We used to love this place. The drinks are still craft cocktails and some are hit and some are miss. That's all personal preference though. And overall, GREAT quality. I stand by that, but I dropped the rating down to a 3 because of the service. The service is really hit or miss and it's a total bummer. When it's a miss - it's a pretty substantial miss. One of our servers was attentive. The other was not... at all. We waited with empty glasses. And then waited longer for our check with empty glasses. There were only two of us and it seemed like we were overlooked constantly. Bummed out by this. Don't know if we will be back. read more

Rocks & Drams - On the Rocks Margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

Why did management kill the vibe? This place used to be so cool - an elevated experience in Ventura with beautiful fun artwork, comfy velvet lounge couches, artistic and creative cocktail menus and good food. Now? It's apparently trying to be a basic sports bar. Removed artwork in favor of a ton of TVs so now the vibe is MMA fighting instead of plush. Removed nice lounge spaces with couches for more basic tabletops. Disappointed and hoping they don't try to blame Main Street when the business inevitably tapers off due to these terrible changes. read more

@yelpcentralcoast & @jara.simp organized an AMAZING #YelpElite event at @rocks_and_drams , which is already one of my favors spots in Downtown Ventura, but they made it even better because we got to experience @casadelsoltequila with a tequila educator who was so passionate about teaching us the differences between a blanco, repasado, anejo & anejo reserve. The amazing thing about the Casa Del Sol Tequila brand is the fact that it's pretty much an all female run business. From the president and CEO down to the women processing the tequila, and the master distiller name Carmen Gonzalez. It's pretty much a female dominated brand. The educator was also really helpful and showing us the correct way to taste tequila and it really changed my opinion about tequila. When I was younger, I had my day with tequila and I used to shoot them a ton, but it wasn't the quality tequila that we received at this yelp elite event at Rocks & Drams. I have a much greater appreciation for everything it entails to process the agave into a beautifully distilled liquor. And we were fortunate enough to get some really high quality tequila that's meant to be smooth enough to be savored as a sipping tequila. Although I'm not much of a drinker these days, because if that fact, I'm more inclined to choose what I drink with my care. And although I really didn't plan to drink a lot, I enjoyed the little that I did sample. And to celebrate the fact that it is Latinx Heritage month we received some empanadas from @passionempanadas & Vegan Concha's from @bakemehappy_21 which were all very delicious! The empanadas I chose were the Potato & Spinach. I love that these were both amazing vegetarian/vegan options, and they were so delicious and had a slight kick. The Vegan Conchas were delicious. They were so moist and flavorful. I've never really been a fan of Mexican pan dulce because they tend to be dry, but this was really moist & delicious. I recommend all three of these business. And FYI, if you're ever in Downtown Ventura in December, please make it a point to go and drop by Rocks & Drams . They decorate the whole bar and lounge so beautifully. His wife does such a great job at putting it together. It is stunning and highly, highly Instagramable! So be sure to bring some friends put on a cute ugly sweater and take some pictures you will have beautiful photos for years to come! read more

Rocks & Drams - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

If you are looking for the Christmas experience they are promoting I wouldn't buy into it. We ended up sitting outside because the music inside was so loud and had nothing to do with Christmas. We got there before two other couples and were only offered a couch at first. They got seated at tables right away. We had reservations as well. I informed the hostess that I wanted to talk to my husband about the couch option. We stepped out for two minutes and I got a notification on my phone that my reservation was cancelled...wow. The only good part was our waiter. He is the only reason we stayed after finding out they no longer serve hibachi meals. We ordered three tapas. Ahi wontons were good but wings were sweet. Don't even bother with the garlic noodles... about a cup of noodles with super sweet sauce for $16. read more

The ambiance got us in there, the music selection was varied and rich, the delicious whiskey made us stay, and the freshly fried donuts were a dream. This was a perfect place to meet with friends and we ended up canceling other plans to stay there longer. Exquisite vibes. read more

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If you're looking for a great time to get drinks, eat tasty salmon and sliders, and catch up with friends.. this is the place!

