Rocco’s Tavern

These guys lose my buddies CC are very apologetic about it offer a free drink and say your we won’t charge you for anything obviously! Next day my boy checks his account and sure enough was charged for items and someone tried to use it at the local atm machine! What is up with that. So the lesson here maybe use cash when goin to Rocco’s and oh yeah employees of Rocco’s lose the attitude it really seems like you guys feel you are doing your customers a favor!

I wish I could give this place four stars — great atmosphere when you’re watching the game, pretty decent prices for food, and great happy hour deals… Until you get to the manager who yells at your party of four for asking why they got charged for more than they should have.
Someone in our group ordered a two for one drink (part of their happy hour special), not knowing that two of the drinks came in one cup. After ordering another one, he confirmed with the waitress it was part of the «two» in the two for one. When the bill came, turns out he was charged for two drinks instead of just one. The server never told him two drinks were served in ONE cup, and didn’t even offer to comp the second drink due to the misunderstanding.
We understand — many bars put two drinks in one large glass/​mug, but the waitress said another one would be coming as part of the special — then denied this when the manager came.
Poor communication on the waitress’ end, and the manager actually raising her voice at us, drops this 4 star joint all the way down. The manager didn’t know how to contain her anger, blew up, and stormed off… Leaving us to just stare at each other in silence — actually appalled. We didn’t even want to deal with this place anymore and just paid the whole bill and left.
Great pizza though — hats off to the chef. Their food shouldn’t be undermined due to poor managerial service.

We walked into this place and were so excited about the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the game with some food and drinks. We all ordered their awesome happy hour drink special, which is two for one — everyday!
One of my friends only received one small glass, while the rest of us received large glasses combining the two drinks. Not knowing that his small cup was the two drinks in one, he asked the waitress again if the drink was two for one and clearly asked for the second part which she seemed to understand.
Once we received the bill, we realized they charged him for two drinks. Although this was due to a misunderstanding between my friend and the waitress, the manager came out with cups and in a rude, demeaning, and angered manner explained to us what happened because the waitress denied any miscommunication. This could have easily been solved by comping us for an $ 11 drink.
This place is honestly a really fun bar and perfect for games, happy hour, food, and meeting friends. We definitely had an amazing time before the incident, wish the managerial service was better.

Pizza was surprisingly good. It has Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, scrambled eggs and jalapeños. First time trying a breakfast pizza before. Beer selection is good. Washed it down with a Rocco’s Red 8.5%. Service was also cool. That’s all

This is the place to be for happy hour in Pasadena! They have pretty long hours and the deals are awesome. Make sure you have a designated driver or über because it’s way to easy to have a few too many drinks. They have a ton of tvs playing with several stations. It’s a great place to hang out and watch some sports.

Chris is the best bartender ever! He is so kind and always is polite! This is the kind of bar I always want to go to. Candice was the best server we could have ever gotten! She was so kind and thoughtful of our needs. I don’t think our meal would have been great unless she was our server

Pretty cool place.
Came here to watch a basketball game (go Clippers!) with my boyfriend. There are TVs all around the restaurant, each playing different games. I liked that the entrance is open, it let in a breeze and light! We came during happy hour and the drinks were buy one get one free. Best happy hour ever! We also ordered Italian fries and chicken wings. The fries were soooo goood. The wings were really salty though. The service was pretty good, except for the fact that we had to ask them to turn the Clipper game on like 5 times.

Came here for the USC/​UCLA game last Saturday (WOO FIGHT ON) and the place was PACKED. Like flowing out of the storefront. Very limited seating. My best friend and I managed to squeeze our way past all the people standing in all the empty spaces they could find to the back by the restrooms. Good thing there are TVs EVERYWHERE because we were satisfied with the place we had managed to squeeze into since we could still see the game.
Bartenders were mainly in UCLA gear (yuck) but given that we’re in Pasadena, I guess I can let that one slide…
I like the openness of the front of the store. One big opening, no doors just open space. Good use of a smaller bar space to make it seem much more roomy.
Biggest gripe I have about this place and the cause for minus 2 stars is the limited restrooms. ONE bathroom for the ladies… most of the afternoon there was a long line of girls waiting to use the restroom. One bathroom for the ladies + large crowd + beers flowing all day = disaster/​unhappy women.
Decent beers on tap and our bartender (Chris?) managed to spot our exasperated faces trying to get drink but being interrupted other rude patrons. The large sizes are just that… LARGE. Big mugs for beer (can’t complain about that!) Chris checked on us a couple times which I thought was VERY cool.
No review on food since I’ve never eaten here, but I’ll come back to check that out.

Great neighborhood sports bar with open air, open seatings, and plenty of large screens. Service was unobstrusive and the bartender was very nice. Drinks were a bit steep, but were stiff. Good selection of beers and regulars.

