We are SO disappointed. They changed the very best menu item, the beef brisket sandwich. It has been replaced with a sandwich with a marinade that is not nearly as yummy, cheese that isn't half as good, and added mustard that doesn't pair well. PLEASE SWITCH BACK ON THE ROX!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review Source:This place is probably a great bar. Â They promote great happy hour deals on both food and drinks and it seems to draw a crowd. Â The food, for bar fare, is ok and pretty affordable. Â I had a shrimp appetizer that was pretty tasty and included five large shrimp in a white wine sauce (I wanted the mussels, but they were out). Â For dinner, I had the special mac and cheese with crab and bacon. Â It was pretty good and a large portion. Â My boyfriend had the brisket sandwich which was pretty bad. Â It was dry and bland. Â The fries were good, though. Â The service was friendly. but kind of slow, even when they weren't that busy.
Review Source:I went to On the Rox on a whim the other night with two friends. We were "scoping out" the venue since my friend's band is playing there in a couple weeks. I had a Yelp! check-in mobile coupon for 25% off (props!) but forgot to use it (rats). Luckily I can use it when I come back for the show, but point is: I definitely like to see perks for Yelpers!
One thing I noticed right away on the menu was the note at the bottom that said vegetarian and vegan options were available. So, naturally, I asked if there was a veggie burger to replace the beef patties on their regular burgers. Negatory. That was a little frustrating, but I made a meal of the truffle fries appetizer and the small salad. Both were delicious, but on a hungrier evening I'd end up spending $15-$20 for a pescatarian entree, compared to the $10 and under veggie burger I was led to believe existed.
They had a pretty good draft beer selection and more in bottles. The waitstaff was nice, and the space itself is really cool and open. Parking stinks as it's just street, but it's in Shockoe so that's to be expected.
I definitely look forward to coming back here for happy hour and maybe brunch, but I probably won't be coming back for dinner unless I'm ready to shell out some more money or until they whip out some frozen Boca burgers for their vege/pescatarian customers!
*Happy hour only review....
I have to say this is one of my favorite happy hour spots for food and drinks. Â From 4-6 everyday you can get 50% off appetizers/ sandwiches and from 3-7 you can get half off drinks. Great deals! Â The brunch burger was surprisingly pretty nice. Â Sausage meat was mixed in with the burger and threw me off at first but I really enjoyed it! Â Topped with a fried egg and bacon (my two favorite toppings) made for a great burger! Combined with some fries for a total of $4.50? Â Heck yea! Â I also tried the buffalo oysters which were pretty solid as well. Â Might turn into my go to for happy hour specials!
Oh and one more thing... if you order a drink form 6-7, it's bacon hour! free bacon!
Came here early before an event at the place. Street parking unfortunately. The place is rather unassuming on the outside, but it's a lot bigger inside. There's an good sized dining area and bar area. In the back, they have a stage for concerts, performances, etc. Got here during happy hour and I was so glad we did.
the food.
-drinks: I got 2 bold rocks (personal fave) for half off for $3 each.
-rox brunch burger (pictured): It's made of 2 parts beef & 1 part sausage w/ a fried egg and bacon. I couldn't really taste the difference in the patty, but it was yummy. The egg is still runny, which I love as a sauce for the burger.
-truffle fries: I splurged on this purchase since it is something I've been craving for awhile. Couldn't taste the truffle at all. I kinda felt ripped off on this.
the service.
Our waitress was on top of things. I was able to get my drinks right before happy hour ended. I also give her props since I came with a huge group. Always impressed when they can handle the extra stress.
Decent place, but nothing really draws me back in a hurry other than the happy hour drinks!
Tip: If you're a VCU student with a parking permit, reciprocal parking in A lot makes the walk not too far.
