We went this past weekend to Hot Rocks Creative Diner in Whitby with our friends We made reservations here which is definitely recommended given the space inside The vibe was a comfortable casual vibe Our server that night was Alejandro that me and my husband had before He was once again super friendly and accommodating The food was amazing as usual Me and husband shared the table bread to start I had the beet salad with chicken One of the best beet salads I have had anywhere My husband had the chicken, sausage and shrimp linguine which he devoured I would definitely come back here again for a meal and highly recommend them as a spot to dine in the Durham region read more

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We went this past weekend with our friends to Hot Rocks Creative Diner Our friend made a reservation that evening The vibe inside is a nice casual and relaxed We ordered appys to start We ordered bruschetta, coconut shrimp and table bread The appys were great Our mains were excellent We all finished our meals I had the chicken sausage and shrimp linguine that was in a cream sauce It was really good We had Alejandro again as our server and we remembered him from a prior visit....once again he was super accommodating and friendly throughout the evening We definitely will go again for a meal here Quality food and service read more

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I loved the fresh fries and burger it was delicious I've been going there every day at lunch and its amazing. read more

Hot Rocks Creative Diner - A hot rocks burger with fresh fries - Diners Near Me - Whitby, Ontario

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Great food. Excellent service! No loud music. Wonderful ambience. Can be noisy depending on where you sit. read more

Fantastic local place known for wood oven pizzas, but with a lot of other great menu options as well. Also a good selection of local beers on tap to make it a great place for a special or celebratory night out. The Russwich has been a trusted go to, but the burger is great as well and there's always solid pizza, pasta and salad options. If with a larger group, order a pizza as an appetizer to share and you can't go wrong. read more

The food was exceptional! Hot, delicious, plentiful & flavorful. Portions good sized, had lunch for the next day. It's a little tight for space but the staff is amazing and very diligent. When we arrived they had a 2 top for us but, when they saw we're on the "nature" side then quickly got a 4 top for us so we had more comfortable seating. Our server Cate was PHENOMENAL!! Cute, funny attentive, knew the menu well and made great suggestions. We will ask for her next time we go. read more

I was impressed as soon as I walked in and heard them playing All-American Rejects, I don't hear music like that at many restaurants anymore. We started with the Mussels and loved them. The sweet potato frites were amazing and the sauce was great as well. We ordered the Lamb Shank and Braised Short Rib. The Lamb Shank was so tender the meat fell off the bone as soon as I poked my fork in it. It was really flavourful and I savoured every bite. The potatoes and vegetables on the side were excellent as well. We were similarly impressed with the Short Rib. It was very tender and it tasted great with the gravy. The service here was great and we didn't have to wait very long for our appetizer or mains. We would be really happy to return here again some day! read more

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The food was delish, found this restaurant through yelp and saw all the great reviews so I had to try it and it met all my expectations. Service was great, my water was never empty and they checked up on us constantly to see if we were content. Besides that the food they served is perfection! Taste and the juiciness of the meats and the combination of the ingredients was divine. Can't wait to go again read more

Hot Rocks Creative Diner - Diners Near Me - Whitby, Ontario

Great menu options and friendly servers. I will definitely be back! I enjoyed my meal. Cheers read more

Good service & food & ambiance. Good group lunch last month. Staff attentive & service timely. Good location & parking. Menu covered all our group members. read more

I have lived near Hot Rocks since I was a toddler. Throughout my life, I never tried this place. I'm not sure why. Finally, at my ripe old age, I decided to give Hot Rocks a shot. I came here for lunch with my best friend and we were absolutely blown away. The ambiance in here is wonderful. Natural light, big windows, comfortable tables, clean but rustic and timeless vibes. The service was prompt and polite as well. The food was amazing! The pizza was perfect in every way. The sauce was tasty. The cheese was yummy and there was not too much or too little. The pepperoni... The best. The spicy, tasty type that really adds to a pizza. Prices here were also good. My friend got the lunch special and there was enough to feed two people. As for me, I also took home leftovers of my pizza. I will definitely be returning! read more

This place is GREAT!! The staff was nice, my waiter was amazing, and my family LOVED the food! Definitely recommended.

