The Rookery

Saw a billboard ad for this spot on 75 on the way to Macon and decided to find it after looking at reviews. The pimento cheese appetizer with homemade chips was great. I wasn’t impressed with the Allman burger that was highly suggested on Unilocal,Google and Trip Advisor. The battered fries and onion rings were really good with excellent flavor. I also ordered the Jimmy Carter milkshake which I loved. Also great customer service!
This menu is loaded and so unique I would definitely stop by again when down this way to try some other things, as there were other burgers that I wanted to choose but decided to go with the «hype».

OMG this was amazing! Got the black blue burger. Cooked perfectly. Fried green tomatoes a must. The derby pie to die for and had to try a Billy Carter shake. Super food, great service, fun lively atmosphere. Have to wait a bit for a table though.

Rebecca was a very good server. We always stop here on our way to Florida from Tennessee, we love the rookery cheese board! Today I had amazing fish and chips. The rookery is a must stop for us!

I’ve been here a few times and the staff is always friendly. The fried green tomatoes are delicious. I moved here from a beer city and as a former bartender in said beer city, I was very happy to see their beer list. It was quite more than I was expecting for Macon. The last time I went I had a nice oatmeal stout, but was slightly turned off by the fact that ALL their pints are chilled. That’s the only thing I’d suggest is that they make conveniences for the beers they offer. Other than that I’ll continue to go back.

One of the burgers I have ever had. It melts in your mouth, very flavorful. If I’m going to eat a burger might as well have grass fed meat. The fries are too good.
Also the service was fast and Friendly.

Stopped by this Macon gem today for dinner. It lived up to my expectations! Arrived about 4:45pm on a Saturday and only waited 15 mins. Not long after we arrived the wait quickly jumped to an hour. It didn’t matter that it was 37 degrees out, people put their names down and stood outside to wait!
It has a wonderful charm to it. Our waiter was so sweet and explained that all of their food (except for 2 items) are all made in house. The diary and beef are all local and so fresh!
I ordered the Rookery Burger which was two thin fresh patties, cheese, grilled onions, pickles, mustard and Coca-​Cola ketchup. I added the battered fries and a vanilla milkshake. It was all delicious!
I look forward to returning again soon!

A great Macon establishment that has been around for nearly 40 years. Cheap drinks during happy hour, affordable food prices and even adult milk shakes. My personal favorite menu item is the fish and chips, have never been let down by them. They have a juke box and at least one tv. They have a decent amount of seating and a U shaped bar. At times there can be a wait if there are events or other happenings taking place downtown so keep that in mind if you’re thinking of dining there for dinner. Lunch and dinner every day and an awesome brunch menu on Sunday.

One of my favorite Macon spots. Great beer selection, service, and the food has never made me feel anything less than pure euphoria.
The Walden Greenback is the way to go.

This place was exactly what I needed. Great food, excellent drinks and good history. On top of that they were happy to sit me for dinner at 10 when they were closing at 1030. Service was fast and friendly. This was probably the best meal I had across three days in Macon

Nice bar. Good food. Great crowd. Efficient bartender. Interesting ambience. Popular prices. All in all, we really enjoyed ourselves.
We tried to get in on a busy Fri night, but were deterred by the hostess telling us «an hour & ½ wait for a table». We came back the next afternoon for a late lunch; facing another 45 minute wait for a table, we luckily ventured into the bar area & scored 2 seats.
The bartender was friendly & prompt with menus; suggested their craft beer menu; gave us a few samples; and quickly returned with 2 nicely-​drawn 16-​oz glasses of cold beer.
Ordered a grass-​fed cheeseburger and a fried-​green-​tomato BLT on whole wheat. The burger was spot-​on: cooked to the requested medium-​rare, the large patty was smothered in a nicely-​melted cheddar with the garden options (tomato/​lettuce/​opinion) served on the side next to a large order of fries. The BLT was equally well-​prepared: a large sandwich cut in half and served with a very large order of onion rings.
Both of our sandwiches were very tasty. A great burger is such a pleasure when prepared right, and this one did not disappoint. The bun was fresh. The tomatoes were plentiful and garden-​fresh. The fries were hot. The BLT was also delightfully presented, and my companion who usually cannot finish her meal was proudly now a member of the clean-​plate club.
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, drinks, convivial conversation with folks sitting around us, the attentiveness of our bartender, and the friendly pleasant Southern-​hospitality vibe of this place. We’ll keep this place accessible on our phone as a reminder to come back the next time we’re going to be in Macon. Nice job.

The Rookery is the place where Maconites bring out of town guests. Why? Because it’s good!
Things I’ve enjoyed at The Rookery:
— Peach shake. Great sweet treat, but not too sweet. Peach ice cream. Cake batter.
— Sunday Biscuit brunch. 4 types to choose from. I had the bacon. 100 available, so don’t wait until 2pm to go or you’re probably too late.
— Black & bleu salad. Grilled ribeye, bleu cheese, onion rings and whichever dressing you prefer.
— Ray Charles chicken burger. Pepper jack, bacon & guac.
Any of the burgers can be made as a standard burger or turkey, veggie or chicken. Nice to have the options. I tried the Jimmy Carter burger (PB & bacon) and wasn’t a big fan of The Rookery’s version. It was way too dry and no bite to it.
Prices are what you’d expect in downtown Macon, but a little high compared to elsewhere in the area.
Great, casual and fun atmosphere and a nice patio out front when it isn’t too hot or rainy. Also, a lofted section of tables that gives you a different experience of sitting up high. They do get busy especially during the weekday lunch rush and weekends. You can make a reservation on OpenTable outside of peak times to avoid a wait.

