Cheeseburger and avocado dip truffle fries. And such a cool ambience throughout! Would definitely come back.

The food selections did not look overly appetizing. Drinks were kind of boring and priced high. Service was nonexistent. We didn't stay. read more

The Rook - The entryway - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Food & drinks were just ok, for the price there's better options nearby. Vibe wasn't that great either

Overpriced. If you want to take pics then this is your spot. Great decor, very floral; it's like forever spring. The menu is lacking and the prices are more than they should be. One of the few places in the area without happy hour specials. Truffle fries and prawn taco were decent, not great but not bad either. My drink the purple thing (top of menu) was delicious read more

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Two stars for service and ambience. Everywhere we went we had amazing food! Our last night in Sydney decided to give this place a try. Uber dropped us off and we still couldn't find it. There's no big sign so it took us sometime to locate it. We were seated immediately and keep in mind this is a fun place! I'm not a fan but they were able to make me my fav Moscow mule with vodka. The drinks were great! Our order was taken promptly and our food came out even faster which was alarming. Our three food options were there in less than 5 minutes. I have to say all three were really bad! The trio sliders cold and I sampled all three didn't like any at all! Their kitchen sink salad was bland although it had so many things in it just not good and lastly onion rings which because everything else was so bad this was ok and salty. Last meal in Sydney and left very disappointed! I do still recommend this place based on ambience,service and drinks. Not sure if this was just an off day in the kitchen but it was an unfortunate one for us! read more

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Neat ambience, but they make you order food via app and open a tab that requires you to sign up for an account to do so. Fish dish made one of our party sick for several days after. Typical bar food otherwise read more

This is an awesome rooftop bar which I am sure is beautiful on sunny days when they can leave the top open. Unfortunately, we came on an overcast and rainy day. However, I'm sure glad that we made it there before it started pouring cats and dogs! The selection of cocktails and gastropub foods were a lot of fun to peruse, mostly because of the names. The foods were definitely 'American inspired'. I ended up ordering the 'down the rabbit hole' cocktail and the 'Uncle Sam' burger. The cocktail was beautifully presented and so fun to pour! It was slightly floral and a bit citrus-y, which is exactly how I like my drinks. My burger really hit the spot; in particular, the patty was juicy and the bacon crunchy. The fries were super tasty as well. They don't have 'ketchup' as we know it in the US, but their housemade version isn't bad! Service is meh, we didn't bother leaving tip. read more

How did The Rook slip my radar? This place is the bomb. Tick for ambiance, tick for waitress with personality and tick for tasty bar food. The menu hones in on two things: burgers and lobster. A Homer Simpson Utopia? It sounds like the makings of a pop up, but its not. The lobster pie special was, well, special. And that grilled chicken burger; huge, juicy, delicious! The side of truffle fries takes it to another level of indulgence. Decor is... warm and inviting. Props for making a rooftop bar warm and inviting! Just think of how good this place will be come Summertime... The Rook is a great place for a casual date, Friday dinner with friends or a birthday party. You really can't go wrong. read more

The Rook - The Tower, Marquess and Rector. Standing proud and defiant at all four corners of the board, it is the oft most under utilised piece. Back to front and sideways it can sit on any square. Use it wisely and watch the King get surgically incised betwixt twin crab-like pincers. This bar's physical presence is nothing like its chess namesake. Tucked away in some corner of the city that you'll probably never ever find, heck even the elevator doesn't know where it is. But, the essence of The Rook, the bars understated cool, mirrors the enigmatic castle piece. This bar is cool, it knows it is cool. It doesn't tell you - because it doesn't need to. It doesn't show you - because it doesn't need to. It just exudes the essence of cool. They stock sexy gins here (Bulldog, and the West Winds Dirty Harry just a glorious 2 of many) all locked up in a cabinet, and if you know what you're doing you'll sidle on up to the bar, nod knowingly at a friendly face and quip "I'll have a little Britain", cos you know your citrusy yuzu and expect a slice of zest to match ur personality. If you're uber you'll fling them a sack full o' botanicals and consider the trasnsaction done! And when you've had your fill, and the only way is out, you'll stand like a muppet in the elevator waiting endlessly for the doors to close, not realising in your stupor that they run on good vibes - and this place is all about good vibes - so just breathe them in, watch as the doors magically close, and exhale when you reach ground floor. Sadly I didn't try the food here. Definitely next time... but what a first impression! what a first impression! Consider me smitten! read more