I live around the corner and finally tried this place awhile ago after driving past it on the way home dozens of times. Wishing my boyfriend and I had gone there sooner, it is now one of our favorites places in Shockoe Bottom to grab some appetizers and drinks. Really spacious, and at least a dozen tvs and a giant projector screen for whatever sports game you may want to watch (we had actually been looking for a place to watch presidential election results come in while our cable was being set up, embarrassingly enough). For what appears to be just a sports bar, they actually have some surprisingly gourmet food options. I haven't made it past the appetizer menu yet, but hope to someday. The Buffalo Oysters are a must try, and the truffle fries dipped in aioli are a nice take on traditional bar food. The manager came to our table to talk to us for awhile, really friendly guy and the servers are really attentive. A great place to take friends who are visiting, it is always a hit, and we'll definitely be back!
Review Source:The chef here also teaches culinary arts and he's amazing! He's so nice and very knowledgable about his career and the food he prepares. I came here one night and asked the waiter a question about the hangar steak. I was surprised that he came out of the kitchen to answer it himself and chat for a few minutes. It was a late dinner and they only had one other table. Try the buffalo oysters, hangar steak and bacon blood mary!
Review Source:I have been to On the Rox more than a dozen times and its hard to believe I've waited this long to give a yelp review.
Star 1-for bringing such a great place to shockoe bottom and investing in this wonderful and historic area.
Star 2-for consistently having the best staff....everyone has always been particularly nice.....Dave the bartender always greets us with a smile, is very attentive, always knows our names, and always gets everything right (that's big).
Star 3-the renovated space....I love the loft like look of the exposed brick  and rough cut beams. It's a timeless and ideal look for the historic shockoe area.
Star 4-the food. Â Yes, the food.....the menu is unique. Â There is something for everyone. The spinach salad is loaded with extra fruit, nuts and cheese goodies.....the chicken wings are plump and spicy.....the buffalo fried oysters are good sized oysters loaded w chunks of celery and blue cheese, the burgers are lean and made to please, and pretty much everything I've had has been interesting and delicious. Â With that said, a menu that is more seasonal or otherwise transitional (monthly, quarterly, or else) would add more interest to the repeat customer.
Star 5-the prices. Â I'd like to point out that the the prices are always decent...whether for brunch or dinner, but, the happy hour prices are unbeatable. Â A burger and fries for $4.50? Â Really? Â All food, aside from entrees, are half price. Â It's hard to not get a little of everything...and almost all drinks are half price? Â Crazy talk is what I say, but, as long as they are serving it, I'm buying it, and OTR is, hands down, my favorite happy hour spot in the city.
I came here for brunch because one of the med school applicants I was hosting for an interview wanted to treat me to a meal to thank me for housing him.
Fortunately, we only had two blocks to walk to get to the restaurant, which is good because there was still a ton of snow on the ground. I've actually walked by this restaurant a ton of times since it is so close to home, so I was excited to finally get a chance to try it. It is particularly memorable for having and open air entrance during the warmer months of the year. I discovered after eating here that there is a collapsible front window that rolls up and down like a garage door, which is unique and perfect for cold/inclement weather (like the top of a convertible car).
The restaurant itself is very spacious and has a lot of wood and fun ceiling fans. There are a ton of TVs playing sports, which is to be expected in a bar.
Our server was super down-to-earth and waited on us attentively (which was not hard because the restaurant was pretty empty that morning).
I thought the brunch food was delicious, with clever dish names and creative offerings. I had the drop biscuits with duck gravy and poached eggs, which were a delight. I love biscuits and gravy, and the drop biscuits were new to me (they were fried and very crumbly, unlike your standard biscuit). I also ordered the waffles, which came as mini waffles with bacon and maple syrup.
The food here was great, and the atmosphere was fun too. While I'm not a big bar person, I would return just to try their other menu offerings, including non-brunch menu items, especially because of the close proximity to my apartment.
We just had dinner there last night and that was our last night. First, the service was super slow...we waited an hour to receive our food! It wasn't crowded, so I really don't know what the problem was. There was one other group of 5 that was before us and that was it everyone else was drinking. The server came over 4x saying," I am so sorry and the food should be out any second!" Those seconds turned into an hour of waiting. Our appetizer came last instead of first, and those fries fried in Duck fat! I don't know what all the rage is about because they tasted like nothing. After a while I did start to feel a slippery lard type feeling on the roof of my mouth which just grossed me out!! But, to say those fries are "to die for, must have, amazing!" Nope, I will just pass! There was nothing at all about the food that "Wowed" me at all. Everything was just okay and that was it. Will we be returning? not a chance! It is a nice size bar/restaurant. The waiter told us the kitchen was super small that is why it was taking so long for the food to come out! Try it if you like, but don't say I didn't warn you!!
