On the Rocks is the perfect place to come for a drink on a weeknight! A completely unpretentious atmosphere with the bare (or bear's?) necessities of beer, wings and other fried pub fare. I had the $1 tacos (that was the special) and found them to be A-OK. However, I will comment that they didn't have like a spicy sauce (Tobasco etc.) which would have been good to have with tacos. I ended up getting buffalo sauce for the tacos! The room is very spacious and I hear that they have salsa nights on Thursdays. Generally, I can imagine this being a casual dancing place with a decent floor and top 20s dance music playing. They have quite a few television sets for those interested in following the hockey playoffs! They've got two sets of washrooms which seems odd but is such an awesome idea! I need my washrooms!!! On the tap, they have the routine list of beers (Kokanee to Stella) and the price is reasonable. Although I did say that I found this place to be quite basic and in that sense ideal, I was a little disappointed that they had martinis on their drinks menu. One of the yelpers we met with had a Cosmopolitan and it certainly didn't look like a good drink. Somehow, I feel like there's been a surge of martini availability in all sorts of bars which certainly cheapens the experience of that fine concoction but also questions the direction a routine pub is heading towards. read more

Ok so this is not a "night Club" first off. It does however have live bands on the weekends. The bands generally play stuff for the 30-40 year old crowd and are usually pretty good. In between sets the DJ hits the dance numbers to fill the dance floor up more. Easy place to make reservations ahead of time for parties and that gets you no line no cover until 10pm. This is when it starts to line up usually. Food is above average pub food with a new menu out now. I have always had a good time here and I think it says a lot. yes the service on the weekend nights is slowish but that's because it is usually packed on a Friday or Saturday night. I just like the fact that we can go and not have to think about fights etc and people there tend to be there to have a good time! I will also say this is a wheelchair accessible bar as well which is nice. Lots of daily specials and we all like that. In conclusion one of my favourite weekend drama free hangouts! read more

So I still hold high opinion of OTR as a place for watching the game or enjoying a pint with a friend or several. Spending some time with some of my favourite yelpers tonight, that pint of Grasshopper went down smooth - even better, it was on special! But the sliders platter? Oooh, not good. My chicken slider was like a mini-KFC sandwich, and I don't mean that in a good way. The burger was alright, but that's not saying much, either. Will I come back? Sure. For food? Definitely not. Props for a friendly waitress - it was actually pretty busy tonight because of the World Juniors game. read more

After a recent move to Edmonton, my husband and I were looking for a new place for music and fun. We read about On The Rocks online and decided to give them a try. There is plenty of seating, a large bar in the middle and a dance floor that gets packed and over flows as the night goes on. There is a live band every Friday & Saturday. When we've been there, it's been an alternative or cover band. Between sets, the DJ plays top 40 dance music. By the end of the evening, it's basically a dance club. The patrons and staff are all nice with a great sense of humour. Don't be surprised if the entire bar is singing along to a classic. I'm not sure yet what the cymbals behind the bar are for, but periodically, the bar staff will bang a decanter against it, sometimes several times in a row. Both bathrooms have always been clean (though one is ridiculously small, you can barely get in and watch out for the door if you're at the sink). I'm sure we will find our way back here again a few more times in the future. read more

This was my favourite bar for a long time. AWESOME live music and decent food. There is one bartender who is really awesome. And for these three things i'd give them 5 stars but unfortunately... Ladies be prepared: - if you get a female bartender, prepared to be ignored. - if you're a party of women, prepared to be ignored by your waitress/server. We booked in for a bachelorette. Arrived at 830 because the table couldn't be held past 9. Fair enough. Server comes to table immediately to ask if we want drinks. We haven't looked at the menu so just ask for a few minutes. Doesn't come back for 45 minutes at which point we go up to the bar to get our drink. Sit down. Server comes back and asks if we want drinks. I wish I was kidding. This whole situation repeated itself throughout the night. They have us a table that was too small...but wait, they have us the dinky table by the dj booth as well. So bizzare considering we booked in advance....they couldn't move the table for us? No. So moved it ourselves. You know those establishments that really don't care what their customers think? This is one of them. read more

We showed up with 15 people for a birthday. They decide in the middle of an NFL playoff game to turn all the televisions to an Oilers game. When we asked to get the game back they complained that they only had 3 receivers. Did those 3 whole TVs that were showing the game really need to change. Great job OTR read more

