This restaurant is off the beaten path, but crazy good. Delicious onion stacks, steaks, chicken tenders and burgers. Ask them to go easy on the salt as you order, otherwise, drink plenty of Whatever is wet. Beautiful setting. Great customer service. Enjoy. read more

Food was pretty good. Service was a bit slow and it wasn't busy yet. The steak was a bit tough but I ordered med-well and it came out well so that may be it. Nice area to walk although a bit out of the way. read more

Hahaha! I went to a charitable event for a family member who lives in these here parts. The event address was listed on FB as "Thorndale" and mapquest lists it in "Rockdale ". When we called the place the man said it was "both-sort of-, closer to Thorndale from where you are but closer to Rockdale from where you were". I assumed him nuts and we just kept following the GPS. Eventually we arrived. You can't miss the Teepee in front. It is LITERALLY in the middle of nowhere! I was kind of creeped out because there were 3 cars there and zero human beings. The door was open (although it was technically closed), and I called out "Yoo Hoo!!" like my Grandma used to because it seemed fitting it being a cross between a rustic/country & Native American place.. Where were all the people? We weren't early, so wth?? Two little kittens showed up and calmed me down. When my phone finally got a signal we were told the event was at the Pavillion..about two shakes of a lambs tail, (or a cow patty throw), down the road.. OMG! So that's where all the people were!! and fun games/auctions!! and horses!! It was a fantastic event. The people of Thorndale/Rockdale are a generous and kind hearted group of people :) After the event we went back to Apache Pass proper and had a drink to wet our whistles. Just wine & beer, but they had more than one wine choice which made me happy ..Everybody knows everybody here-it felt like a country/Indian "Cheers" of sorts. Nice, BIG outdoor seating, and an amphitheatre was made into the river bank on the San Gabriel River for entertainment. They also have what they claim is the longest "Indiana Jones type" suspension bridge in the Continental United States. Wish I'd had time to walk it! The man we talked to on the phone was there at the bar and apologized for the confusion but there really was no need - his directions were right on!..It's not his fault we're city folk. If I can ever find it again , I'll be back! :) read more

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"LIGHT THE SKY FEST": 11/19/16 If you're not from Austin and have never been to this event, my suggestion is not to go. We're from Dallas and we were headed to Austin to spend the weekend. The event sounded like fun, so we bought tickets online ($45 per person). We get our email confirmation through EVENTS.COM and we go about the rest of our day. Mind you, we've never been to Rockdale but we're relying on our cell phone navigation to get us there. Leaving Austin, we are guided on this 55 minute journey through Farm Roads to finally get to what we think is our destination. It was not until we spoke with a person (who lived in that area) that we find out the event was at Apache Pass. We drive another 20 minutes (in the opposite direction of FM 908) to find out that the event was over and people were leaving. I tried to call the event center and no one answered the phone. I left a voice mail (as today is Monday, I realized that I have yet to have my call returned). I sent several emails to EVENTS.COM to inquire about a refund. I finally get a response telling me that they don't grant refunds. Basically I donated $90 towards an event that I couldn't enjoy. This seems to be a popular event but I do not advise spending your time and money. There are flaws in how the event was coordinated and communicated to those who were genuinely interested in going. I will never visit Rockdale, Apache PASS or attend a Light The Sky Festival again. If I could give this even zero stars, I'd do that. read more

Apache Pass - $90 down the drain. DO NOT attend this event if you haven't been there before. It is impossible to get to... especially when it's dark. - Bars Near Me - Rockdale, Texas

Myself and 2 of my good friends were here on Saturday night for the group "Crash Landing"...they were awesome! They played outside on the stage at the bottom of a huge 5-8 tiered patio. The location is beautiful, right on the San Gabriel river, there is a bridge, large rocks and tons of trees at the location. The ambiance with lights in the trees above the patio is incredible and inviting. We had already eaten dinner earlier so we weren't hungry although we saw tons of food being brought out that looked amazing and since I am super outgoing, I know patrons were impressed with their food because I asked lol. Later in the evening we ordered nachos and they we're the best we've all tasted. Other reviewers have said that the waitresses were bad, well I don't think whoever that was is still working there because there were approximately 6-8 waitresses/bartenders working and I met and interacted with every single one of them and they were all very social, outgoing, nice and on top of they're game anytime we needed anything. I have nothing but praise for Lenny (the owner) and his staff! This is a beer only establishment, however, here in Texas they allow you to bring your own bottle of alcohol with you, which still blows my mind! But it's a nice alternative if you prefer mixed drinks and/or shots, wine etc instead. Beer prices are $2.50 for a bottle and i dont know for sure, but I'm sure drafts/pitchers are less expensive. I am a first year resident of Rockdale Texas, (I don't want to hear it from my Cali friends lol) and this is the only venue with anywhere close to this caliber of location, space, large stage/entertainment, ambiance, excellent food and great help that I know of in a 10 mile radius of Rockdale. It's 9miles from here and worth the "country drive" to get there...everyone says it's in the middle of no where, but it's 10mins from town...not too far for an exceptional time. In closing, my friends and I have all been around to some amazing venues, concerts, restaurants etc since we are originally from the Los Angeles, California area; so you can trust me when I say "this was an excellent time!" Call ahead and find out what's going on! Lenny, missed you back at the table! :)x read more