Review Source:This being an October 2012 review, it trumps all previous reviews that say the Happy Hour is daily and offers half off food and drinks from 4-7. Â NO. This is no longer the case. Â Unfortunately, I did not realize this before rushing here to eat dinner at 6:30 even though my eternal dining partner Ryan C. didn't have to be here for a show he was playing until 8 (on the stage in the back). Â The PrideFest was still going on when we got here, so parking was a nightmare. Â I did notice a lot of parking lots and valet around, but that shit cost money, yo!
We finally found a spot and the waitress schools me on the happy hour. Â No weekends. Â 3-6 half off food & drinks, 6-7 half off drinks. Â Not nearly as magical as people were saying. Â Oh well, we're here. Let's eat!
The layout is pretty nice. Â As others point out, there's 2 huge windows at the front on either sides of the door that open garage-style. Â It does seem rather silly to me that smokers are sent outside, only to hover by those windows as they smoke, blowing it into the restaurant. Â Can't they just make the section by those windows smoking?
I ordered the pork shoulder panini with chilies, mustard greens & provolone, and Ryan got the mussels. Â I thought my sandwich was pretty good, and the fries that come on the side are interesting, covered in parsley and twice-fried, according to the menu. Â I wouldn't say best ever, but they were tasty. Â Ryan liked his mussels, but didn't like how un-filling it was. Â Probably his own fault, he kept saying he had imagined that the dish would be different. Â Its just a bowl full of mussels with some spinach underneath. Â I gave him the rest of my fries so that held him over for a few hours.
One thing I liked about this place is they offer a 25% discount to all those who check in for the first time -- not applicable on alcohol, of course.
One thing I hated is that they have a ton of tvs on, and when the commercials come on, they keep the audio just as loud as if a game was on. Â Its very annoying and sitting in there for a while started to put both Ryan and I in a crabby mood.
I wanted to like this restaurant much more than I did.
The space and location are fine. I like the open windows. It's far enough from Main st. to find street parking.
Maybe it was an off day because many of the drinks we wanted were out and their blender was broken.
The food was just ok. The duck fat fries were good, not great. I liked that they gave different dipping sauces. Got the chicken salad with the pistachios and craisins and again just ok. Same with the hanger steak.
Would definitely give it another try as my friend totally raved about it.
So, I ended up at On the Rox for a karaoke charity brunch.
First, the restaurant is nice. It's spacious, airy with the open doors, and simplistic. I like.
The first thing I did when I arrived was order a spicy bloody mary as that is my brunch go-to. This place has NAILED the bloody mary. I've had a lot of them around Richmond, but this one is the best. Why? Well, for one, they put a strip of crispy bacon in it as garnish. And, as far as I'm concerned, a bacon garnish is never a bad thing. Furthermore, the bloody mary was tasty, the perfect level of spicy, and well-balanced.
I drank beer the rest of the time, but that was a lovely start to the meal.
After perusing the brunch menu, I settled on the "Drop Biscuits" which came recommended by some other patrons. They were right, it was delicious.
Light, airy biscuits covered with what seemed to be sausage gravy but in the menu is called duck gravy. I loved the flavor of the gravy, it was great... a little thick for my liking, but perhaps some people love a thick, chunky gravy. The eggs on top were PERFECTLY poached... after having eaten terrible poached eggs at almost every brunch place in Richmond, I was so happy to see that golden yolk pouring out of the firm egg white. They really nailed the poached egg. Lastly, they top this all off with a slightly citrusy béarnaise sauce and a few dots of sriracha.
It was heavy, it was filling, it was probably too many calories, but MAN, was it delicious. Could easily be a good hangover cure.
I almost wish I hadn't tried the burger someone else ordered, or I would've given the place another star.
