New restaurant and beer taproom in Fresno’s Tower District opens
Things might look the same from the outside.
But a heck of a lot is going on inside the building on the southeast corner of Van Ness and Olive avenues in the Tower District. It’s got a new craft beer taproom with a restaurant inside, a speakeasy vibe and a huge mural of the Valley by one of Fresno’s most well-known artists.
Rocky Hill Brewing Grill & Tavern is slated to open to the public Monday, Feb. 24.
It’s in the art deco-style building that has been home to vape shops, barber shops and Cuvée Fresno. Now it will be the second location of Rocky Hill Brewing, which has a brewery in Exeter.
The beer, food
Eclectic is a theme around here, from the decor to the food, even the beer.
Rocky Hill will be serving its varied collection of beers on 16 taps, 12 of them devoted to their beers, though no brewing will be done on site.
The Exeter brewery will remain open, said owner and brewer Ben Litwack.
“I’ve been hearing for three years now from our customers in Fresno, ‘We love your place, but it’s an hour away,’” he said. “It seemed like the next logical step to get out there. We’ll get a completely different group of people coming in.”
Rocky Hill is perhaps best known for its New England IPAs — beers that are hazy in appearance and easier drinking than their bold, hoppy cousins, the West Coast IPAs.
A citrusy New England IPA beer called Blue Dream is the most popular.
There are other beers too, ranging from light beers like a pilsner to an an Imperial stout with a body so thick it’s dubbed Pump Staller and has a 9.1% alcohol by volume.
Wine will also be available. Litwack’s family was once in the wine field and he has a degree in enology from Fresno State.
As for the food, Rocky Hill will also be a restaurant with a full menu where customers order from waitstaff at their tables.
The menu is pretty diverse.
For example, there’s a burger with smoked gouda, garlic and bacon aoli, topped with tomato, arugula and caramelized onions. There’s a French dip sandwich made with smoked tri-tip, and curry chicken wings.
And there’s a spin on chicken and waffles, with a puree of sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes with maple syrup tucked between the chicken and the waffle, and dollops of maple whipped cream on the plate.
Other soups and salads will be on the menu too.
What’s inside
The Rocky Hill in Exeter is rural and rustic, surrounded by orange groves. Litwack originally wanted to bring that style to the Fresno building, particularly the exterior.
But the Tower District committee that oversees such things wasn’t so hot on the idea, at least on the outside.
So the partners decided to work with the 1920s and 1930s feel of the building (which was actually built in 1991) and let loose inside.
The business is a partnership between Litwack and Sean Dempsey, a general contractor, artist and owner of The Earth Builders. You might recognize some of his unique style at area restaurants, including the remodeled bar at Los Panchos Mexcian Restaurant in downtown Fresno or the Clovis Pokiland.
“It’s going to be the craziest thing you’ve ever seen,” Dempsey said.
While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, it will be something different for Fresno.
Picture a Prohibition-era style place with 16-foot-tall crushed velvet curtains. Swanky furniture. Blue lighting. Candles on wall sconces.
There are artsy cupboard doors plastered all over the walls. One tabletop has a mass of those cupboard doors under glass..
There’s a stage for acoustic acts. A patio in front has large windows that open to the outside.
And the mural takes up all of one wall — a scene reflecting Exeter’s water tower and a river of beer stretching to Fresno.
It was painted by artist Josh Wigger, who has done several large murals in the Tower District and downtown.
Details: Rocky Hill Brewing Grill & Tavern is open from 11 a.m. to midnight daily. It’s at 1140 N. Van Ness Ave. 559-592-4594.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