Date night spot? This is the bar to come to. This bar has great and unique drinks and a very tasty menu. The garlic noodles are unlike no other and not your ordinary noodles! They are full of flavor and a must try! I ordered one of their dinner filet mignon combos and it did not disappoint. Everything was just perfect! They have a dj in the back playing great music making the night enjoyable! The decor inside is very beautiful and loved the color combination! Service was amazing as it was our first time here and he truly made it a great experience! read more

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My husband and I love the is place we've been here 5 weeks in a row. Big will is fantastic read more

Rocks & Drams - The ambiance was amazing very relaxed and mellow. The service was amazing big will always providing the best drinks and food.. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

Very glam and hip spot in ventura for cocktails and food! We came right at 5pm when they opened for happy hour. HH is unbeatable - $7 items from 5pm - 7pm tues - Fri. I had the orange Julius and it was creamy and sweet, just like the mall version, and WAY too easy to drink. Tons of food options on the menu - will have to try the noodles and fried rice next time. We ordered the loaded fries (cheesy sauce, bacon, sour cream, jalapeños, my absolute FAVE this visit), a smash burger (it was melty and huge!), chicken bites, onion rings (crispy, slightly oversalted), and meatballs (had lots of potential but a tad dry). The place filled up so fast and there were people waiting for a table as we left. Lots of free parking in the parking structure or metered street parking. Our servers were very nice, if not a bit frazzled, but understandable for a packed Friday after work. read more

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Very underwhelming the holiday bar, lol nothing like what is advertised on IG. I also didn't know after 8 it's appetizers and drinks only no entrees so that was unfortunate. read more

Very cute spot to have a drink at. The decor is so pretty and the service is so friendly. My friend and I only stopped in for one drink but wow were both delicious. I cannot remember what I ordered, I think it was the clover club, and my friend ordered the espresso martini nitro. They were too good and so smooth tasting. If I lived in the area I would come back! read more

Rocks & Drams - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

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Updated: the place has changed since my last visit (Jan 23) and my last review. They got rid of the special drink menu they had and I feel like the prices have went up. I ordered the sugar & spice and it was NASTY. Not saying the drink is nasty for those that like Mezcal but I clearly DO NOT. I will say that we were able to switch it out and we got a clover club R&D riff which was AMAZING! The loaded fries we got the first time were definitely skimpy this time. Drinks are $12+ just FYI. read more

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You want $16 Dollars!? For this! Dry Grocery store bun, deflated pineapple that's paper thin, a slice American cheese and pickles? No it is Not Worth That !!! Food has gone majorly downhill, would you pay $16 for this burger? I regret that I did !! read more

Rocks & Drams - Hawaiian Smash-burger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

Didn't order food, but the drinks were pretty and delicious. The atmosphere was comfortable and the music was jumping! Our bartender was fun and handled our party with class. Great service! read more

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Atmosphere, music and drinks were great. But the food was just a no for me. Too sweet.

Great food great drinks great service overall, a great place whenever I'm in Ventura, it's one of my favorite places to go read more

This place is amazing Great music and drinks with the best food !! Try there happy hour on the weekends And the espresso martini is fabulous!! read more

This place used to be super cool with great lounge vibe and art, and an awesome cocktail menu. We walked in on Saturday instead to just have tons of sports tvs on playing loudly different channels, with no cool music, and laminated limited menu with only a few basic looking cocktails and food items. Disappointed by the changes. read more

Very cool lounge! And killer eats! Makes for an awesome foodie experience! And the cocktails are bomb! Love the "speakeasy feel" super cool vibe! I had a couple cosmopolitans and the hubs had margaritas! Both so good! We got there just as they were about to close the kitchen and they were so nice and said they'd be glad to keep it going for us! So glad they did because we LOVED our dinner!! I had the bbq smash burger omg sooo yummy! I'm normally not a huge burger person but this!!?? Was amazing! My husband devoured his chicken & waffles with total satisfaction! Excellent service too! Friendly and attentive! Definitely coming back! Highly recommend! read more

