2.5 stars
I've went to Rock It Bar once. Â A friend didn't have her id and showed some DMV paper that said it was in the mail- while most places would be very suspicious and strict about it, they let her in (she WAS over 21 mind you), helps to be a cute girl with another cute girl i guess and i have cute friends so no worries there.
A bit divey and we went on a friday night(?) and it was a ****show! Â Karaoke, horrible singers, cheap booze, just a whatever goes feel as were the creeps that would not leave us alone and the other creeps that tried to follow us but I can't hold creepy clientele against Rock-it Bar. Â If you want a sloppy who cares night with cheap booze and bad karaoke, ding ding ding you have a winner, but it's not all my scene.
Oh Rock It! This is one of my go-to places in Old Town and not to mention it's location is great.
If you're a liquor fan I suggest ordering a Vodka & Red Bull here. They only pour half the can into the glass, unlike other bars, so you use one can per two drinks + it saves money.
Karaoke is priceless and Rock It provides a great place for people watching. You will find customers wearing everything from suits to sweatpants to cowboy hats.
We normally visit on Thursday's and try to get there by 830 p.m. to grab a seat; weekends I'd suggest 8 p.m. or earlier since they host bday parties and it really fills up fast!
Last, but definitely not least, ask for Linda as your server! You will not be disappointed! She is so attentive and has memorized our drinks.
Ok, so I live like 3 blocks from this place and decided to show up on a random Saturday night mostly out curiosity. I was blown away.
1) Food was incredibly bad. People have low standards if they think this is good for any restaurant. I got a burger with bacon and fries. Fries were terrible. Burger was terrible. Wouldn't ever order anything here again just from looking at other things on other tables. Â Though, I don't think people go here for the food so who cares?
2) Karaoke was amazing. I didn't understand what the deal was but then some dude with a pony tail, beret, sweatpants and an incredibly trashed girlfriend (mind you this was like 8 pm) and she barely able to stand) got up on stage and started belting out "My Sacrifice" by Creed. I understand now.
The best part of the whole karaoke thing was, at one point, some random woman treated it like American Idol -- and on cue, random diverse crowd of 20 somethings rushed the floor in front of the stage and started dancing?? (mind you there isn't a dance floor??) I felt like it was staged, it was so Disney. And amazing.
I would definitely call this a dive bar. A very strange one with a lot of character. Go here if you want entertainment.
Don't eat the food.
You have to try this place at least once! Â
PROS
(1) Awesome huge karaoke selection.
(2) Karaoke 7 nights a week. Â
(3) Decent food.
(4) Very Friendly Staff!!
(5) Service was good....once you grab the server's attention, you're good to go!
CONS
(1) The lady karaoke DJ was grumpy and a bit rude towards the end of the night....not necessary. Â
Anywho, still a cool place to check out. Â Keep an open mind!
Pretty good for a dive bar, or for karaoke. Â The food, on the other hand, is not so great. Â My latest visit was for happy hour on a Tuesday. Â We got there around 6:30 and the place was pretty empty. Â
Tuesdays are half price burgers so I ordered the Mushroom Swiss burger. Â The (medium) burger was cooked properly and was juicy, but without a whole lot of flavor. Â The fries were overcooked and dry. Â The portion sizes were large and at half price I can't really complain about not getting my money's worth, but the overall taste wasn't particularly good.
Service was decent. Â There was only 1 waitress covering the whole floor and that definitely could have been an issue on a busier day, but there were few enough people when we were there that putting in our orders wasn't too difficult. Â Also, she remembered 6 different sandwich orders without having to write anything down.
I think Happy Hour is from 4-7 (not sure about the 4, but it definitely ends at 7). Â On top of that, they have half off sandwiches on Mondays, half off burgers on Tuesdays, and $.50 wings on Thursdays. Â As mentioned before, the food isn't great, but if you need a delivery mechanism for your alcohol then it is serviceable.
I haven't gone to Rock It for karaoke in almost 2 years, but they have it starting at 9:30. Â There is a fairly large song selection, including a bunch of songs are not in the book they put out, so if there is something you want to sing but don't see, it may be worth asking about.
What a weird place this was. It was good but you will see the most varied crowd in one bar. We saw everything from DC Political types to stock brokers to bikers, to college kids. If you like Karaoke than definitely head here. The DJ is pretty good and actually not a bad singer or he wasn't when we were there. Definitely lots of smashed people here but I will say the bouncer at the door was one of friendliest people I have met at a bar. I would not start your night here but late night for some drinks and laughs, definitely. The drinks are strong and not expensive.
Review Source:Divey? Just ever so slightly. It isn't as bad as people make it seem to be.
I can't vouch on anything but the karaoke. We only stopped in for a minute and didn't eat or drink anything.
So what I can tell you --
- It is a bit older of a bar. When you type in your GPS to get here, make sure to type 'Rock It' and not 'Rocket' like we had initially thought.
- Great karaoke selection. The crowd gets really involved when you have a good singer and a good song to rock out to. My choice of song was Meredith Brook's Bitch. My go-to classic.