Sister restaurant to The Druid Food - 3.5 to 4 Service - 3 Ambiance - 2 Overall - 3 In the "off season" (when no Hockey is playing) it is a fairly decent place to go for a bite and a few pints. It is a VERY loud environment with some pretty annoying techno/pop music playing on the sound system. It can be really difficult to have a conversation over top all of the noise. The menu is a very creative gastro-pub type of fare. The monthly dessert feature was never a disappointment. The Beef Wellingtons were always a favourite. All of our guests seemed to really enjoy their food. Unlike their sister restaurant, On The Rocks seems to not be able to cope with separate tabs. It was an adventure every time we went trying to get the bill split up into individual amounts. They must use a different POS software? Service was always hit and miss. We had one really great server and we sure missed her when it was her night off. If you want really great service and a genuine smile, ask for Mandy! There is ample parking in front and metered parking on the street, free after 6pm. During peak hours it can still be difficult to find a parking spot as the restaurant is right next door to a Famoso Pizza, a liquor store and a grocery store. read more

I meet a group of people here every year because it's in a good location for most everyone. I ordered the soup and salad last time not expecting much as most places are so so, and because I wasn't too hungry. I was somewhat sceptical of the turkey soup, but was really surprised how good it was, even better than mine! The salad came with a light flavourful dressing and a thin slice of toasted bread which was a nice added touch. I don't know why, but each year I'm surprised how good the food is for a bar. On The Rocks will continue to be our "go to" place for some time. read more

I've been to On The Rock numerous times for their Wing Wednesday (Delicious) However last night was the first time I experienced their weekend night crowd. I Had a great time. The crowd was very laid back and for the most part relaxed. The live band was great and played a wide range of music and in between sets the DJ played a variety of music aimed towards crowds of 30 something. (DRE/Journey/J-LO) It looks like if you book ahead you can reserve tables for larger groups all in sight of the stage. read more

After sitting at a table for five minutes on the right hand side, we gave in and moved to the left hand side. We sat at a sticky table, the scent of spilled swillish beer filling our noses. My friend had a gift certificate, so we stayed, instead of heading next door to the always delicious Famoso. I ordered the Rocks Burger without onions and with pickles on the side, as did my friend. I added mushrooms as a bonus for it. (His was $11, mine $12) Both of us got sweet potato fries at no extra cost, which I was impressed with. Our waitress, the only one working on a Sunday night (with the hockey game) was friendly, and answered our questions about the hot burger challenge. My friend did feel that she was trying to talk us out of taking the challenge. To be fair, we didn't need to be swayed. The veggies were fresh, the burgers thick, juicy, and tasty. The sweet potato fries left something to be desired, being a bit undercooked and quick to cool. Overall, not my first pick, but if you are looking to watch a game or get your drink on... It is an option. Just be warned, there is a cover on popular drink nights - which for a place you probably won't spend long, is maybe not entirely worth it. read more

Whomp whomp. So I was not-so-happy when I had to pay a $5 cover at a location that typically doesn't draw huge crowds and caters to an older group of people (note that I was at this place on a Friday night - arrived at 10pm). But then I got inside and was very disappointed. I know it is a bar/club but they really could do better. It was not too full inside and it still took forever to be served (and just as long if you went up to the bar). The night I was there, they had a live band performing which was okay but I think that prevented people from actually going on the dance floor. The actual floor itself was sticky everywhere (even early on in the night) and it felt like general cleanliness was not even on the radar for the operators. As mentioned earlier, the clientele is more "mature" in age but they sure didn't act it. In fact lots of times it was worse than being with the 18-year-olds. This not-so-classy joint attracts not-so-classy people and I can say for sure that I will not be back anytime in the future (if I can help it). read more

Our regular after work spot was hosting a special event so we ended up at OTR. I was surprised when we walked in at 4:30 on Thursday and the pub was nearly empty. We found a nice big booth which fit 7 people comfortably. The beer selection didn't blow me away; mostly the standard domestics. We also ordered nachos which at first were forgotten and then came with not nearly enough cheese. I don't think we'll be switching to a new post work pub. read more

PSA: Taco Tuesdays are no longer $1 each and now $2 each. EDIT: Also looks like Hot Dogs have also gone up in price to $2 each. read more

My favourite night of the week at On the Rocks is Tuesday. They've got $1 tacos and $3 Mexican beers, and the tacos are actually pretty good. The other weeknight specials are pretty good too. They have salsa lessons on Thursdays and often live music on the weekends (with associated cover charges). I've never been on one of the busier nights, but it seems to be a pretty popular place, particularly with the sorts of people who need to yell at each other until after 4 in the parking lot while I'm trying to sleep upstairs. read more

