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| - This was the fourth time I dined at The Rokerij in Phoenix, the first two times I had a $100 gift card which neatly paid for two people, the third time the VP of my company treated and tonight a friend bought me a birthday dinner, so I have yet to pay to dine here.
Regardless of where you are in the world, The Rokerij is unique and a treat. First off, there are VERY few restaurants west of the Mississippi that have basements. The Rokerij's is a great place to mingle with friends. Upstairs is a dark and friendly atmosphere that is thick with pecan smoke from the kitchen. It is a small place with limited seating. And the lines to snag those seats is long 7 days a week. People who dine at The Rokerij tend to linger for hours so don't expect a rapid turnover. And reservations are only accepted for parties of 4 or more.
I have seriously had THE best steaks I have ever had in my life at The Rokerij. They broil them right in front of the bar patrons and honestly there is probably only a handful of places in America where steaks are done to such perfection. Perfection is not cheap, and no guest should reasonably expect to get out the door for less than $50 per person, but more likely $75 or more. Is it worth it? Yes!
Tonight, being my birthday, I chose what I had a taste for and that was a Crab Louie salad. I read some reviews and they agreed that the Crab Louie at The Rojerij is the best in Phoenix. Several said it was much too large for one person. So we pre-agreed that we would split the salad and order a couple of "small plates", which are equivalent to appetizers, but a bit more exotic.
When I heard how big the Crab Louie was I expected to get mounds of lettuce with the usual toppings in modest quantity. The opposite was true. The amount of lettuce was about what you would expect in a small dinner salad at Denny's, but it was HEAPED with real crab, many of the pieces being very chunky, and a generous amount of tomatoes, cucumbers, hard-boiled egg and avocados. It was served with a Louie dressing and a Roquefort dressing. I have had a taste for an awesome Crab Louie for about 6 months and being my birthday I felt I finally deserved it. This one was amazing. Bear in mind it was $20, which is extremely expensive for a salad, but split two ways it was just right.
To accompany the salad we ordered two appetizers. One, a smoked sausage with caramelized onion was the perfect complement to the salad. The other, bacon wrapped shrimp, was insanely good. The bacon was crispy and tasty and the shrimp was tender and perfect.
I had heard that The Rokerij is known for their Bloody Mary's and we both had one. No disappointment. They were tall, full and spicy. They were served with a beer chaser of Sam Adams (?!?!?) all for $7. No argument there.
The amount of food between splitting the salad and appetizers was perfect. We both ate everything and were pleasantly full. That is until the waitress mentioned the dessert menu, which included Crème Brulee. This was a "must do" so we split it. What can I say? Sinfull? Covered with very fresh berries, the caramel topping was torched to a smoky perfection. I could eat one of these for breakfast every day of my life.
Needless to say the atmosphere at The Rokerij is unique and as far from a "chain restaurant" as you can get. I have always found the service head and shoulders above nearly any restaurant I have ever been to. From the warm greeting at the door, to the waitress, to the very engaged busser to the (I'm guessing manager on duty) who came over to our table just after the bill was paid to very warmly thank us and shake both of our hands.
The Rojerij is THE place in Phoenix to enjoy the best of the best in food, one of the best dining environments in the country, and be made to feel as if you are close as family as to those in charge. Don't be turned off by having to wait an hour or more and then ending up sitting at the bar. If you really need to get your food faster, may I suggest McDonalds or Burger King? In the end you get what you deserve to get if you know what to expect.
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