Local Eats On the Rocks Eatery & Spirits - Ankeny
Feb 11, 2014 We had a chance to check out the latest bar/grill in Ankeny this past weekend - On the Rocks Eatery & Spirits opened recently in the former 34's location at 1810 SW White Birch, Suite 115, just south of the ginormous new HyVee.
They changed up the look of the dining and bar spaces, but there are still lots of booths and tables - seating for 2 or for your whole group.
The bar area features 3 flat screens, so you'll never miss the game - and they have drink specials every day, plus fun nights like Team Trivia.
I'm definitely interested in the Friday Hamburger Happy Hour - $10 for a burger, fries, and a beer! Sounds like a winning combination to me.
We were there on Saturday for lunch, so with $3 Bloody Mary's on special, Grant ordered one up. Just the right amount of spice and plenty of olives - he liked it so much, he had another one!
They have definitely put some thought into their menu - it's not your typical any-and-all kinds of fried food place. You'll find Tapas like Beef Satay, Shrimp Havarti, and Mushrooms stuffed with shrimp and crab, plus favorites like Hot Wings and Hawg Wings. The menu also features some interesting Grilled Flat Breads, good looking salad combinations and homemade soups. We found quite the variety of sandwiches, too - how about Chipotle Chicken, The Portabella, or a Killer Grilled Cheese? Also on the menu, several choices of burgers - all sounded very tasty.
If you're looking for more of a dinner entree, they serve those too, after 5pm. Yummy sounding Cognac Chicken, a Sugar Chile Filet, even scallops and duck breast! We were told that they will be introducing a new menu shortly, so we're excited to see what other treats we'll find.
For his lunch, Grant chose the Lomito, described as 'A Little Taste of Chile in Iowa' - it's roasted pork tenderloin finished in au jus and topped with tomato, avocado, and mayo on a bun. Nice juicy pork and so many other flavors really worked on this sandwich. He chose the Hot Potato Salad for his side, but you can also select House Cut Fries, Seasonal Vegetables, or a Side Salad.
After I read on the menu that all burgers are a brisket-sirloin blend and are freshlly ground in-house, how could I pass that up? I ordered mine with swiss cheese and bacon, because that's my favorite and a burger without bacon is just sad. Served on a lovely brioche bun, this was a stellar burger - excellent texture, done perfectly, juicy and flavorful - what else can I say! The house cut fries are also very good - a little heavy on the salt for me, but you can't beat well seasoned fries.
We were also very happy with our server, Samantha - she was friendly and efficient, very willing to answer questions on the menu, and right there to get us another drink. We really enjoyed talking with her and hope she is there the next time we stop in, which will definitely be soon. We are looking forward to trying some of the new menu items, for sure.
If you're in the area, do stop in and give On the Rocks Eatery & Spirits a try. It's kind of a breath of fresh air in the Ankeny dining scene and we think you'll really like that. I know we did! Let us know if you stop in and what you had - we're making our list for future visits!
On the Rocks Eatery & Spirits
1810 SW White Birch, Suite 115
Ankeny, IA 50023
515.964.1012
Hours
Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 12:00am
Friday - Saturday 11:00am - 2:00am
Sunday 11:00am - 12:00am
Closed Mondays
The kitchen closes at 9pm Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday, and at 10pm on Friday - Saturday
Check out daily specials and more here on their Facebook page.
bloody marys, burgers, pork
Reader Comments (5)
Going to have to stop there sometime. Looks yummy!!
Ed and I checked this place out a couple of weeks ago. I would agree with everything in your review but would add that if you don't care for noise avoid Thursday night team trivia night. It got pretty loud in there! Thanks for your reviews Amy. We love them!
We went a while back and were confused by what they are trying to be. A sports bar? Or a fine dining establishment? The menu was all over the place - duck breast alongside burgers? And I hope the booth seats have been nailed down. When my SO slid out of the booth, the entire bench tipped up and they were dipped into the base of the bench.
Thanks everybody, for your comments! We did really enjoy our visit to On the Rocks - Sally, I kind of like that they have a variety of interesting menu items, that was my meaning behind a 'breath of fresh air' in Ankeny. If they do both burgers and duck well, I'm all for it! I, also, hope they have the booths fixed, that would not have been good! We're looking forward to seeing what new items they put on the menu.
On The Rocks is AWESOME!!! Indianola, Ia. NEEDS an On The Rocks!!! Please come check out this awesome building in Indianola, Ia. Just a couple blocks from Simpson College, and right off the busiest street in Indianola, Ia. Reduced for quick sale @ $239k... includes equipment. Newly remodeled 16 year old building, and ready to move your business right in to!!!
Come check out Taillights Tavern @ 204 E Clinton, Indianola, Ia. You will love it!!!
515-961-8828 and ask for Cathy