- It has a mixed crowd. Not a shady crowd, but more like people in business suits and people in sweat suits. It some how works out.
Would I return? Definitely so. My boyfriend saw someone have an order of hot wings, and I feel we are going to go back to feed his craving.
I just visited the bar as part of a bachelorette party and can't say anything bad about it...you get what you get. Â It's a great dive bar, the people are super friendly and the karaoke is beyond entertaining. Â I'm not a big beer drinker but some the bachelorette partygoers couldn't get over the $13 pitchers of blue moon! Â
We didn't eat any food here so I can't speak to that but even though the place was packed the bartenders were super friendly and very fast. Â They even had cherry vodka (which a lot of divey places don't have the flavored vodka) for my favorite drink ever, cherry vodka and diet coke :)
I would definitely go back for a good time, not for a classy time though :)
After reading the horrible reviews on Rock It Bar and Grill I feel compelled to write in defense of the place.
The first time I went to Rock It was about a year ago. A friend and I decided to end the night with a few drinks before heading back home. Trying to avoid obnoxious crowds and watered down drinks we settled on Rock It -- a reasonably priced bar, with decent music, and karaoke. Like most bars in Old Town on a Thursday night Rock It was packed. Most of the patrons were middle-aged townies or military personnel (can't miss that buzz cut anywhere). We found seats close to the dance floor where we watched drunkards making out and holding each other up as the danced. Most of the music playing was early 90's rock (given the age of the people it wasn't surprising). However the DJ managed to mix in Lady Gaga and a few other Top 20 artists which made the crowd go crazy.
My second visit - this past weekend - wasn't much different than my first, besides the crowd was more diverse in age and there were a lot more people.
Although I am writing in defense of the place (you get what you pay for) I only give Rock It 2 stars, because, "Meh. I've experienced better."
Pros:
-The drinks are cheap and stiff. It only takes a few drinks to start feeling your buzz.
-Located in Old Towne, Alexandria, there is plenty to do and its very nice in the summer months.
-Taxis are easily accessible so you don't have to worry about calling and waiting on one.
-The bar is a decent size and there are a few tables for groups larger than 3.
-There isn't a dress code.
-The waiters and staff are quick and friendly.
-There are 2 pool tables.
Cons:
-Not the ideal place for a first date - more of a dive bar.
-On the weekends the cops are lurking around outside so make sure you have a D.D.
-I haven't ate the food but from the reviews and what I've witnessed I would pick one of the finer establishments on King St. to dine at.
-The bar can get packed and it's hard to get through to the bathroom.
Overall:
If you are looking for a chill place to stop and get a drink before or after dinner, or on a random day this is your spot. You will leave buzzed and with a low tab. Don't come to this place if you are expecting 4-star décor and service, it is what it is, but surely not as horrible as fellow yelpers have made it out to be.
I read a lot of bad reviews on the place before writing mine. Â
I was there just once, about a week ago, and had a pretty good time. Â Normally, I prefer Asian style karaoke/norebang, but I figured I would try it.
I was dressed fairly decent, had some shots and beers and was feeling pretty good by the time I got up to sing. Â This was a Friday night so, yes, I did have to wait awhile...maybe an hour..for my name to come up on the sing list. Â That was fine, because I was drinking and making friends with a couple of patrons. Â And the bartenders were really nice and cool too. Â The DJ girl was really nice too. Â She put my second and third songs on the "wish list" and I got to sing them not too long after. Â I sang Earth, Wind & Fire "After the Love is Gone," Phil Collins "We Got a Groovy Kind of Love" and Frank Sinatra's "My Funny Valentine".
Yes, the place is a dive bar, and I'm not sure I would eat there...but it's a good place to belt out a few tunes and chill over some beers. Â The crowd was very supportive of the singers, no matter how bad, and people seemed to be having a good time.
The thing you have to realize before going inside is that this is a DIVE BAR, Old Town or not. You can't expect much in the way of food or service or upkeep. It is a dive bar thru and thru.
I've never tried the food there, so I can't comment on that.
The night's I've been here have always been packed and crowded. But I manage to still have a fun time (again, prepare yourself for a crowded bar before you walk in). I usually get a table and the waitresses seem to be ok with getting drinks and checking if you need more. Not the fastest ever, but they try with a bar full of crazy drunks. I did stand at the bar one night and it was quite clear the bartenders made sure the people they knew (friends and/or regulars) were getting served first. I stood there, with a $20 in my hand, silently begging for the bar tender to make her way down to me (I was on a terrible date and knew the only way to rectify the night was with booze. LOTS of booze). She seemed almost annoyed to have to make a drink for someone she didn't know. Oh well.
Karaoke is a big thing here. You either love it and rock out with all the other terrible singers or you loath everyone who does it. I personally love watching people get up and try. Yes, there are terrible singers, but there are regulars who know the words, sing well, and usually have some dance moves to accompany their song.
