ABOUT US
Spring 2022
MERCURY NEWS SAN JOSE
Being nominated and listed as The Best Sports Bar in Silicon Valley by the readers of Mercury News makes us feel great. We aim to please our guests and hold ourselves to high standards of hospitality and service.
Winter 2021
METRO SILICON VALLEY
Rookies was nominated in 2021 by Metro Best of Silicon Valley for Best Sports Bar. Its always an honor when we are recognized as the best for doing what we love. Thank you!
Summer 2021
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
We’re excited the Merc included us in their article ‘8 Great Bay Area Sports Bars for Watching Pro & College Football’. They said…’These days you can catch the game at a classic hangout, an upscale restaurant, or even a chic movie complex.’…and we’re thrilled that we made their MVP list for the entire Bay Area!
Summer 2020
NEW SMOKER IN WILLOW GLEN
Since we love all of our fans, we invested in a top-of-the-line Traeger Smoker for the Willow Glen location. Not only does this world-class cooking machine create some of the juiciest tri-tips and chickens we’ve ever tasted, its super hi-tech and can be controlled by an app on our phones. Now, that’s smokin meats at its finest.
August 2019
GOOMBAHS & SECOND HARVEST
On a gorgeous Hot August Sunday Night we partnered up with Silicon Valley’s very own Goombahs Car Club to help raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank at Rookies in Willow Glen. Goombahs Car Club had our parking lot packed with classic cars while guests enjoyed everything we have to offer in house. The event was off the hook and we’re happy to announce that we raised over thirteen hundred dollars for Second Harvest Food Bank.
July 2019
All-Star 7th Inning Stretch
Take me to Rookies Sports Lodge, the best place in San Jose
Buy me some hot wings and ice cold drinks
I won’t care if I dust the whole thing
Let us root root root for the All Stars,
The best in the league its insane!
For its strikes, hits and hella of home runs
From the best in the game!
May 2019
SJ QUAKES VIEWING PARTY
SJ Quakes hosted a viewing party for the team’s match against the New England Revolution at Rookies in Willow Glen. The Earthquakes Brand Ambassador team was on-site to provide fans with giveaways and raffles for various prizes. Just another fun time for Rookies Fans!
April 2019
BASEBALL FOR KIDS CHARITY GOLF
When Coach Milligan called and asked us to Sponsor an event that supports both kids and sports, we said yes right away because we love kids and sports. This year Baseball for Kids Charity Golf Tournament at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club brought dozens of generous locals together to support the cause, and we are proud to be part of the awesomeness.
March 2019
SILICON VALLEY’S BEST SPORTS BAR
Humbled by the tremendous amount of community support we get from our awesome regulars and guests. We’re super pleased to announce that we won Silicon Valley’s Best Sports Bar from Metro Newspaper again, and we know that it’s all because of your votes.
THANK YOU!
February 2019
PROUD SPONSORS OF CINEQUEST
We’re gonna hit the silver screen, grab our directors chairs, rub elbows with the pros on the red carpet and support the arts. Picture this, Silicon Valley’s Best Sports Bar meets Silicon Valley’s Best Film Festival. Things are looking pretty darn delicious!
January 2019
NHL ALL-STARS IN SAN JOSE
Its not everyday that we get the National Hockey League’s Best of the Best in our backyard, and January’s NHL All-Star game at the SAP Center brought Downtown San Jose to life with hockey love and a very cool crowd.
DECEMBER 2018
#1 SPORTS BAR IN SJ BY FOURSQUARE
We were humbled to learn social media giant Foursquare ranked us #1 on their list of ‘The 7 Best Sports Bars in San Jose’. Its very cool to hear that Jacquelin loved our the Juicy Lucy burger and that Max enjoyed the nachos and wings. We love all of the tips and photos on Foursquare and thank everyone who ranked us number one!
NOVEMBER 2018
SJPD PAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We at Rookies believe the children are our future. That we should teach them team activities and let them learn along the way. Show them all the beauty healthy activities possess inside. Give them some space and gear to make it easier. Let the children’s hard work and dedication remind us how we used to be. Because the greatest Love of all is community support to us. We’re proud to support the San Jose Police Activities League (PAL) non-profit organization.
OCTOBER 2018
100% PERFORMANCE – 12-MONTH REVIEW
2018 has been a fabulous year for us here at Rookies. Not only were we voted as The Best Sports Bar in Silicon Valley by both the Metro Newspaper and The Mercury News, but we have received 100% positive reviews directly from our private event guests and parties. We take loads of pride when it comes to accommodating our guests and receiving 100% positive reviews in the last 12-months is a good sign that we’re doing exactly what we set out todo. To Be Great. Cheers to you and thank you for all of the positive feedback!
