Rockaway Athletic Club

This place has been a fixture in Columbia as long as I can remember. The old building burned down in the late 90s and with the new building there are still no signs on the exterior. Can be tricky to find, but is the home to some of the best food in town. Great cocktails and service, highly recommend the pimento cheese burger. Is one of the best you will find anywhere!

I had the pleasure of dining in at this lovely place. The food was spectacular. I had the rockaway pimento burger and the spicy fried cauliflower. The service was phenomenal. The bartender was super well mannered and attentive. I will definitely be returning!

Great place to grab lunch and a cold drink. Best burgers in town. Their turkey sandwich with fresh cranberry sauce is amazing and the onion rings are delicious. Great local spot thats been around forever.

Chili CB and pimento cheese fries were both very good. Service was fine, my only complaint would be $9 was a little pricey for the size of the fries.

Bartender quickly took my to-go order. My cheesesticks could have been warmer, but they were tasty! I would recommend!

I like the food here. It's not a huge menu but what I've eaten is good. Pimento burger is my fave. We typically go at lunch because we have kids. If you have small children, the menu may be difficult for them. I'm glad mine are older. Our server went out of her way to make sure we had what we needed in a timely fashion. She kept our drinks filled. I hate that everything is a la carte, but it is what it is. All that being said, I used to consider Rockaway's a restaurant with a bar. At this point, it is more of a bar. That doesn't really bother me except that they have taken away alot of the seating and added alot of games. I don't know if there are ten tables in the place now and only one accommodates a party of six (maybe patio seating in still available in nice weather). Also, they will not allow you to push tables together as most places will. Someone in our party of six was going to do that and a guy who worked there took a very nasty tone with her. She told him we needed a table for six and he didn't seem to care. Will I return? Probably. However, I will only go back if we are a party of four or less and I'll be picky about the time. I can imagine that it could be difficult to get a table at all if it was right at lunch or dinnertime.

Update 12.28.21 I last reviewed Rockaway several months ago when the burger was really lacking. This time I showed them some older burger pictures and asked to cook me a fresh one with extra pimento cheese like the pictures. They did and I would rank it a 5*. Due to Covid and short staffed, they have removed some tables and serve the food in small paper trays making it impossible to get a grip on the burger. I asked for a paper plate and they provided a real plate which was nice. I deducted a star for for paper trays rather than paper plates and also lack of eating utensils. BTW, Jazzy was my waitress and she was fantastic!! She talked to the cook for me and listened to my eccentric thoughts of a good burger. In other places you would pay twice as much and not get the freshly ground burgers Older Review Poor service and poor burger. I waited 15 minutes for the waitress to take my order. There were few people there and no reason for this. There famous pimento burger was flavorless with very little pimento cheese. I begged several times for napkins and utensils but never got them until everything was cold. They didn’t even put condiments on the burger and brought out packets instead. When I got the check, I gave the waitress a credit card. 15 minutes later and no card back. I asked again when she finally came by but no card. Another 10 minutes pass before I finally get the credit card slip. The End!!

The place is amazing to behold. Wonderful feeling. Music is kept low enough to hold conversations. Televisions are not obnoxious but available if you're inclined to that. Bar is luxuriously long. Liquor selection is incredible. They keep good beer on tap with a nice well rounded selection. They also have bottles and wine for good prices. The menu is perfect, not too large as to be obnoxious, and with the right blend of good pub fare. Some select criticisms are only about the extreme saltiness of the wing options. They have 3 flavor options for wings, hot, lemon pepper, and teriyaki. Our crew tried lemon pepper and hot, they were both overly salty. It that's the only issue. It's a great little spot. You should try it out for the atmosphere alone. Play a game of pool, throw some darts. Enjoy a pitcher of Coors Banquet.

A hidden gem. The food and drinks are priced well, and service is friendly. At first glance, you'll be confused about what decade you're in, but I think that adds to the charm of the place. It feels frozen in time with old arcade games and a Zoltar fortune teller. Bring quarters for air hockey and skee ball, and definitely have the pimento cheese burger!

Pimento cheeseburger was on point, served with dill pickle chips and a super soft bun. The silent star is the fried cauliflower. These bites are spiced well and pair perfectly with bleu cheese dip! Overall ambience is meh. College-friendly bar attracts students seeking cheap beer specials. Booth cushions are worn. Lighting is dim. Arcade games scattered throughout. If you're craving a good burger and a quick, easy meal, look no further.