Surprisingly not many people have heard of On the Rocks, it's downtown on Jasper Ave and it's hard to describe the kind of club this is. Actually, it's probably better off being called a pub. It gets pretty packed on the weekends and I have noticed that people really let loose here. I guess the name says it perfectly, people come here to DRINK. The bar is always slammed but it isn't too difficult to get a drink. The bartenders all know what they are doing and try and keep everything in order the best they can. I personally like how they have some booth's at the opposite end of the dance floor for people who just want to hang out. The music doesn't seem overly loud on that side either so it makes it easier to talk. I would say it is a good place to stop in for a little bit on the weekend and then moving on to somewhere else. read more

I came here with my brother and ordered the regular cheeseburger they have. I opted out of bacon and got a mushroom soup of the day on the side. The burger came out and was very disappointing. The bun felt soggy on the inside but hard (rock solid) on the outsides. The soup was hearty but the main was so disappointing. Not impressed. read more

Great atmosphere and the food is great for pub food. Taco tues Is always a good cheap night out. One bartender is not so nice. Well I guess arrogant is the word I'm looking for. But that is easily fixed by not sitting at the wood. However it is my seat if choice. Thursdays are good for a mamba lesson and the weekends always have live entertainment for your enjoyment. Cheers. read more

I really enjoy coming to On the Rocks occasionally for lunch. The menu doesn't have any real surprises on it, but the food is prepared well and reasonably priced. I often order the steak sandwich or the veggie burger (I am a vegetarian when I am not eating meat!). There is a huge dance floor and bands often play here on the weekends, from rock to World Beat. I have never come here on and evening or weekend, but I understand the place is pretty popular and people have a good time. The atmosphere is very bright and positive - I can understand why. read more

My heart sinks when I hear that my coworkers are going to OTR for lunch. Don't get me wrong, I like pub food from time to time - but the greasewich menu is a cardiologists dream. I'd rather eat at the Druid a couple blocks down the road. I gave 2 stars because of Taco Tuesday. That's a pretty good deal. read more

I didn't start with the greatest experience because Marko one of the managers said that we had a reserved table but he didn't actually book us in. The on shift manager Nathan went above and beyond. He catered to our every need and continued to make sure that myself and the rest of of my party was taken care of. Thank you so much for making our event feel special. I would 100% book again. read more

First visit last night! Had a great time! Drinks are kind of expensive and a cover charge sucks :/ Odd mix for a crowd, was entertaining, but luckily no youngsters! read more

The service here was sloooow. The bar was fairly dead, seeing as how it was a Monday night, with maybe 10 other people in the bar. We had a large group, yet service was infrequent and drinks were slow in coming. The waitress also notified us at the beginning of the night (maybe 9pm) that she wanted us to pay in cash, which was a pain in the ass. She did let a few of us start tabs, but it was still hasslesome. The karaoke here is very underdeveloped. The screen used is maybe 10 inches across, which is tiny. Let me tell you, after a few drinks I had no idea what the words on the screen said because they were that small and just started to blur together. I did enjoy that there was props available to wear while singing though. The DJ was also giving out prizes for answering trivia questions, so that was an added bonus. Food was decent. Can't say I enjoyed the bacon covered pretzels though. Those bad boys were very oily and I felt my arteries cringe as I was eating. The wings were good. We ordered the rootbeer bbq because it sounded intriguing. They were surprisingly good, just a hint of sweet from the root beer. Definitely would order again. read more

This was my first time back here in over 2 and half years. For a while this use to be my go to bar with friends for a night of drinking and dancing, but now we are more into pubs/lounges to sit and have a few drinks. We ended up here after a night at Craft Beer Market, as some of the girls wanted to go dancing. We got there about 12:45 and usually there's a big line up, but I think due to it being a long weekend there wasn't one. There is a $5 cover charge. They also have a live band on Saturday nights, with breaks in between with music from a DJ (top 40 music). Don't mistake this place for any kind of fancy or high end bar. No dress codes, as you can wear whatever you like (within reason of course haha). You'll see more people in t-shirts and ball caps than dress shirts or khakis. Seems to be an older clientele, but you can find ages from 18-55. If you are claustrophobic than this place isn't for you, as it gets VERY packed after 10pm. Moving from one end to the other can be a battlefield of bodies. And it can also take a long time to get a drink from the bar. So if you want to avoid the teeny-bopper bars of all 18-19 year olds, and prefer some live music and dancing, and average ages is around 35-40, then this may be a place worth checking out read more

