Rocky’s Hamburger and Cheesesteaks

I Love this place. I hail from the East Coast and pride myself on Cheesesteak consumption and discernment. Rocky’s wins in every category. Well seasoned/​marinated meat, fresh ingredients, soft yet crispy rolls, and mayo and french fries.
The clerk was on his phone the whole time during the transaction, but the food made up for that.
In short, yes and yes. go here. go often.

Being real near this place — I as hoping it’d be better. It’s Very Ok.
Burgers are ehh. Ok.
Fries good, Shakes good

My roommate found this place via good ol’ Unilocal,and so we decided to get dinner there one night. The place is located in a pretty sketchy area, a bit too isolated for my liking.
The food was nothing special. Prices were decently cheap (about $ 6 for a burger) with fries ($ 4.50).
I mainly want to give a review on the service though. The owner was some Vietnamese guy, who kept talking to my roommates and I, seeing that we were Berkeley students. It was cute for a bit — he talked to us about our majors, our future careers, and his daughters. He also gave us really good service: we wanted ice from the drink machine, but it ran out. Seeing that, the owner actually went to the back to get ice and personally scooped some for us! So nice. But after that, it got a bit creepy because he wouldn’t stop talking to us… Maybe he was lonely but it was just a bit over the top!

The guy who took my order was talking on the phone very loudly in mandarin to someone and was insisting that I give him my order anyways, amazingly he got it right. My sandwich was fine, not worth the cost, but while I waiting for my car to finish being worked on it did the trick. The man on the phone stayed on the phone the entire time I was there (about 60 minutes) and was so loud that between him and Lady Gaga playing I waited the rest of my car service outside on the sidewalk.
All in all;
food– 2 stars on a good day
service-​none
atmosphere-​none

I stumbled across this place wanting a burrito next store and they were closed tonight. I had been biking all day and I was starving.
So I looked at the menu, looked outside at what my other options were, and came back inside to decide on an avocado melt with bacon. I wasn’t sure if there fries were going to be good, so I didn’t order anything but the sandwich. The avocado melt was delicious.
I would come here again. Its well priced and tasty.
It is kind of a weird environment but its a mom and pap and I’m happy to be supporting that.

I would have given this place 5 stars. The only proble I have with it is it can be a little hard to place an order. Sometimes on the phone there is a bit if a language barrier.
Otherwise, the Chessesteaks are off the hook!!!
Definitly the best cheesesteaks I have found since I moved to the west coast.

My boyfriend and I stopped by this place on our way home after spending some time in the Bay with friends. We decided to try and new burger spot and found that this one was near where we were parked. The food was good but nothing really stood out that set it apar from some of the other place’s we’ve visited in Sac.
My boyfriend had the Philly cheese steak with regular fries and I had the avocado burger with seasoned fries.
The Philly cheese steak was good. Typical Philly. The regular fries were okay… I don’t think we finished– he ate more of my fries.
The Avocado burger was tasteful. It was a pretty good size and had enough toppings. It wasn’t greasy like others are reporting. Maybe I got lucky. Seasoned Fries were good.
Thumbs down for charging for drink refills.

Umm, surfer spot even though it isn’t. My dad had a terrible stomach issue after eating his tuna sandwich here.
Also, they are known for their milk shakes, but they pre-​make and freeze their milk shakes???

Very disappointing. I got treated to lunch without the ability to look at a menu… and normally I don’t bitch about a free lunch… but this is NOT a cheesesteak (and I’ve never even been to Philly!).
I got a french roll (though it was soft, I think… I didn’t eat it) with a buttload of lettuce, tomato and mayo (spooge of Satan) pouring out of it. I actually thought they gave me a veggie sandwich at first… I couldn’t see meat, cheese or onions anywhere!
After getting wrist deep in grease and mayo (and you know my feelings on mayo!)…I find this «meat» and something gooier than mayo. I’m assuming the latter was cheese but I’m not sure… it was so ingrained with mayo I couldn’t try it. The «meat» looked like deli slices of Spam or something… it was all stuck together but appeared to be 4 slices (very thin) that were the width and length of the bun.
I’ve eaten at the Cheesesteak Shop and been told by folks from Philly that it’s damned close to a real deal. However… Rocky’s version? Not even in the country! So far from Philly it hurts. Maybe they meant it was a Filly Cheesesteak and that was horsemeat?
Thankfully I got fries or I’d have starved… I ate 2 of the slices of «meat» that weren’t slathered with mayo (shudder) and the fries. My lunch patron wasted that $ 7. Bummer…

