A Spacious New Sports Bar Arrives in Gainesville This Week

Pro baseball player-turned-restaurateur Mike Cordero, the chef/owner behind popular Arlington booze havens A-Town and Barley Mac, is expanding his growing Northern Virginia empire with the debut of Rockwood Sports Bar in Gainesville, Virginia.

The 5,000-square-foot American restaurant, slinging wings and red velvet milkshakes, will open with full service on Thursday, May 31. The bar, which has been running a limited menu so far this month, is giving out T-shirts for the first 100 guests for grand opening day.

The new industrial-style drinking destination (7505 Iron Bar Lane) replaces a Ruby Tuesday, with room for 200 guests to spread out across three full bars and indoor and outdoor tables. One patio sports a beer garden theme while the other has more of a lounge vibe.

Featured items include Southern fried chicken, pork belly Cuban sandwiches and bacon-chicken fritters with chipotle radish sauce.

Rockwood Sports Bar/official photo

Cordero has sports in his blood, formerly a Major League Baseball player for the Seattle Mariners. Now the Bronx native owns eight Northern Virginia sports and restaurants, a wine label (Cordero Wines), and hot sauce brand (Bronx Tale). Other brands under the MACNAC Hospitality umbrella include Bronx Pizza, Don Tito, and The G.O.A.T.

Projected hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the week and Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. for brunch and dinner.

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