I have visited Rockaway many times throughout the years. I first tried their pimento cheeseburger. This is the first time I've ever tried melted pimento cheese and I have one regret: that I didn't find this marvel before Rockaways. The pimento cheese is fresh and melty and absolutely delicious. It is the perfect compliment to the burger. The bun was large and was the size of the hamburger patty (some buns are simply too big). The lettuce tomato and onions were great. The burger was full of flavor. The crinkle fries were a great addition as well. On a subsequent visit, I tried the hot dog with pimento cheese. Again, I wish I had found this sooner. The pimento cheese was a fantastic addition to an already great hot dog. I also ordered the pimento cheese fries, which could be an entree due to the amount of food. One of my coworkers tried the seafood basket and was pleasantly surprised. We always thought of Rockaways and a burger joint. But if they do burgers well, it stands to reason that they must do seafood well too. One last note - if you order the club, be prepared for leftovers. It is delicious and massive. If you haven't tried Rockaways, you are missing a jewel of Columbia.

Was there tonight and our waiter was horrible. Dude had a horrible attitude and was very rude. He didn't give us his name (probably because he knew he didn't care tonight). Refused to take orders or close our our tabs so we had to go to the bar to do all of it

Absolutely the worst Restaurant owners in Columbia. We had a party of 6 Graham, one of the owners, would not allow any tables to be moved so we could sit together. He does not want any bar stools to around the bar either. So sad to see such a place that used to be good go down hill because of poor customer service from one of the owners!

One of my favorite places in Columbia!! It's definitely more of a hidden gem, but my friends and I discovered it a few years ago and we love it. Their pimento cheese fries are elite and I really like their burgers as well. They also have pretty good drinks! Definitely recommend going to Rockaway's.

Food is always amazing!! The burgers are huge so be careful. You must try the pimento cheese fries. The staff was polite and welcoming!

This sandwich comes with coleslaw, pickles, and tarter sauce. Not a bad deal for the price!

Can always guarantee a chill bar vibe with good eats to pair. The Texas Pete Dust wings are to die for, always prepared to perfection alongside the cheese fries. And that Rockaway burger...a MUST!!

I broke down and had to have a pimento cheese fix, so, I had a Rockaway Burger. It was excellent as usual and loaded with pimento cheese. I love it! My only wish is that Rockaways would go back to having plates and bring back regular tables up front.

Awesome food and the service this time was fantastic. The waiter was awesome. I got the Texas Pete dry rub wings. Zucchini sticks were the best we've had in a while. There. Zoltar machine was a pain in the @$$ it keep talking. There wasn't that many people here. I have always like it the service use to be not great. I can't say that now he was awesome We will be back soon

Rude rude rude! As mentioned in other reviews, the service has never been great, but tonight the old fart working the bar was so nasty that it forced us to leave. Six of us came in Thursday evening when there was hardly anyone in the place. We wanted to have dinner and we moved a couple of tables a few feet closer, not even all the way together. The grumpy old guy with gray hair came over and started berating us. He told us to go outside on the patio where it was pouring rain if we wanted to 'move furniture around.' Sheesh! We apologized, returned the two tables to their original places and actually went outside because we certainly did not feel welcome inside. But it was raining too hard outside so we came back inside and sat down at two separate tables. The same bartender came over to us and drawled these exact words: 'I don't think you heard me right." He was basically telling us he didn't want us there no matter where we sat, and to get the hell out. So we did just that, and will never go back. This place is weird and scary. Beware!

This place is great if you're a college student or looking for an inexpensive bar to frequent. We on the other hand were a family getting dinner. The staff was very nice and we didn't have much of a wait time. I got the famously hot cheeseburger and my wife got the fish sandwich. My burger patty didn't have much flavor on its own, but the ghost pepper cheese helped. The fish was equally just ok. The service slowed as the meal went on. The positive is that we left full.

Burger. Fires. Beer. Great bar. Boom. Lots of games too!!! Hit it up on Gameday if you get the chance! Go Cocks.

It just gets worse every time. I miss pre covid Rockaways. Wth are yall trying with the fried pickles? That is some bs. Food is way over priced. I have been going here for a decade. The service has never been great but now the food is going down hill.

This is an Awesome place tucked away in a corner street. Have been there on a few occasions and each time phenomenal service. Their burgers are huge and delicious. Wings are great as well. Recommend this place. Great atmosphere.

