My husband and I spent the last four days in Ely, MN and were pleased to find the Rockwood Bar and Grill. I was a bit nervous about finding gluten free options in Ely but not only did the Rockwood understand what I meant when I asked about gluten free options, they had a separate menu (Only on a laminated piece of paper but still) to bring out to me. All servers were very knowledgable and careful with my orders, never minding when I asked them to check with the cook about a certain mixture or seasoning or base. The first night I had the parmesan walleye, baked potato, caprese salad and ice cream with chocolate syrup. Delicious! Best part, I did NOT get sick at all. No cross contamination! They were obviously very careful with my order. The next night I ordered the Sausage and Penned to go. Another big hit! The gluten free noodles were cooked properly and tasted delicious. Finally, on the third day I had a bacon and cheese burger. Now typically they would have had a gluten free bun to offer me. (this is great, a lot of places in the Twin Cities don't even offer that to us gluten intolerant folks) However, the buns were on backorder so I did what I normally do in restaurants and just had it without the bun. I would definitely recommend them if you are looking for affordable and delicious gluten free options. p.s. my hubby reports the regular food was delicious too! read more

Ely is usually a competitive town for restaurants. Many have come and many have failed. Rockwood is new and is doing well-and well deserved. Very busy on a Sunday evening. Just out of the boundary waters. First meal back in civilization. Because we were two, the wait was short but for others it was only 20 minutes average. Excellent indoor seating as well as outdoor. Great boundary waters Decour. Complete bar. Very busy with many servers. Good variety in the menu with multiple appetizers. We had the cheese curds: they were great. We usually don't find good cheese curds unless we travel to Wisconsin. We had burgers and they were both very good. That is their specialty. The rest of the menu must be good given the clear enjoyment of the surrounding patrons. The only thing that kept him from the five was that the food, though very good, standard fare. But this can be a good thing because you know what you're getting. read more

Rockwood Bar & Grill - Cheese curds. Yum! - American Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

Not worth the hype, service was bad, food worse. Really not worth it, the back patio is nice but there are other places to go in Ely.

Lost our reservation. Food was average. Service was average. Nothing outstanding here.

Not impressed. Street tacos were not filling. They should be an appetizer not a meal. Kettle cooked chips were bought from the grocery store. Overall not very good, would not recommend. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE. It is in the old Hardees building in dwontown Ely close to the theater on Sheridan. My brother and I make it to Ely once a year for grouse hunting and were hungry after a long day. We noticed this place and decided to stop and try them. Glad we did! The food was awesome! We stopped 3 times that weekend. I didn't make it up in 2011 to Ely, but will be there in 3 weeks and looking forward to stopping in for more great food! I highly recommend. I have tried the other "steak place" in town and Rockwood rocks and rules over them! read more

Really disappointed here. The customer service was lacking, but I suspect they didn't care since all the tourists here for the Blueberry Festival will stop there anyway due to a lack of restaurant choices in Ely during the busiest time of the year. For starters, we had the Walleye Rangoon, which was very good. I ordered the Walleye sliders for my meal but was disappointed they didn't have any Walleye Chowder left. Really? It was 1pm before the biggest tourist weekend of the year and they were out of a signature item? It wasn't a lack of Walleye as my sandwich and our appetizer showed. The kids meals were nothing to brag about, but my boys enjoyed the cheeseburgers and my daughter was content with the grilled cheese. The downfall was unfortunately the Truffle grilled cheese. Both my wife and sister ordered this since it looked gourmet with both cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and truffle oil. As soon as she took the first bite, my wife proclaimed "This is disgusting" and wanted me to taste it. It could have been the tomato, but most likely was the cheese used - American with no sign of Parmesan - and, according to my wife, similar in taste to Velveeta. I understand restaurants don't always get meals right, so we informed our waitress. Rather than take it back right away she tried explaining how it was made. When pressed, she said they sprinkled Parmesan on there and it might not be visible. We sent the sandwiches back and got the bill. I politely asked for the sandwiches that were sent back to be removed from the bill, and she had to check with her manager. Moments later she said they could give us a 50% discount for the sandwiches but that was it. In hindsight, had they taken the sandwiches off completely or if the manager had stopped to come by even once I'd most likely not be writing this review. I was really hoping after so many other restaurants in Ely had failed (Vertins, Pizza Hut, Hardees, and A&W, to name just a few) that this one would be a breath of fresh air, but I can't say that is the case. read more

A great variety of delicious food and kind staff. 3 of my friends and I all ordered something different and were beyond satisfied with the price and taste of food. Walleye, Jucy Lucy's, fantastic onion rings, fried pickles, and and a special blueberry burger. And to top it off they only had been open 2 days this season. The food can only get better. We're new to Ely and I can tell that we will be coming here often. I only wish that they wouldn't close in the winter read more

Burgers were pretty good quality and taste, but honestly there was nothing special about them, they could have been from anywhere. The hostess seemed flustered and was rude, and had us wait for a table for 2 while she proceeded to seat three groups that came in after us with no reservations. Waitress was very sweet and atmosphere was pleasant and seemed down to earth and relaxed. I tried a "walleye wonton" which sounds crazy but it was sooooo very good! It was a sort of blended mousse texture inside and was reminiscent of crab rangoon. Very yummy. read more

