On a day trip to Ventura today, we were wandering around and found that one place we had intended to eat was closed, so we wandered some more.
We got to Rookees, saw the menu and decided to have lunch. Evidently they had redone the menu recently and we could see some great choices.
We received friendly service, two great hamburgers, iced teas and desserts.
Jasmine our server was very helpful with descriptions of the menu items, which we thought were very reasonably priced.
$10 for a huge Texas barbecue burger, with sweet potato fries which are cut in lengthy strips and extremely flavorful and same price for a mushroom swiss burger and a great fresh salad on the side (instead of fries or onion rings, as I had seen the Rookee Cookie dessert on the menu and had this on my wish list)
Salad was fresh and included red peppers which I love.
Burger was cooked to a perfect medium, and our buns were very fresh and appealing: like a potato bun and really light.
The chocolate cake with ice cream was just big enough and delicious. Â I loved the Rookee cookie which is like a cupcake shaped cookie baked with moist innards covered with ice cream.
We enjoyed the atmosphere which is sporty but also tables are spaced well enough apart that you are not crowded in.
Spacious, clean, friendly and great food. Â My tough-reviewer boyfriend gave this a solid 4 which is almost Olympic gold if you knew his style.
Rookees well done!!
I'm done with this place it is no longer a sports bar it is a getto hip hop club. Â Was there for game 7 of the NBA Finals and couldn't get a drink because there was only 1 bartender working, what moron has 1 bartender working on Game 7. Â Gave it one last chance for game 6 of NHL Finals and they are closed, I guess they realized they don't know anything about sports and gave up.
Review Source:Been here a couple of times for to watch games and fights. The only reason I gave this place two stars is for it's amount of TV's and décor, and the location. The service is horrid, the food is so-so, depending on what you order, and the weekends are a joke. The management and staff in this place is apparently confused as to what a sports bar is. They treat this place like it's on Sunset Blvd. with a cover charge, dress code, and overly aggressive bouncers. We went with a group from work and one of the guys was messing around with another co-worker and put him in a slight headlock, nothing aggressive, just horseplay, and the bouncers went bezerk and bounced them out! Another time,  we went for a late baseball game, wearing sports regalia and my fiance wearing a baseball cap, and the bouncers wouldn't allow us entry unless we handed over the baseball cap (thank the lord he was wearing a collared shirt, or that would've been an issue too). Reluctantly, we did, just so we could watch the game. I mean, what kind of SPORTS BAR doesn't allow baseball caps?! It took us forever to get service and the check, so by the time we left we forgot to grab the hat on the way out. We called the next day and were given the runaround and told to call back when "the keyholder to the safe" was there. Still nothing...next day, the same. Needless to say, we never recovered his brand-new baseball cap that he should've been able to wear at a SPORTS BAR! Make up your mind Rookees management! Are you a lounge, exclusive club, or a sports bar? Recently saw a sign for new management and I hope they can pull it together. This place has potential, just needs to get back to basics. I would've loved for this to be our place to go watch games, but they certainly don't cater to sports fans and the whole staff are stuck-up and/or meatheads with something to prove and think they're pro MMA fighters.
Review Source:I have only been here once (Saturday around 4:30) and I like how opened this place is. They have several TVs and seating, and one giant bar.
The manager ended up changing the channel for us. We were able to watch the Dodger game and the Kings game at the same time. Â I love going to bars where everyone is very friendly, all watching the game, being supportive!
As for the drinks are too bad in pricing, about average.
It was a friend of mine, his birthday, and the waitress was nice enough to give him a birthday candle in his tower of wings! It was pretty awesome!
A few months ago Rookies underwent a new menu and a new chef and staff. A few months ago i stopped eating there. It is pathetic. Service is close to the quality of the food. Id be surprised if Rookies is still in business a year from now if they dont turn things back around.
To clarify: The Wahoo tacos are nearly unedible. Feels like chewing on rubber. The beans are Bush's baked beans, the rice is Amarillo Tex mex sweet rice. Awful. The nachos have no cheese, meet is cold and sticky, and the toppings are stale. Dont even try the clam chowder. Every spoonful drips with melted cheese, its an artery clogger that doesnt resemble a clam chowder in the least. We complained to the waitress and she seemed to agree  with our complaints. Went to the manager and told him out complaints and he didnt even come over to us to ask us about our experience. Seems to me Rookies has given up.
