As advertised... Great spot to eat. I brought my constant companion- my 2 1/2 year old son- and we had a great dinner. We were seated immediately, very friendly staff, great looking beer list (but I'm pregnant, so the Abita root beer on draft was spot on) and a great menu.  I'd read the reviews on the burgers and was excited to try one... I got the Widespread Diner burger, and while quite messy, it was really tasty. I got the beer battered fries and their jalapeño ranch. Yum, yum. My son got the mini corn dogs and their handcut fries. Very tasty, and came out lightning fast- which is always good when one has a hungry toddler.
We capped the meal with a blueberry cobbler milkshake. Holy cow. That was one tasty milkshake, if a little expensive at $6.
Dinner for both of us was $25... If we're back in Macon again, we're definitely stopping here.
My girlfriend and I had the El Presidente special yesterday paired with a Sweetwater draft. The quaint, time warped decorating and environment fit well with the dim lighting. The organic beef patties had a curiously delicious taste that left me wanting more. I absolutely plan on visiting again, perhaps on a week night and offer to play some acoustic music for them!
Review Source:Went here when passing through town on a Friday night. We had to wait for a little bit, but not long. The place was very loud and very dark. The staff was all very nice and our food came out FAST! We ordered the pimento cheese dip appetizer and it was kind of bland. The homemade chips were pretty good. fries were so so. I love that you can get a shake as a "side." Â Burger was pretty good.
Review Source:This restaurant is fairly good. Â Depends on when you go. Â I like the cheese plate and the appetizers are pretty good.
Sometimes their specials are iffy though. Â Like a spaghetti they had, which they said would be spicy, had no flavor at all. Â So I would stick with their burgers if you go. Â
Their milkshakes are a must though.
Stopped in here my first night in Macon because of all the great reviews. Â This place ROCKS! Â I got there right at shift change about 4:55 p.m. and was very impressed with the service. Â The bar keep who was leaving had memorized the names of the 6 or so people at the bar, and made sure to pass that info along to the new person coming on before leaving. Â Even during this busy transition time, the service was prompt, and the food delivery was smoking fast, I don't think I waiting more than 5 minutes to get my Jerry Reed burger and Battered Fries, but everything tasted extremely fresh and delicious. Â They could do with having a few more brews on tap, but overall a solid selection of local and distributed beer. Â If I travel in the area again, I will definitely give this place another visit!
Review Source:Burgers are great. Â They do lean a bit toward rare at times....so if you like rare, you may want to order a medium. Â My favorite burger is the Ray Charles. Â The sides are tasty. Â The regular fries are typical, the battered fries are tasty. Â I love their onion rings...but my favorite is to get their garlic mash potatoes....truly yummy.
The fried mushrooms are crisp outside, hot and juicy inside. Â Served with a mild horseradish dipping sauce. Â Relative to other dishes, it is a good value at $5. Â
I like that they serve food at the bar area as well. Â So if you are alone, no need in getting a table. Â Just ask for a menu from the very friendly bartenders. Â
The owners are opening an upscale restaurant above the Rookery called Dovetail in late 2012. Â Hopefully, the casual and friendly neighborhood pub feel of the Rookery won't be impacted.
First impression was that this place seems to be a pretty cool joint. My server was very friendly and made a good suggestion when I told her I was looking for a spicy burger (The Jerry Reed). Thanks Mary, it was awesome! The onion rings were the best I've had in a long, long time...seriously. And if all this weren't good enough I had a banana and peanut butter milkshake with a a slice of bacon in it...holy moly that was good! It was called the Jimmy Carter.
I will definitely be back here again!
The Rookery one of my favorite restaurants in Macon. Â Fun atmosphere, great sidewalk dining, good beer selection and delicious food. Â The menu mostly consists of burgers and sandwiches, however their burgers are delicious and they have some very imaginative builds available. Â They also have great specials.
The only thing that keeps this from being a 5 is the pricing... The burgers typically run $9-$12. Â It's worth it, but even then the check always stings a little...
Yum-O! Went with my hubby, kids, and parents while they were visiting from Florida... We all had burgers and agreed that they were pretty darn good, except my hubby said his was a little overcooked. I shared the onion rings and battered fries with the hubby, and both of us agreed the onion rings were a hit, unlike the bland battered fries. Mom loved her coleslaw and we all enjoyed the fried pickle spears (including "picky" child)...