The Angus burger was ordered medium rare, with a fried egg added on top. Again, the egg was PERFECTLY cooked and looked beautiful (see the pictures I added). However, the burger was under (dare I say, NOT) seasoned, and it was VERY dry, and slightly overcooked. The fries, however, are obviously hand cut, and seasoned with salt, parsley and I believe parmesan cheese. They were amazing.
The only other thing holding me back from another star was the service. it was... ok. Not bad, not great. There was a crowd there for the charity brunch, but only about 30 people total. I shouldn't ever sit with an empty beer glass with only 30 people in the restaurant. Truly, I feel like I should never sit with an empty beer glass EVER, but especially when the restaurant is not even half full.
Overall, a very tasty meal. Others ordered items that looked amazing, and I would definitely go back again and try something else. I also heard tell of a "failure burrito".... An off-the-menu legend that the chef sends out differently every time. I might order that next time, just for the fun of it.
We stopped by a second time for happy hour and like On the Rox even more. Â This time I tried a couple of the wines by the glass. Â Both were good and at $3 a great value. Â I loved the mussels as they were unique. Â Instead of the usual white wine base, these were accented with chorizo and mustard greens. Â My husband had the braised bisket sandwich and we almost had a fight over who got the last bite! Â Next visit I have my mind set on the Buffalo chicken legs....they look amazing. Â Can't wait to go back!
Review Source:I've returned to this spot a couple of times after my initial review and decided to add another star to my original rating. Â I continue to be a huge fan of the happy hour deals, and have found the servers and cooks to be very accommodating for those with dietary restrictions. Â Two thumbs up!
Review Source:Love love love this place! Â The BEST happy hour in the city, hands down! Â Half off everything, excluding entrees, from 3-7 daily. Â They have a great craft beer menu that is included in this, and my favorite... Allagash White! Â Their appetizers are fantastic, buffalo oysters, OMG Â The fries in truffle oil are equally fanastic. Â I have always had great service at the bar, and the owner/chef has always been great to me from my first visit on. This has become the bright shining star of Shockoe Bottom and my favorite. Â I have not actually had dinner here, but bar food has never been this good! Â I will continue to return!
Review Source:Let me say one thing about On the Rox: One of the best happy hours in town. 1/2 price drinks AND food? Yes, yes I will have many beers and some truffle fries for $14. Thank you.
I've been for happy hour a couple of times, dinner, and brunch. Pork and brisket paninis are both very good. Had the grilled cheese as well and my inner five year old was very happy with some good old fashioned melted processed cheese goodness.
Service can be a little slow depending on who is working that shift. If it's busy, I get it, but if it is absolutely dead, my cup should never runneth dry. Also a bone to pick with brunch - given that 4-5 items are typical brunch fair. That was when I ordered the grilled cheese. I mean, can I get a breakfast sandwich? some eggs benedict? I'll raise to 4 stars if they improve the brunch. I will say the $10 pitchers of mimosas are nices.
Either way, I'll keep on coming in the evening. Like this place.
I went here last week for happy hour and was pleasantly surprised at the super low prices and great selection of beers. Â I can't speak too much for the food - I only ate some french fries - but they were great! Â I like the large garage-style doors they have at the front of the restaurant but it was super hot and humid the day I went in and some AC would have been nice. Â All in all I would come back again and try some other items on the menu.
Review Source:I've been wanting to check this place out ever since I read the happy hour review on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRichmond.com&s=4f6614c2777159ce5bbe84ecee3eba6aefe7b5c2b776a0ed10e412069a4ba940" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Richmond.com</a>. Â Didn't make it for happy hour though but had lunch instead. Â The service and the food were excellent. Â I had the chorizo panini. Â It was very good, not too greasy and very fresh. Â The fries were amazing. Â They are definitely in the running for best in Richmond (sorry Comm Taphouse). Â It was pretty empty though, which hopefully will soon change because I would hate to lose this gem. Â Also the beer selection is very impressive.