What a shame. Â I so wanted a great sports bar in Ventura and this place had sooo much potential. What do the owners' think? The service is horrendous!! They ignore customers and have terrible attitude of arrogance. Â REALLY? Â The bartender seemed to be bothered by my trying to order a drink. Â No hello, no thank you, making sure to break my $5 change into dollars to give him a tip. Â For the last 2 years, same-o same-o. Â They have this one waitress from day one who is brainless and definitely not a looker, so don't know why she's still there. Â We've had our meals comped twice becaue the same server was so incredibly bad. Â Yeah, I know, stupid me for going back, but the sports viewing is good. Â And I'm an optimist, maybe next time Ill get good service. Â I'm just excited that more and more, Ventura is getting new venues to watch sports.
Review Source:It was appx 3pm on a breezy saturday afternoon (read: perfect Ventura weekend), and the ladies and I were wandering around main street...starving. Â Not wanting anything too particular- we made are way in to Rookee's. Â That may seem like a horrible way to start a review, "not wanting anything too particular", but I think that's what I liked most about this place. Â Or maybe it was the wide variety of beers on tap.... No...it was the super fast service. Â No..it was definitely the three million tv's, perfect for any sporting event. Â NO! It was my perfectly poured guinness (I'm a sucker for the booze..)
I just don't know. The food was good. It wasn't the best food I've ever had. But they had a wide variety with hearty portions- think bar foods for appetizers and pastas, soups, salads, sammies, seafoods, phew...anything else....for the rest of the menu.
I'd definitely go back to watch a game or two... SO.MANY.TV'S.
Stopped by yesterday for lunch at about 11 o'clock. Â The place was less than half full but it seemed to take about 5 minutes for the hostess to get us seated (with no one ahead of us).
Our waitresses personality and friendliness slightly made up for the terrible service . Â Drinks weren't brought out together at all. Â We had one mixed drink and it didn't arrive until at least 10 minutes after everyone else had already received their drinks and food orders taken. Â The waitress was great about food selections and enthusiastic about the quality of food and flavor of the place which was a good plus. Â The place started filling up after our orders had been taken because of the lunch crowd from the street fair. Â Unfortunately, the salad I ordered without onions, came with onions on it but they were so finely chopped (and the lighting is so dark) that I didn't realize that it was covered in onions until I had already started eating it. Â I'm not allergic, so I didn't mention anything to our waitress about it. Â But it took awhile to finally get to eat because I requested a different dressing for the salad and it wasn't broughten out to me until the rest of our table had finished half of their meals. Â The salad was okay. Â The mixed drink was okay. Â Our waitress was super friendly and fun so the bad service had to have been something beyond her.
I would come back here again if someone I was with really wanted it, but I don't think I would suggest coming here to anyone.
I like this place! They have a good happy hour and great food - I love their pot stickers!
Can get crowded but not too bad for the times I been there. I went last month on a Friday and they have a DJ who plays songs by request. Â Can't say it's a place to dance the night away, but ok to check out get a good buzz and then go to Fiore or Bombay for dancing
For a sports bar, I'd have to say this place is great with the ample amount of large flat screens.
Cant comment on to much, only was here for drinks, and drinks were had. This review is sadly months overdue, but still stands true nonetheless.
Jager girls were in the house this night as well, probably why I added an additional star, extremely entertaining and fun ladies.
While camping up the road at Hobson, we decided to go into town for lunch and the market. Using Yelp, cruising through Downtown Ventura, we decided on Rookees.
This place has a large bar counter, plenty of booths and tables. There are plenty of TV's and even in the restroom. There is a Jukebox type player towards the front to play your favorite songs while there. There is a single dart board placed next to the front window, but I guess that is the safest place in this bar.
This day we had the nicest bartender as she treated us like regulars, talking to us, answering questions, and telling stories which made our first time here comforting. The bar food was bar food and didn't expect anything more. So, as I have read some of the reviews, I wondered what people expected? This place shows 'Sports' on the TV's. This place serves drinks as a bar should. This place is not a 'Restaurant', so only expect 'Bar food'. Just don't get it. All I can say is, I had a good time.
I came here at 12:15 am and was asked to pay a ten dollar cover charge. When I explained that I was meeting friends inside they did not care so I left with my five Friends to bombays (no cover charge for the door). They lost well over one hundred dollars in business over a ten dollar cover charge.
Review Source:Manager at this place is a real a$$hole. Talks about restaurant in "I" form as if he was the owner. You ask him a simple thing and he will respond "I don't do that here". What do you mean, you? Ha! I wish the owner knew how rude this jerk was to his customers. The food was good but unfortunately I will not set foot in this place ever again because I refuse to pay for substandard service.
Review Source:It's ehhh...
But...