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The steaks here are amazing!!! Julian really knows what he's doing on the grill! The atmosphere was awesome, & the servers were nice. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone, I loved it and will definitely be back, it's well worth the drive out if you aren't local. Sorry I already took a bite out of the steak in the photo, I couldn't wait... lol. read more

Apache Pass - Bars Near Me - Rockdale, Texas

Had a 45 min wait to be seated. However, to be fair, we stopped in immediately after the grand finale (of hundreds of people lighting Chinese lanterns releasing them into the sky) at the Austin Festival of lights. I was told the wait usually isn't that bad. Waitress was friendly & attentive (even with a huge crowd) We ordered a medium-rare rib eye that turned out perfect. You have a choice of wood to grill your steak when you order... Mesquite, Oak or pecan. We chose mesquite & it was amazing! Grilled asparagus & the Mac n cheese were super yummy. The wedge salad was really good,too! The restaurant has a really cool history of Indian settlers. Thus the name/interior reflects this. Great evening!! read more

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Way off the beaten path but they have great food and a very friendly staff. There is also have a large patio and free music out back on Saturday nights. Can't go wrong with the chicken fried ribeye. read more

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Just had dinner at the steak house and it was the worst place I have been to in a very long time. Food was not good and the service was terrible. Will never go back. Don't waist your time driving there or your money! read more

Superb service, great food! We had CILD beer in a frosted mug, the appetizers sample platter with our choice of asparagus, pepper puppies & dill pickles. They were all wonderful. Dinner for us both was mesquite smoked sirloin ( very flavorful) smashed potatoes (yummy) and a wedge salad-a bit to much dressing but still "blue cheese yummy! Chef stopped by the table to see how everything was, that's a nice touch. Our waitress (sooooo sorry we didn't ask her name) was excellent. She was personal yet kept her eyes on her other tables. Out of the way place that we would go "out of our way" again to visit. read more

Food's pretty good, but the service leaves a little to be desired. One in our party of 4 ordered a salad with Bleu cheese dressing. The order was taken & the salad came with ranch dressing & the announcement that they don't have Bleu cheese dressing. No other choices offered . . . ever. One ordered his baked potato with sour cream & chives & it came with sour cream, chives, butter, cheese, & bacon bits. Are you getting the picture? I'm thinking it's a combination of undertrained waitstaff & the kitchen who only knows one way to do anything. As I said -- food's pretty good -- if you want it their way . . . Worth a return trip? Still deciding. read more

Great food in the restaurant, though a somewhat limited menu. The grounds are phenomenal, and if you can sit on the patio or with a window view the aesthetic for your meal will be second-to-none for the county. Very friendly service, nice people, and affordable drinks. Take a walk around the grounds before/after your meal. Be sure to ask though, because they are often preparing for upcoming events. (Just to be safe). Our last time there, there was a "restaurant" cat hanging out on the patio where we ate. No problems, but perhaps something to be aware of if you have an intense cat allergy. As pet owners, we are comfortable with/enjoy having animals around (so long as they are not on top of you begging for food, etc.) If they could expand their menu a little bit it'd earn the extra star. read more

Very nice set up here! Superb food and unique environment teleporting you back to the days of the Apaches! God bless Texas! They also have events/festivals here, so check out the website for event details read more

If you search the address in google it shows up properly. Looking at the map on yelp shows it in a very different location. This place is north of Rockdale. read more

Fucking ass. Aside from the above average service and bread, everything sucks cock. The 20 dollar sirloin has the consistency of ground beef, and your food is cold when it comes out. The wedge salads were alright, but that doesn't make up for the horrendous "onion stacks". They were supposed to be something like onion rings but ended up being lukewarm, unseasoned pieces of breading. The cooks weren't even wearing a mask, and the waiters wore their masks wrong, I'm not pro-mask but y'all look retarded. Overall the place is ass, a real shame to indigineous people, straight disrespect to them with this garbage restaurant. read more

