Two of “R” Bar’s crowd favorites are chicken nachos and the meatball plate. Bartenders are also quick to whip up a seasonal drink like this beer flight which includes a “Cider Dark and Rainy” or the “Caramel Pumpkintini” to its right.
Reinvention can be risky and a little frightening. It takes vision, a sense of adventure and a support system to encourage and help with the inevitable challenges along the way.
When Rocky Bria was faced with reimagining an underutilized space inside Rocky’s Pizza in Battle Ground he found just that in his daughter, Tammy Bria Roberts and her boyfriend, Gary Livingston.
Regulars of South Pacific Café & Lounge (now Playmakers), Roberts and Livingston approached Bria with an idea to turn Rocky’s event room into an adult gathering space. At about the same time that South Pacific was restructuring, Rocky’s was able to bring their manager, Billy Armstrong, on as assistant manager and project consultant for the new space — “R” Bar.
Meanwhile, Miranda Simpson was facing a huge life change.
With Los Angeles her last known address, Simpson was growing weary of the anonymity of big city life. Her extensive traveling — including time teaching in Korea — honed her confidence and people-loving personality but a back-to-the-land experience was beginning to pull at her heart. Her father and stepmom took the plunge that Simpson had not yet committed to: buying five acres in the Fargher Lake area. Unfortunately, her father passed away soon after but it prompted Simpson to come to her stepmother’s side.
“Like me, they wanted to slow down the pace of life, get animals (and) have a big garden. I wanted to help bring that to life and be part of a small community,” Simpson said.
“R” Bar was the first place Simpson applied at. One week after their Nov. 14, 2017 opening, Simpson came on as assistant manager and after Armstrong’s departure, she became manager of the popular spot.
“We didn’t market. We just turned the “open” sign on and it grew from word-of-mouth. I loved it immediately,” Simpson said. “It’s exactly what I hoped it would be. Eighty percent of the clientele are regulars that I see three to six times a week. It feels like a community.”
For over 40 years Rocky’s Pizza has been serving up a slew of pizzas and refreshing their salad bar for sports teams, growing families and couples on date night. The two-story log cabin is an ideal spot for family-friendly gatherings, but is it a bit kitschy for a slightly more sophisticated adult beverage presence?
That thought went through Simpson’s mind when her first exposure to Rocky’s was her “R” Bar interview. Stepping through the front doors, this L.A. gal needed only to descend a few steps to see the subtle yet impactful transformation. Hints of aged logs peak out from corrugated metal walls, a warm wood-slat ceiling complements stone walls and a stylish bar back is backlit and dressed up with martini glasses and copper Moscow mule mugs.
The food menu is intentionally abbreviated since the over 21 crowd at “R” Bar can order straight off Rocky’s menu, but the Meatball Plate is served in a boat-style pasta dish and features house-made marinara sauce over two meatballs, topped with mozzarella and a toasted baguette on the side. Their Jalapeño Artichoke Dip is also a crowd favorite and the one- or two-topping pizza on the “R” Bar menu is actually less expensive for the same size as the one found on Rocky’s main menu.
“R” Bar offers a full bar experience and proudly features locally-sourced beers and ciders like Barrel Mountain, Rusty Grape, Fortside Brewing, and Backwoods Brewing. Simpson is a sucker for themed cocktails and right now her Pumpkin Spice Coffee, Cider Dark & Rainy and Caramel Pumpkintini are warming up customers for the winter season where peppermint is sure to make an appearance.
Aside from TV screens for game day viewing, monthly live music and Taco Tuesday highlighting soft and hard tacos as well as taco pizza by the slice, “R” Bar is fast becoming a second home for long-time locals that hold fond memories of Rocky’s from their youth.
“Everyone who comes in here says ‘I had so many trophy parties for baseball games’ or ‘I remember attending birthday parties here’ and now it’s an adult party room,” Simpson said.