And just to add something totally random, every time I use the ladies room here, I always end up talking to other girls and it's always nice. Someone is frustrated about an unresponsive boyfriend or a bad date or frizzy hair, and everyone in there tends to listen and offer advice/opinions. Yes, totally strange and weird to say about a dive bar, but it's the truth!
People have mentioned all the cops that are practically foaming at the mouth to pounce on people who leave Rock It. I've never had an issue. I've walked out plenty (and by plenty, I mean almost every single time) completely drunk and wasted and have never once been stopped by a cop.
Look, it's a dive bar that is usually packed on the weekends and is big on Karaoke. Know that going in. If you choose to ignore those facts, you'll probably end up having a crappy time.
Ummm never to return here again. Especially with all the decent choices in Old Town Alexandria!
We had to to come to Old Town to pick up our racing packets and we starving after doing so, to line was long and agreed to grab something on our way back to the car.
This place was literally the first place we saw ( mistake numero uno)
Checked out the menu...seemes basic
Walked and and sat down ( mistake numero dos)
We should have turned around.
It was us and the 4 bikers at the bar, oh and the 80 something lady who had on a moo moo! anddd an adult diaper. Â
Lets just be honest... the food wasn't good, the service wasn't good and the place smelled old dirty mop.
My daughter order pb&j with chips. There was so much pb on the sandwhich I thought she was going to choke. And the chips were "homemade" I sure this was from a batch made like 4 days ago... so stale.
My bestie got the taco salad... lets just say, she just made it home in the nick of time to use the rest room.
I got chicken tacos... I think it was boxed pre made chicken.
I was to frightened to used the bathroom.
I have been here too many times. And although once is enough, I've probably been here 100 times. Â The cops sit across the street waiting for the next fight to break out- which is actually kind of nice because I've been in several, and a lot of times they just break it up. Â I used to love coming here to see the "cast"- all of the regulars we had names for. Â I used to order double rum 'n cokes exclusively. Â I still come here on the way back from a National's game for a night cap and watch TV highlights while someone shreds Journey or Alanis Morissette.
Had lunch at Rock It once- literally found plastic wrap in my salad on my first bite (lucky!). Â I think I got a hamburger instead and of course they charged me for the salad. Â Obviously I won't give them a second chance.
To the staff that work there- I love you and miss you all. Â Some of the nicest people you will ever meet, considering the crowd this place draws. Â I'll admit, me and my friends were probably some of the douchiest the place has ever seen. Â
3 stars for the memories. Â 6 stars for the forgiveness.
Been going here for about 3 years now and I always have a good time. It's nothing fancy or worth getting dressed up for (but I still do) but you will have a good time with friends. Especially when those friends are drunk & willing to sing in front of a crowd. Drinks aren't too expensive & there are plenty of bartenders to get you a drink in a reasonable amount of time. As with many bars finding a place to sit can be tricky, but if you show up before the crowd then you'll have plenty of seats to choose from. A couple of Pool tables are placed to the back of the bar and the bathrooms are small.
Sometimes there will be intermissions in between the karaoke sets and dance music will come on for like 4 songs which is perfect for those who wanna get their jiggy on. It definitely is funner with more people though.
This place is a dive bar. It's greasy, dirty, sketchy, and cheap. And that's what makes it great.
Their happy hour is pretty legit and the service is pretty solid as well. I've only ever drank here for the reasons listed above. It's a perfect place to get bombed with friends, not a 5 star restaurant or a upscale club.
Karaoke is hilarious to watch and looks pretty fun to participate in as well. For all you fans of men in uniform, they tend to frequent this spot pretty often. The crowd's an interesting mix, makes for good people watching.
Overall, a solid spot to have a chill time in Old Town.
I have never personally patronized the Rock-It Grill, but I felt compelled to write this review for all of those yelpers who have ventured inside in the past or may choose to do so in the future.
I write this because I am a criminal defense attorney, and because I know that the Alexandria police love the Rock-It Grill. They love it more than any reviewer who gave it 3, 4, or 5 stars. They love it more than any Old Town regular who has had the fortune to grace the local TV-spot. They love it more than the Hard Times patron who stumbles across King Street and finds his or her night perfectly complemented by the Rock-It's rockin' atmosphere. The police love this place because they can fill whatever official or unofficial arrest quota they have on the books or in their minds by just sitting out front and watching the patrons.
I feel like it is incumbent upon me as a member of the Alexandria community to tell everyone who goes to the Rock-It Grill to BEWARE! Chances are, if you aren't imbibing and getting in to your vehicle or a regular at both the Rock-It and the Alexandria Detention Center (bench warrants are so pesky when the fuzz can recognize you on sight), then you have at least imbibed *something* while inside.
And the police will stop you just because they saw you inside. Then they will accuse you of being Drunk in Public, even you are just another guy with Cerebral Palsy stopping by the Rock-It to remind your brother that tomorrow is his kid's christening. Then they will slam you on the ground as they arrest you for the Drunk in Public, even though you are not drunk. And when you ask them what the fuck they are doing, they will charge you with Obstruction of Justice by Resisting Arrest. I am not making this up.