This is the best appetizers, and pizza in the area. I tried the bruschetta, meatballs (amazing), daily soup and bbq Hawaiian pizza. The braised short rib looked incredible beside me and that's what I'll be having next time. I highly recommend going here. The service is outstanding as well. Oh and the crème brûlée is outstanding. Enjoy. read more

I was gonna dine there, and I saw a worker yelling at a bunch of students in-line for another store, what is super rude! What did they do never gonna try read more

Our absolute favorite local restaurant!! The "go to" every time. Always great service, food and atmosphere

Great reason to drive to Whitby! We've been twice now, ordering from the Before 3 menu both times. The food is fantastic, so fresh and obviously house made to order. Nashville crispy chicken is incredibly delicious and such a big portion- 2 pieces of chicken, pimento cheese, bread and butter pickles, real chicken gravy, a hot..that's right, hot buttermilk biscuit and a little pot of raw honey YUM! This time around we shared the Hot Rocks chicken club and the Bacon Cheeseburger both with fries; a couple of local Brock Blonde pints and we were very very happy read more

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One of Whitby's hidden gems. I remember coming here as a kid. Our family decided to have a fathers day lunch here since we couldn't recall the last time we've been to Hot rocks. As soon as we walked in, I remembered how cool this place was. "Creative Diner" is what they advertise and that's definitely what it is. Co-owners from The Brock House = good quality food. I had 2 starters; which was enough to satisfy me. Fried Mac and Cheese was good. Balls of Macaroni dusted with bread crumbs. Wasn't as cheesy as I hoped and to be honest; I think it's outclassed by St. Louis' Bacon wrapped Mac and cheese. Next, I had the P.E.I. Mussels (curry) and they were so so so so so delicious. Nice and creamy, not spiced too strong and the mussels themselves were cooked to perfection. It was topped with some kind of sweet potato garnish which was a nice touch. Now the best part about Hot rocks is the appetizer "Hot Rocks" (which my mom ordered). You're basically served a hot plate and a choice of app to cook yourself. My mom ordered the beef tips. I had to sneak a piece, it was amazing. Would definitely recommend that if it's your first time coming here. Their salads are very good too. Crisp lettuce, just the right amount of dressing. The restaurant itself is hidden away in a small plaza (Manning/Anderson) in the corner. Do yourself a favour and come here for lunch. You won't be disappointed! read more

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It's an odd name, I know, but as soon as you walk in, you realize why: there's a large, stone pizza oven behind the bar. Mystery solved! Time to go home. Kidding! My aunts and I went out for dinner and dessert. We've been here for fam jams before and we keep coming back. The service and quality of food has not changed, even though the ownership has changed. This place has a great atmosphere; great for a date or a girls night. We started with the Curry Chicken Nachos. As expected, it was piled high with multi-coloured tortilla chips and oodles of toppings. There were toppings throughout, not just on top. The chicken gave a surprise kick when it was hidden amongst the delicious mole sauce, scallions and cheese. The guacamole and bruschetta made this the best nachos ever. I'd come back just for these. They tried the Orzo, Pork Belly Special, Curry Chicken Linguine, Chicken/Sausage/Shrimp and I went with the Atlantic Salmon. It was exactly what we expected: Perfection. Each dish was flavourful with a twist. I've always loved that they'll mix ingredients I'd never put together and it's fantastic. The pasta dishes were HUGE and there was no shortage of meat and veggies. The aunt that had the Curry Chicken Linguine kept trying to share it. The aunt that tried the Pork Belly didn't realize how fatty it would be, but soon discovered why I almost ordered It: moist and full of flavour. My salmon was good and flaky, but it could've been a little bigger. I'm a saucy gal and I would've liked more of the lemon-horseradish yogurt. Mmmm. All of the accompanying veggies were fresh and cooked perfectly. The specials are always something that will try to steal you away from with you've already picked from the menu. Their wine menu isn't huge, but they have everything you need, from local to imports. They have some delightful in house cocktails as well, but they're a little pricy. Their beer menu could use a little love, but did have 1 craft beer on tap when I was there and I hope they get more in the future. Even with a change in management, this place has remained the same: Dang good. I was worried when I found out who their sister restaurant is, but my worries have been put to rest. The service is professional and efficient and the food is excellent. I just hope they can keep this level of satisfaction. I've been seeing a lot of negative reviews since the new management came in....hope this isn't a trend! Fingers crossed! read more

