McMenamins - Rock Creek Tavern

McMenamins - Rock Creek TavernMcMenamins - Rock Creek Tavern
McMenamins - Rock Creek TavernMcMenamins - Rock Creek Tavern
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

10000 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd
Hillsboro, Oregon, 97124-8043
United States

(503) 645-3822 | map
mcmenamins.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.72
Reviews:
1
Ratings:
5
pDev:
6.45%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 3.96 by JDoHo from Michigan

Apr 20, 2017
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

3.39/5  rDev -8.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.25
A friend of ours was performing music this past Sunday, and we wanted to come see her perform. And so we decided to make an evening of it at Rock Creek.

This place is really located out in the sticks, roughly 3 or 4 miles west of the Sunset Hiway (Hiway 26). Other than the tavern, there's not much out that way, so you really have to want to go to the tavern if you're out that way (I'm guessing no one just happens upon the RC tavern). So with that in mind, I was surprised by the size of the crowd on a cold wet Sunday evening in February (the place was full with patrons having to put their name on a wait list). As is fairly typical, the best thing about the tavern is the atmosphere and ambiance. This appears to be a converted old barn, and the brothers have done their usual outstanding job fixing it up into a warm, pleasant spot to get some food and drink. The place is pretty decent size (upstairs and downstairs seating, with a sizeable patio area that was closed on Sunday). with the usual great McM artwork adorning the walls. Looked like they had a couple of wood burning interior fireplaces to keep the place well heated, and in fact that made for a very cozy spot to hang out on a cold and wet Sunday. Aside from the two dining areas, there's also a modest size bar to the right as you come in the front door (holding maybe 10 seats).

So that's all well and good, but in every other way, I felt like we had what has become a fairly typical substandard McM experience. In terms of beer, there were 10 beers on tap (and a couple of ciders), with the more interesting selections including a decent IPA and a pretty good brown ale (the Philosopher's Stone). Otherwise, expect the usual McM suspects here (ruby, terminator stout, hammerhead, etc.). As for quality, this is a McMenamins, and they generally try to make craft beer that will appeal to the masses. Nothing was exceptional, but the IPA and PS were pleasant and serviceable. They went fine with the sweet potato fries, cheese crab fondue and fish and chips we ordered. In terms of service, let's just say it was slow. I don't know if the crowd on Sunday was atypical, but it was obvious that the staff was having a very difficult time getting to customers and filling orders in a timely manner. That being said, it was obvious they were doing their best (they were clearly hustling and trying their best to be friendly and accommodating), it just seemed like the place was understaffed. When we finished our food (I finally held my wallet and credit card in hand so our waitress could see we were ready to go), it took nearly 20 minutes to have our waitress come by with the check.

One last thing I would mention. Prices at McM pubs have slowly crept up over the years, and there are no deals to be had at their pubs anymore. Both food and drink are on the high side for what you get, though at least the food portions are sizeable. However, it's pretty hard to understand the $5.75 price tag for a pint of middle of the road IPA, and the $6.25 I paid for a 10 ounce glass of the Philosopher's Stone (a 7% abv. brown ale that's listed as a brewmaster reserve beer) seemed like hiway robbery. Both food and drink here are pretty close to what I would call basic pub grub, which makes it a bit hard to stomach the price tag (our dinner tab was just under $65 for two main dishes and the fries appetizers, along with the two beers and one cocktail). So with tip, the entire tab was in the $75 range. That just struck me as a bit much considering the dining experience on offer here.

In terms of food, I've now been to at least a dozen or so different McM's, and this was not one of the better dining experiences I've had. The menu here is pretty small and burger-centric, and includes a few salads, sandwiches and dinner specials (like the fondue I ordered). The fries are always something you can count on at McM's, and were good here as well. My wife got the fish and chips, which I guess were OK. I only ever order fish and chips at the Horse Brass these days, and to say the order we had here wasn't in the same league would be an understatement. My crab fondue dish had a fair amount of crab and was pretty decent, though I thought the crab could have been a bit fresher (it had the sort of "fishy" flavor that I associate with crab that has been sitting around for a bit). Still, we ended up having a pleasant meal and time at RC, despite the less than stellar dining and drinking options available. The tavern is nearly a half hour from our home in PDX, and needless to say, other than the musical entertainment on Sunday, we didn't experience anything that would warrant a return visit to RC. Pretty sure we won't be back.
Feb 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by DuaneKing from Oregon

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by MikeRice1969 from Oregon

Jan 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Adamnimmo from Oregon

Nov 30, 2013
McMenamins - Rock Creek Tavern in Hillsboro, OR
Place rating: 3.72 out of 5 with 5 ratings