SEPTEMBER 2018
CELEBRITY SIGHTING – POST MALONE IN #DTSJ
When Rap star Post Malone entered the building he had been saucin’, swaggin’ and ballin’ on all over San Jose. He reminded us that his mama called, saw him on TV, said that stuff done changed ever since he was on, and that he dreamed it all ever since he was young. And even though they said he would be nothing, he overcame these objections and now they always tell him congratulations! After all, Post Malone cheered for his team (Dallas Cowboys) and enjoyed a cold Bud Light. It was a pleasure meeting him!
AUGUST 2018
SC ROYALS ALL STARS
Here are a the Santa Cruz Royals Baseball Team All-Stars sporting their new jerseys with Rookies Pride. Being a locally family owned business ourselves, we take loads of pride in supporting the Santa Cruz Royals Men’s Senior Baseball team with some flashy gear. Plus, its always cool when they visit us for a celebration. Nice work All-Stars!
JULY 2018
SV BEER WEEK W/ 6 RIVERS BREWING
For the 2018 Silicon Valley Beer Week we had a Tap Takeover and Meet the Owner with Six Rivers Brewing and a special guest, San Jose native and owner of Six Rivers Brewing, Meredith Maier. It was a great time indeed, especially when KQED arrived to interview Meredith. CLICK HERE to listen to KQED’s 90-second podcast. Cheers!
JUNE 2018
MERCURY NEWS – BEST SPORTS BAR
For lunch, Happy Hour, game time or family dinners, Rookies Spots Lodge delivers spirit, service and a good time. The Willow Glen spot – Where it all began – has 22+ HDTV screens including a 90-inch and three 80-inch screens, plus a tailgate room for private groups up to 45 people. The newest Rookies is located on the iconic, downtown corner of South First and San Fernando Streets, where it is gaining popularity for its patio for up to 60 peopled The Luxury Box – a private suite for up to 16 people. They can handle full-facility parties for up to 200! Menus feature sandwiches, pizzas, salads, tasty appetizers, a full bar, great beer and copious cheering.
APRIL 2018
METRO NEWSPAPER
Voted Best Sports Bar – We’re so blessed to receive this award again and we couldn’t have done it without our awesome fans. From everyone here at Rookies, we thank you for Voting us as one of The Best Sports Bar in Silicon Valley again!
FEBRUARY 2018
FUNDRAISER THANK YOU LETTER
Thank you so much for making the donation to M.S. from the auction you sponsored. It was a nice surprise to get Andy’s email to advise me that the donation was made to my teams walk this year. Thank you so much. It was such a lovely event the MS people did to kick off our 2018 walk. A fun bar on the inside, and our area was perfect for us. The food was delicious…and I’m a wine fan but know my son is likely to visit after I told him about it for your beer and sports. Thank You! Linda
JANUARY 2018
OUR GRIDIRON CONSTITUTION
We the people of Rookies Spots Lodge, in order to create a most excellent football viewing experience, insure delicious food, provide cold beers and cocktails, promote crowd cheering, and secure the blessings of many TV networks, do ordain and will show every college and professional pre-season, regular season, conference, seasonal bowl, Wild Card, Playoff and Championship game…..because we love Football!
OCTOBER 2017
BELLARMINE ALUMNI GOLF CLASS
We love supporting our community and our guests as much as we can. This year we sponsored a hole at the Bellarmine Alumni Golf Classic and besides it being a successful fundraising event, we all had a blast. Fore!
AUGUST 2017
OPENTABLE DINERS’ CHOICE AWARD
Rookies has been selected by OpenTable diners’ as one of the best. The OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award winners are selected according to real feedback from diners like you who booked through OpenTable. Ever since we opened our doors, the community has shown us so much love and support. Getting cool awards like this is humbling and makes us work harder knowing our guests love what we do. Cheers!
JULY 2017
SANTA CRUZ ROYALS BASEBALL
We love our communities and get lots of enjoyment out of participating with and sponsoring the Santa Cruz Baseball Club. The Santa Cruz Royals are an amateur adult wood-bat baseball team founded in 2015, playing in the San Jose Mens Senior Baseball League Dunn Division…and they love visiting us after games. Go Royals!
MAY 31, 2017
SANJOSE.COM & METRO NEWSPAPER
Headliner in SanJose.com’s Nightlife section and found in the May 31, 2017 issue of Metro Newspaper, we’ve been featured again for something cool. The idea that we had 1-of-2 Lagunitas Firkin Kegs of the ever so tasty 12th of Never (that we tapped on June 1st for the first game of the NBA Finals with Warriors and Cavs) was good enough for the newspaper that Voted us Best Sports Bar in Silicon Valley to write about.
MAY 30, 2017
MERCURY NEWS COCKTAIL CHRONICLES
When Sal Pizarro enters the building, be ready for some solid reporting on cocktails and the boozy things. In his most recent article about us, Sal breakdown our Cocktail Menu, describes our ambiance and makes his suggestions to Mercury News readers.
MAY 15, 2017
BEST THINGS CALIFORNIA
We were voted as one of the Best Sports Bars in all of California. Sitting at #8 in the entire Golden State, the folks at BestThingsCa.com gave us a nice mention. Cheers!
