Veal dinner & the Bison Burger. All great. The house salad dressing was also — A. MAZING. Tasted like maple vinaigrette? Atmosphere was lovely — small, quaint, quiet, intimate. And service attentive without being overbearing. Will definitely be coming back.

Cute neighborhood restaurant located in the 17^th Ave area in Calgary. Came here solely based on the solid Unilocal reviews and was not disappointed. Service was great on a quiet Tuesday night. Ordered the dumplings to start, veal steak with a side of mashed potatoes and a tiramisu to finish the meal. The portions are HUGE, if you are sharing a meal with someone I would recommend only getting one appetizer and one main so you have room for dessert. The menu is simple and clear, lots of innovative burgers/​sandwiches, a few seafood pastas and some notable mains such as the veal, lamb shank and duck breast. Definitely French Asian fusion type of cuisine, a nice restaurant for a reasonable price — 1 appetizer, 2 mains and 1 dessert for under $ 70, a rare find in Calgary that’s for sure!

The food was excellent, I had the Wild Boar burger and it was delish. The service was exceptional, our server was very friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back!

I honestly think this is the best food in Calgary! Every time I come here I’m amazed. The staff is extremely friendly as well and it’s definitely becoming my new go-​to.

Absolutely exquisite!
Lamb shank: great portion, very tender, very flavourful! MUST TRY!
Dry ribs: best dry ribs I’ve ever had. This one actually have meat instead of the overcooked, mainly bone dry ribs you get anywhere else.
Tiramisu: very moist. Not too sweet which was perfect.
Staff: very friendly!
Was a little disappointed that they run out of crème brûlée, but overall a very good experience. Will definitely be coming back !

Was not disappointed with its 5 star rating. A friend and I went for the first time. We asked the waitress what she suggested. (Which is always a good idea to do at a new restaurant). She suggested the shrimp burger or the steak special. We ordered both and decided to split them.
The steak and polenta special was so yummy. The steak was tender and tasty. I’d never had polenta before, so good. Presentation was beautiful. The shrimp burger was fantastic. A new spin on an old favourite. Would highly recommend trying out the Rock. It might become a favourite spot.

This place is delicious, the service is wonderful and everyone here is awesome.
We even had our work holiday party in December here, they catered everything for us, the food was delicious, there was TONS of it, so no one was hungry, and everyone had a huge variety of food to eat!

The Rock Café & Restaurant is another gem nestled on 17^th Ave. It specializes in Asian French fusion cuisine but you’d be hard pressed to guess that from the outside. Well, be prepared to be surprised because this place knows what’s up.
We came as a group of 8 to celebrate my friend’s birthday. It was absolutely pouring buckets when arrived. We had to circle around the block a few times to grab a parking spot but if we were smart, we would have just parked behind the restaurant where it’s free. The place was absolutely packed as it was a Friday night but luckily, the bday girl was smart and reserved ahead of time. The inside is tight and narrow with one long hallway lined with booths. It is just a wee bit cramped but the cool thing is that the kitchen is smack dab in the middle of the restaurant meaning you can see everything that goes on!
— Tempura calamari ($ 9.95) and quinoa salad ($ 8.95 large) — crispy calamari breaded in tempura flour and served with The Rock tarter sauce. The calamari was nicely seasoned, tender and crispy. The aioli sauce it came with was perfect for dipping. The quinoa salad was fresh and a healthy option you don’t see too often at these type of restaurants.
— Salad — the salad was pretty basic but they did top it off with a handful of grated cheese. Pretty standard salad starter.
— Beef soup — my friend O wasn’t a fan which meant I was left to eat it. The soup wasn’t very flavourful itself but it had a couple of pieces of meat that were passable. Next time we’ll make sure to ask what the soup of the day is before ordering it as one of the sides. Skip it.
— Rocking lamb shank ($ 25.95) — jumbo lamb shank braised with rosemary demi jus. You get to choose two sides so we went with mashed potatoes and salad. I’m not sure why The Rock has an obsession with adding these potato skin garnishes on top of their entrees but I wasn’t a fan. That’s just a little nitpicking. The lamb shank was hugeeeeeeeee. They aren’t kidding in the description when they call it jumbo. Tender, fall off the bone and with mashed potatoes, you’ll be in carb/​meat heaven. Really rich, hearty flavours.
— Muscovy duck breast ($ 25.95) — roasted 10 oz duck breast served with sautéed spinach and mushroom in an orange brandy sauce. We picked the other two side options which were French fries and a beef soup. The beef soup was pretty bland, nothing special but forget about that, let’s talk about the duck breast! Holy duck, it was perfectly cooked medium rare. Succulent, tasty and a very generous portion for the price. This is easily more than $ 30+ at other restaurants. The sautéed spinach was a nice contrast to the duck and gave us some much needed greens.
— Wild mushroom and cheese ravioli ($ 14.99) and burgers — the rest of our group ordered burgers and one tried out the ravioli. They have a pretty diverse selection of burgers to choose from — lamb, bison and wild shrimp burgers were pretty tempting.
— Tiramisu — the staff were super sweet and gave the birthday girl a free dessert. This is one of the desserts people keep raving about and it hits the spot! Creamy, a little boozy and the perfect way to end our meal.
The Rock Café is a small but cool little spot to get some delicious entrees without paying fine dining prices for them. Definitely worth the price!