Hot Rocks Creative Diner - Atlantic Salmon - Diners Near Me - Whitby, Ontario

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The best pizza. My boyfriend and I come from Toronto to have it on a regular basis. One of the waitresses is super nosey (and invasive), but other than that, the entire experience is always great. The patio is nice in the summer--wish there was more seating. Overall great place for a quick beer and pizza read more

I have often heard about this place, but I had no idea where it was! When I saw it on the Whitbylicious website, I figured it would be worth a try finally to celebrate my birthday with my husband. The atmosphere is nice. Dark, but not too dark. Kind of classy, without being pretentious. It was very hot inside, which I can only assume is from the giant wood stove as you first walk in. Wear something light. The seating is a little tight. We were kind of jammed into a corner and were surrounded by two groups. Service was friendly and attentive. We both ordered the same items from the Winterlicious menu: The appetizers were 3 mini crab cakes which were really nice! The hint of heat made these perfect. They come with a grilled slice of lemon. For the main course we each had a rare 10 oz ribeye steak with roast potatoes, rapini, carrots and asparagus. My steak was cooked almost perfectly. It was a thin steak, so a couple of spots were closer to medium though. My husband's was mostly medium rare to medium. He let the server know and turned down her offer for a new one. She ended up comping his beer for him instead which was a very nice gesture! The veggies and potatoes were delicious and the steak had great flavour. For dessert we had the chocolate strawberry tart. So good! Despite looking really rich, it was actually quite light. Perfect after a heavy steak dinner. We'll definitely be back to try the pizza. It looks amazing! read more

Hot Rocks Creative Diner - Chocolate strawberry tart from the 2016 Whitbylicious menu. - Diners Near Me - Whitby, Ontario

Our first visit to Hot Rocks didn't go over so well unfortunately. When we found out that they shared owner's with Brock House we were very interested. We had 2 drinks, calamari, and truffle fries. The calamari was overdone, heavily breaded, and greasy. The fries were also greasy and underdone. The service was mediocre, staff was slow with the bill but friendly. The environment is nice enough. We were seated at the table directly across from the kitchen which was very loud. Overall, the experience could've been much better. read more

Love the ambience of the restaurant, I have not always had great experiences there but recently gave it a second chance and have enjoyed my experiences so far. Some of the menu items are hot or miss but their cocktails are great as well as the curry nachos. read more

Surprised I haven't wrote a review yet! I fully supported this business throughout lockdown and continue to do so. I Love their burgers and pizza. Great service, great business. Here's how a small business adapts during pandemic. Though I have to admit, I miss getting free delivery to my house : I've for over 10 years, but in the last few years it has really become my family's go to for a meal out that is affordable and fresh. There really are not alot of nices places to eat out here, but this a great spot, and the take out option is great for those on the go. read more

Absolutely, stunned at the rude treatment. Recommended the restaurant to friends. Made a reservation for 6:30, upon arrival ordered wine and dinner. Good meal, nice waitress. Ordered a second 1/2 litre of wine , was asked if table wanted coffee and dessert, paid bill at waitresses request, still finishing wine. A new waitress came to the table and said the 8 p.m. reservation for this table is here, you have to leave. What the hell!...What if we had ordered dessert and coffee five minutes earlier when offered by the waitress, were we expected to put our wine in a doggy bag? Asked to speak to the manager, a waitress came and said she was sort of the manager. Didn't listen, started to quote government regs.. This isn't about regs., no one mentioned a time limit. we were drinking wine and were offered dessert 5 minutes before we were told to get out. We take the risk to support restaurants during a pandemic, we leave a generous tip and are embarrassed in front of other patrons. Please do not waste your money and time on Hot Rocks in Whitby, not even 2 m between tables, a greedy, pretentious establishment, trust me there are better restaurants to spend your hard earned money. A hard pass on this P.S. less than an hour since leaving and have the trots...perfect!... An inspection is in order. read more