But without a doubt the crowning glory was the white chocolate pecan bread pudding.... all I can say it "OMG!" Soooooo goood! The kids had the Jimmy Carter milkshakes, which unbeknownest to the "picky" one, had a huge slice of bacon in it! Peanut butter milkshake with homemade whip cream and a slice of bacon.... my middle child and I thought that it was delicious... tasting just like our family favorite of pancakes with peanut butter and bacon :)
We will definitely be back, even if only for dessert!
P.S. the service was very attentive an kept our large thirsty parties glasses full :)
I went for drinks, and had the rookery root beer after it was recommended. It was delicious! I met some cool people at the bar, it was a real bar feel where everyone just spoke to each other and joked and laughed and got a long. I was in heaven. They also had my JWr ed....can't go wrong.
Review Source:The food is good, the atmosphere is wonderful and the service is great. Â I've had the Orange Crush Chicken, the Fried Green Tomato BLT, the Grilled Pimento Cheese, the fried pickles, onion rings and fries. Â All were very good, except the Orange Crush Chicken doesn't taste very orange-like. Â The sweet tea is good and they keep it coming.
Review Source:This place has been around as long as I can remember - it was a great hangout/meeting spot while I was in law school & continues to be a neat little spot for a drink or a meal. Â Their menu items have improved over the years, and their beer selection is pretty impressive for a small eatery. Â Outdoor seating is nice for watching the Cherry Street parade of nuts (LOL), and it's partially sheltered so it can be used even when the weather isn't the best. Their battered fries are still their claim to fame, good homey stuff, and their pimento cheese & bacon sandwich is great! Service is always friendly & the jukebox is always playing something interesting and good - keep it up fellas, nice to be able to count on you for a drink and a nosh :)
Review Source:The Rookery is a bar & grill with outside seating available along Cherry St. which my lunch partner & I took advantage of. Â Therefore, I cannot speak on the ambience of the restaurant b/c I actually never stepped foot into the restraunt. Â I can only comment on the food. Â
The turkey-reuben sandwich I ordered was okay. Â The turkey was savory and the sour sauce on it excited my tastebuds. Â The turkey was moist. I liked the texture of the toast; it was soft. Â The sandwich came hot, freshly prepared from the kitchen. Â You get a big sandwich along with garlic fries for $8.50. Â
The waitress attended our table fairly well. Â At times, I thought she was pushing us to hurry up and order while we were going over the menu. Â That caused me to give The Rookery 3 stars instead of 4.
If you've ever been in a restaurant in a city that the two don't match you know how that feels. This is not The Rookery and you're not in Macon. The Rookery feels like it a tire with a tree growing through it. You don't know which came first. Did The Rookery come to Macon or did Macon come to The Rookery?
I've driven across this country twice and have eaten a burger in almost all the states. Not counting the ones passed through heading West (I was vegetarian then). I have been to burger joints that try from every angle to mix, match, and concoct a new, amazing burger. The Elvis
from the Vortex, the Double By-Pass in El Paso, every chili-laden southwester burger at Grindhouse off of Cheshire Bridge, none of them have quenched my burger bloodlust like The Walden at The Rookery.
To be fair, with all the advertising of their free-range chicken, I'm not sure where they get their beef. And to have full disclosure it doesn't always taste well enough to assume it's local, grassfed. But still a very impressive burger.
The atmosphere is comfortable. Don't go in with a bad attitude. It can be cramped and loud, but cozy. A warm light fills the dark, dingy wood with cherry toned nostalgia. You look out over Cherry Street where you don't have to imagine much to feel like it could be the 1940's. Â If you sit outside you get dinner and a show. Skater punks, vagabonds, and vagrants will highlight your evening with a random heartwarming phrase as they pass by or ask for a bite from your plate. If your heart bleeds spare a dime and if you desire to scoff you can do that as well. It's all the same here in Macon.
I truly feel this place is a don't miss. To this point, it earns the extra star as my favorite restaurant in town. It may one day be surpassed, but it will always be the tree in the tire.
Ok, I dig this joint, BUT, for a burger and fries, they're too expensive. Â You're gonna drop nearly twenty bucks for a good burger, the battered fries, a beverage, and tip. Â Hey, I'm a cheap bastard, so these price points matter to me, yknow?