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I don't really like their service, venue and environment. Due to tiny venue, we had to wait downstair for 15 mins and the girl was not nice. Also, there was a time when all of my mates had arrived upstairs, got table and ordered food & drinks, I came late and my friend came down to pick up me, the girl still forced me to wait. All the food were cold and drinks were not cold any more when I came up. Worst experience! Lobster roll is not very special. It's an Asian-fusion dish. Veggie, herbs and sauce are stronger than lobster that I can't feel the existence of lobster in the roll. They should name it "Veggie roll! I prefer traditional Vietnamese pork roll - Banh mi. Other dishes seem normal for me too. All the drinks like cocktails and cider are quite good. read more

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The Rook was number 4 (and last) place on my list at a Bar Hop/Crawl my friend and I decided to go on last Friday. We randomly picked 4 bars on York Street neither of us had been to and went on a little drink/food journey, and what a fun journey it was! People, if you happen to work on York St you are a lucky duck and spoiled for choice when it comes to cool bars. The Rook was our last stop, so as you can imagine, we were a lil bit tipsy. We didn't eat at any of the other places as we wanted to build up an appetite for The Rook, and boy, am I glad we waited! We both ordered the BLT Wagyu burgers that were amazing, and no, I'm not just saying this because I had alcohol in my blood stream...I know an awesome burger when I meet (eat?) one. Oh, and the hot chips that came with it...biggest/chunkiest I have ever seen! This place is so lively and literally ideal for everything: great music but not too loud so you can chat with friends, nice drinks, awesome food. It's very well hidden and you would never find it unless you knew it was there, but I'm telling you now, so you know it's there...so go. read more

The Rook - Wagyu burgers - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Hidden bars are always really fun and The Rook is definitely hidden. You'll walk right past the entrance to this bar on York Street if you aren't looking for it, or maybe even if you are looking for it because the first time I went there I walked past it twice. Enter the nondescript building on York Street near the Mitre 10 which houses a couple of English language schools and hit the R button on the elevator. You'll step out into a place that seems a little at odds to its surrounding but super cool! Lots of cocktails and it seems lots of lobster is on the menu. It is a little pricey but the cocktails are delicious. My personal favourite is Down the Rabbit Hole in which you get served your drink in a little bottle full of green liquid, then you get to pour it into your glass and it turns purple! Very cool! Another cocktail who's name I've forgotten comes under a glass cloche full of fragrant smoke! All the points for creativeness. I haven't eaten food here but the burgers looked amazing and the smell from the truffle fries are very enticing! read more

The Rook - Down the rabbit hole cocktail - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Hard to find and eclectic decor, all the tables reserved already at 5pm Friday! Seriously, the find-me-if-you-can bars in Sydney are rockin. In through what looks like the lobby of any apartment or office building (and a very small one at that) on York St, up to the top floor and hey presto, like walking into the Tardis you are in a large area with lots of vibe, windows, skylights, corrugated iron, timber planks and urban eclectic chic. The menu is very basic - lobster or burgers. Quite a few varieties of those though, and some combos, plus chips with truffle oil (don't bother) and onion rings - possibly THE BEST in the universe - and assorted other nibbles. The crowd is mixed - after work office types (guilty your honour), hipsters starting the night, groups for dinner and so on. Range of seating options - high tables for drinkers and grazers, dinner tables for those eating, and a couple of couchy type arrangements. The drinks menu has some (pricey) doozies, although I only got to El Matador, a tequila based cocktail with pepper, lime, something, something, tequila. Who knows, after four I was beyond caring and feeling no pain. It's like right next to my office - this is gonna hurt.... read more

