JANESVILLE We have been excited to try the new diner-style restaurant on Janesvilles East Side. Rockin Robs is housed on Racine Street in the former Dairy Queen, and before that, Milts Coffee Shop, which Jennifer remembers fondly in the early 1970s.
A sandwich at Rockin Robs in Janesville.
The menu explains that the restaurant is named after one of the owners late brothers, Rob. The 1950s diner was a dream of the brothers and it has come true. The tunes and ambiance are reminiscent of the era. Muscle cars and trucks are represented with photos and the bench seat by the door is upholstered in that same vein.
The rest of the booths are in festive Packer colors to reflect Robs favorite team.vIt is a small dining area but we were amazed at the number of tables, especially if you recall the old Dairy Queen layout. On the Friday night we visited, there was a short wait to be seated. The place was pleasantly packed, with many people enjoying the fish fry.
The staff are super friendly, and it seemed to be a family affair. The atmosphere is welcoming and there was plenty of joking back and forth, both amongst the staff and with the customers. They prepare their food fresh every day and try to do everything hand-made and as local as possible, which is commendable.
We perused the appetizer section of the menu and decided on two, their hand-battered cheese curds ($9) and fried pickles ($10). They offer three types of cheese for the curds: yellow, swiss and pepperjack. We have never seen swiss cheese curds on a menu, so we couldnt wait to dig in. The fried pickles werent hand-battered but were delicious. Our server explained that they attempted to make them but couldnt get the batter to hold so they searched out a brand they could stand by and we are glad they did. Both starters were served with ranch dressing ($0.75) and I loved combining the two!
Since they make their own clam chowder on Fridays, I ordered a bowl ($5). It was delicious, full of diced potatoes and small pieces of clam, and perfectly flavored. Unlike Jennifer, my memories at the location were of Dairy Queen, and I couldnt help feeling like I should be having a blizzard. When I mentioned it, my tablemates encouraged me to ask our server. After all, we were in a 50s diner. I hadnt noticed it on the menu but of course they make shakes and malts! My options were chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, or mint chocolate chip. I kept it simple. You cant go wrong with a chocolate malt ($6). It was a great treat.
A fried chicken jalapeno cheese sandwich at Rockin Robs in Janesville.
Helene got the saturn burger basket ($18) which came with fries. It was a quarter-pound cheeseburger on a big brioche bun. With seven large hand-battered onion rings and a good dousing of BBQ sauce, it was messy and delicious! We werent sure if the bbq sauce was house made but it didnt matter, it wasnt too sweet or hot and it tasted great! The fries were plentiful and good too.
Nikki usually prefers beef, but their hand cut chicken sandwiches were calling her. When our server said the chicken sandwiches could be made with any of the burger fixings, she opted for the fried chicken jalapeno cheese sandwich basket with house fries and a Coke ($16). The chicken was juicy and perfectly battered, topped with sliced jalapeno rings, pepperjack cheese, and gooey nacho cheese. It was served on a soft brioche bun that was lightly grilled.
Rockin Robs serves fish fry on Friday nights and even more recently have added Wednesday nights to the line-up. With this in mind, Jennifer had already decided on her entree well before arriving. She ordered the two-piece cod dinner which includes delicious house-made coleslaw, choice of seasoned or unseasoned fries and a roll with butter. The cod was coated in a thin, crisp layer of golden batter and was not greasy like some fish frys can be. Inside, the fish was tender, flaky and moist. It was a truly comforting dish.
Fried pickles and cheese curds at Rockin Robs in Janesville.
A fried fish meal at Rockin Robs in Janesville.
Battered cheese curds at Rockin Robs in Janesville.
Another thing we noted on the menu is that Rockin Robs is very community minded. Kids eat free on Mondays, which is a great initiative. Buy one adult basket meal and get one kids meal, no charge. They also have two local charity campaigns, focusing on childrens music education and homelessness. They make it easy by welcoming a donation when you pay the bill and also have a dedicated page on their website for contributions.
