San Diego's 45-year-old burger destination Rocky's Crown Pub in the quiet Crown Point area of Pacific Beach is in the process of changing ownership.
Fresh out of college, Chicago-native Patricia "Patty" Rockwood moved to San Diego to join her two brothers who were stationed in America's Finest City while in the Navy. She eventually went into an old bar on the corner of Ingraham and La Playa in the Pacific Beach outskirts known as Crown Point, and when she found out the bar was for sale, Patty decided to buy herself a job. Patty leveraged her stocks and savings and borrowed what she could and Rocky's Crown Pub was born in 1977. Over the four decades since, the bar has become known as the place to get one of San Diego's most delicious burgers.
Rocky's is in the process of being purchased by longtime employee Nick Vendetti, who actually met his wife Melissa at the establishment back in 2009. Expect Rocky's to stay entirely as-is with little if any changes made with the new ownership.
Rocky's is a no frills establishment and offers one of the simplest menus in town - a purist's version of a cheeseburger made with 80/20 ground beef topped with yellow American cheese, available in 1/3 and 1/2 pound patties, and served on a sesame bun with lettuce, red onion, tomato, sliced pickle, and mayo (if you want it). The only "secret menu" options are grilled onions and Swiss cheese. Fries are available but not included, and there are jars of pepperoncini peppers all over the bar and tables. The bar also has 13 beer taps, with half devoted to San Diego brews.
Rocky’s Crown Pub is located at 3786 Ingraham Street in San Diego's Crown Point community. For more information, visit rockyburgers.com and call 858.273.9140.