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Rookies All-American Pub & Grill Restaurant Review
Lauren had been waiting a long time since her last hunger for crab legs, and we found out that Saturday nights at Rookies featured an "all-you-can-eat" special on crab legs. The only problem was that the special feature was on weekend night - and you all know how I feel about dining on a weekend. But sometimes you just gotta say what the heck! And what a great decision it was. Rookies has had a make-over since my last visit. The walls now include a lot of dark wood and there are television screens all over the place (there are 28 of them!). If you can't find your favorite team or favorite sport -- just ask! The feel is very comfortable and less like a bar than the last time I was there. Even with all of the TV's, the sports bar thing is not overwhelming. Some new and very efficient smoke-eater ventilation must have been added, because I not once smelled even the slightest hint of smoke -- a major plus! The waitress was polite, professional and timely and provided us with excellent service, giving us plenty of time when we asked for it, yet seemed to know almost exactly when we needed something. A bowl of popcorn was brought to snack on while we looked at the huge menu - if you can't find something to like and order on this menu, there is something very wrong. There are 17 different appetizers, 13 selections of spuds and Tex-Mex items, 9 salad choices, 20 sandwiches, 16 types of burgers, 14 wraps, 19 "Main Event" choices that include 9 from "South of the Border", 10 pizzas, 3 Panzerotti's and 8 side dishes... not to mention the nightly specials. WHEW! A huge children's menu is also available. I am still not a fan of young children in a bar-type atmosphere, but I must admit that Rookies is very family-friendly!
Lauren's choice had already been made; it was to be the crab legs special. I had a difficult time. I struggled a bit because I actually thought about an entree of steak and crab, simply because it was so much food: a 14-oz. New York cut of steak and a half-pound of crab legs. Lauren reminded me that I could always take part of the steak home and have it for breakfast. My arm had been twisted! We also decided to try some jalapeño poppers for an appetizer. These were served very hot and crispy and were excellent. The salads were ample, with fresh and crisp lettuce; my Bleu cheese dressing was a bit watery -- perhaps my only disappointment of the night. Lauren's initial plate of crab came with three huge clusters of legs and a generous helping of slaw. My plate came with a steak -- done exactly as I had ordered it -- topped with crispy onion rings and accompanied by 2 clusters of crab legs. Lauren intermittently sipped on a huge Mai Tai and I chose a pint of beer to accompany a tender steak and some of the best crab I have had. Lauren heartily seconded the motion on the crab. Even if I had helped Lauren with her crab, she would not have been able to finish the generous portion... And keep in mind that it was an all-you-can-eat dinner; the waitress asked several times if she could bring another helping! We both left the restaurant feeling very full and with leftovers. Many times I have claimed that it is not necessarily the "fine dining with white table cloth" establishments that are the only ones capable of earning my highest praise. Atmosphere, quality of service, food quality (including whether or not the food is served hot), value -- these are all things that play into a review and its rating. And so it is in the case of Rookies All-American Pub and Grill: great food, great service and a great value. I give it a very solid Four Zins for a job very well done, and recommend that you head there for dinner!
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It
has been awhile since I have been back to Rookies. I knew that they had
one-dollar burgers during the month of June (actually they have dollar
burgers in May, June, September and January!), but when Lauren and I went,
there was a line out the door! I assume that half of the county was taking
advantage of the dollar burgers at the end of June... But as it turns out,
I am actually glad that we decided not to wait on that night.