Excellent service the food so rocks and Happy Hour all night long 50% off how can you beat the… Wow

I’ve been here several times and their food is not that good and their food service is pretty poor. I guess if you’re just sitting at the bar and wanting a drink, this place may appeal to you but if you want any real food – this is not the place.
Service: My boyfriend and I ate here around 4:30 pm on a Sunday. Most of the NFL games were winding down so it wasn’t that packed in there. We ordered a pasta and some wings and it took them over half an hour to serve us our food. In addition to that the waitress never even acknowledged the fact that it was taking a while. She knew we were in a rush because we asked for the check immediately after ordering.
Quality of the Food:
The wings were terrible… they tasted like someone had gotten some frozen wings and heated them up. The bones were brittle and it just overall tasted and looked terrible. (~$ 12)
I ordered the Alfredo pink sauce pasta with sausage. I thought it was decent, not spectacular. They gave me a fair amount of sausage with the order. (~$ 19)
I’ve previously had the salad with grilled chicken but it tasted like if i had gone to the grocery store and bought just plain salad and threw some random chicken on it. It was tasteless and I was very disappointed with the quality of food especially for the price.
Overall:
We were very disappointed with the service, quality of the food and attitude of the staff. I’ve been here multiple times and none of my experiences have been good to be honest with you.

Came with a large party on a Saturday. Managed to get in on the happy hour deal. $ 20 for four drinks… That’s pretty good I guess. Drinks took a bit of time to come out, same with food. Our server disappeared for long amounts of time it seemed like which made ordering the drinks and food more frustrating than it had to be.
I got the satin island sweet tea, the watermelon mojito, and Oktoberfest Samuel Adams. (The menu said summer but I guess it was out dated). Meh. Watermelon mojito was meh. Way too bitter… Drinks were very inconsistent. The sweet tea was relatively good, same with my cousins jersey shore lemonade. Also tried the mule. Meh. I could make a better one. Overall, I don’t think their drinks were worth it. For the happy hour specials you need to get two of the same drinks. Why anyone would want two of the same thing is beyond me… I thought the whole point of the special was to try different drinks. I don’t mean that you have to get drinks that cost the same, no. You need to get two of the exact same drinks. For the mule, you can’t get one vodka and one gin… You can’t even ask for it to be made with two different types of gin… K.
I got 40 wings to split with the group but I somehow ended up paying for half of it. But I guess that’s what happens when you go out with big groups? We got the honey hot wings and garlic parm. Really? Only two flavors for 40 wings? Wtf. Might as well go to buffalo wild wings instead. The wings were very light in flavor. Translation: they didn’t taste like anything. We also asked for regular BBQ sauce on the side. It never came.
They also would not let our large party take up more tables even though there were about five other tables open with no more guests coming in… OK. Gratuity was included in our bill. Sure. I suppose most places do that for large parties
All in all, spent about $ 40 for food and drink that wasn’t very impressive. Bottom line: for a bar that’s marketed as more of a higher end joint, Rocco’s is not very accommodating towards it’s guests.

Just tried the water here. Not bad. To be continued…

I’ve been here several times to watch baseball (Go Dodgers!) and hockey (Go Kings Go!) and have had a great experience every time with one somewhat minor bump. It also doesn’t hurt that they have good food here.
First, the atmosphere and game watching. Multiple televisions, sound played for major games, a good turnout of fans, are the aspects that make it fun to watch games here. As most Dodgers fans can attest to, it’s difficult to watch Dodgers games on television because of TimeWarner’s deal with the Dodgers, so it’s great that Rocco’s is one of the few bars that shows the Dodger games in the area.
The somewhat minor bump I mentioned actually has to do with my last dining experience when I came to watch A dodger game. it was this season’s last home series against the Giants. It was the bottom of the 9^th, 2 outs, last game of the series for the sweep, and the waitress asked me a question about the check. I nodded yes to whatever she asked but was unsure of what was asked. The game was over and I waited for my change but didn’t receive it. If she had kept the change, it would’ve been a little over 20%. She was just ok, not really 20% good and I may’ve left that had she brought me back my change but I felt a little annoyed about the situation because I wonder if she waited until the worst possible moment to ask me and did so from a distance as I was watching with some fellow Dodgers fans at a neighboring table. My friends and I felt like it was done on purpose.
The food here is pretty decent. I’ve had the Mac-​N-​Cheese, Wings, Chopped Antipasta, Sizzling Herb Salmon, and the Pizza. The Mac-​N-​Cheese is the only item I wasn’t too crazy about but all the others were pretty good. They make good mixed drinks (although I’d avoid their mules) and a good beer selection. It’s awesome that they have happy hour ever day.
Went with four stars over three because outside of the incident described I’ve had pretty good experiences, good food, and will return now that it’s hockey season.