We come here from San Antonio every chance we get! The atmosphere is chill & laid back, everything we have had to eat from the burgers (wife's favorite) to the steaks (my favorite) are excellent. Most everything is made from scratch - Ranch dressing, salsa, chicken tenders - I appreciate when restaurants don't just order everything on a truck from sysco. Inside is a long bar, several long tables for larger groups, and tables that seat up to 4. Music on the jukebox varies from country to southern rock. The outside patio is large with a lot of room for large parties or groups if you need it. The patio overlooks "Dreamcatcher Lake" which is a large tank with a walking bridge that spans the width of it. Very peaceful on quiet nights! Some nights there is live music out on the patio - last time we were there, the band was great! Played Stevie Ray Vaughan like a beast. I think they post on the Facebook page if there is going to be a band. As far as service, ours has always been very good. However, we are there to relax and enjoy ourselves, not rush through dinner. So, if things move a little slower, we don't really notice. They have a manager, and he always comes out to greet us. They are only open Thursday-Sunday, so head out there for a day trip! Hang out at the river by the event center, and then check out the Icehouse for dinner & drinks. read more

Truely a great place with great food. It's in the middle of nowhere but well worth the drive

Showed up at 11pm on a Friday night. Sign say open till 12 pm. And they were locked. There was 7 vehicles in the parking lot and clearly people are inside. Knocked on the door and nothing. So that's a big negative !!! We travel for work and after hours it nice to relax and have a few drinks. Hard t do that if places don't stay open till they say they do!!! read more

If I could give the food 5 stars and the service 1, I would. The sirloin sandwich, onion straws, sirloin steak dinner, whatever it is in the food department, it's beyond good. BUT THEIR SERVICE IS TERRIBLE!!!!! My god, hire a manager, please!!!!! I have to hold back on my reviews concerning the wait staff. They are horrible but the food is so good you are willing to provide service to yourself. read more

This is a great concept. The place is beautiful indoors and out. The steaks are extremely well cooked (and we have been to several great restaurants to compare). The biggest drawback is the young staff completely lack training. They have no idea how to be observant and efficient. Most likely you will wait to be seated even with available tables and then wait an inexcusably long time to get water and place your order while watching one or two staff take one item at a time to a table. It makes no sense. The owner is a nice guy but seems oblivious to the risk and loss of business this place could really be. The live music, stage, and rear decks are awesome and blend well with nature. read more

Every year the cub scout pack I am associated with goes to Apache Pass to campout. Besides being a great place to camp, they have a steakhouse right down the road. You can't miss it when you drive up, as a large teepee stands as the entrance to the building. On the inside, christmas lights and seasonal decorations blended with dream catchers hanging from the ceiling, stuffed animal heads on the walls, and other native american decor making it look a little like a hunting lodge. The north wall features huge picture windows that offer a beautifully, tranquil view of the outdoors while you eat. The restaurant was clean but had an air of antiquity about it like when you walk inside an antique store. Now let's get to the food! My wife and I ordered onion strings as an appetizer, and they were brought to the table with mini loaves of freshly baked bread and garlic butter. The onion strings were crisp, flavorful, and stringy and best of all there was an entire plate of them. Wedge salads were brought out before the entrees and were included with the meal, and these were impressive wedge salads. It looked to me like half of a head of fresh, crispy lettuce instead of a little wedge and it was covered in ranch and real bacon bits. I don't know if the ranch was made in house but it was very good, and we all know that a good ranch dressing can make a restaurant worth going to. Now I never eat steak whenever I go out to eat. Why would I pay $20-$40 for something I can buy for under $10-$15 and make at home, usually tasting much better. But what sets this steakhouse apart and makes it the only place I order steak is that they give you a choice of having your steak grilled over mesquite, pecan, or oak wood. My wife ordered the ribeye steak grilled over pecan with grilled squash. I also had the ribeye grilled over pecan but with loaded mashed potatoes. The loaded mashed potatoes were good, filled with bacon and covered with, cheese, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. My wife said the grilled squash was good and I'll take her word for it, ewww. The star of the meal was the meat. Paying $30 for this steak went against every fiber in my being but the well seasoned, pecan flavor made it easier and easier with each bite. Both steaks were cooked correctly at medium rare and melted in your mouth. The initial flavor of the spice rub and salt gently gave way to the deep pecan flavor that saturated each and every bite. One complaint is that there was a tiny bit of fat on the edge of the steak that was still white and uncooked. A common mistake, as most chefs do not grill the steaks on the side for a few seconds before serving. Another reason to visit this restaurant if your not camping, are the various festivals that take place at Apache Pass. From chili cook-offs to model rockets and radio controlled planes, yearly events can be found at http://www.apachepass.com/events.html. My advice is to make a reservation though because it does get packed. Apache Pass, I will see you next year. read more