Not a whole lot of options on the menu. If you have a spare 45 minutes in between when you order and when you actually get your food, then this is the place for you. Staff was unorganized and unprepared. Asked us if we wanted to sit outside on the patio; when we said yes we were promptly told that there wasn't any seating available. read more

I dined alone. Guess that ticked off the waiter as she barely acknowledged that I was there. I asked about a particular menu item and she took that as my order and immediately left. After I finished my beer I was not asked if I would like another. After I finished my meal I was not asked if I would like dessert. Of course that would've meant that she would had to redo my ticket that she brought before I was finished with my entrée. Overall the service was what you would expect at a drive-through. The meal itself was generally fine. I had the tacos with walleye and they were tasty however they were served with tortilla chips of the type you generally can find at Walmart. Since my reason for eating at this place was to do a little recon for dinner later in the week or I would be buying dinner for a total of 16 people you can be sure I won't be back. I would strongly suggest a couple other places in the Ely area for dinner. read more

The food is good if you've been out in the woods for a week, otherwise the Rockwood just isn't great. The salad was limp. The wild rice soup was 3/4 cream and bacon, And because I'm a vegetarian I couldn't eat it. The menu should indicate which foods are not vegetarian friendly. I'm from minnesota too, I understand meat is important, but 99% of the menu is meat. The food needs an upgrade, and the decor needs a complete overhaul. I've seen gas station bathrooms that are nicer. It would be nice to see this Ely restaurant succeed. read more

Like most places in Ely, the decor is "log-cabinesque", but we weren't in town long enough to grow tired of that. My vegetarian wife was thrilled that they had a black bean burger on the menu, and even more thrilled at how good it was. She enjoyed it with the sweet potato fries. One of our party raved about the Blueberry Burger, which had a blueberry compote under goat cheese on top of the burger. I was considering that, but opted instead for the Meatloaf Sandwich. Atop a large slice of bread was a layer of garlic mashed potatoes. The stuffed meatloaf sat atop the potatoes and the entire combination with smothered in gravy. I was disappointed when it was all gone! read more

Visit this place every summer! It is a must stop! What a beautiful place! The food is awesome and the staff is friendly! The owners really care and if your a regular patron is very easy to see! Can't wait to get back up there next summer! read more

Atmosphere and food was great. Good burger and Walleye sliders after exiting the Boundary Waters. Waitress gave good service. Would have given a higher rating but bartender was extremely rude. Was greeted terribly and even had a coaster thrown at me before receiving my drink. Worked service industry for years and I wouldn't dream of being so cranky on the job. Nice beers, stay away from the flat cider! read more

Good food at a good price. Terrific beer selection. BIL said his surf n turf was excellent. Blueberry burger was very tasty. Very nice Northwoods decor. Tacos were better than the sliders. Overall, exceeded expectations. read more

We ordered our meals via carry out. We had the flank steak and walleye dinners. The flank steak served medium with potatoes and broccoli was very well prepared. The walleye was ok but over cooked/dry. The rice soup was also very good. read more

They have a great happy hour and drinks but it is quickly overshadowed by such rude staff! Hostess was so rude and the bartender wasn't any better. read more

We came here while in town canoeing. My husband comes here every year when he is here and insisted that we come for supper. He raves about this place. He was right. Good food, great service, and a nice selection of local craft beers. read more

Visited the Dorothy Molter Museum with my wife, son, mother and elderly grandparents. Initially stopped there because I could drop off the grandparents right at the door and we didn't have to hunt for street parking. The food was definitely worth raving about. Wife had the walleye fingers and I had the "rise and shine" burger: burger with hash browns, bacon, cheese and a fried egg. Hand-cut fries are delicious. Next time I am there I will stop by at the bar for a drink. If you are in Ely and only have time for one meal, make it the Rockwood. read more

Really bad service. When we asked to send back some incredibly smelly and off-tasting walleye and order something different, the waitress told us she had to "get permission from the manager." Once she got permission, I reordered and it took over 30 minutes for my dinner to come out. By that time, our table was done eating and ready to leave, so I had to have my dinner boxed to go. Then the fish showed up on our tab and when we told the server about the mistake, we were told, "You ordered it and there was nothing wrong with it, so you are going to pay for it." We made it clear we would not be paying for the fish and eventually it was taken off the bill. Asking around town, it seems this is the norm at the Rockwood if you send something back. read more

Great and fabulous place to fill up before heading out into the wilderness! Burgers are superlicious! Good personable service. A must in Ely! read more

Great burgers. Good bar selection. Perfect spot after 5 days in the Boundary Waters.