Love this place, love the owners and great burger must try if you're in the state of south carolina

Honestly this is pretty hidden from the main road but my boyfriend and I stopped by this location when we went to a local festival that was behind the restaurant. It's pretty dark inside and it actually two different bars. One that is super long straight bar and the other one is a curved bar. Service was so-so and food was also so-so. Prices were great though but it's just a sports bar that happens to have food.

Service is great every time that I have been. My only complaint is that all the food taste & smell like fish! I was told by the staff that they use the same fryer to make their pickles & salmon.

Came in for some food and drinks. Waited about 25-30 minutes for a server. We asked the bartender if we could order at the bar, he said no, even though our table was six feet from the bar. We asked for a server twice, still waited a long time after asking. Food didn't take long after ordering. Bartender said "there's a rush you have to wait". There is nobody around. Got here at 9:01, server at about 9:30. I know they are lacking staff but a nice "I'll be right with you" would've been appreciated. There's not that many tables in here.

Last 3 times I came, service was awful w almost no people at all in the restaurant. Idk why that is. It's just burgers and fried food and beer, why would a server not check on you but once during a whole service? If you come here, order a pitcher at the bar. Then find a table and drink it while waiting on a server to put in your next pitcher. If my service is that bad again, I will just leave my money on the table and leave. I'm not walking up to the bar and facing another person who acted like they didn't see me.

Service was really good even though they were short staffed. Waiter was awesome! Burger was a little on the cool side this time but won't keep me from returning.

Have been here twice now for lunch. The menu consists of burgers, apps, wings and sandwiches. During both visits, the Rockaway Pimento Cheeseburger was good...fries were kind of bland. Service was slow. Very inexpensive. Large bar looks to be well-stocked. Ample parking in the rear.

Inexpensive food and large portions. It is hard to find and a little off the beaten path but they have large bar and good craft beer selection. I would go here to drink opposed to looking for great meal.

This was my first time at the Rockaway and I will be back! Everything we ordered was amazing!!!

My go-to bar for great food at reasonable prices, a wide selection of alcohol, and great atmosphere. The arcade games add an extra bit of fun for when you are drinking with friends

This place is so yummy. My kids and I have frequented this place often and every time, it has been nothing but great. The staff has always been great. I have recommended this place to many folks and they have all loved it.

I have been coming here for years and I must say this is the place where all my guilty pleasures are on the menu!!! Their pimento cheese burger melts in your mouth, the pimento cheese fries (ooh my God, makes you wanna slap your momma!), their fried okra is cooked to a crisp...I could go on and on! Sometimes their service is lacking but you can't beat this food for the price!

I go to Rockaway a few times a month. They have the absolute best Pimento cheese in Cola! Wait staff is always nice, and that says a lot considering I usually come fairly late. Good food, good prices. My only complaint is that my burger is never cooked to the right temp, but I'm just nitpicking now

I've been here several times over the years. Had some friends ask us to go again last night. Arrived around 7PM and selected a booth. We ordered drinks (Chardonnay, Bloody Mary, Yuengling and a Merlot). Very dim lighting at night. Nice atmosphere but for us old fogies it's sort of hard to read the menu! Waitress came by to take our orders and our friends both ordered the Pimiento Cheese burger (since they'd heard that was THE thing to order). My wife ordered a mushroom swiss burger w/o a bun. I ordered the ribeye steak sandwich. The waitress asked how they wanted their burgers done and she said that they only cook them medium well or well done. No other options. I must say I've not seen this or heard of this before, but I must agree that I like hamburgers cooked toward the well-done side. Since I ordered a ribeye steak I asked her how they cooked that. I always order steaks medium rare to medium. She said medium well or well. They cook no meats less than that! I was really surprised and asked her if she could have them cook it medium rare or medium and she said she couldn't. So be it. We also ordered a side of fried okra and onion rings. My friend asked her if the chicken wings were breaded but she had no idea how they were made. We asked her one other thing and she didn't seem to know about it either. I must say we weren't real impressed. Food came after not long. The onion rings were good. My friends thought the okra was just bland and lacked any taste. I think that's pretty much how it tastes anyway, so to me it seemed normal, after dipping into the sauce they gave with it. My wife said her burger needed salt and was sort of bland ( and her friend also thought the Pimiento Cheese Burger wasn't that great). Took a while for the waitress to get our bill to us. I think we were all a little dissatisfied with the experience. May be a while before we go back.

I used to live right near this place and go there all the time, but I haven't been back for a while, having moved to the other side of town. I must say, after this visit, I remember why I came here a lot. The staff is friendly and the food good and cheap! Their pimento cheese burger is really something special and when you pair it with the onion rings, you have an amazing meal. I tried some friends fried okra bites and will have to get my own order of them next time I'm there.