Rocky’s hints at something better than it really is, featuring grilled onions, wheat buns, and «juicy» burgers. Alas, «juicy» just turns out to be a euphemism for «greasy», and the topping ratios are all out of whack in proportion to the skinny burgers that are cooked medium-​well unless you specify otherwise. Fries? Sure, they’re good enough, but the burger should be the show.
The ambiance doesn’t help much either… dark and dreary doesn’t add up to a great dining experience. So many other choices out there.

I’ve screwed myself.
You know, the kind where you’ve unfortunately set a standard and because of the high expectations, none can ever ever live up or even attempt up those rungs of martyrdom? Such is the case with the burger. I currently have two faves hands down: Gatsby’s and then Flaming Grill in Sacramento. I can’t even list any joints in SF that could parallel what I’ve had there. On top of that, they actually remember their customers. When was the last time that ever happened in the city? Well… I’m talking about me, haha.
With my parental units in tow, I had to find a place that was sensible to their oldness as well as not to detract or interfere with their current scope of attitude. I would have gone to Beckett’s, one of my fave places ever, but feared that the bar would tread on their conscience. So before heading over to Pleasant Hill, we stopped over here, at Rocky’s, for a burger.
My burger was actually pretty good, except for the poorly evident Burger King like bun with the generic sprinkling of sesame seeds. Burger patties are thin, so it was a stock item, not handmade. The fries, however, were good, crunchy, and hot. Steak fries (and all fries on top of that, are additional here) so expect to pay at least $ 9 for your burger plus another $ 2 – 3 for the fries, which are usually free at most other establishments. Got to keep up with the rate of rent even on this side of the bridge.
Fish and chips? PASS. It was straight from the bag. I chided my mother for even thinking of ordering this dish when it states otherwise, so such was her consequence. The batter was hard and uniform on the outside (think stale panko style crumbs) and the fish minuscule. I was ashamed myself just to see that being served.
The service here, however, was good. Food, mediocre. Which means I doubt I’ll be stopping by here again any time soon.

Got the Philly Cheese Steak (sweet peppers, sauteed mushrooms, onions, & swiss cheese) and combo’d it up with onion rings and soda for +$ 3.50.
It looked good with plenty of nicely cooked (med to med-​rare) meat as well as perfectly sauted veggies. Unfortunately the meat was bland. It needed some salt and pepper or something. Luckily there was salt and pepper or something on the table so I got by.
The onion rings, which didn’t appear to be homemade, were nice and crispy. I enjoyed them.
I’d come back, if I was in the area, to try their burgers which seemed to be more popular than their cheesesteaks.

Can you say «I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER??»
This place is solid. We all joked about how greasy the burgers were, but we all loved it nonetheless. Tiffany said she could feel herself breaking out within minutes of devouring the thing, but too bad for me this cheeseburger will just add onto the few pimples I already have from all the shit I had to deal with this week.
The service is super good and the owner guy is super nice. The six of us sure made it confusing because people were ordering for others who were late, people were splitting fries or milkshakes, everyone was throwing down a coupon which had a choice of discount, everyone was on a separate check, and I had to cancel something I ordered. Ordering was a mess pretty much and I felt bad, but everything aside from an extra milkshake, everything came out as ordered all thanks to the staff.
Our curly fries were curly, though I wish it were a little spicy. The burgers were juicy. They were so juicy that oil and meat juice was running down my hand and arms and almost into my sleeves. I had to use two napkins and I usually use zero. The milkshakes were frothy. The non-​malted strawberry was extremely sweet. It was probably the sweetest. The malted vanilla was probably my favorite, but you can taste the malt the most in the malted chocolate. Obviously they use vanilla ice cream for the vanilla milkshakes, but I think they use vanilla ice cream and blend either strawberry or chocolate syrup with it for the strawberry and chocolate milkshakes too, instead of using strawberry and chocolate ice cream. But like I said, it’s all good here!
Not only did we get a full stomach, but we even got a nice talking to by the guy who runs this place. He said we reminded him of his daughters and son, then went on to talk about them when they were in college. It was funny because he reminded me of my dad! Anyways, we got some good tips on life from him and he got some good tips from us.