So, past, present, and future patrons of the Rock-It Grill... BEWARE. Travel in groups in order to always always have a witness. And never ever make any statements to the police without a lawyer present.
I was a bit skeptical on going here last night after reading several of the previous reviews, but hey, I am a glutton for punishment and I like the local dives so a few of us went to give it a look. Â
Overall, not a bad place. Â Our waitress was actually really nice and we really put her to work. Â At the end of the night I had no problem giving her a good tip. Â
The atmosphere is LOUD. Â It''s not a place you go to expecting to have a casual conversation. Â Between all the local American Idol wannabes on stage and the obnoxious woo girl bachelorette parties (I think there was at least two or three last night) it was pretty loud.
Speaking of bachelorette parties, if you want to have them, fine, but don't act like a bunch of snobby bitches. Â
Didn't have any of the food. Â We had a table right next to the dance floor and, of course, a prime location to attract all the drunk idiots that want to make new friends by leaning on your table and telling everyone how awesome their night has been. Â Point being, it was not a prime seat to try and bring food to. Â I cannot even begin to count how many times I had to pick up my glass to keep it from spilling everywhere as sloppy sally and the drunken divas try to grind their fat asses all over the side of our table. Â
The DJ was, as said before, a little arrogant. Â He wasn't as bad as some of the previous reviews, but he was definitely not the best DJ around. Â I didn't hear him hackle anyone on the stage or make any comments that I would consider totally unprofessional or inappropriate for a dive bar like this. Â I would say the crowd was far worse. Â He did "attempt" to sing a couple songs. Â Good effort guy, but don't quit your night job. Â Just play the music and announce the next contender to be destroyed by the crowd. Â I will say one thing I noticed that I thought was a little on the unprofessional side was the DJ drinking beer on stage by the pitcher. Â And by the pitcher, I mean straight out of the pitcher into his annoying little mouth. Â Good on you, bro, but remember, you have a job to do up there. Â But again, what do you expect from a local dive?
I would probably go back. Â I might even try the food. Â It's not the worst place to go, just make sure that when you do go not to set your standards too high, and just have fun. Â A little courtesy to the waitress goes a long way, and when the beer takes a bit long to get there, just remember that it could always be worse... Â you could actually be in a nice place getting crappy service.
A solid four stars....
I like this bar for a number of reasons:
1. The bartenders and bouncers are friendly.....
2. It's a total cheese fest of people making asses out of themselves on Karaoke some nights.
3. They have pool tables, darts, and a pretty decent happy hour in Alexandria.
4. The burgers are pretty good and they are half price sometimes.
5. When I was single, this place was an easy bar to pick up decent looking chicks that were DTF.
Other than that, there are a few things I don't like the bar too in my last few visits. I think they could do some remodeling and maybe clean it up a bit. I'm sure this place still gets a draw on the weekends, why don't you put some money back into it?
Rock it Grill is a pretty decent Old Town Alexandria watering hole....
When it comes to service, menu, and ambiance, I don't think I've ever  actually SEEN a server in Rock It Grill, I wouldn't ever be inclined to eat here again, and I hate to listen to some unhinged mental patient screech out, "Me and Bobbie McGee."  I once had a burger at Rock It Grill that looked exactly like an alcoholic's liver.
Fairly cheap drinks earn this greasy spoon exactly one star.
Rocket Grill's clientele makes it amongst the worst places to do karaoke. Â I am no high-roller myself, but these cretins should haul ass on back to their shanties. Â You'll never get onstage when Shelly and The Horsebutt Bitch Sisters are monopolizing the stage for her bachlorette party. Â Oh, and watch out for LCpl Birch Steelstrong, because he's looking to smash in a few faces before he deploys. Â Still, above all else, be careful around the "cougars" in here. Â One false bump on the dance floor, and you could send some old crone back to her sarcophagus in a world of pain.
Their commercial sucks a rack of dicks too.
F+
Who doesn't like to sing? Well if you're into either, music, liquor, flirting, getting hit on, dancing, or eating.... ROCK it grill will rock you!
I don't get out to Alexandria often, BUT whenever I do get out this way, I make sure to stop by here. Especially if its over the weekend! Because their karaoke joint rocks like no other! Lotsa fine ass chix and handsome dudes to choose from. And most of the people that go here, come in large groups, as you can imagine how fun it is, to do a song with your little back up crew!
The foods' pretty decent! For bar continental food, you can't get any better! They have lotsa room to shake your booty, and if you're feeling like some pool, they have billiards as well! I LOVE this joint, and if only lived closer, I'd be up here every night of the week, drinking, eating, dancing, and singing my heart out!
*Interesting* townie spot.
Rock It was referred to us from friends of friends as "a local, townie spot. Â Don't go here. Though we've gone a couple times, and it's actually pretty fun. It's a few blocks away, you can't miss the sign, but don't go here." Â Intriguing and laying down the gauntlet, so no way we weren't going here.