One of our go-to's. Cheap (and delicious) food and drink specials. A super laid back atmosphere. Always always try their pimento cheeseburger and Texas Pete dry rub wings, you won't regret it! Best burger in town hands down. Also, get a local to show you where it is or you'll never find it Did I mention it has old time games, big TVs, CHEAPPPP drinks, and open until 2am??

The place had a good atmosphere. The people that were there were fun to talk to and listen to. The servers were great and took care of everything. The pimento cheeseburger was good and the patty was huge. The price was just higher than expected. I had 4 drinks, a burger and some fries and after tip it came out to be $45. I was just a little caught off guard. I would come back.

Came here to have a casual beer with my friends and enjoy late night food. DID not have a good experience at all. First of all, they didn't give us any silverware or napkins when two of my friends order burgers. Do we look like savages who don't need basic table ware? And they don't even serve corona? How are you an liquor establishment and don't have basic beers. I ordered fried pickles which shouldn't be hard to make but they gave me fried batter with ranch. On top of that, the servers were disgustedly rude and threw the fried pickles back on the table saying free of charge. Which is rude because I DID NOT WANT THE FRIED BATTER. Any notable establishment would have asked me if I wanted something else on the menu but no I was such an inconvenience. Will NEVER come back to this establishment. Do not ever come here, should be shut down

We came here on a Saturday night in the fall and it was absolutely packed. The servers were clearly overworked and it was incredibly chaotic. I never got my drink I ordered, it took forever to get a menu, etc. As for the food, it was average. The wings were good, but they were swimming in hot sauce. The pimento cheeseburger was ok, but I ordered it medium rare and it came out well done and the pimento cheese tasted like velveeta with pimentos in it. The fried zucchinis were pretty good. The food is pretty typical bar food and not worth the trouble if they are too busy and the staff is stretched beyond their limits.

Man, you got to be kidding. This place has been burger heaven for more than 20 years. Absolutely one of my favorites, you cannot get a better burger in town. Buns are hot, condiments are fresh, meet is fresh-ground and hand-pattied, fries are crispy and crinkly cut... Overall the best experience with a hamburger you can find in town. Burgers are only six bucks. Several choices of toppings, like pimento cheese, jalapeño and cheese, Swiss mushroom, several types of cheese - you know the deal. Great service, dark and comfy whether winter or summer. Perfect place for Saturday or Sunday morning.

The food is pretty good but the service is super slow and unimpressing. They use one register at the bar that the bartender literally walk a mile to for each individual order. They only can handle taking 1 order at a time rather than writing or simply remembering up to 3 beers at a time. It Took longer to get someone to close out my tab with than to drink my entire beer. This system is a joke. Get your food to go is my recommendation.

This is the hardest restaurant to find, but it's worth the effort. Just look for an all brick building with no signs or anything to tell you it's rockaways. We used to go here so much when we were in college and the pimento fries and/or burger never fails. The pimento cheese here is one of the best I've eaten anywhere. The fries come with pickled jalapeños which cuts the creaminess of the cheese and fries. I get my burgers cooked medium so they come out nice and juicy. Only complaint I have about the food is that they don't toast the buns, so it gets a little soggy. Prices are budget friendly with the burger being less than 6 dollars. Biggest complaint I have about this place is the seating policy. You kind of seat yourself, and sometimes they don't notice you coming in, so it might take a while for a server to see you. Thankfully that only happens once in a while.

I'm writing this review while I'm still sitting here. This is my second time here, and i can confirm both visits. The food here is very good. Burgers are perfect and very favorable. Artichoke spinach wontons are a must, and that's about it. Service was sub standard, order 2 salads, 1 small fry , and 2 burgers. Took forever for salads to arrive and when they did, burgers we're right behind them, less them a minute. We finished half our burgers and canceled the fries, because they never showed up. Good food sllooow service. .

While I have been to Rockaways in the past I wasn't impressed the last time I came. When I went this past time I ordered the cheeseburger, a side of onion rings and a water. When I went to drink out of my water, there was a dead gnat in it. I'm not sure if it came out of the water pitcher when the lady poured water or if it died while I was talking and I didn't see it. Either way I was grossed out and I just drank my husband's tea instead because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. The cheeseburger was just that a burger nothing really that special and the onion rings were okay too. The price for the food portion is definitely not bad but unfortunately it isn't the best quality.