It seems like Rocco’s is a hit for happy hour, but the lunch is so-​so. The space is similar to the former 168 & Picnik, where inside vs. outside kind of loses meaning. The large windows are very nice & opened when the weather cooperates. The lunch menu is pretty interesting with quite a few things on it. I decided on the soup & half of the Italian hero sandwich.
What kinda surprised me was that the food took a really long time. Maybe the kitchen wasn’t having a good day, but soup should be one of those things you just have to put in a bowl, right? Well, the breadstick is pretty fancy (see pic) so I guess that one can be forgiven. And after waiting about 10 minutes for soup, I waited another 10 minutes for the sandwich. It was good, but nothing really remarkable. My server, however, did take very good care of me. This part of Old Town is slightly hidden, but maybe that’s part of the appeal, as well.

I’ve been a few times for lunch with co-​workers and it always takes forever to get our food. Like, an uncomfortable amount of time that forces some of us to have our food put in to go containers right after it comes out because we’ll be late for work. Of course, by that time, the 2 for 1 happy hour drinks are the only things we’ve had for lunch. Oops.
Food is okay, the bright spot being the fries, but maybe my perception of the fries are altered because I’m always starving when they finally come to the table.
Nice open space with a huge garage door entrance that’s kept open so you feel like you’re outside when you’re inside. good place to enjoy a lazy afternoon with giant mugs of beer. Good thing their happy hour is long, otherwise their beer prices are a little steep.
3 stars for their happy hour and friendly waiters. Wish the kitchen would get with the program!

Dear Rocco,
I love what you’ve done with the place.
I really hope you’re starting a trend of HH on the weekends because I can’t think of any happier hours than 3p — 7p on Saturday and Sunday.
At my age, I appreciate day drinking and not staying out past 10p so this has somewhat become a go to spot.
2 for 1 drinks, delicious and flavorful wings cooked to perfection and friendly service that you have your employees dishing out will get people hooked. But be a little nicer to my friends … they tend to take advantage of you. They took advantage of the 2 for 1 a little too much one day and one guy got cut off and the other got the boot.
Other than a few hiccups, keep doing what you do Rocco.
Love,
Bong

It was 9pm, when my husband and I decided we were starving. Our hairdresser had told us that Rocco’s had just opened and was fun, so we decided to head that way.
Parking: we lucked out and found a meter right out front. We didn’t have quarters but the staff at Rocco’s gave us change to feed the meter. (there’s also the garage on DeLacey).
We walked up and the bouncer and hostess were friendly and we were immediately seated at a great table in the corner.
Ambiance: Lively, very loud music and I like the openness of the room with high ceilings and no door at the entry way or windows; its all fresh air & open.
Server stopped by quickly to get our order. We ordered Moscow Mules and they needed to hold onto my husband’s ID cuz people have been stealing the copper mugs. Seriously? Server seemed annoyed she had to do that and we felt bad for her. We get it. No worries.
For food:
Round 1:
Garlic Bread w/​melted mozzarella cheese: Good
Rocco’s Famous Wings (Hot): Good
Round 2:
Mediterranean Chicken Wrap w/​Italian Fries: Good
Husband got the Hot & Spicy Buffalo Chicken and did not like.
Service was uneven, but she apologized (without us having to say a word) and we could tell she was overwhelmed and didn’t hold it against her.
If you wanted a place to talk, plan to shout. But if you want to people watch in a lively environment, this is a good place to go.
Final note: last night they were blasting Justin Timberlake tunes all night. I’m a fan of Justin, but my husband got tired of it. I’m guessing he wasn’t the only male that felt that way.

Well… It was aaiiigght. I mean, the dirty wings were definitely delicious with a smokey-​sweet-​paprika-​ish dry rub… that fall off the bone kind of good!
The pizza was good and toppings generous but a bit on the soggy side :(
We sat at the bar (it’s our preferred type of seating) so service was great!
The place was full and seemed a lot of people were having to get off their tables and walk up to the bar to order more drinks or food. Confusing us a bit because you have to see a hostess to be seated which usually means there is a table rotation for the servers … Maybe understaffed? None my business though … That’s why I prefer the bar seating.
The happy hour seems to be all the rage according to the reviews. So maybe I need to come back during HH with a group of my peeps? All in all, a good place.

Working out the kinks by having their soft opening two nights before the Rose Parade, in a prime Old Pasadena locale, and earning a 5 star review? You betcha!
This place is everything the neighborhood is lacking. Not too pretentious and yet not a dive bar. American beers on tap, and a stellar variety of other options. PBR in a can? Yes, please!
Happy hour is 2 for 1, so I got a HUGE glass of Chardonnay for 10 bucks. Can I reiterate HUGE?
Owners, management, and staff are working well in making a connection with the neighborhood. And I commend the service by our bartender, Keith.
Most importantly, the menu is unlike anything I’ve seen in Pasadena. It’s all that is best about Italian/​American comfort food!
I believe I can come back several times to try a new favorite. But tonight is was their succulent Old Bay Wings. The best on the west coast!