Rocks & Drams - BBQ smash burger drool drool!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

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If you haven't been to Rocks & Drams, GO! We're so lucky to have a unique spot like this and if you're lucky enough to meet Mark, the owner, his passion for providing us Ventura locals a great experience really shows. My friend was visiting in town and her mom loves this place so we tried to get in for the holiday experience; however they were booked. Mark expanded the patio service and set up a 2nd bar outside to let more people continue to dine even if they didn't get to partake in the inside. The food is amazing! And Chef Mike even delivered one of our dishes. The garlic noodles were so good we ordered another round once step dad joined us. read more

Fun friendly and good food. Enjoyed the drinks and the atmosphere was great. Had a great time there.

Awesome place . I loved all the Christmas decor. Great customer service. I loved the singer they had this past Wednesday. What an amazing voice ! So talented. I def want to be back to hear him again! I didn't eat anything but we did grab a drink. It was refreshing and quenched the anxiety after a long day at work ! I'll be back ! read more

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A great cocktail bar on California St. with outdoor tables. Comfy couches and chairs nicely spaced indoors, eclectic music and a beautiful bar. $7 cocktails until 7 makes it a perfect happy hour stop in downtown. Their cocktails are strong and delicious, truly works of art. Tough decision which unique specialty cocktail to try first, plus all the usual Manhattans and old fashioneds. I tried the tiny tiki cocktail this visit, mostly quality rum and was glad I didn't order a regular sized cocktail since we are heading to a play at the Rubicon and I don't want to drift off. We couldn't resist trying the KFC bao on the happy hour menu which ended up being a full meal deal. Their noodles with yuzu chili sauce was tasty and spicy and a full meal on its own. Can't wait to come back. read more

Rocks & Drams - Tiny tiki cocktail. Mostly rum - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

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It's really gone downhill, you can tell that the owner's have stepped back. The restaurant as a whole is much less maintained, the bathroom was filthy which was surprising. The tables that replaced the really nice furniture, look cheap and tacky. And the service still struggles, our server Nikki was terrible. Our party had to remind the server multiple times we were waiting on drinks. Being busy is understandable, but you could tell she was miserable. Service at the bar was fine, but trying to get service at a table is near impossible. My cousin ordered a basic cocktail with lemon specified, and the server said they couldn't do lemons only limes. Can no longer recommend this place read more

I haven't back since it first original open years ago. Came with my friend and I was very impress by their drinks and food they added to their menu. The Christmas pop up bar is really awesome. The staff is very friendly. read more

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Came by on a Saturday night with a couple friends and we were suprised we never noticed this super cute spot. It has a LA feel/ vibe and the service is good. The indoor of this place is decorated so cute, gives the place overall a great vibe. We sat in the outdoor sections and they played some hip hop/rap music while we were there and we loved it. It was around 7:30pm when we got there and it wasn't that busy. We ordered a few drinks and all of them were very strong. Defiantly worth your moneys worth if you know what I mean so in no way am I complaining. They have a wide selection of custom cocktails named after celebrities which is very unique. They also service beer and wine and I'm sure the can probably make any drink you desire. If your looking to drink somewhere new be sure to give this place a shot. I know I'm personally looking forward to going back. read more

Rocks & Drams - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

I came here for a work event. It was nice, the seating was nice and food was good. Service was outstanding. We had garlic noodles, sautéd vegetables, salmon and chicken good but a bit too oily I would say. The salmon and noodles were good as well as the vegetables however the chicken was okay. I feel that food could be better but willing to give them another try read more

Ambience is cozy and festive. Service amounted to being ok with one person being super friendly and helpful and the other not so much. I'd recommend this place if you're looking for a comfortable, holiday vibe to enjoy while having a few drinks and you don't care too much about the food. read more