Stopped in for a couple of beers and a bite early on a Friday evening. The tiered decks out back are a great place to relax when the weather is mild. I ordered the fried shrimp basket and my companion had fried catfish. The shrimp was tasty and the sides of house made circle cut potatoes, string onion rings, coleslaw and hush puppies were really good. The coleslaw was fresh cut with a not too sweet dressing with a nice black pepper bite. The tartar sauce tasted like it was made in the kitchen and not out of a jar. I like it that the owners care] enough about their sourcing that the catfish was USA farm raised. Watch some of those YouTube videos on cheap catfish raised outside the USA and you'll know why.... The beer was cold, service good and food even better. We'll be back! read more

This place really is in the middle of nowhere...but the parking lot was full on Friday night. The food is top-notch Texas comfort food. I had probably the best chicken fried steak I've ever had. Others at the table had burgers, ribeyes, and fish. All excellent. The wait staff is definitely untrained, which detracts a bit from the experience, but not much. Someone in that kitchen cares about the food and it shows. We'll be back! read more

This was a very good experience wonderful meal. The staff was efficient and very welcoming. The atmosphere was great .We highly recommended and we will be returning. read more

Service was horrible. Pretty expensive. You could get the same steak for about 9 or 10 bucks at the store. The seasoning was ok but nothing a person couldn't do themselves. The steak was cooked to the correct temp though. The worst part about our experience was the waitress we saw her twice and once was to say she didn't even know someone else had brought our food. When you have a 50 dollar steak on the menu the service should be impeccable. We will prob not be back. read more

Wow! What a fabulous event venue. Lots of shade trees, a suspension bridge, RV hookups, large covered pavilions. Definitely need to come back! read more

Service was quick at the beginning and the food was good. We sat on the lower patio at the Ice House. There were dirty tables with plates with ants all over them. Possibly had been there since lunch. We were there at 7 PM. One server picked up beer bottles, but didn't remove the plates and trash. There were two tables like this. We live near Apache Pass and probably won't go back for awhile. The restaurant side looked busy. I guess the Ice House patrons don't deserve much attention. read more

I've always Loved their steaks!! But..... showed up tonight @ 9:10 with 4 people. Very FEW PEOPLE in Steakhouse. We were turned away & told that " Kitchen Was Backed Up"! Would not Seat Us!! We Looked over at the Kitchen, and there was a lot of people just STANDING AROUND!! WHAT! How do you run a Business Like this????? Told us to go to Ice House & we could get Hamburgers etc. Went to Ice House , sat outside, waited, & finally We flagged down a Waitress. We were told we can serve you as long as you don't order ANY FOOD!! ????? How long does it take to make a Hamburger??? This could be a FANTASTIC Place! But, the Service is Horrible! Most of The waitresses are Lazy & Have a "Don't care" Attitude. (There are a Few, Very Few exceptions)!! This all Falls on MANAGEMENT!!! Something is REALLY LACKING!! They will LOOSE A LOT OF BUSINESS if this continues!! It will be a LONG TIME before we go back!!! The OWNER better Wake Up & Realize What's going on!! read more

Landed my small plane on the grass strip next to the restaurant. A lot of people do this. Had a truly great hamburger. Nice people and atmosphere. Going back today! read more

Apache Pass - Bars Near Me - Rockdale, Texas

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I'm writing about the Apache Pass Restaurant. The steaks are better than 44 Farms. Chef Julian is a magician. No steak sauce needed! Fried shrimp are perfect. Shrimp cocktail is so clean and crisp. You get 3 choices of grill fires; pecan, oak, or mesquite. Lord this is amazing food!!! read more

Been to Apache Pass quite a few times. Saturday night was our first trip there since the expanded menu. LOVED the mahi mahi. The grilled salmon and grilled chicken also looked delicious. Good cold beer and entertainment on the patio....what more do you need? The wait staff was awesome. They worked their tails off that night because it was pretty busy but they always had timely refills ready for us when we needed one. Great atmosphere with great people. read more

Apache Pass - Grilled Mahi Mahi - Bars Near Me - Rockdale, Texas

My wife and I visited this restaurant the other evening while traveling between College Station and Georgetown. It was a busy evening and there was a group in front of us. They were seated pretty quickly and we were then the only ones waiting and the only ones on the list. After about 30 minutes they assured us that a table would be open soon. 5, 10, 15 minutes later we saw a party leave. As the table was being cleared, another small party walked in. The next thing we knew they were seating that party and totally ignoring us after waiting 45 minutes. When my wife asked them about it, their reply was that the other party had "just called in a reservation" so they seated them ahead of us. No apology or anything. Were we supposed to call in a reservation when we arrived 45 minutes earlier? For all that time there had been no one else on the books. We have eaten there in the past. Their service has been slow, but the food has been pretty good. It will be quite some time before we decide to go back, reservation or not. read more

Great atmosphere. Love the deck overlooking the San Gabriel.