Lay out the scene: this feels like a bowling alley/Denny's turned into a karaoke dance club. It's completely packed, and arrive early to get on the list (with a DJ who's pretty sure he's an immortal being). Â The dance floor is full of girls dancing, the tables are full of people of all ages (and in particular this seems to be a local favorite for heading to after weddings or parties close shop), and the upper area is full of vulturous guys circling the dance floor to swoop up the injured or sick girls who separate from the pack.
Overall (as long as you're ok with nothing being fancy) it's a pretty fun experience. Â Interesting mix of songs, but the dance floor stays pretty full and it's a good place to sing along.
I went to Rock It Grill with the GF for our regular hour with a group of over 60 people. Â Rock It Grill is a "dive-ish" bar and grill on King St in Old Town about a 1/3 of a mile from King St. Metro. Â We'd been here several times in the past (also with large groups), so we had a very good idea of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the place.
First, the Good... Â Karaoke. Â You either love it or you hate it. Â There's no in-between. Â Whether it's an ethnic pre-disposition or just my inner rock star trying to get out, I love karaoke. Â As a bar that does karaoke, Rock It Grill is a fun time on karaoke nights. Â The DJs do a good job keeping the karaoke moving and playing danceable music during the set breaks. Â The whole evening is an entertaining hot mess!
Second, the Bad... Â Service. Â On this Friday night, the service was atrocious! Â Blame should go all around for this fiasco. Â Our server was overwhelmed, but I got the impression she would've been overwhelmed by a group of 6, let alone our group. Â She was not good a multi-tasking and seemed flustered the entire night. Â In her defense, her section was too large to be covered by just her and since the management didn't see fit to put more than 3 people on the floor to cover the entire room not seated at the bar (bartenders outnumbered servers 4 to 3), everyone other than those at the bar were likely getting very slow service.
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Third, the Ugly.... Â The food. Â Look, I wasn't expecting The French Laundry here. Â The Rock It Grill is what it is, a neighborhood dive bar and grill, like many I've experienced before. Â That said, no self-respecting bar and grill should slaughter the basics like the Rock It Grill did. Â If you serve fried food (and what place like this one doesn't?), then you need to heat the oil in the deep fryer to the appropriate temperature. Â Unfortunately, they didn't. Â Everything...our fries and jalapeno poppers came out soggy and greasy...YUCK! Â The GF and I split a blackened grill chicken sandwich. Â The bread was smothered with mayonnaise and the smallish chicken breast was coated in way over-salted spice coating which was light on spice except salt. Â All told, the food was poorly executed and not good. Â Sadly, this is more their norm than one off night. Â
So...if you love karaoke and you're in Old Town, then Rock It Grill is the place to go. Â However, do NOT come here for the food.
ehhhh..................
Not sure what to say about this place. Â I've only been once, and don't have much a desire to return. Â The crowd here is.... odd...
Went here on a "date" (wasn't really a date since I had just met the guy on the metro, haha what he was hot....) and it was cold out so this was the first place we came across on King St.
There were people in here ranging from early 20s to early 100's it seemed. Â And it's a kareoke bar so of course no one could sing, except for the dj guy arranging the songs who would get all into it.
My thought it is you have a dress and boobs, you will get hit on here. Â My best advice is if you're going to go here, get a big group of friends and make a night out of it.
Fun times! I didn't even know this place existed and to be honest Old Town is usually pretty boring, so if you find yourself wandering the streets looking for something to do, then try out Rock It Grill . We randomly happened upon Rock It Grill while on a bachelorette crawl and we had a great time. The DJ played upbeat and popular music and there was plenty of room to dance.
We ended up staying here until closing time. Granted, it's not the most classy joint on earth but if you are simply looking for a fun night out without crazy expectations and just plan to drink a lot and let go, then this place will definitely work for you.
They also have karaoke on certain nights. It's tough to get a table but I do love that you can sing karaoke, play pool and/or dance all in one venue. If you don't take yourself too seriously here, you will have fun!
When coming to places such as rocket grill, you go in with the mindset that some real bad decision-making is going to take place tonight.
It's your typical dive bar spiced up with a little karaoke stage and crammed to capacity like it's fellow DC establishments to the north.
A few things to watch out for:
Lots of groping and dry humping. (This happens in DC bars too, not just here.)
Long waits for drinks. (Another DC bar scene past time.)
Drinks that you've never consumed being added to your tab. (Can't say this has never happened to me anywhere else either.)
And an 85% likelihood that you're going to wake up in the morning next to someone who wears cowboy boots in the summer who's from Arkansas.
Yes, all of the things I've listed here can happen to you anywhere. But when 3 out of the 4 things I've listed consistently occur on every visit....I think it's about time for a change of scenery.
I find there are very few people in the world who share the intensity of my love for karaoke. It is a love that dare not speak its name.
That said, Rock It, a joint that has karaoke every day of the year, holds a special place in my heart.
Being 100 percent objective, Rock It is not without its faults. If you sit at a table on a crowded night (read: Thursday, Friday or Saturday), you're going to have to wait a loooooong time for their overworked servers to bring you your drink.