DO NOT GET THE CHEESE BOARD. Â For $7, you get a fancy cutting board (no, you don't get to keep it) with little tiny dabs of various cheeses. Â You get about 5 pieces of tiny toast to smear your tiny servings of cheese onto. Â Was the cheese good? Â Well, heckyeah, it was: the pimento cheese is outta this world. Â Whatever other crumbs they dusted on the board were tasty, too, but damn. Â It wasn't an appetizer, it was a practical joke that cost me seven bucks.
Good value: Â fried mushrooms. Â $5 got us a mess of em, and they were piping hot and delish.
Double battered fries: Â After consulting Yelp reviews, I fell for the $1.50 upgrade, and I'm glad I did. Â (It shouldn't be an upcharge, these things should be the flagship of the store, in my opinion). Â These fries are literally just like my mom used to make. Â Crunchy, fried, greasy goodness.
The burger: Â I got the fried-green-tomato burger, ordered medium rare. Â They did it PERFECTLY. Â (and no, I didn't fall for that $3 buy-the-local-produced-grass-fed hippie crap, either. Â Give me the cheaper mass-produced on a feed-lot and amped-up on antibiotics and growth hormone, plz, I'm on a budget.) Â The burger itself was on a wonderful bun, cooked to perfection, and it tasted outta site.
All of my complaints about this place are centered around poor value for the consumer: Â I spent an extra 30 cents on a small cup of spicey mayo, for cryinoutloud. Â Why nickle and dime us if we're already dropping TWELVE BUCKS for a burger? Â Especially when there's a perfectly healthy and active full bar here to produce what I assume to be the main revenue stream, anyway.
Overall, this place was great, ignoring the Disneyworld pricepoints in favor of the goodness that can be found here.
This place is a pleasant surprise in downtown Macon. Â The inside is very inviting and their is outside seating for when the weather is nice. Â The menu is fairly small which I have found increases the likelihood that the food will be good. Â
The fried mushrooms app was very good and was a large serving of mushrooms (maybe 20 whole mushroom caps). Â It also came out piping hot. Â Our waitress, Rebecca was very pleasant and accommodating. Â The battered fries were a hit with other at the table. Â The Pecan Pie is homemade by the owner's family and was super delicious!
Me and the wife have been volunteering at The Big House in Macon for the last week, and in that time have made it to the Rookery a few times now. Initially we were just looking for a bite to eat when it was enthusiastically suggested to us to check out The Rookery.
The first time we did was for lunch. We walked into the restaurant and were met my a host and server. The server, a young lady, saw my Allman Brothers Shirt and immediately started talking to us about the band before telling the host, "I'm taking them!" She followed us out to our table in front of the restaurant and sat down with us as we continued our conversation. Rianon was super sweet and excited to talk to us about Macon. She told us the down town area used to be not so great, but now the city was putting effort into rebuilding the economy and downtown has become a cool little community of artists and like minded free spirits. When we got down to talking about the beer she definitely was sure in what she was talking about and told me her favorite somewhat local brew was the Terrapin Rye Pale Ale from Athens, GA. Of course I told her to bring me one. When she did she went over the menu for us, making suggestions and informing us that we can substitute and make anything anyway we wanted. I've been in this whole Fried Egg on a Burger kick and opted for the Dr. John Burger, which is just that, only I had to add bacon and cheese. Upon suggestion from the person who sent us to The Rookery, we had the battered fries which were good, but not the orgasmic experience I was expecting after hearing the way I was told, "You NEED to try these!" All in all is what a good experience with GREAT service and good food. I would give that experience 4 stars easily.