I’ve had their veggie burger here, fries and coffee. I will be back for their fish and chips as it is a fav. The food was not wonderful, but for hte price i wasn’t expecting amazing, I was expecting average, and I wasn’t disappointed.
They also have a few beer to choose from to wash down your burger.

The best part of the jalapeño cheesesteak sandwich was:
— HELLA JALAPENOS. every bite had a thick piece of it… sniffly, eye-​watering derishiousness. (I’m so effing up my tastebuds with all the spicy foods I eat… meh)
— THICK steak melted together with stringy cheese. There was def alot more meat/​cheese/​toppings then bread. soo filling. (Couldn’t finish mine.)
My BF got the mushroom cheese steak… I’m inexperienced with cheese steaks. mine and his tasted exactly the same minus the jalapenos. *shrug
I liked the thick, fluffy french fries. They didn’t taste heavy or overfried… really classic. They close at 9pm on weekdays. and we called at 8:52pm to order pick-​up. They waited for us. :)
I must admit, though, it was alot of meat… for my liking. but it was a really flavorful, filling, tasty meal and I’ll be back for more. Our total for 2 combo’s came out to $ 21 even… kinda expensive for fast food but the jalapeño cheese steak was really yummy.
Burger me, please.

I’m always on the lookout for a good burger. Matt G’s recent review got my attention, and I couldn’t wait to go sample a burger from Rocky’s.
The restaurant is located about a one block walk from the Berkeley Bowl on Shattuck. I would have probably missed it had it not been for a sandwich board located just in front of its doors. This place kind of reminded me of some of the bars I use to frequent with dark wood finishes, wooden furniture and low lighting. The entire menu hangs from the rafters (
) and you just order from the counter when you’re ready.
All the steak and chicken cheesesteak items sounded fabulous, but my intent on visiting was to try a burger. I selected the Avocado Burger and added curly fries and a fountain drink to make it a combo. Cheese is extra. I asked for Swiss cheese to be added to my burger. The menu states that burgers are cooked medium well unless otherwise specified. You get a number and the food is brought to your table when it’s ready.
Wow! It looked delicious (
). I always thought I had a big mouth, but apparently I need an even bigger one to bite into this burger which was stacked. Piled high in lettuce leaves (iceberg), tomato slices, sweet pickle chips, lots of avocado, two slices of melting cheese and sauteed onions, the third pound burger patty looked kind of small compared to the salad fixin’s surrounding it. Biting into the burger was no small feat. I had to really squish down on the burger just to bite it.
The burger patty could have tasted beefier, but it was very juicy. There was a bit of pink in the center of the patty too. I love that. Between the juices, the melting cheese, the dressing and the grease I needed lots of napkins just to keep my hands dry. Luckily they brought me lots of napkins with the burger plate. It was a delicious and filling burger. The curly fries were a bit generic and had a bit too much salt on them.
Soda refills are included if you purchase a combo, but you must pay extra if you’re not ordering the combo. If you go to their website and print out the coupon page you can get a free soft drink with a sandwich order or save a dollar on a combo (limited time?). They serve breakfasts all day. The full menu can be found on their website. There are bottled beers for sale. From across the room I recognized the Heineken, the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and the Corona. There were three other bottled beers that I could not see clearly as my line of sight was blocked. The service was very friendly.
I’m coming back again, and my intent on my next visit will be to try a cheesesteak.