1st time here - Friday at 12:30pm... went for a work lunch, and there were 16 of us. Seating isn't accommodating for a HUGE party, all I saw were booths (enough for 4 max). We all squeezed in around one of the bars in the back. The hugeeeeeee TV wasn't working (oh well, we were there to enjoy each other I suppose). We ordered to share... Fried zucchini (I wasn't a fan of the batter, too peppery) Gouda Mac & Cheese bites (the cheese was orange and boring - so I dunno if they have different Mac & Cheese bite options and we were mistakenly served the wrong ones or what - but it was pretty disappointing bcuz I LOVE me some gouda!!!!!) Pimento Cheese Fries (Rockaway is KNOWN for their pimento cheese everything - and I thought they were pretty good! The fries were fresh and crispy and the pimento cheese was a nice addition). I ordered the Rockaway Pimento Burger add Jalapeños minus onions... twas DELISH! The bun was fresh and soft (the bottom bun was toasted) the patty was thin (I've never liked thick burgers) with the pimento cheese and jalapeños... YUM! I'm not an expert on pimento cheese but the couple times I've been exposed to it, it's always been made with cheddar or gouda... Rockaway's seemed like it was made with Kraft/Velveeta or something.. Reaaaaallllly creamy. Our service was reasonable considering there were so many of us and the dude had other tables. Everyone enjoyed themselves and their selections! Glad I finally tried it!

I've been to this restaurant on away game days plenty, great service until I come on a home game with my family. They tell us we can sit outside and receive service but we sit there for 20 minutes without a waiter. We proceed to go inside and ask for drinks and if we can order our meals at the bar- he says we have to pick our food up from the bar and a waiter won't be with us since it's a "gameday". We saw several tables empty inside and outside and they claimed that they were too busy to serve us. We left but I wouldn't recommend on a normal home game, they acted like they didn't have time for us whatsoever yet understaffing is there own fault!!!!

Is she cheap? Yes. Is she affordable? Yes! I love this place and they are known for their pimento cheese on their burgers or fries. I would recommend getting their zucchini fries and their burger and the portions are huge! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants their burger craving to go away!

Best shrimp and peel I've had locally. Attentive and great customer service. Very chill and good vibe.

After having a great experience on my initial visit, I went back again. This time for lunch. Service was not so great, or better yet non existent. Upon entering, there is a sign that says seat yourself, so we chose a table and waited. No one came, so I got menus for everyone from the stack in the restaurant. After deciding what to order, I grabbed a worker in the bar and asked for a waitress. When the waitress came over we ordered our drinks and entrees. The food came out before our drinks. In fact, I had to ask the bartender for drinks because the waitress disappeared and still did not bring them. The bartender said she would have the waitress bring us drinks. Waiting again... By the time the drinks arrived, I was done with my burger. There was no apology by any restaurant employee, including the waitress. Instead, the waitress said here is your bill, you can pay at the bar. I went to pay, and saw other waitresses (not ours), sitting at the booth with their cell phones texting. After this experience, I have to take away my previous 5 star rating. Yes, the food is unbelievably good. The restaurant has a great atmosphere. It is literally a hidden gem. However, based on this experience, customer service did not appear to be a priority.

Nice place great food this is a return to type of place to go to I WILL RETURN Try it out you will like it

As many said its easy to pass by this place. Went here for lunch and tried their pimento cheese burger it was delicious. The burger was big for the price. Everything on the menu is a la carte but still good prices for the amount of food you get. Got my food In reasonable amount of town.

This has been a favorite dive since my days at the University of South Carolina. They are known for their burgers, Pimento cheese fries and wings. Very few places to eat like a king for under ten dollars. Highly recommend!

Met a group of coworkers at Rockaways last night for dinner and drinks. I won't be back. The atmosphere of dark and dingy. Bar stools were creaky and sticky. Booths were grimy. First, the beer lineup is basic. They were out of the only local brew (Swamp Cabbage) on the list. We have a nice craft beer scene growing in Columbia and South Carolina but you wouldn't know it from Rockaways. I had the pepperjack burger. It was a plain burger. Nothing at all special. I tried the fried mushrooms as well. They looked large but were mostly bread with a tiny mushroom in side. Overall, I could have gone a bit up the road to Cock n Bull. I would have paid a bit more, but I would have had a solid burger and better choice of good craft beers.

I bought two $2.50 dollar beers and Jim Morrison shots 3 by 5 ways and was charged $50.82 for a glorified bowling alley without any lanes.