Review Source:I have to admit, when I heard this place was opening a few blocks from my apt, I judged it based on the name (kind of cheesy) and assumed it wasn't for me. But after I heard about their insanely cheap happy hour and some good reviews, I decided to check it out with two friends (Kate P and Elite Yelper Kristin V.), and we enjoyed it! Drinks and appetizers are half off during happy hour from 3-7 ( and they are already priced pretty low to begin with). I had two Hardywood Singels and an appetizer and got out of there for under 8 bucks. You can't beat that. The staff was very welcoming and helpful. My only complaint was that it was muggy and hot (part of that was because we chose a booth by the open window) and they also were playing a ton of country music, which isn't really my style. All that being said, I will definitely be back for Happy Hour and can't wait to try their dinner and brunch too. On The Rox, I'm sorry I judged you by name alone! Never again! You won me over with great prices and great service.
Review Source:I've only had 2 bar experiences here, both involved a little food and a lot of drinks so this review should be taken with a grain of salt... Â I'll give it a 3.7 overall, not quite a 4.
Highlights:
1) the garagestyle windows in front that open up, so if you time it right you can have a front row seat to the shenigans on 18th street, and still get table service.
2) In fact the ambiance in general is very cool, the place has obviously all been recently updated, and it has a great exposed brick, wood floor interior.
3) Amazing Happy Hour deals -- is it half off everything? Â Something crazy like that. Â Not totally sure about that so I would inquire with the establish.
4) Had an amazing Buffalo style fried oysters Appetizer here.
Lowlights:
1) it never seems like there is more than 5 people in the place, and it's a large place, so that can feel odd.
2) I had a very mediocre sandwich, a Brisket sandwich, which sounds so good, but was just meat and cheese, not a lot of flavor and a whole lot of greasiness.
I'm glad to see a fresh, new, updated places going in to the Bottom. This place is two blocks from my crib, so I'll probably frequent it if for nothing more than the awesome Happy Hour Specials!
I went there with my son (11 yrs old). Â We both ordered the tea marinated chicken (sounds odd, I know) and was absolutely blown away. Â DELICIOUS! Â Reasonably priced and so fresh. Â From what I understand they do not have a refrigerator so everything must be fresh. Â
If I lived/worked closer I would eat there at least once a month~
While I was shooting video of Aryz's finished mural on 17th St, some marketing gals walked by and gave menu flyers for On The Rox to the guys from the No Name No Brain crew, and mentioned they were hiring. Â Apparently I didn't look like I was worth feeding or hiring because they walked right past me and didn't hand me a flyer or say a word. Â FINE THEN. Â I was hungry so I pulled one of the flyers off of a parked car. Â I noticed they had a hanger steak for $18. Â That caught my eye. Â I was kind of surprised actually by some of the trendy high-end dishes for lower prices (lamb sausage, pork shoulder, frites, drop biscuits). Â By the way, On The Rox, you didn't have a Yelp page yet, so I made one for you. Â You're welcome.
Once I was seated, I found out that apparently this place is owned by the Tiki Bob's people, and that didn't set my expectations very high. Â I ordered the braised beef brisket panini with onion marmalade, gorgonzola, and rosemary. Â It came out with fries and a shot glass of a ketchup/aioli blend. Â I don't know much about panini but the bread was crisp and crunchy and a nice contrast to the softer interior.
I included pics of the view with the two garage-door windows open - on a crisp spring day it was really nice to have them open like that.  I saved half of the panini  and fries for later, and ordered a dessert.  They only had two choices -  chocolate terrine with cashew brittle or minature waffles with roasted bananas and bacon-maple caramel.  They both sounded pretty awesome but I went with the chocolate terrine.  Apparently everything is made from scratch, including the cashew brittle, which was DELICOUS.  I am not even a cashew fan, but in the brittle context it was delightful.  The whipped cream was obviously hand-whipped with vanilla bean. A+++ on the dessert. Â
I have to say, the food was great for the price, which is not exactly cheap but certainly reasonable (panini plate $11, dessert $6). Â They are on their A game since they just opened 2 months ago, and I hope they don't skimp or cut corners for the sake of being "production friendly" in the future.
She was very polite about answering my questions about the dishes.
Bathrooms: Women, Men. Â In the Men's, a urinal and a stall. Â Clean.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,916 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