Additionally, my experience has ALWAYS been that their two toilets in the women's room are far less than adequate. Karaoke is an alcohol-infused activity anyway, and two toilets just don't cut it for the amount of booze they're pouring down people's throats over there. And by the end of the night, someone has always puked and clogged a toilet, making the waiting-for-my-pee-turn line nearly INTOLERABLE.
However, the bar is definitely a "locals only" kind of place, with very non-douchey, non-typical D.C. people. The environment is about as relaxed as they come, and the karaoke usually runs right on time without any problems. The food is decently priced and deep-fried.
So, in the end, I'm willing to forgive the slow service and the bathroom situation for good people and good karaoke.
As a great man once said, "I drink only to make my friends seem interesting."
Don't get me wrong. I have infinitely interesting friends. But my interests flicker and ebb and wave, I kneel at the temple of ADHD. So, when it comes to Old Town, Rockit's now my second/first choice for going out to get housed. I am not a bar girl. I just can't sit down and get drunk with nothing to do but talk to people. A bar can't hold me. I need to dance. I don't care if it's to Britney. I just can't sit there--but if I do, I will make your friend cry/the bartender poison us/some guy decide not to buy us drinks because if I'm forced to sit there I turn mean as cat piss.
So, Rockit is close. My friends are really good at karaoke. The people are trashy, but fuck it, when in Rome, right? I sang Pat Benetar last night, I gave Rockit my karaoke V, the DJ Joey was so cool she urged me to come on stage even though I refused at first. It was liberating.
Do you want to find a boyfriend? Do you want to get treated like a lady? Do you want to drink out of clean glasses? How does a one-mirrored ladies' room sound to you? Don't go here.
I yearn to be one of those people who can sit and chat for hours in good company, maybe only drinking two glasses of wine, definitely not smoking. Not shaking my knee furiously under the table secretly wishing I were at home playing Ms. Pac Man.
Psyche. I'd rather die than be a walking, talking snore.
As I've never been to a karaoke place I didn't really know what to expect. Are you telling me that all karaoke joints don't have terrible singers, crowded bars, a cougar on the prowl for some chocolate and hilariously drunk half-naked girls? They even serve cider. If this is wrong I don't know what can make it right.
After two circles of the bar I realized that there was no way I could cut through the 400lb dudes to get to the bartender, who just would not make eye contact with me. Thankfully, the waitress (not the angry one who thought she was a roller derby chick) swooped in to save the day and was super polite and quick.
I could do without the DJ/dance break. If people get bored then the DJ should skip to people with better songs or regulars who you know can bring down the house but don't waste our time with songs we can hear on the radio. Â This way, I won't miss Juliana and her glorious voice and we won't have to split our Yelp group into two opposing factions.
It could have been the company (and the shots I bought) but I had a fun time. I have to agree with Derryk in his assessment of The Cowboy. He was my favorite but the bootleg Backstreet Boys were hilarious. It's all about the attitude people! Just get up there and act like you know what you're doing or act a fool trying.
Living in Alexandria, I've always heard that this place was fun. Â Not so much! Â It was way too crowded for a tiny place, drunk little girls falling all over the place..* I swear I would have punched that girl in the black dress if she spilled her beer on me!* Â Service was way too slow, but at least the beers were cheap, as they should be. Â I stayed for awhile waiting for Celia to sing her "Waterfalls" but bounced before she was up. Â Boo!
Old Town is not a happenin' spot for bars so I shouldve expected this =) At least I got to meet a bunch of Yelpers that made the evening much better!
So our intrepid PIG yelpers decided this was a suitable venue to get our karaoke fix after having been disappointed by Flying Fish Cafe. Â The facility has a 20x20 foot area with a stage next to the entrance. Â The bar is on the far side and a billiard area is in the back. Â To their credit, their song selection was quite extensive and contemporary. Â However, their management of the people queuing up for the karaoke was epic fail. Â Not only did they let more people sign up than there was allotted time, but they also exacerbated the situation with musical breaks that further reduced the amount of time people could get up and sing.
The place was quite packed when we got there and a few of us managed to grab a prime seating location from which to observe the antics. Â I witnessed a couple of girls literally drop drunk at my feet, a fight and the most inane and obtuse attempts at pick-up. Â At least the bartenders liked me, because I got my drinks pretty quick. Â But I found that a poor consolation.
This place is reminiscent of some fraternity parties that I used to frequent in college. Â Frankly, I really don't care to dip back in the shallow end of the social pool.
Now, I've only been a douchebag for a couple of years, but that doesn't mean I can't tell great douching grounds when I see them. Â
When my boys and I rolled out that night we knew we needed two things: a drink in one hand and a girl named Tina in the other. Â Finding the first requisite for an awesome night was easy. Â People just leave their drinks on tables and walk away. Â Can you believe that? Â It's like I'm saying "Beer me" and they gone done it. Â Snatchin' that shit up. Â Now, getting me a little girlie named Tina always proves to be a challenge of patience. Â Like needing crack but having to wait for my unemployment check. Â After 4 hours of grooving to dated music in the corner of the bar I was getting kind of discouraged. Â Ain't gonna lie, my game is good, but if there's no court I can't play, know what I'm sayin?