came here with the client, apparently it is a local’s favourite. all of us really enjoy the nice juicy burgers they have to offer, and what’s most important is the amazing milkshake! get the jimmy carter milkshake with a piece of bacon in there, it may sound a bit sick at the beginning, but it is really good, give it a try

Solid bar fare; burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes, beer, aka everything you need to fatten up. The constant encouragement to indulge in 5000 calories in one meal is on point here. I ordered the Ray Charles burger medium (cooked perfectly, if not on the side of medium rare, which is A-​Ok) which had guacamole, pepperjack cheese and a piece of bacon on top. Very tasty, but huge! We had appetizers and beer, so I elected to skip the side that comes with it. This seemed to shock our waitress, who INSISTED that I get the potato chips because then I could at least just take them with me. Not wanting to argue, I said ok and they weren’t even served to me in a bag, but right on my plate. Then when I don’t finish my burger and haven’t even touched the chips, she makes a big deal about me not taking everything to-​go. I didn’t even want a side in the first place, lady! She is part of the obesity problem in this country. If someone doesn’t want a side, let them be and don’t give them a side! On a «side» note ;) the fried green tomatoes are served with goat cheese and that is a yummy combo. Oh yeah and I don’t see this place being good enough to constitute a wait on a weekday afternoon, but obviously they are very popular so we did have to wait! I guess go them! :)

Come for the food (4 stars) stay for the milkshakes (5 stars).
The milkshakes here a legendary (locally). I had the Cherry shake which was good, my wife had the blueberry… which was phenomenal!
As for the food, everyone in our party had some sort of burger. All were very good, but not the best burger ever.

I like the local craft beer selection. The milkshakes were good. I had the Jimmy Carter burger with bacon. I would order it again. We had about 6 people and waited 30 mins on a Sunday. Lots of choices for food if you have people that want a variety of different things. You can either eat really healthy or really bad. I chose the bad option.

This place had a Cheers feel to it. Very small but solid food. Kept it simple with classic burger, homemade chips and a craft beer. Really good flavor on all counts!
They do have a very small outside seating area which would be good in late fall

We had a little trouble finding it since the signage is pale lettering, but the locals say the blue patio chairs and tables are the way to spot it. Despite the Map Quest map which is confusing, it is on Cherry St.
The food was good, I had Citrus chicken sandwich with bacon and home cooked potato chips, my husband had the club sandwich with a few too few onion rings he ate like candy. I had to try a milkshake, cherry, and it was easy too drink and not too sweet. Bob had a bottle of a German beer, very tasty.
A real crowded place with excellent service. Clean restrooms.

My history with the rookery goes way back to 2003! I was a bright eyed college kid ready to take Macon down. Back then it was not the classy burger joint you see today it was a local bar for the locals of Macon, that was taken over by college kids 3 nights a week minimum. But I digress the rookery now is awesome! Best burger in town without a doubt, great location in the center of downtown Macon, great patio and phenomenal service! All that coupled with the renovation that maintained some of the old charm, while definitely classing up the joint, the rookery should be a regular stop for you anytime you’re in Macon!

The Rookery serves up the best burger I have ever had in my life! My fiancé ordered a turkey burger and said the same thing. I don’t know if it’s the seasoning, or love, or what, but it is amazing.
The atmosphere and servers are top notch. A very friendly and courteous staff.
Excellent craft beer selection!
I will return to the Rookery again and again!

So we had family in town, well in Macon, and we wanted to take him out somewhere kinda cool and not your average chain restaurant. So of course I consult my handy dandy Unilocal page and based on reviews by trusted Unilocalers, we found The Rookery… and boy you guys were right on!
First of all let me tell you that the the ambiance was cozy and inviting. Very laid back and kinda retro. Had a very «cheers» feel (for those of us old enough to remember cheers). Being in historic downtown Macon — which is beautiful by the way, the restaurant isn’t large. They have some seating in an upstairs loft, but the majority of seating is in the main dining room and bar area. What was really cool is that they have several booth «cubbies». Each enclosed with a light and graffiti on the walls and ceiling… too bad I left my sharpie at home.
The service: We were greeted at the door with a smile with a smile and kind word from the host and were promptly seated. The host was also our server and for the life of me, I can’t remember his name but he was awesome! He is French and it is obvious when he speaks so he shouldn’t be hard to find. He was attentive and kind. Kept our glasses full and food on the table. Awesome indeed.
The beer selection was good. Not extensive but they offered several craft beers that I had not tried so that was great. What was better was that all of the pints were $ 5 regardless of alcohol content. Our guest is from Michigan and they had several craft beers from that part of the country and they actually had his favorite oatmeal stout.
The food… ohhhh the food was amazing. NOT your typical pub food. Though not as chic as gastropub food, the fare was well executed. Of course, we started with fried green tomatoes, which our northern guest had never had, and they did not disappoint. It was served with a sundried tomato remoulade and fresh chèvre, which was a treat. I had Chicken Chèvre– served with yukon gold whipped potatos (yum) and seasonal veggies. Both my guests has Jerry Reed burgers served with hand cut fries. Both the burgers and the chicken were perfectly prepared and oh so yummy.
Bottom line: When can I go back??? Next time you are in Macon, give this little dive a try. You will be glad you did!