OTR is an old favorite of mine. Usually go for wing night on Wednesday. I swear their lemon pepper wings are the best in the city! I have also gone on Thursday with a few lady friends for Salsa dancing night. Serious fun. They also have really good carrot cake :) Certainly, stop by if your in the neighborhood! read more

Wing Wednesday, thirty five cent wings are Very delicious. cheapest meal I have ever had yet here in Edmonton. Tip: Try the Rootbeer bbq wings read more

Our friend John asked us to try a new place for breakfast yesterday and said to try "Rocks". We joined him and though it has a definite "rocker bar" vibe we were open minded. I was going to try eggs bennie, as I like to check it out at all the breakfast places I visit - but then I spotted avocado (love love avocado) on their omelette ingredients - so I had a "make your own". When the food arrived my omelette was brown on the outside (which I hate, but it seems almost universal so I usually overlook it). The actual horror is seeing frozen avocado! I'm not sure what it is in Edmonton with frozen avocado (Alberts also uses it) but they're basically bluish green flavourless past wedges - all the same uniform 4mm thick. Potatoes were nice however, with seasoning onions and a roasted red pepper piece (though pretty limp) and toast arranged on a cute pyramid. However, with Denny's raising the bar with actual fresh avocado I am disappointed with On the Rocks. To be fair I'm sure breakfast isn't supposed to be their "claim to fame". read more

Enjoy sitting at the bar here, as always we get good service. Favorite day is taco tursday read more

On The Rocks - Behind the bar - Pubs Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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I went on a Saturday late night Didn't take long to get a drink so I was happy for that The dance floor was WAYYY to small and jammed pack I hate dancing and you stuck to a table or something it just really is to small! For the amount of people that were there Washrooms are clean and 5 stalls about so it's fast enough I do like the crowd there I feel safe and it's mostly older so your not getting hit on every minute by young guns Food is good but a little slow for service All in all this is my only go to bar since it plays music to fit any ones needs I would say read more

I used to love this place. And come all the time but I've been dissapointed lately. Great atmosphere and really amazing staff but they have been changing the menu and literally removed everything good, replaced it with crappy food with fancy names. read more

Stopped in for a drink with my husband and we ended up staying for dinner last Thursday. At first I wasn't sure that we were going to get served but when people finally came they kept coming to make sure that we were OK so that was good. I ordered a tall double highball, got a short glass and found out when we got the bill that they just charge for two drinks. I think $10 for a double during "happy hour "is excessive. My husband had margarita (they don't do blended drinks so it was tequila with lime juice which he likes anyway), but it was almost $13 for the one drink which they claimed had 2 ounces but from the taste of the short little drink it most certainly did not. I had the beef dip and soup my husband had the chicken and waffles and soup. The soup came cold, we sent them back and they came cold again. We ended up getting some french fries after we had finished the rest of our meal. My beef dip had good flavor but the meat was cut much too thick and was tough which made it very difficult to eat. The chicken and waffles were very plain and disappointing. We were very surprised at how expensive on the rocks was especially for what you got. There was some confusion on the bill that the manager straightened out and gave us a certificate to use on a Friday night in the next 2 months. The manager was very friendly and the waitress ended up being ok but we will not be going back. The drinks are too expensive and the food is not good enough. read more

I've been to this place a few times now and have enjoyed it. The bar service is really great, super friendly, and go above and beyond. An older, chill crowd with great music. Fridays and Saturdays there's live music along with the DJ, and Thursdays is the place to be for salsa night. Good time if you're looking for a chill time. read more

I'm at Hudson's! No, it's the Pint, I'm at the Pint! Wait a minute, no, it's On The Rocks -- but you really can't tell you're at anything but a franchised Canadian bar. The decor, music, and menu is identical to that found at every cookie cutter pub in Edmonton, so why must we experience it at On The Rocks too? Food was ok, wings were cheap, beer was average, and our waitress was inattentive when she bothered to show up. Oh well. It wasn't terrible but I feel no motivation to go back, because there wasn't anything unique here. Skip it! read more

Service was not great. Been a few times and same case. During Oiler playoffs all the tables were reserved but no one said anything when you walked in. You had to circled the entire place without any staff telling you every table was reserved. If this is the case put a sign up or have a staff member at the door to tell you. read more