I was about to put on my sunglasses and bounce when I spotted this table of asians and 1 fine lookin Tina-momma. Â My brain cell was firing up, "get dat dawg, get it". Â And I done gone to get it. Â Charming a lady, like my fathers always told me, requires the perfect balance of intrusion, exclusion, and one-liners. Â Especially if there are too many people watching her glass. Â Intrusion: I saddled up like usual. Â A casual bump to prompt the neurons in her brain into notifying her of my clandestine arrival. Exclusion: I stand still 2-3 inches behind her and wait for my musk to overwhelm her olfactory senses. Â Once she has stopped having a good time, I queue up a series of eloquent prose borrowed from my favorite sitcoms. Â Clear the throat:
"girl, i've been waiting for you all night"
No response. Â She must be thinking it over.
"GIRL, i've been waiting for YOU all night."
Still nothing, she must be stunned by my poetic meter.
"GIRL, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU ALL NIGHT"
Needless to say, I would have got with that chick. Â But word spreads fast and the cops came and busted me for being so fresh and so clean with the ladies. Â Damn, it's hard being a player in Old Town, but this place is my jam.
I waited for three hours to sing only for the a-hole dj to get up right before me and say they were done for the night.
Someone needs to learn about closing the list as to not get up people's hopes.
Oh, and they also played a 30 minute "dance set" right before I missed my singing. Â I would be ecstatic if this place went out of business tomorrow.
I will never ever ever ever EVER go to this place ever again.
1.50 stars. Â If your idea of a good time is watching paradigm-shifting obesity jiggling in a manner attempting to convey eroticism while drunken crooners scream and shout relentlessly into a microphone, you might enjoy this place. Â
...
After another night at the illustrious PX, we decided to venture further along the brick lined streets of Old Town to this unbecoming shack. Â We were immediately greeted by the doorman ("What up bro?") who proceeded to engage in an obsessive-compulsive pattern of gazing at my passport and blankly looking at my face. Â After that uncomfortable moment, we moved to the front of the bar to grab some drinks.
Some girl in an unfortunate bright orange dress with a black necklace - appearing quite like a gutted Halloween pumpkin - gyrated orgasmically while she attempted to keep up with karaoke lyrics. Â A small group of individuals performed their pre-mating dances at the front of the bar, and I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry regarding their future propagation of the species. Â I expected this to be a divey karaoke bar, but I hadn't seen a trainwreck of these epic proportions since I had a year of my twenties vaporized during an elongated stay in Amarillo, Texas. Â
We tried the Rock-it-Ale which turned out to be a piss poor decision on our part. Â About halfway through the drink, we engaged in a drinking contest ostensibly for competition purposes, but really because it was the best manner to mitigate the taste of the insipid beer and focus more on the slight buzz associated with drinking it. Â In short, we followed the pattern that clearly was used by the majority of patrons here. Â
I can't say enough about the dance floor. Â The crowd would likely proffer the defense that they have no inhibitions, but really they had no class either. Â Although that can be bothersome, I have to admit that I was mesmerized by their actions. Â As an outside observer, I made crass observations of how this particular subset of the population lives, interacts, and has fun, and I garnered that this bar simply isn't my crowd. Â
If you are looking for a generic night of drinking and debauchery with sketchy looking dudes and trampy looking women, this might be your scene. Â Â This is McFaddens light with an uglier crowd and karaoke.
It must be embedded into my DNA or something; but only I can walk into some random grill pub for dinner and have it randomly turn out to be one of the most popular karaoke bars in a city. Â I promise I didn't Yelp Rock It Grill. Â I didn't even know it was open. Â This place even looks shut from the outside as you walk down King Street (dark shutters to protect the identity of die-hard karaoke fans/singers?).
But the name is fitting. Â They definitely rock it at this grill. Â Or, maybe more accurately, country it.
With some of Alexandria's weird obsession with shutting down early to be classy, I do have to admit the idea of 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. karaoke appealed to me. Â Especially since this was possibly the best organized karaoke bar I've ever seen. Â A large screen faces out into the crowd (scrolling the name of the next singer), the stage is well positioned, and the performers were surprisingly good. Â But I refrained and was back at my hotel in time for a good night's sleep for work. Â But, my, my, my, I was teetering on the edge.
The one thing I can say about Rock It Grill was that for the first time since I landed, I realized that Alexandria is, in fact, in Virginia and by continuation of that logic, the south. Â There's a definitive southern vibe that bleeds through even the pre-karaoke mix of top 40 hits. Â From a collection of country and southern rock being sung from the stage to the general pace and familiarity of the bar patrons (not to mention a drawl or attire) I felt transported further down I-95. Â There's definitely a collection of suburban D.C. douchebags (singing karaoke staples) but there's also waitresses straight out of a movie about "real" Virginia grooving along to the country hits.