They serve food in Metal Tin Pails... YES!! If you ever wanted to eat wings or nachos out of a bucket... This is the spot!! If I haven't won you over... They've got mad TV's and beer in pitchers.
Great spot to go after some surf to catch the games... What is a Rookee? I only know Rookie. It does seem like a night club that doubles as a sports bar by day.. IDK
Perhaps the best sports bar I've ever been to!
Not only wonderfully decorated and arrange for sports in an upscale atmosphere...lots of TV's so you don't miss any of your favorite teams. Â The best part -- each TV has a number on it. Â When you sit at the table of your choice, a speaker with a channel indicator, along with a volume control, with a simple turn of the knob matches the number on the TV and voila! Â Sound of your favorite game just for your table. Â This technology is crazy good because you can't hear the sound of the table next to you!
The food is upscale bar food, plentiful, and lots of specials offered.
At night, the place turns into a club - with dancing and dj's. Â Totally different thing!
Went in last night for my first time and wasn't too impressed. It was my cousin's birthday and we had a large group, about 10-12 people. (Due to unavoidable circumstances I showed up about 30 minutes late, after everyone already ordered.) I sat down at the table, waited about 20 minutes, and still no one came to offer me a menu or drink. Most of the people at our table needed refills so I figured I would order my drink at the bar to save myself an extended wait. I was served a Stella by the bartender before the waitress even noticed I joined the group. I understand large groups are hard to satisfy sometimes- but it was a Tuesday and there was hardly anyone there!
I ordered the buffalo wings and they were decent, a little on the spicy side but that's how I like them. Everyone at my table was satisfied with their food (the burger was huge and I was told the ribs were really good.) One busser ran all of the food by himself, as the waitress was hard to locate during the entire visit. He kept forgetting to bring things, like lemons for the fish and he gave us a completely blank stare when we asked for malt vinegar. Really?
Overall, the place would be good to watch a sports game and nibble on some bar food. If the service was slightly more attentive it would be good for large groups of people, as there are plenty of large tables and TVs. I will only be returning if my family suggests we have another outing there....or to stop in, have a quick beer, and check the highlights of a game.
OH MAN! This place was awful! Â It was a nice night out, lovely weather. You walk into Rookees and it is 100 degrees! That is not the worst part... The DJ was ATROCIOUS!!!! Â Feed back and silent moments are NOT supposed to happen! When the DJ had music playing it was ear bleedingly LOUD! Couldn't hear my friends and when the waiter came to our table he had NO damn clue what I was ordering. Â Expensive weak drinks at that!
We SUCKED down those drinks and RAN for the hills! Â Don't waste your time!
Oh and who ever said that it was too bright and the dance floor was an afterthought was RIGHT ON!
This place is neither a "lounge" or a "sports bar." This place is a cluster fuck and I HATE IT!
 From the outside it seems to be a small type joint with maybe a few pool tables and televisions. So. Wrong. This establishment is a veritable breeding ground for all things "bro" and "bro" related.
 Popped collars, fake tans and the pungent waft of s.t.d's just urging to be transmitted abound. Amidst this all,  find myself so extraordinarily out of place.
 Folks, if you respect your mother, stay away from this place. Not just because this is like a modern day Soddom and Gomorrah personified in downtown Ventura, but also because you can get the same great beers for a third of the price at Starlight (??? something star-related) lounge but 3 blocks away.
Super obnoxious on weekend nights. The live music is deafening, even from as far away as you can get from the stage. Bartenders are hit or miss. Some can mix a good drink, others...well...
I know being a DD isn't a free pass, but it always rubs me the wrong way when a bartender charges that person. Â Our DDs were going to be charged for their drinks until another more experienced bartender (I could tell by the way he knew how to make drinks and speak with customers) stepped in and let them go without paying.
They have a good selection of beer, along with a good selection of mix drinks. When I went the atmosphere was good, i went with some of my cousins for my bday! The place did not feel fake, it was chill, it reminded me a little of my days in college!
Good place to hang out and grab a couple a drinks with friends on a Saturday night! I would give it 3.5 stars, it's a little more than OK!
WTF? It was UFC 111 tonight and I motored up to Ventura to watch with my son. We paid our $10 cover and got a table right in front of the big screen, which was good because I forgot my glasses at home. The only problem was that the only other (smaller) screen in the immediate vicinity didn't have the fights on. EVERY screen in the place--and there must be close to a dozen--had the fights on. Why was that one lonely screen tuned to WOMEN'S basketball? It wasn't even a good game. Stanford was kicking Georgia's A@@. WTF?