A few nights later and through some divine intervention we ended up in a loft in downtown Macon with a few new friends and 4 dogs. We were all getting hungry and again, The Rookery came up. The food is good, and we can bring the dogs and sit outside! Yay! So we made our way the couple blocks over to the restaurant. Upon walking up to the restaurant, 4 dogs in tow, we notice a table open in front of the restaurant and grab it. I HAVE to say with great guilt that I knew this may not have been the right way to get a table. After years of running restaurants and dealing with people I know how frustrating it can be when guests take it upon themselves to find a table. Some of the people we were with knew other people sitting out front and some of the staff, but I can only assume our seating ourselves must have put a hair up someones ass because after sitting there without being acknowledged for 10 minutes we flagged down a server who seemed annoyed by us and said he'd talk to the host. Within a few more minutes the host came out and informed us that after almost 15 minutes of sitting there we'd have to get up and put our name on the list. Again I feel like an ass and realize when your on a long wait and someone barges onto a table it can mess up your system, I've been there. The thing that I really found annoying though wasn't that he made all 4 people and 4 dogs get up, but that before we could even get a beer while we waited, another outside table became available, then another, and another, as the dinner crown began to thin out. We were then sat maybe 2 minutes after we were made to get up. Again I've been in the situation when you're on a wait and someone takes a table. I've even been the ass who has to make people move, but I have never mad people get up to wait when a bunch of tables are paying. Part of the job when you run the floor in a restaurant is to play, what I call, table Tetris and try to fit and move things around to make sure EVERYONE fits. If the host had some foresight he would've realized that no less than 4 tables had paid and were ready to get up therefore letting us stay where we were would not mess him up because there were more tables immediately available. Additionally not all the tables that emptied out were resat showing us that there hadn't been a big wait, as much as the host wanted to win this little battle against the people with the dogs. I'll definitely be back to the Rookery for the Great Burgers and Great Service, however I won't expect much from the door to the table.
If you go, try the Dr. John, The Big "O", or really anything because it all tasted good, and try to be sat in Rianon's section!
the food is always great, and they don't run out of beer either. Â hot honey mustard wings and the cosmic club are my staples. Â my only complaint is when they shutdown the regular business aspect and charge a cover occasionally on the weekend. Â sunday brunch is well spent at the rookery. Â ask for a bloody mary, they're awesome.
Review Source:In a city where chain restaurants match the number of historic buildings, the Rookery is perhaps a 5-star in my book. I believe that the menu is unique and exciting, but maybe that's just because every other restaurant in Macon seems to be a carbon copy of each other. I'll admit, the Jimmy Carter burger caught my eye-- but with peanut butter and applewood smoked bacon, I wouldn't allow my tastebuds the chance to try it. Some things just aren't meant to be on a burger.
Though this may have been a 5 in my Macon mindset, in the broad scheme of things, this place isn't higher than a 3.5. Â Sure, I understand half of the appeal to many of Macon's visitors is the laid-back, slow lifestyle the Southern stereotype offers. But my experience at the Rookery took this to a new extreme-- there's no reason why two other tables should have been able to order after my party, eat, and pay for their meal before the burgers were even placed in front of us.
If you're traveling to Macon, this certainly seemed to be the closest thing to authentic southern food that I could find that has somewhat decent hours  and room for a group. Everyone in my party was perfectly content with their meals (I'd recommend the fried green tomatoes and the seasoned fries) and the service was friendly, albeit the slowness. In a world full of Olive Gardens, the Rookery is the place to find originality.
The Rookery is a comfortable, reasonably priced pub with good food, large portions and exceptional service. My son relies on me to come up with funky places to have his birthday dinner, so when he turned 19 this month, the pressure was on. We chose the Macon area so his grandparents from South Georgia could join us. Our group of eight arrived at 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon so as to avoid a long wait.
Where I-75 and I-16 form an armpit of sorts, it was easy access to this part of town best known for Mercer College. The gothic churches and wide avenues are great, and the Rookery's patio takes advantage of the old city-center style as it juts way out into the action - except on Sunday there wasn't any action, and it really was too cold to sit outside. But we could easily picture what the scene would be like on a busier day. The front of the building could use a facelift, because it was much dowdier than the welcoming interior.
The dark wood and the mellow golden light towards the back where the bar is reminds me of a couple of my favorite Atlanta haunts. There are tiny owls and ravens everywhere (playing up the rookery theme). If you want an intimate booth, there's a loft area and the booths beneath it are also very cozy.
We opened with an order of onion rings, spring rolls, "chips and dips" and two bowls of spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips. All were very good - the dip was so good that my other teenager went from turning her nose up at it to downing most of one bowl by herself. The onion rings were good quality, and the spring rolls (fancied-up eggrolls, really) were the best I've had in quite awhile.