My friend and I were each given a $25 certificates so we figured we would give them a try. The food was really good and the service at the bar was fantastic. The only problem was that the whole restaurant was reserved, if you plan on going here on a Friday or Saturday make sure you make a reservation. read more

Last night we recieved gift certificates while at Oktoberfest which was wonderful. I have been to OTR in the past but mostly on Thursdays for the famous Salsa nights they host. We actually arrived around 9pm hoping to get a booth and have some food before the party. Once we got there the place was already busy. We had trouble finding seats as we were told that they all have been reserved and that we would have to keep an eye on the tables that gets vacant. After walking a few laps around the venue a very helpful gentleman by the name of Marco had noticed and approached us. He helped us get situated which a very big help and we were able to get the party startepast Saturday was totally different, different crowd, and also they had a live band. I found that at times the live band had slowed down the dance floor after following with a cover that did not sit well with the people dancing. The DJ had good varities of music that he played from late 80s to early 90s to present music. Also he switched up from different genre from soft rock, pop ,indie and club music. The table beside us had these guys that attended Oktoberfest too, it seem that they were having trouble keeping up with their liqour consumption and had actually started irritating the party close to us. After a few minutes one of the girls had actually come up to the drunk guys table and confronted the guys, a few words was said and sooner than you know it a fight was about to escalte between the girl's boyfriend and these drunk guys. Marco then came and got in between as the girl's party had other guys stepping in , the drunk guys were then kicked out and partyin resumed. Salute to Marco!! What a wonderful fellow. read more

I always leave On the Rocks conflicted: I have probably had a rowdy, amazingly fun night with good friends, but I probably also dont want to go back for a while due to the crowded, rowdy room. Its a great place to just hang out, have a few drinks, see a band or dance till your feet bleed (this happened to me on Saturday). However, on the weekends, it is usually ridiculously packed to the point of breaking fire code and you will probably have at least 2 drinks spilled on you due to the crowdedness. I do enjoy the crowd here though as they tend to be 20-30 somethings and very laid back. I have gone dressed up before and dressed down and usually find myself surrounded by guys in sports jerseys and jeans. The bartenders will also make sure you stay hydrated and happy! read more

So I ve never been here during the day or eaten any food but on the weekend evenings this place is fun. The crowd is older, they do not allow ed hardy, affliction wear in....decent. Calling all cougars, this is their place. Love it, crowd is always fun and never really expereined a problem. Theres live music on weekends sometimes, so if you like that its ok, but its tougher to dance too. Cant stress the cougars enough read more

I've had lots of fun at On the Rocks. In my experience, it's a spill-over place from Kelly's and other bars in the area. When people get restless and want to switch venues, they head on over to On the Rocks to blow off some steam on the dance floor. It can get quite packed on the weekends. I think the cover charge in this place is kind of stupid, considering there are lots of other free options around. At any rate, it still packs up, and it's a great place to run into other friends you know who've been out somewhere else that evening; then you can turn your two separate parties into one big one. A lot of shots seem to be done in this place. They're always lined up on the bar. The bartenders are spirited and like to see everyone having a good time. There's also a karaoke guy who comes a couple of times during the week. I haven't been, but I've heard it is quite a popular place for the city's karaoke gurus. read more

On The Rocks - Fun times served On the Rocks. - Pubs Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I've been here 3 or 4 times and am always impressed with the food here, its a lot better than I expected from a bar. I noticed a new menu is coming so I hope the food quality stays the same or improves. The one Friday night I came here the "Rock n Hops" special meal that comes with a beer for $20 was amazing. Huge portion and delicious. I stayed most of the evening and the live band was a really good. I had a lot of fun and would definitely go again on a Friday or Saturday night. read more

Two ladies wanting to have fun. So we went here and we got a waitress to bring us two sol beer at $ 13.50. We gave her a $50 dollar bill . She gave back a $20 and two $5's .she tryed stealing $6.50 . I told a bouncer about this he just said flag her down . I had to go look for her and find her to tell her she owed us more change in return. She acted stupid and gave us another drink instead. The place was packed and the manager doesnt give a shit about customers he stands by his staff and basically calls you a liar. This is stealing in my eyes and the waitress was not honest .watch your money when you go to On The Rocks there staff are thiefs. And managers dont want to hear about your money being stolen there. Its just more money for them. Not honest waitress read more