As a result, my son had to watch the fight on a small screen quite a distance away, since his back was to the giant screen. Good thing he has excellent vision. Other people were complaining, but nothing was done about it. Stupid. I think if you're charging a cover for folks to get in to watch the fights, every TV should be showing the FIGHTS.
I'm knocking off a star and I think we will explore other viewing options for UFC 112.
I went to see UFC 109 with some friends, and while the food and service get about a 3, the problem was with the atmosphere and quality of it being a sports bar.
The problem that I really had was that smoke from the people smoking outside was pouring into where we were eating and watching the fight and it made me pretty sick to my stomach.
Another problem I had was that they apparently are too cheap to get the HD version of the UFC PPV. I wouldn't have much of a problem with that if they either had non-HD TVs, or set their HD TVs to the proper ratio of 4:3 so that the picture wouldn't look like crap. It didn't help that they did show the prelims (non PPV, on Spike) in HD with a great picture.
Going here for a non PPV event would be fine, but any PPV events I would stay away.
I don't want to sound like I'm completely negative though because the food is good and if you go on happy hour (M-F 4-7) the prices are solid for the amount of food you get.
That said though, I will be looking elsewhere for my UFC 110 fix later this month.
A few weekends back this place was wack - yes, I know it's a sports' bar, but there was a huge group of people solely sitting around the dance floor foot tapping and everything but no dancing due to the fact that "the game" err wait no "the match" was on every TV screen and the place was so lit up there was no atmosphere to actually start moving and grooving. Disappointment!!
And then, to replace the disappointment that weekend, I had a fantastic time here with my sister who came up from San Diego two weekends ago. Unfortunately, the place closed way early for my dancing feet and we dragged the boys we met to Bombay where the partying continued. But thank you Rookees for some great introductions! They had quite the moves!!
On New Years, I showed up with a gaggle of girls and wore a lampshade on my head. Â It was only after arriving at Star Lounge did I realize my wallet was missing. Â I returned to Rookies and approached the bouncer. He let me in without I.D. and said, "I recognize that lampshade."
I'm happy to announce the wallet was found and nothing was missing!
I was also here for the college bowl, and my only company was a Law book and a cool beer. Â During the 1st quarter, I was adopted by a nearby-group of 'Bama fans. Nice peeps here, I tell ya.
And then, when I had to use the restroom, I was pretty dang excited to hear the game from inside the stall! Â
Other things:
The food is OK, nothing I'd jizz in my pants over. Â I couldn't tell you about how good or bad the beer selection is, but I can say that it's a glate clowd and a glate prace to watch any game.
This has become quite the popular place in Downtown Ventura! Â And for a good reason. Â They have more than adequate numbers/sizes of TVs positioned at all angles (crucial for a good sports bar). Â Even in the bathroom! Â They have lots of beers on tap and a full bar. Â And they have pretty good food. Â The nachos are solid. Â I'm dying to check out their pulled pork. Â It's a great place to spend an hour or two watching your game of choice (or earning extra girlfriend points in my case). Â Service can be a touch spotty, but you're in Ventura! Â You're in no rush to get anywhere. Â Â
P.S. - If you plan on going during peak football season make sure you get there early. Â We showed up on a Sunday at 12:00PM on the dot and got the last available table.
Happy hour was fun, although the food looked overpriced for what it was so we stuck with drinks alone. Our bartender was attentive, though not very friendly or talkative. MOF, it seemed like she had a hangover, or was sick, or on drugs because she kept snorting and making weird moaning sounds in between drinks.
3$ & 4$ drinks for happy hour, but there is a happy hour list so no "you call its". I had a (greyhound) and it was decent although it would have been nice to get a bloody for the same price.
The interior was really nice and comfortable, alot nicer than I thought it would be.
Rookees was the shiznit!
I was in Ventura for the weekend helping run my gf's mom's store while she was away. Shameless plug---(Gold Lion Gallery..be a man and check it out!). It doesn't take a lot to make me happy, but this place went above and beyond my expectations. There were at least ten 50inch HD plasmas all over the bar showcasing either college football, UFC, and the ALCS championship series. We ordered scotch on the rocks (Glenfiddich aged 15yrs for $7.50). After 3 rounds of scotch, my buddy E and I built up an appetite. So we asked our server if they had any specials going on. Sure enough Rookees came to the rescue. They were offering "All You Can Eat" buffalo wings for $9.99! She had me at "All you can eat!" After a few...dozen plates of wings and a gallon of beer I was completely satisfied.
After my experience at Rookees I decided to go back on Sunday for more eating and drinking. Um, $9.99 "All you can Eat" Ribs! I have nothing more to say.