Beyond disappointing experience at R&D last weekend. My friends and I came to the restaraunt on Sunday. We had a reservation and dressed in our best "Christmas aesthetic"- fancy, sparkles ect. We knew we were coming in during the game but figured the drinks would still be holiday themed so why not? Worst. Service. Ever. First, we sat down and took a look at the menu. They had a special menu for the holiday pop up so of course we had questions. Every question we asked was met with an eye roll or a sharp, single worded answer by our server. She was clearly either unhappy with our group of 6 women attending Sunday football or was just in a bad mood. We asked about the shot-ski- which was listed on the menu as an option. The server told us she didn't know if it was available. Awkward pause. So we asked about the shot tree- what the heck is a shot tree- same answer. She grabbed the manager- he explained the shot ski hadn't been unwrapped yet so we couldn't order it. What do you mean it hasn't been unwrapped but it's on your menu??? He told us we can order the shot tree and explains what it is- he was the one kind person we interacted with that day at rocks and drams. My friend added a shot to her order to participate in the shot tree. The server came back with 4 shots in regular shot glasses- not on the tree. We pointed it out to the server and she shrugged and said, I don't know anything about that and left. Okkkkk... this is around when we noticed that one of the shots had tajin sprinkles on the side- a clearly dirty glass. The glass was so dirty the shot inside looked pink from tajin while the other 3 looked clear/ cloudy. Gross! At this point we had received so much negativity from our server it wasn't even worth pointing out the dirty glass. Then came our $13 "holiday" drinks. Not one of these holiday drinks had anything to do with the holidays other than the name. Not a candy cane, cute cup, nothing. When we asked about the cups, the server rolled her eyes and said that's the glass they come in. We left around the time that the manager told us he had finished our "shot tree"- this is after we had already taken the other shots brought to our table with an attitude (excluding the Tajin laced shot). We declined, asked for the bill, and high tailed it to Bank of Italy. If you're looking for a holiday bar- highly recommend checking them out. Cute theming and holiday drinks that are actually holiday themed (and delicious), amazing bartender and service. Don't waste your money at R&D when there are other amazing businesses to support in Ventura, read more

What an awful experience. 20 min after being sat by the hostess he comes up to us and asks if we plan on being there for a while. Mind you we haven't even received our drinks yet and are just sitting on the couch. 30 min after being sat 1 of 3 drinks come. 35 min the second drink and then our food. Finally after saying something for the second time our third drink finally arrives. The hostess has come to our table to move stuff off the table and keeps eyeing us as if we are inconvenient. We get that they're busy and are trying to be patient but now we've asked for napkins we've asked for the cup menu and nothing. These extremely rude people come and put their backpack on the table with our food. My husband asked if they could move it as it was dirty and had been on the floor so putting it on the table near our food was gross. They had an issue with that and kept trying to start something so we just ignored them. They finally left and we asked for the check 30 min later we had to ask again. It was constant delay after delay. We saw other tables/party's not being ignored like us at one point we saw 3 waiters catering to one table. This was our second time visiting we made a reservation. We just felt like an inconvenience we probably won't be going back after this. The food and drinks were good, just terrible service. read more

10/10 would recommend! When I first walked in, I can see that the bar was decorated beautifully. It was very cute, nice and cozy! I ordered santa's pina colada and my bf got the mcclane amf. Both drinks were delicious! The bartenders were super chill and friendly, definitely a plus to the experience. The food was delicious as well! The chicken sando, just wow crispy on the outside yet juicy and tender on the inside. The cauliflower was a little too sweet for my taste, but my bf loved it. He didn't even know it was a cauliflower haha he thought it was chicken. The pork belly bao bun was so yummy, the pork was nice and tender. Tasted like bbq ribs tbh. Overall this is one of the best bars I've been to. I recommend this place to a few of my friends and I will definitely be back! :) read more

