Red Rock features a relaxed, welcoming environment with a stylish décor, offering lunch, dinner and brunch (10 AM to 3 PM on Sunday), featuring a wide assortment of starters, salads, burgers and sandwiches, full entrees and sides. There is also a kids menu. We were seated at a table in the bar/pub area and were immediately brought a bowl of popcorn to munch on while reviewing the great selection of local craft beers on tap. A unique “Special Libations” chalkboard displaying the Cocktail, Wine or Beer being featured today, was hung alongside the bar. There is also a full menu for beer, wine, martinis and cocktails. We decided on the following beers, all are brewed in New England.
True North, Cerveza; Ipswich, MA. A Mexican style lager at 4.3% ABV. Very refreshing session brew light in color with a crisp finish. Start Line Citra Hop Load IPA; Hopkinton, MA. As its name indicates, Citra hops are used resulting in its pleasing grapefruit citrusy aroma and bold flavor Coming in at 7.1% ABV it is a great American IPA. Black Hog Granola Brown Ale; Oxford, CT. With a nutty aroma and slightly sweet and malty mouthfeel, it’s like a liquid granola bar! At 5.0% ABV, dark brown in color and a complimentary tan head, it is a very flavorful offering! White Lion Kolsch; Springfield MA. A light and fresh German style beer. It’s crystal clear and light yellow in color with a pure white head. At 5.0% ABV, it is a satisfying summer brew.
We enjoyed Chicken Pot Pie Spring Rolls with Chicken Gravy from the Starters menu with our beers. For lunch we ordered a house favorite, the, Red Rock Meatloaf served with mashed potatoes, pumpernickel toast, a roasted tomato and a robust stout gravy; a Reuben Burger with pastrami, roasted onions, Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing. All were certainly tasty examples of their “Spirited Comfort Food”.
While we ate, Sherry Berger, one of Red Rock’s owners stopped by to say hello. We introduced ourselves and let her know how much we were enjoying ourselves and complimented her on the outstanding menu and craft beer selection. We were fortunate to have Sherry stay a while with us as she gave us an overview of her business.
Sherry and her husband, Russ, were experienced Boston restaurateurs for years before moving to Upton in 2006. They opened this totally renovated “Rustic Chic” eatery on Valentine’s Day in 2011.
A lot is going on at Red Rock Grill & Bar! There are two
outside patios. One with a seating
capacity for over 30 people with a fireplace, and a second patio complete with
a wood fired oven. Thursday and Sunday
are dedicated pizza nights on that patio and close by are the volleyball court
and the cornhole games.
There is a fruit and vegetable garden on the hill behind the restaurant growing blueberries, blackberries and strawberries as well as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and rhubarb. The garden has a seating area that overlooks Lake Wildwood where kayak rentals are available. Sherry and Russ are also honeybee keepers that yield about 70 pounds of honey per year that they sell at the restaurant.
Good 2 Go Café and Creamery offers eat in or take out homemade soups, sandwiches and paninis. Choose from over 30 flavors of locally made ice cream as well as fresh baked cupcakes and cookies. You can even design your own ice cream sandwich! Just select two of their cookies, your ice cream flavor and you are good to go!
In addition to pizza nights, Red Rock hosts or has hosted other special events. An IPA Taste Off where local brewers brought in their IPA’s that were sampled and rated by patrons (200 signed up! Eight were selected via a drawing.) The winning brew earning featured draft status at the bar. Paleo Thursdays features dishes with ingredients our ancestors would have either hunted for or gathered. Specialty dinners where multi course dishes (non-menu items) are carefully paired with craft beers or wine as appropriate. They’ve even hosted a Scotch dinner! Capping it all off, live music is available on weekends on the patios or inside depending on the season.
Sherry says “We like to keep things fresh!” We all agreed that she and Russ have more than accomplished that at Red Rock Grill & Bar!
For more information, visit them on the web at www.redrockgrillandbar.com or on Facebook at Red Rock Grill and Bar.