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Nice Rooftop bar, though a bit misleading as there didn't seem to be any actual outside that I saw. I tried the Australian Shiraz and the Argentinian Malbec; which were both amazing and paired with the Lobster nachos and the chicken sandwich really hot the spot. The nachos were just the right amount of cheesy and light. While the sandwich really started packing some heat about halfway through really driving it home. All around really cool place to chill, eat and drink! read more

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I discovered this hidden bar by pure coincidence. So I was walking around the area on a rainy weekday evening, and I saw this line of people queuing up to go into what appears to be an office building. You don't need to have Sherlock Holmes intuition to know that people just don't line up to get back to work. So I joined the queue to find out what it's about. (I actually couldn't help myself and asked the people in the lift where they're heading to, turns out there's a bar upstairs) You can hear the lively bar as soon as the lift approaches. A gush of warm air rushed into the lift as the doors open and I was transported to a funky little bar. I have since returned multiple times and it has never disappointed me. The waiters here are cool and helpful. The cocktails are one of a kind! They're seriously creative and quirky! Have you ever seen a cocktail infused with actual chai smoke? Or what about a cocktail that changes colour as you pour it? The food is equally as good. Great portion sizes and deliciously cooked. The truffle fries and onion rings are awesome! I haven't tried the lobsters yet but judging from the quality of the burgers, the lobsters would have been great too. This bar is so well hidden that everyone I have ever brought here is amazed that it exists on top of this nondescript office building. Bring your friends here. They will be impressed. read more

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I circled the block twice trying to find this gem, but I finally found the building, took the lift to the seventh floor and was amazed - I felt at home and hip all at the same time. This is a roof top restaurant with bartenders who know what they're doing. As for myself, my requests for pale ales did not tax their talent to shake up a cocktail, but that's how I roll. I had the Endeavour pale ale and 4 Pines Kolsch. I liked them both! I feel guilty not drinking my old favorite, VB, but I've moved on. For dinner I had the Bandito burger and fries. The burger and the atmosphere, and great music was the best. You've got to try this place. read more

The Rook - Bandito burger with an Endeavour Pale Ale - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Amazing place with great cocktails!!! And by that I mean dark animated attic bar with great music and good looking people having animated conversations... ... BUT you actually come here for the food (or maybe both food and drinks): they specialize in burgers and lobster, we had burgers and they were amazing... (See pictures) Round up with a very friendly staff and you'll understand you need to wait 10 minutes at the bar before getting a table... This is the only downside, but we actually had a good time waiting a bit! read more

The Rook - Fried mars bar - delicious! - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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The vibe is comfortable and friendly. The waitress (Harmony) was quite the opposite. Our party of four was seated very quickly and placed our order within 10 minutes. We ordered our food and three beers. The beers came rather quickly. After having two tables sit down 15 minutes after we ordered our food and seeing them get their meals, we tried to find our server. We are now about 45 minutes in from ordering and we have empty beers and no food. When Harmony finally comes by our table, which she thoroughly neglected, we ask if something might have happened with our order. She goes to the terminal looks at it for a bit then returns to take our order for a second time. Her reply was "I did my job, I put the order in" and began giving us a poor attitude. At this point, My patience evaporated. Mistakes happen, and I totally understand that. The problem here is the crappy attitude about the situation. No apology or anything resembling empathy. Just a bad attitude. So, I said we would just like to pay for the beers and go somewhere else. Her response was an exaggerated roll of the eyes while walking away with out saying anything. Wow. read more

If it get's a bit too packed, you can go out to the smoking area. It could easily get too packed if people are saying space is reserved at the bar and there is no sign... The restaurant area is not for nibbles, only full meals. No just ordering fries to sit. I had the Honeypot and Tijuana Diplomat which were both quite good in their own ways. The Honeypot was like a cold hot toddy--whisky and honey. The Diplomat was Tequlia and bitters forward. My friend had the Cookies and Milk and loved it. It comes with a real cookie! Bar turns around quick. To the people behind me asking for a 'beer/wine' line, you're a bar known for cocktails, live a little. read more