I've been going to Hot Rocks for years and have always had enjoyable experience. Don't be deterred by the strip mall location, Hot Rocks has great ambiance inside and the food really is creative! It can be hard to find quality, local dining in Whitby so I encourage everyone to try Hot Rocks and support local restaurants. My mom, sister and I went for a late dinner on a Tuesday, the restaurant was almost empty and very quiet (to be expected). Service was friendly and attentive - it helps that my sister is there all the time and knows everyone. I loved my entree! farro rice with seasonal vegetables plus edamame. It was the perfect portion, really "light" but also very filling. I ate every bite! I was truly impressed with this "refined" vegetarian entree - let's be honest it was rice and vegetables but did feel very elegant. Hot Rocks is family friendly but would also be a good date-night spot too! Free parking! read more

This place is just awesome! Food, drinks, service- everything is so good! Have been there few times and definitely will come again. Very glad we found this place! read more

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I liked the ambience much more than the food. I ordered the pizza and it tasted dry, a bit tasteless and not very fresh. I should've known better, coming to Whitby..... read more

Came here as we saw they were participating in Whitbylicious, and we were glad we gave it a shot! This restaurant is small and in a plaza of a residential area. We never would have tried this place on a whim if we were driving by. I got the set menu, which was a spinach and arugula salad, rainbow trout, and a chocolate raspberry torte. It was so delicious, and the portions were perfect. I didn't leave feeling sick from being so full! My mom got the short ribs with gnocchi and she couldn't stop raving about it. I tried one of her gnocchi and it was so delicious and packed with flavour. I definitely want to go back to try the paella & a bunch of the appetizers looked really good, so did the pizza. The mussels also must be really good, as I saw so many orders coming out from the kitchen! Will definitely be returning when in the area. read more

Went there on Oct 26, 2019. The server was very prompt and attentive to our needs and was very knowledgeable about the menu. Split the beet salad as an appetizer and it was very tasty, but the beet content was a bit lacking. We had pizzas for our entrees which were really good. Overall, very good dining experience! read more

Food: 9/10 Atmosphere: 9/10 Service: 4/10 Been here more than once, the food is great and the service has been great in the past however our visit today was disappointing. The server was unpleasant and projecting her grouchiness unto us during our meal. For example, she brought the wrong dish for one of our group and upon bringing it to her attention, she said "well, that's what you ordered". In this case, we knew she had brought the wrong dish but even if the customer was wrong, you don't speak to the customer like that. I would give them another chance and avoid being seated in this server's area. Summary: a grouchy server ruined an otherwise very nice experience. read more

Dining in Durham is getting better all the time, there are a few places trying to bring a good dining experience to the 'remote' region. :P Hot Rocks has decent food, great service and a really nice atmosphere. The place is always busy and has a nice, clean, modern decor that doesn't distract. We tried the vegetarian nachos and goat cheese medallion, which were both excellent appetizers, but served on some new square-glass tableware they were trying out which was way too big. It looked nice, but you have to be somewhat practical, two apps took up our entire table! I enjoyed the pizza, it was the Spicy Cajun with blackened chicken, sweet potato and a drizzle of garlic aioli on top. The pizzas at Hot Rocks are probably the best in the area, they are really good. The rest of the menu looks quite yummy, they have a large assortment of pastas and meat dishes, but disappointingly, no vegetarian options right off the menu. They are happy to modify their menu, but that is never as good as some well-thought-out veggie options. Great place, I'll go again next time I'm lost and wandering through Whitby. read more

Love this spot. They have the best pizza in Whitby, it's always a great atmosphere and my friends & I always come back! read more

