We have been driving through Rocky Hill for a couple of years and passing this very homey looking bar. It’s on a prominent corner and has a parking lot, but I’ve always thought of it as a bar. We noticed last week that TripAdvisor gives it a top rating in the town, admittedly out of only two restaurants. However, it is listed as a gastro pub rather than a bar, so Barb and I decided to give it a shot on a dress down, casual night. Very glad that we did.
The inside has several nice rooms with comfortable seating and an active bar. We askedfor an outdoor table and were seated on the smaller porch on the side street. It was comfortable and intimate with only one other unoccupied table.
Our server, Abbey, was a most pleasant and welcoming lady. I told her I know nothing about beer and was looking for something a bit fruity. She kindly brought me tastings of two beers and I picked one to have with my meal. They had many microbrew options. When people explain beers to me it’s like me explaining Burgundy wines in depth to a beer aficionado. Abbey made it simpler to choose.This microbrew was called Southern Tier. Here’s what I know about it: it had a subtle fruity flavor and tasted like beer. I liked it and it went well with my burger. $8.Barb ordered Prosecco and got this bottle. She enjoyed it. The bottle seemed to be bottomless, but it wasn’t. $9. Such a deal! Really.What makes me a terrible blogger is this:the plate of Fried Green Tomatoes came out with three beautiful stacks topped with a shrimp and garnish on each tomato slice. This picture shows only one. What happened to the other two? They were all truly delicious. $15 and well worth the price.My Rocky Hill Inn Burger came out medium rare, as ordered. The bacon was crispy and the cheese was melted. The egg was a classy addition. It was served on a brioche bun and accompanied by a ton of well-done fries as requested. It was an 8 ounce burger. It was everything I desire in a burger. $15..Poifect!My burger close-up.Beneath this pile of lettuce is Barb’s Mutha Clucka chicken burger. Lots of Indian spices in the marinade. It was juicy and delicious. No fries…just more salad. Lots of flavor and very healthy. $14. Another good deal.
For some reason Barb and I have not gone to gastro pubs. I guess some of the places we have gone have, in fact, been gastro pubs. They have simply been listed as restaurants. Is there a minimum number of microbrews required to be labeled a gastro pub? Must the chef have formal training or is that a no-no in this category? So many questions come to mind in solving this great mystery in life.
No matter the answers, I suggest you visit the Rocky Hill Inn when you are in the area. I will hold it up, for now, as the gold standard of what a Gastro Pub should be. Ask for Abbey.
2 thoughts on “Rocky Hill Inn American Gastro Pub in Rocky Hill, NJ”
This looks like a great place and most importantly the fries look like real potatoes not reconstituted processed ones. But this is typical fare up here in Wisconsin….great beer and burgers and not much else. Another great review by the expert connosier of food, wine and spirits..
JoshEatsandDrinks 
This looks like a great place and most importantly the fries look like real potatoes not reconstituted processed ones. But this is typical fare up here in Wisconsin….great beer and burgers and not much else. Another great review by the expert connosier of food, wine and spirits..
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Thanks, my friend.
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