The Rook - Honeypot, cookies and cream - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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If you are on the way to the State Theatre for a show or just in the local area don't let the facade of an office building put you off this amazing place. With amazingly priced food and a simple menu it makes for a great night out. There is drinking space and eating place and the roof top setting has been decked out with a stylish decor that makes this venue suitable for all ages. The wait staff are lovely and the service was top notch. The price and value was on point as well. Go for a drink go for a meal it will be a fantastic time out for all. But do book. I booked for the same day but it was busy. read more

The Rook - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Super fun find, thanks to Yelp! Totally not something you see, and if you like burgers totally not something you wanna miss! My hubs and I happened by that area while visiting Sydney the other day and stopped in for an early dinner. It's sort of adorable - kinda rustic and basic. I'll bet it's a super fun Happy Hour spot! My hubby and I both had the Uncle Sam burger. Oh. Em. Gee. It was fantastic!! The chips were what we'd call Steak Fries here in the states and were perfect. If he has to go back for business again it will be on the "must dine at" list!! read more

Very good Chang of pass for Americans tourist we enjoyed ourselves and the food and a very nice atmosphere

Some of the best burgers I have ever had. So happy that yelp led me here. The Rook is an incredible hidden gem that you should try if you are a fan of beer and burgers. Their cocktail menu is amazing as well. My partner had the lobster and bacon roll which was to die for. Make sure you know the address as you can't spot the rook from the street. read more

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I've been here once before and ordered their house special ginger beer and their Uncle Sam beef burger and both were delicious! Went back today with my work team and ordered the lobster and bacon roll with the truffle fries on the side. Again, I was not disappointed. Our waitress was absolutely lovely and memorised all 10 of our team's orders! (Impressive) Can't wait to hit them up again! read more

The Rook - Lobster and bacon roll - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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First time I tried to get to this place I ended up in an English language school. A guy with glasses ran up to me to say hullo and goes "Ah! You're English is very good." I'm like thank you, what a polite barman. Where's the beer? And he just smiled at me and looked confused. And that's how I worked out not to get off at level 6, but to press the big R for Roof and that's where the lobsters and onion rings and cocktails and beers are, plus a little something called orgeat which was in my gin cocktail and which I wanted to pretend I had knowledge of but really, what could that possibly be? Almond liqueur, as it turns out. But of course. Woulda been my first guess, sweetheart. My drink also had Yuzu in it. I did know what that was at one point in my life. Still might. Just, right now the knowledge has fled to the dark side of my brain, won't have access to it for another 12 hours. It's spendy, there's some damn food times to be had here. read more

The best thing about being known as the person with all the restaurant suggestions at work is that every time a welcome, farewell, birthday, end-of-quarter, Christmas or other lunch comes up I can use it as a chance to go to all the places on my bookmark list. Although having never been to most of them, being a seasoned liar I tell my work colleagues "Omigod, you haven't been the the Rook?! It's amazing, you'll love it, we have to go there, I'll book." So this is where we ended up for the "welcome to the associate lawyer here on secondment from Boston" lunch. For starters we had the lobster croquettes and some kind of special arancini which I can't remember. The arancini were delicious. The lobster croquettes, if I wrote how my friend described them this review would be flagged but you can message me for the precise descriptor if you like. What I will say is that it was something to do with the texture and the white sauce. Not a must have in other words. For main I had the Wagyu burger and truffled fries (I'm loving that everything is truffled at the moment). That burger was AM-A-HAZ-ING. Seriously good. Cocktails are inventive and fun. The Peg Leg is really nice and comes with a pirate themed temporary tattoo which is totally cool to put on and wear to work for the rest of the day. I don't have to say I'll be back to the Rook since the Yelp General Assembly event was in the same building so I was back that night for more Peg Legs. read more