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I've been to hot rocks twice now, and the second visit was even better than the first. We started off with the Hawaii Five O pizza, which was really good. I asked for the calamari to be prepared gluten free and they were excellent - nicely seasoned, not overcooked and served with a wonderful chipotle aioli. I had the lamb shank - nice, tender, flavourful reduction, with cauliflower garlic mash potatoes. My wife had the Caesar salad and the beef brisket - the salad was very well done, not overpowering or over-sauced. The brisket was also really good, flavourful and with enough fat left on it to keep it tender and not too stringy. The wine list features a good selection of very reasonably priced choices. We left pretty full and pretty happy. Highly recommended! read more

Previously I've eaten here and the salmon was not as fresh as it should have been. This time however, we ordered an arugula and beet salad, a shrimp appetizer and a custom pizza from their brick oven. The food was tasty and generally the portions were fairly decent. The service was excellent and very prompt. And the ambiance is always on the cozy side due to the lighting and the huge pizza oven. read more

Hot Rocks is always a great choice when deciding on where to eat. They always have amazing food that is flavourful, great service, and makes a pleasant environment for eating with friends and family. I tend to build my own pizza (that's made in a wood fired oven) but have also ordered many other meals off the menu. If possible, I'd recommend making reservations before heading there as Hot Rocks can get full and busy pretty quickly. read more

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I've been coming to this restaurant for years and it's always great! The food is top notch and delicious. They are inventive with food combinations and are not afraid of periodic menu changes to keep things interesting. Nice quiet patio in the summer. Our favorite restaurant in Durham region hands down. read more

We have been to Hot Rocks numerous times and it has always been a positive experience. Unfortunately our latest visit was quite disappointing. The menu has changed but there are many new dishes on the menu that sound quite appetizing. Three of us ordered the Jumbo Shrimp for $17. This is from the Before 3 menu therefore smaller than the dinner version. The menu reads: Marinated in lemon & thyme / charred baby romaine / bacon lardons / mustard vinaigrette /charred lemon / breadcrumb gremolata The ingredients were right up my alley and I envisioned a plate with a small mound of well charred romaine topped with shrimp and drizzled with mustard vinaigrette, a healthy smattering of bacon lardons sprinkled with the gremolata. We received our dishes and shot looks of consternation at one another. Three large shrimp, not JUMBO sat atop of two very large hearts of romaine (not baby romaine as stated on the menu) that were not charred at all. The bacon lardons were actually bacon bits that were hard as hell. The mustard vinaigrette was nowhere to be seen and we did not witness a breadcrumb on the plate. I forgot to take a photo to share but I will warn anyone that even thinks of ordering this plate to reconsider. We paid $17 each to eat three shrimp and we left the romaine on the plate. To add insult to injury, two of us experienced one shrimp with a strange flavour (past prime). A terribly bad dish with an ridiculous price. When we left I noticed that the cooks were very young...19, 20 perhaps? Nothing wrong with that if a chef is present to oversee but that wasn't the case. Learn what a lardon is, charred, gremolata, read your menu and present as stated boys! I doubt that we will return. My Mother's non-alcoholic drinks were deducted from her bill. My sister and I were not offered any compensation as we had alcoholic beverages. By the way, the Charcuterie plate was definitely not made in house as stated on the menu. read more

Hot Rocks is our favourite restaurant. Their food is always delicious and the service is amazing. Such a welcoming atmosphere. I would highly recommend Hot rocks to all my friends and family. read more

I've never had a bad meal here and our server remembered our orders by memory. Food was timely and tasty. Nothing more to say really, if you haven't gone please go. read more

Worst name ever, but an ok place to eat. My 3-star review is really a 2.5-star, but i guess "Hot Rocks" gets the lucky end if the rounding stick. (I should drop a star for the terrible name...) Anyway, I was there with a large party of people over the weekend. Everyone's food looked and smelled great. I ordered a pizza with pulled pork. It was tasty enough, but for 16 bucks, I'd like more than three dabs of pulled pork, please and thank you. Seriously: three pieces of the KEY ingredient -- one about the size of a baby's thumb, and the other two about the size of a baby carrot. Pretty sad. I woulda taken a photo, but then I'd be one of those people who takes photos of their food. Mmmyeah... So, it's a shame because otherwise, it was well cooked, great crust and a good size. Sorry, $16 pizza is already a tough sell, and skimping out on the key topping means I won't be back. read more