These guys are so nice and have delicious soup. They didn’t advertise much veggie soups but when I asked the waitress, they arranged something for me. Would go again!

This is still my favorite place in Calgary. I don’t know what they did to that side salad but it’s like crack. I want more… I’ve got the shakes for it. The staff is so friendly. This is some outstanding food. The baby back ribs are to die for and my friends had the penne pasta and it was so flavorful. LOVE!!!

I have just had the best burger in town! Juicy and flavourful. Even better the staff are extremely friendly & the atmosphere was very inviting. If you are looking for a 10 then this is the place.

The thing about growing up in Toronto, spending a lot of time in Vancouver, and traveling around the world affords you the ability to be exposed to good food. Although the Rock Café is new, their quality and longevity isn’t new. The Chef and owner Swandri is culinary trained to execute great tasting food. Everything we ate tonight was stunning. Simply orgasmic.
Not only was the main delicious the deserts were just as good. The staff was friendly and weren’t afraid to ask how the food and service was. The chef personally thanked you for coming in and asked how the food was.
I assured them I’d be back because there are so many other dishes on the menu we still have to try.

SOOO delicious!!! This place is amazing. I love the chef, he is so passionate about his food! Where else does the chef come to your table & gleefully describe their Special of the Day? Great food, great service. A++++

This little gem has been open a block from our house for a while and we kept meaning to go and check it out. We are definitely glad we did and will be back soon!
We started with the escargot as my partner, Dan, has never had them before. I have never had them prepared like this! They were presented in a bowl surrounded by crostini, and it was almost like a stew! There was thick cut bacon and the bowl was very generously filled with escargot, there was definitely no skimping on ingredients.
Dan then had the bison burger which was glazed with BBQ sauce and smothered in double cream Brie. I had the lamb burger which had a Monterey Jack cheese. They were both absolutely mouthwatering, and with every bite we found ourselves loudly muffling «Mmmmmm» as we savoured every bite. The fries that came with the burgers were hand cut and appeared to have some kind of very light, crisp tempura style batter that made them delightfully crispy.
Along with the meal we tried their in-​house designed cocktails and highly recommend trying them out as they were a perfect compliment to our dinner. After we had finished our meal, the owner treated us to their tiramisu which was, hands down, the best I have ever tried. We will definitely be returning soon.

So glad to see the Rock settled into their new location on 17^th. I’ve always been a big fan of their shrimp and lamb burgers. My daughter tried the Muscovy chicken breast and my wife and I had the rack of lamb. Unbelievable! Best I’ve tried anywhere!
You won’t be disappointed!

Yes their back. After a long LONG delay the Rock is back and as good or perhaps better than ever. The new location will soon thrust this little gem into the spot light. For those that enjoy finding a special place you can show up and feel like coming home this is it.
The food is fantastic out of this world and still an incredible value.
Try the ribs, or a bowl of corn chowder soup! Tried the escargot the other night … NEVER had better EVER!