BEST. BURGER. EVER. Doesn't matter which one you get, because all of them are made with wagyu beef. This is one of the most amazing pieces of meat I've ever had- so juicy and tender and wholly satisfying. Every bite blew my mind. The tomato jam was a sweet complement on the dreamily soft buns. I'm not sure how they named the Uncle Sam burger because it didn't really scream 'MURICA, but whatever, the star was the wagyu beef. It's not cheap, but $20 for a foodgasm and truffle fries sounds like a good deal to me. I also had the arancini (fried risotto balls) and they were delicious. The place really started filling up with the after-work crowd after 7 PM on a Friday. Your eyes are guaranteed a treat too, because everyone here looked effortlessly gorgeous, and I'm just baffled how they do it. The Rook is clearly a well-known hot spot despite being hidden on the top level of a random office building. If you're visiting Sydney even for just a day, make this a destination. read more

I arrived alone on a Friday night and spent a while waiting for my partner in crime to show up. The place was crowded so I stood off to one side of the bar, drinking a beer, trying to look nonchalant. It was really noisy and my inner grandma was shaking her head, wishing that people would just pipe down a little. I put my name on the wait list for a table and I noticed that they wrote a description of all the waitlistees next to the booking. I was the blonde in the yellow top, there was also the tanned guy in a suit, and the tall guy in a blue shirt and glasses. Whatever works! We eventually got a table and both ordered burgers and fries. The burgers were good, so so good! The meat was tender and flavoursome and the sauce just right. The fries were thick cut and also amazingly good. I think i'll be back, just not on a Friday night...I need to keep my inner grandma quiet. read more

Truffle fries, Onion Rings! Nothing else can be said here that everyone else has commented on. Not because there is limited offering (plenty in fact) but at The Rook, everyone knows a good thing when they see it. Easy to miss foyer and to add on level 7 lift, you are welcomed by the instant display of neon lighted welcoming bar of The Rook. All menus written on the walls be it on blackboard chalked in or wooden planks. Not too sure about the theme but it works. Already after work hours, a table for 8 was more than accommodated to us once we asked as we walked in. Few minutes wait at the bar, drinks brought to the table. Whatever you do, order food straight away because there can be a wait. For our table of 8, 30mins was acceptable for meals all to be brought out at once. The main ingredient is lobster (and price to return) which everyone is happy. The WHOLE menu sounds amazing but I had to behave myself at 3 dishes only. Lobster & chorizo croquettes with smoked paprika aioli absolutely melts at the first bite. A good strong lobster taste isn't overpowered by anything else. The same went with my second dish Lobster & Bacon Roll to which barely the filling could be contained. Everything else at the table ranged from Lobster risotto to wagyu burgers with the famous truffle fries and Onion Rings on the side. No! The mains were the side, the fries and rings were the mains. Multiple orders had to added. A fantastic meal had to be finished with a dessert and a challenge. Deep fried mars bar with vanilla bean ice cream served quite fancy (never had before) but was met wide eyed hungry patrons. An absolutely heaven ascending dish tried by all and left with smiles. I will be back for the food to this somewhat small bar but the interesting choices of drinks can get anyone's attention. Point, the service...is a cut above the rest. Wow to the huge order we did, all by memory. Mark My Words read more

The Rook - Deep fried mars bar, vanilla bean ice cream - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Love this rooftop bar. I've been back quite a number of times for different occasions and it's always been a memorable experience. The cocktails are so creative and to die for. Burgers are pretty good too and you can't ignore the lobster dishes they offer- although the portions have gotten smaller over time. read more

This place was a very cool place to find!! It's a bit hidden as the location is on the highest level of a building that looks like an office building. But when you get inside you're amazed by the vibe, and set up and thing... How is this place located here but looks so cool and is still relatively busy? One half of the room is for drinks and the other side it set up for eating. They specialize in lobster dishes and burgers! I ordered the lobster lettuce cup and the truffle fries. These were incredible! Lobster cooked to perfection and the truffle on the fries was addictive! Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful! Will bring some friends back and go again! read more

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The Lobster is phenomenal. As are the old fashioneds! This place is great for a work dinner, date, or catching up with friends. Wine list is not intimidatingly extensive, but has enough variety and price variance to make it acceptable to almost any budget. The location is fantastic and is around most of the other small bars in the area. Put it on your list for the next pub crawl! read more