Most of our group got the recommended option Battered Fries with our meal, but they can also be ordered as an appetizer. Among our group's choices were:
Rookery burger
Fish and chips
Dickey Betts burger (part of the Rookery's other theme: Southern rock, particularly the Allman Bros.)
Big "O" burger
8 oz sirloin, asparagus and smashed potatoes
Made to order fried chicken sandwich (more on that in a moment)
No one was willing to try the Jimmy Carter - a burger with Applewood smoked bacon and peanut butter. Go figure, right? Even our server, Vincent, admitted that he has never tried it - just not that brave.
Vincent was the penultimate server, in that he was cheery, went out of his way to remember and use everyone's names, had a quick wit and didn't bat an eye when my wife began to deconstruct a menu item to build it up again exactly the way she wanted it. The Buffalo chicken and Orange Crush chicken sandwiches just weren't speaking to her, so she asked if she could get hers just plain deep fried. He reacted as if that was a perfectly natural request, that it ought to be on the menu anyway, and that he'll make sure that they do and they'll name it after her! He kept our drinks filled, split the check without trouble, and was just a great guy.
Everyone enjoyed themselves, and we now have a noteworthy place to eat when we're in Macon town.
In my previous review from several years ago, I dismissed the Rookery as a dirty dive bar. In the intervening years, management has changed and I've given the establishment a second chance. I've returned for dinner several times, often with friends, and I must say... the burgers are outstanding! The Rookery has been cleaned up and refreshed quite a bit from my college days (well... the men's room is still a little special...) and the food, service, and atmosphere are much better. Props on the improvement!
Review Source:I haven't written a review in forever (sorry Monica) but here it goes... I really like this place. Surprise? Absolutely. The Rookery is advertised as having great burgers and so when my boyfriend and I ended up here because we got to the local Thai place five minutes after they closed, I wasn't expecting much.
I sat down and looked at the menu. My boyfriend was super excited about the burgers and all I could think was that I would rather go home and microwave something... but then I asked if they had vege burgers. OH YES THEY DID!
My boyfriend raved over his burger topped with a fried egg and the deliciousness of my vege burger, coupled with my Grey Goose and cranberry, was only topped by the yummy mashed potatoes. The only thing I have to say, though, is that, while their burgers may be huge, head-sized monsters of goodness, the mashed potatoes came in a pathetic little bowl better used for a side of dressing.
There are rumors that The Rookery turns into quite the fun bar at night (I have my doubts considering it is in downtown Macon) but, as soon as I get the chance to escape a book long enough to find out, I will let you know. So while I can't recommend this place for a place to party on a Saturday night, I can tell you that if it's a good burger that you seek, in The Rookery, a good burger you will find.
This is the place to go if you're looking for a wide selection of unique burgers and want to enjoy a beer. The staff is friendly and the service is quality. The interior feels a little dingy (especially if you venture to the bathroom), but it has character.
The fried appetizers are great for a guilty pleasure. Try the fried pickles and mushrooms, but look elsewhere for good fried green tomatoes.
The daily quiche is a nice choice at lunch, but the portion is kind of small, even with the fruit on the side. I prefer the club sandwich here for lunch.
Finally, I don't know if there is another place in Macon that offers such a crazy selection of burgers. Go for the classic city burger (burger with your choice of cheese) if you aren't feeling adventurous, or take the plunge and try the Jimmy Carter burger (burger with bacon and peanut butter). I have never tried the Jimmy Carter but I have seen more than one person devour it.
Cool local place with good atmosphere.
It seems like the Rookery has just always been a part of downtown Macon. Â The food is okay and there are always folks there. Â Pretty decent beer selection on tap and the burgers are good. Â Don't plan on getting a veggie burger though. Â Hit is during happy hour and get a ton of cheap fried appetizers.
Review Source:I love that I am the first to review this landmark. hahaha.
This place is set in the middle of the downtown nightlife (which maybe 10 bars), and it is the longest running establishment (since 1976). It is smoky, and you probably don't want the lights on.
That being said it is part of a quintessential Macon night. It is packed on Friday with young college students (18and up), but it is open during the early parts of the days too.
We dined and drank...anyone up for a $6 double well?
The battered fries are a must try, and the bartenders will recommend the burgers (which are good).
There are cleaner places with less smoke, but drop a dollar in the jukebox, play an Allman Brothers tune and get drunk...after all what else are you going to do?...you're in Macon!
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