APRIL 12, 2017
SAN JOSE SHARKS VIEWING PARTY
When the Sharks call you and ask you to be the Official Location for the first game of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, you say yes. We had a blast and the San Jose Sharks fans were loving it too.
MARCH 25, 2017
REVIEW: SOCCER GAME VIEWING PARTY
“Ricky did a great job coordinating with me before the event. He even had the big table moved out of the Luxury Box to better accommodate the large crowd I had (18 people). We had specifically asked to watch a soccer match on FS1 so they had to use the direct stream to the big TV in that room. They had tested it out earlier in the day to make sure it worked which showed excellent preparation. For the actual party, he had the feed going about 1/2 an hour before the match which gave us time to watch some pre-game, the national anthem, etc.. Claudia and her trainee, Sophia did a great job serving the party. I will definitely recommend friends have their events here. Thanks for everything!”
MARCH 24, 2017
REVIEW: FEHR AND PEERS HAPPY HOUR
“We appreciated being able to reserve a section for our group, even with the craziness of the NCAA tournament. Our server took great care of us and it really was beneficial to have her designated to our area. Thank you.”
MARCH 22, 2017
REVIEW: GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY
“It was a great experience! There are a few things I wanted to mention: 1. The happy hour was great! Great prices. 2. People enjoyed the appetizers we ordered! 3. Great drink selection. 4. The staff and service was very kind.5. We really appreciate getting to use the back patio at no cost and with no minimums! 6. Ricky was very accommodating and gracious with changes we had with timing. I look forward to having future events here!”
MARCH 21, 2017
KTVU CHANNEL 2 NEWS MARCH MADNESS
All NCAA events at the SAP Center in Downtown San Jose are non-alcoholic and KTVU Channel 2 News stopped by to see how business was doing. We had some cool folks from out of town visiting and lots of locals enjoying the March Madness games with us. It was a blast!
MARCH 20, 2017
REVIEW: THE TABLE OF ST. JOSEPH LA TAVOLA DI SAN GIUSEPPE
“Amazing collaboration with the rest of the downtown restaurants in celebration of our city’s name: Saint Joseph/San Jose Together we fed 400 people from the homeless, business, and faith community. A statement in solidarity!”
MARCH 15, 2017
METRO NEWSPAPER
Voted Best Sports Bar in Silicon Valley – We’re honored to receive this award and we couldn’t have done it without our awesome customers. From everyone here at Rookies, we thank you for making us The Best in Silicon Valley again.
FEB, 2017
REVIEWS – PRIVATE EVENTS IN DOWNTOWN
“SJSU Wine Tasting – Service was great, very friendly!”
“Cencal Volleyball Meetup – Atmosphere was great! Our large party appreciated Ricky’s effort”.
JAN 31, 2017
REVIEW: MAYOR SAM LICCARDO’S OFFICE
“The server was great – she was involved just the right amount. And the food was great, too. We loved it!” (Jim Reed, Chief of Staff to Mayor Sam Liccardo)
JAN 26, 2017
REVIEW: THE VMC FOUNDATION
“AMAZING reception party on all counts! The VMC Foundation thanks you for hosting this celebration. We hope to be back very soon! Gather is awesome. Your staff are rock stars!”
DEC 29, 2016
SANJOSE.COM ARTICLE
Rookies: A Big New Player in the Downtown Sports Bar Scene by Josh Koehn: “As far as Silicon Valley sports bars go, one would be hard pressed to find more pixels per square foot than the new Rookies”
DEC 11, 2016
MERCURY NEWS ARTICLE
On the burger menu is one rarely seen in these parts: the Juicy Lucy, a south Minneapolis creation. It’s a big burger with a core of melted cheese instead of cheese melted on top.
DEC 10, 2016
ROOKIES DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE GRAND OPENING
The grand opening of our second location in Downtown San Jose was a remarkable event. With fun events like hourly raffle prizes, guest appearances by city officials and the San Jose Downtown Association and a ribbon cutting with Mayor Sam Liccardo, it was a blast and we’re super happy to be Downtown San Jose.
JAN 19, 2016
SANJOSE.COM & METRO BAR GUIDE
Willow Glen’s Rookies Sports Lodge is a cut above your average sports bar. By Sal Pizarro: “This is a true neighborhood hangout….Rookies opened in February 2010….in what used to be a Straw Hat Pizza in the Carriage Square shopping center on Meridian Avenue.
MARCH 2015
METRO NEWSPAPER AWARD
Voted third place Best Sports Bar in Silicon Valley. This year the Metro had segmented Silicon Valley’s regions and we came in 3rd overall Best Sports Bar in the entire Silicon Valley. Very cool!
AUGUST 30, 2011
MERCURY NEWS REVIEW
Willow Glen’s Rookies Sports Lodge is a cut above your average sports bar. By Sal Pizarro: “This is a true neighborhood hangout….Rookies opened in February 2010….in what used to be a Straw Hat Pizza in the Carriage Square shopping center on Meridian Avenue.