This review will be Male-Centric.
Stayed in Oxnard (insert Yawn here) and my buddy and I were looking for sports, food and beer.
Found this spot off of Yelp, and hit it. Â Perfect! Â Ocean of plasma screens. Â Showing all, including the Hall of Fame game. Â Perfect.
Nachos were great, with carne asada. Â My buddies burger was perfect according to him. Â My rum and coke was far beyond and above, but maybe because it was a Sunday. Â I could have removed rust from a bumper.
Our waitress.....Sarah....moment of silence and insert music now........was perfect. Â No, seriously, perfect. Â She earned the fifth star by placing her boys on the table while she took our order. Â But beyond that, she really was an amazing waitress! Â Gave great suggestions, was prompt and attentive. Â Love her. Â We tipped accordingly.
Classy sports bar. Â It was upscale, but coming from SF, a $5 hef isn't outrageous. Â The food was good, the beers were standard.
The real positive lay in their TVs. Â Huge HD screens all around, with 2 enormous projection screens bookending the bar. Â We had a booth to one side of the bar, but the screens were big enough to still watch soccer and two different baseball games from the same seat.
The wait-staff was prompt and courteous, and I will definitely stop here in my next trip to Ventura.
One long week of Bachelor-hood! How to end it? Since I had previously not experienced Rookies before, my Boys decided to take me for a Pow-Wow at Rookies.
Walking in you get a club feel with a hostess booth before you enter, and security prowling the breezeway. The bar is to your right and dining to the left. We would have loved to sit in the bar area, but were squeezed into a table due to the place being Packed.
Huge Black and white pictures line the walls with images of various sporting events, and in between  Flat Panel  T.V's. I also noticed several projectors working, projecting huge images on the walls.
The food was good bar food, we had chips and Guacamole, with the Guac tasting fresh. We also had Sliders, Poppers, chicken strips. It was all good, decent bar food. The Drinks were good, and the had a favorite of mine a Capharina- a Brazilian drink made with a liqueur called cacha, and lime.
The big draw was the Band that played. Called Big River, they are a Johnny Cash Cover Band,that were really good- Check them out. The acoustics were excellent, and the lead sounded just like the Man in Black.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprofile.myspace.com%2Findex.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Duser.viewprofile%26amp%3BfriendID%3D124340102">http://www.yelp.com/redi…</a>
So Rookies is no rookie when it comes to being a great sports bar, and a great way to spend my last day of Freedom, um I mean lonely solitude.
Remember that Circut City commercial where the guy is watching a (international, not American) football game on the telly, but is going about his morning routine? You know, the one where he has a TV at every angle in every spot he goes to, walks to, turns to? Yeah, this place is almost like that.
Inside looks pretty swanky with its dim mood lighting and blue neon about the place. Much like the aforementioned commercial, there seems to be hi-def TVs almost everywhere (okay, it's not up to par with Cronie's fame, but they have monitors in the restrooms too). They're one of three places in the area that has the NFL channel, which is why I was there at all.
It seems like a nice place, as it seems to be something of a swanky sports bar with all its fancy fanciments...the bar is pretty big, but on a super packed night, it's close to impossible to get a drink, it seems, and the fanciness of the place seems to attract people of the popped collar, A&F wearing, UGG boots with the pants tucked in donning, The Hills talking about sort (mind you, as well as others, but I retch at the sight of these types of people like a vampire does to garlic). Not my glass of Guiness.
Sure, it's pretty fun watching a football game and see the scruff on each player's face, but if I'm want to watch a game while throwing back a few Cold Ones, I don't really need the bells and whistles.
The food looks good, though, particularly their seasoned fries.
THIS PLACE ROCKS!!! Â Enough TV's to not miss a play EVER- seriously flat screens in the bathrooms?!?!??!?! I wasn't a sports fan till now... great drinks, nice eye candy... AMAZING fish tacos & pizza.. a great happy hour setting.. Â This is definitly the relaxed upscale sports bar that Ventura has been waiting for!
* price range only applies to happy hour prices.. (lol)
Rookees is an upscale-type of sports bar. It's a bit pricier than the typical sports bar, but provides good food, high-backed leather booths, giant plasma screens seemingly everywhere, and my personal favorite - individual portable sound systems so that you can actually hear your sporting event over the roar of multiple games playing. It's easy to spend a small fortune on food & drink, but then again, it's a dark, slick-feeling place with great high definition televisions.
Photos:  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/0y9yvorswgX1m5hIMw1Vmg?select=z37AzJWe_XqSYh7SuCmVZw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
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