Daughter and I came here for lunch on a overcast day in the city of Berkeley.
This Vietnamese-​owned place reminds me of some of the other local Cheesesteak places in the Bay Area, but more options to offer including a daily Happy-​hour menu.
We split a Rocky Chicken Cheesesteak sandwich. For $ 7.00, the sandwich comprised of the grilled chicken, melted Swiss Cheese, Sauteed Grilled Onions, Lettuce and Tomatoes in a toasted roll. I got to tell you, for a guy like myself who has no success in finding good eats in Berkeley, I find the sandwich very good and might give some of the other sandwich places including San Francisco’s Phat Philly its run for its money. Luckily, Rocky’s is located in the city of Berkeley and not in San Francisco. For an extra $ 3.00, we got fries and fountain soda to complete the combo meal.
I also like this venue because it is dark with a cool variety of music and a nice place to chill. This place needs a bigger TV to be complete.
The husband and wife were friendly and assisted our needs when needed.
I paid our meal in cash. I’m not too sure if they accept any credit cards.
Wanna see something hilarious?
My daughter used the restaurant’s lavatory and she noticed the Toilet-​paper dispenser is locked up with a padlock. I saw that and cracked up as well.
(you got to check this out).

I heart Rocky’s.
The burgers are great. I had the avocado burger and there must have been half an avocado in the burger. My friend had a cheese steak, which was also tasty. We shared the large fries, which is way to much for 2 people with big appetites to share with your burger. Nice and crunchy… yum!
Rocky’s was so good that I ordered food from here for my work lunch with our VP from Georgia. Him being a meat and potato kinda guy, gave his approval.

Well I’ll-be-damned!
This place used to be «Sole Restaurant» As such it was a confused place that couldn’t decided if it wanted to serve american or vietnamese food. It wasn’t very good either.
The Viet owners closed it and remodeled into a burger/​cheese steak joint. They should have done this a long time ago. Burgers are good, cheese steak was awesome and tender with just enough onions and mushrooms. French fries were the best. Light, crispy, and perfectly cooked. Cheesesteak, french fries, and drink for $ 9.70
I’ll be back now that the fog has lifted and the restaurant has found it’s path.

Rocky’s is a long-​awaited and welcome addition to South Berkeley/​North Oakland Ashby BART area for those craving hearty, no nonsense and classic American style diner junk food.
First posted to be opening May 9^th, 2008, we were a bit disappointed to have shown up on May 11^th to locked doors, an unfinished interior and a sign postponing their neighborhood debut to the 18^th.
Since then, my patient appetite for savory burgers on par with Barney’s, Christopher’s or Barclay’s in Rockridge; or cheesesteaks up to snuff with I. B’s Hoagies (South Berkeley and Downtown Oakland) hadn’t died. And when we showed up to an open restaurant and I finally sank my teeth into the tasty Hickory Burger and polished off a Rocky’s Cheese Steak I was not let down. The anticipation paid off.
Their menu offers a wide array of high quality breakfast and lunch items; (I can’t wait to try the Fish and Chips, the traditional omelets, french toast, pancake and waffle combos and a few of the milkshakes) — everything you’d expect from a traditional greasy spoon — without the gross after taste and feeling, but 100% of the satiation.
I think the magic of their food is that there’s nothing fancy about it; no pretense of fanciness by offering baby spring greens or crumbled bleu cheese — just high quality, fresh ingredients: Angus sliced and ground beef, canola oil for the fries, and Tillamook brand cheeses.
The same can be said for the dining atmosphere. It’s clean and pleasant without the attempt at playing the part of a 50’s or oldschool American diner; or worse yet, a dirty hipster dive. It just is what it is.
I guess this is what happens when you’ve got years of experience and the reputation that ‘Rocky’ (what I call the friendly owner, I don’t know if that’s his real name) does; starting off as an old fashioned burger stand on College Ave, and continuing in Downtown Oakland on 15^th St.
The hours seem better than other food joints in the immediate area; such as Sconehenge for example, which serves the same kind of food, but isn’t open after 3pm. I’ll be coming to Rocky’s in the evening for dinner (you couldn’t do that at the Downtown Oakland location) — and it’s convenient from my house or Ashby BART.
The only seemingly out of place aspect of Rocky’s is the espresso bar. But who knows? I didn’t have any of the organic Peerless brews or espresso drinks on the ocassion that I was there; as a matter of fact, this stuff isn’t even advertised on their large menu board or printed take-​home menu, which makes it seem that much more tacked on. But I plan on trying it the first chance I get. Something tells me that the output of their Mr. Espresso won’t disappoint.
Anyway, good job Rocky. You just made my neighborhood that much tastier.