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Make this classy spot a "must" on your next visit to Ventura. We stopped in the evening and enjoyed a few cocktails. Lately I've been on the hunt for the perfect Old Fashioned, the Gary Cooper did not disappoint!! Delicious! With the big-fat square ice cube! If you are after a martini, they have you covered with the Double Jeopardy! Seriously, the best martini I've ever enjoyed! Bartenders are quick, nimble and really know their craft! Food is awesome to! Enjoyed a chicken-katsu sandwich! Pork belly bao tacos and cauliflower bites, done in kung pao sauce!! All delicious!!!! Enjoy and evening with friends or your love! Warm and cozy vibe, live music as well. Check it out!! Cheers!! read more

Serving deliciousness, hats off to Chef Palmer. The service we received by Dre (Benz-By D.R.E.) and restaurant staff was so amazing they made us feel welcomed and gave us an amazing dinning experience, we will definitely be back again. Definitely worth the drive! If you want that 5star customer service ask for DRE and he will make your night at Rocks & Drams a beautiful memorable experience. Restaurant service and ambience on point. Reservations highly recommended. read more

Rocks & Drams - Filet, lobster, garlic noodles, sautéed veggies and fried rice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

In the mood for a throwback in time in elegance, this is the place to be perfect for a warm-up for the evening, or relax and get cozy and stay there for the night. This bar in restaurant has definitely elevated the vibes that Ventura has to offer if you're going somewhere for just a drink this is gotta be the place. read more

I'm obsessed with the noodles!!! Rocks & Drams has always been a favorite spot of mine in Downtown Ventura and I am so glad Miracle is back!! Make your reservation, grab your friends and family to experience the holiday magic. Rs & Ds is serving up great food and drinks but most importantly it's a place to hang out and connect with friends/family during the holiday season. The decor is festive and jolly. The servers and staff are friendly. They will always have my business. Oh and the guest DJ s are awesome. Ps the holiday mugs are for sale too! I need to add Krampus to my collection. read more

Rocks & Drams - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

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Quick Summary Very chic bar at downtown Ventura with Koreatown bar vibes. The happy hour is awesome with $7 drinks and items (available 5-7pm Tuesday-Friday). Food- 5 stars We ordered the smash burger, loaded fries, chicken and waffle, and KFC sandwich. The food was pretty good and all the items were $7 each during happy hour. Great value and pretty tasty food. They use dark meat on all their fried chicken dishes, so it tastes much juicier. Drinks- 5 stars Great place for cocktails. We ordered a Paloma and margarita off the happy hour. Pretty strong, slightly sweet, but still pretty good Service- 5 stars Excellent service on a Tuesday night. Food was out quickly. Servers and wait staff were fantastic too Bottom Line Cool bar with excellent cocktails, comfort food, and service. The happy hour is one of the best in the area read more

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I've been coming here to watch football. Absolutely first class place. Food is great. Service feels high end but still down to earth and friendly. The lounge seats are extraordinarily comfortable. It's just a top notch experience here. read more

Rocks and drams has a great vibe, especially during the holidays it's all decked out! But be aware, no happy hour during the holiday pop up. They said it should be back on January 6th. :) can't wait to try it out! I've been before for their hibachi menu which is incredible, but ready to try out the happy hour. read more

Rocks & Drams - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

Lemon pepper wings were a little too lemony for my taste but everything else was great. The atmosphere and service were both great. We enjoyed the Dj and looking at all the videos on the screens. Great place to relax and enjoy great drinks. read more

The service was great here. The food was also very good. It was the first time coming here since the Yelp Xmas event. The food could have been a tad hotter. The meat and fried rice were warm but I think it was still good. I really liked the sesame dressing on the salad. The de was playing great old school jams. I really liked the ambiance inside. I would definitely come back here for cocktails and dinner. read more

Rocks & Drams - Gimlet - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ventura, California

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