There was ample seating when I came here on a Wednesday night - though the karaoke list was quite full - but I can imagine it's a madhouse on the weekends. Â Which is scary because the service was pretty slow.
The food here is barely worth mentioning it's so average so I would avoid this place like the buzz of a swarm of tone deaf locusts during the day. Â But who goes to a karaoke restaurant for food anyhow? Â It's all about the five hours of magic each night.
Rock It Grill is not the place for the faint of heart. Â It is THE Â place for those of with a strong desire to sing "La Isla Bonita" to a roomful of strangers. Â I've been there a number of times (as I live around the corner) that I'm well on my way to being a townie. Â I've noticed a pattern with the crowd. Â Weeknights are for the people who "coulda been a contender" with, dare I say, dreams bigger than their talents. Â I find these people are the most supportive audience members. Â Weekends nights are filled with groups celebrating birthdays, upcoming nuptials and the occasional divorce party. Â Groups can reserve space up close to the stage if they call ahead. Don't expect to hog the stage, because it gets crowded.
Karaoke is so polemic. Â You either love the randomness it inspires or you hate it with every fiber of your being. Â The Rock It Grill is a great place to satisfy the inner rock star. Â If that's not your thing - there are plenty of more aesthetically pleasing joints on King to patronize.
I kind of hate this place and love it at the same time. After a delicious artery-clogging dinner at Eamon's, my friend and I wandered the quaint, posh streets of Alexandria, trying to find somewhere to watch Gtown play Pitt (that's all I'm going to say about it...I don't want to talk about that trainwreck of a game). Glimpsing TVs through the mysterious blinds, we eventually made our way to Rock It Grill.
It was like this unbelievable cliche. There actually were two crazy old drunk guys sitting at the corner of the bar next to a chainsmoking woman and her beau. The entire group leaned over and warily eyed my friend and I when we sat down, with the exception of old guy #1 who was kind of leering. I was having a sober night so I ordered a diet coke. My friend, a beerlover, got herself a Sam Adams Winter Ale. They seem to have a good selection on tap, and the bartenders are very nice young ladies.
The game started around 9pm and at 9:15pm I became aware of this insistent sound in the background: "Mike check. Mike check. Check check." My heart sank as I turned around. Middle-aged, moustachiod guy in a Nebraska sweatshirt holding a mike.
Karaoke.
"Don't worry," said my friend, "The NCAA is really big. I'm sure most people will be watching the game."
Actually, no. Most people were really there for the karaoke. We were the only two in the bar who were a) kind of sober and b) who gave a gosh darn about the game.
Many of my friends would describe me as tightly-wound, kind of pretentious and on the Euro side. This bar is a Miller Lite kind of place. Fat sweaty dudes in baseball caps kept drifting over and trying to make small-talk with my friend and me, who were, by that point, alternately staring with horrified expressions at the television and screaming uselessly at the Hoyas lumber around like so many geriatric elephants. We really didn't want to talk. But apparently, people are very, very nice. They kept trying to comfort us saying "At least you guys are in the tournament!" I don't care. We lost to Pitt. Go away.
On another note, have you ever tried to concentrate on anything with karaoke going on in the background? It's slightly less difficult than having a bullhorn going off in your ear while trying to read and understand the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.
So why the high rating? Because this place is freaking hilarious and weirdly diverse. Aging women with impossibly large hairdos, pre-pubescent clothing (both in style and sizing) and a crotch-radar on their buttocks. Black goths (as in, African Americans who happen to follow the gothic/metal lifestyle). Guys with Nascar hats. Old guys cruising for tender young female flesh. And, of course, some incredibly bad karaoke. The only thing that sucked was the indoor smoking. I'm totally coming back, just to judge people because I am SUCH a bitch.
Also, I saw a guy there who looks like Jude Law.
I was surprised by the quality of the food here. Â Their wings are pretty good and they have some kind of $0.30 wing deal on certain weekdays. Â I also had the bacon cheeseburger with provolone. The ingredients are fresh, they cook the burger to your specifications and it's not too greasy. Â What I really enjoyed were their french fries. Â There seemed to be a slight hint of pumpkin spice flavor to them. Â It makes me wonder if they add season specific flavoring to their fries. Â I'll have to come back in January and taste them again! Â Â
It gets pretty crowded on a Friday night as you get close to Karaoke time (starts at 9:30pm). Â This place appears to be where the Alexandria late night scene is, because it gets rowdier as the night rolls on. Â
There are a lot of TVs set up around the place, so I wouldn't mind going back to watch some football here on a Saturday or Sunday. Â I just wouldn't want to watch the games after 9:30pm, because the Karaoke scene takes over.
I have been kicked out of this place at least 3 times. Â One time the DJ stopped me mid-way through Careless Whispers, and said I had ruined a great song. Â
Everybody really gets their rock on at this place, and when you're singing, they'll let you know how they feel. Â I have never had more fun being hated in all my life.
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