Had okay service and food when I was in town in August. Sat outside which was nice. We ate hamburger but took awhile to get our food. A little expensive but in the tourist area wondering if local eat there. read more

We stopped here for lunch on our way through town and sat outside on the patio, which was really nice. This patio is nicely landscaped and right in the middle of town, so it's good for people watching. I ordered the fish & wild rice burger with sweet potatoes, and was happy with my choice. The burger was delicious, and the sweet potato fries were good but a little too greasy. I found myself wishing they came with more of the aioli that was on my burger. read more

We were in Ely from out of town. The parking lot was crowded so we thought Rockwood would be a good place to eat. We had to wait for a table so we sat at the bar. We asked the female bartender if we could order an an appetizer. She told us it wouldn't be a good idea since we were waiting for a table. We ended up eating at the bar so we could eat sooner than wait for a table and her service was not very good. She had an attitude that continued from when she told us not to order an appetizer. I have never heard of such poor customer service, telling customers not to order an appetizer! She said she has worked there for 6 summers. I don't know how she has kept her job. Food was just okay. There was also a lot of gossip going on between the other servers and bartender about customers that we could hear. Next time in Ely we will not go back. read more

The food was average in flavor, and not cooked properly. The service was extremely slow and inattentive. We will not go back.

I stopped here with my wife a couple of times recently on a trip to Ely. We tried the chicken quesadillas, turkey burger, salad and nacho grande. All were very good along with the service. We sat outside for one meal and at the bar for the other. Both experiences were good. Prices are reasonable as well. The outside patio area was nice, plenty of free parking and a great location. We will definitely stop here again! read more

My husband's family visits Ely, MN 3 times a year. We had a great early dinner there the other day.

Wow! The crusted Walleye was fantastic! Really appreciate the appropriate attentiveness of your staff, they were great. And, the lady who said this was like Applebee's has had her palette dulled by MSG. Rockwood is MSG free, I checked, I have to. Great food, thanks. read more

I am being one star kind. The food here is mediochre. I ordered the Alo-eh burger medium rare. It had so much of their 808 sauce on it; it was hard to taste the slaw. The dish presents horribly. It was very red and very soft-perfectly mushy. The waitress asked if I tried the cole slaw and I said no because it drowned in the red (808) sauce. To show you how badly I yearned for something crispy; I ate the edges of the bun that hadn't drowned. They put that shit on both sides of the beef, too, so I didn't even finish the burger. My wife ordered the wall something or other sandwich. It had more onion flavor than walleye. Most restaurants would not charge for a dish eaten so poorly as mine, but it was not mentioned by the server. Read Anthony F-he summed it well. We also ordered smoked wing appetizer with root beer glaze-the root beer glaze is very sweet and needs some pizazz or heat. My sons had meatloaf and smoked chicken. Meatloaf was "meh". Smoked chicken got the best review. I have to say that 3 stars is a gift earned by their tap beer selection. The food needs work. To fix the burger-#1-serve the sauce on the side. #2-crisp the canadian bacon #3 take the core out of candied pineapple slices (really) #4 make sure the cole slaw is not creamy if u put on a burger (honestly wasn't sure). #5 make sure the burger is closer to medium than rare. Do all cuz they are all big misses on a simple burger read more

My favorite place to eat in town is Rockwood! I'm a local who serves at a different restaurant. I wish Rockwood was open all year!!

Love going here!! They have an interesting and varied menu, and the food is excellent. The Smoked Chicken Nachos are one of the most impressive items I've ever had in a restaurant. 3 to 5 weekday happy hour is 2 for 1! read more

I hesitate to give only two stars because I actually love this place. Who would have thought a Hardee's could be so transformed! It's a great and authentic local establishment now. We are here for my wife's birthday and we all ordered walleye. The meals were well prepared but skimpy. At this price range you can reasonably expect a plate filling fillet but the walleye portion was disappointing. Other that the meal was good. read more

This business is very unwelcoming to local patrons. I was not allowed to sit on the deck to enjoy the music of a great local band with out an advanced reservation and told I had to leave! This restaurant has permanently lost the the support of this local resident and now former patron. I would hope Ely would be more welcoming and friendly to its own friends and neighbors. read more

The atmosphere was very nice, we sat outside & it was gorgeous out. We had a group of 5 women, however, that was about the only decent part of our lunch. I ordered the chicken sandwich on a pretzel bun, thank goodness I cut the sandwich in half, because it was still raw in the middle. I sent it back, when I cut it again, there was no bacon. Didn't bother complaining again. We had no silverware to start, we had to ask for them. The server was friendly, but obviously young & new because she couldn't answer simple questions about the menu. I would definitely not return read more

Not sure why this place isn't rated better. Went on a canoe trip this last June with my girlfriend. Ended up coming here for dinner the first night, really enjoyed it, so we ended up coming back our finally night in Ely. Just leaving Ely again now and we went to dinner here last night. Everyone was very pleased with the meals. The menu is huge and has a great selection of food and alcohol. Personally, best selection in the town. I was a little bummed as last night we came in as a big group but the waitress was visibly worn out from what was a long day(they had run out of clean silverware temporarily after we sat down). People were still well eating their meals when the waitress asked if that was it or if we wanted the check. We probably all had another round of drinks if not 2 in us but could see she just wanted to wrap it up, so as did we unfortunately! Will continue to always come back when in town again! Also, they had live music when I was there in June and would recommend eating outside if you can. read more