The Rockstone

Polite barman and great food will certainly go there again
Apr 23rd, 2023

Excellent vegan food during the "vegan fortnight" January 2018. Booking is advised as there are few tables and all were booked during our visit, we were lucky enough to visit very early evening and thus sit at a table book for a later diner. Good choice of beer. Not a large pub. 2022 and the pub is no longer 4 stars but now 3 stars. The menu is greatly reduced in choice, though want I ate was very nice. The bar is under staffed and really needs another bar server to avoid the slow delivery of drinks. 2023 and the pub remains exactly like 2022, with no visible changes. The garden is pleasant if the weather is fine and sunny.
Apr 12th, 2023

I was truly looking forward to trying out the burgers these guys are famous for, but unfortunately it seems I set my expectations too high. The burger itself was cooked quite nicely. It was tender and juicy, although lacking a bit of flavour you would otherwise expect from a nicely seasoned burger. The salad accompaniments looked like they were just there to fill the plate. The chips were perfectly average too with light seasoning. Finally, it just felt like the burger didn't get the care and attention it needed (and this burger wasn't even that big, imagine the tower sized ones!). The tiger bread bun was cool to the touch. The bottom bun was soggy from the juices and barely held the burger in place. But that's not the end of the world. It happens. So all in all, not the worst experience. The burger was quite enjoyable. Then why the 3 stars? It's because you're paying a premium (yes, ~20 for a burger is a premium) for an experience which is quite underwhelming. It just made me realise how nice my own homemade burgers are, at a fraction of the cost too. It makes me somewhat sad that I didn't get to enjoy The Rockstone in its prime. From all the previous reviews, it's clear that these guys are just a shadow of their former self now.
Apr 16th, 2023

The Rockstone has gone downhill in a big way. This was my first visit to Southampton in ten years, having heard excellent things about the food was really looking forward to visiting.....what a mistake. The staff are friendly, but the food is way over-priced for it's quality, with the menu extremely limited in terms of choice - it's basically just burgers - and pretty average ones at that. Guinness and a burger came in at 21.20 - I can't see how a pub in a run-down part of Southampton can charge this and expect to stay in business. The same meal in a Wetherspoons would be around 11-12. The smell from the toilets was hideous, plus the seating is extremely uncomfortable. The Guinness is poorly kept. In the current climate, unless there's a dramatic turnaround, I can't see it lasting much longer. Wish I'd saved my money and gone to the Giddy Bridge.
Apr 7th, 2023

Great pub with wide selection of beers. House djs on Saturday nights
Mar 21st, 2023