Bungalow. Hipster. Hidden. Fantastic. The Rook is one of the places where you will accidentally miss if you are not aware of where you are looking for. I will say, once you find that street and the office building to go into, you will find your way up to the seventh floor and bam, there's a bar! Upon entering, it has that nostalgic bungalow feel to it, but hidden away from the chaos of Sydney's CBD. Although, no sweeping views or anything (was not expecting), you do get that rooftop sensation that you are high up in the skyline of Sydney enjoying a fine tasty cocktail. DRINKS: A variety of cocktails for those who are interested in the hard liquor, you will find yourself spending around $20+ on a drink. Upon ordering, the bartenders seemed attentive and meticulous in their drink preparation and it definitely showed in the tastiness of the drinks that the couple of us ordered. FOOD: No food for us this time. Overall, the Rook has a great vibe filled tucked away in an office building in Sydney's CBD. Without a doubt, hipster and quaint, this place makes for a nice relaxing night in Sydney where you can converse easily with friends around the table. read more

Overpriced and mediocre! Come here if you want to burn money and eat average lobster. #sorrynotsorry read more

Busy, pricey, classy. Deep fried things good, lobster things audacious but nicely done. Entry via an unassuming office elevator, but everyone's wise to that, popularity trough obscurity! read more

The place itself has a great vibe. As for the music and ambiance it's really enjoyable. It's worth checking out.

Very cool vibe here. I like how it feels like a well kept secret, and how when you walk in, it feels like you're walking into a private house party. Honestly, many places try to pull this off, but few do it as well as The Rook. Came here with a client to enjoy a burger in a trendy, post-work setting, and found exactly what I was looking for. The burger itself was slightly above average (I know, I know, wagyu beef and all that, but I've had better), and the service at the table was average, which is why I can't give The Rook more than 4 stars. Regardless, it's worth a visit, and if I lived in Sydney, I would probably visit at least once a month. Definitely when I'm with clients! Not sure this would be a great place to visit solo, but perhaps you can meet cool people in the bar area. It felt like a friendly, open, warm vibe. All in all, I recommend The Rook. Just promise you'll keep it our little secret ;) read more

Worth checking out this 'hidden gem' for their lobster, salad and truffle fries ($50). Not a huge amount of lobster but super yummy. It was busy (straight after work) and service was okay, not amazing. A trendy place - elegant and a bit grungy. read more

VERY unhappy with our meal from start to finish. My husband and I made reservations for this "restaurant" a month in advance. We were travelling form the USA for our honeymoon and were SEVERELY disappointing with this restaurant. This was the only place that disappointed us of the ones we visited in Sydney. First our waitress was very rude and after she dropped off our food she was never to be seen again. We had to flag over another waitress to be tabbed out. That was ridiculous in itself. As for the food... The mac n cheese bites were so dry and expensive, it comes with three tiny little spheres but was so dry and tasteless we didn't even finish it. My husband got the lobster roll and it came with shrimp. It doesn't take a chef to know the difference between lobster and shrimp. As a person who eats a copious amount of seafood, no amount of mayo will mask the fact that The Rook tried to mask shrimp ans lobster and sell it to us as a lobster roll. And we couldn't even find our waitress to complain. We couldn't get any refills on water. At this point it was a lost cause, we didn't even want to waste anymore time there so we just left and took the loss. We went to another restaurant to fill our stomachs with actual good food. read more

The Rook - they tried to pass off shrimp as lobster in the their "lobster" roll... right. - Burgers Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Alone in Sydney on business and looking for something interesting...and found it. Note to others, there's a small entrance to am elevator that you take to the top floor. The place was hopping. Young people getting together doing what carefree young people do. And then there was me. The special was lobster and prawn pie. As interesting as that sounded, I went with the Uncle Sam burger with onion rings. The ORs were good, not Rockpool good, but good. The Uncle Sam was unlike any burger I've had in the US but good. Oddly, the bun was noticeable in it un-goodness. I did appreciate the cassette tape marker for my table. I wondered what they did with all those. Go here. It's cool. Not sure I'd get the Uncle Sam again. read more