Taste what The Rock is cooking

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza &Spirits in Lynnwood has been renovated from the inside out, but thank goodness they didn’t change anything about their pizza. It’s still as savory and hearty as it’s always been.

The Rock (as in rock ‘n’ roll) may be one of the only places in the city where the women patrons may be asking to check out the men’s restroom.

That’s right, said Lynnwood’s general manager Jeff Rettig, “we’re real excited about the new bathrooms.”

While the whole restaurant has been renovated, adding an electric guitar chandelier and faux band box walls with brick and chrome-paneled ceilings, the bathrooms are also pretty rockin’ — particularly the men’s one.

Artist and airbrusher Mike LaValley, who has been featured on the TLC Network’s “Rides,” has airbrushed the urinal in the men’s restroom with a “cartoon devil image,” Rettig said. Airbrushed flames, like in The Rock’s logo, are also painted on the dividers and doors in both the women’s and men’s restrooms.

The artwork has been in the restaurant’s Lake Tapps location for awhile now, Rettig said.

“Ladies are always wanting to go in the men’s room to see the urinal — so to avoid that here, we’ve added some of the airbrushing to the toilet seat lids in the ladies’ room,” he said, adding, “but I’m sure some will still want to see the men’s room.”

But wait — there’s more than this potty-talk going on here.

Another exciting thing about The Rock reopening is they’ve brought back their all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta, salad and garlic mozzarella sticks with beverage lunch buffets.

The buffet is available from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and costs $7.29 which includes soda or $8.29 which includes a brew. This is a great value and allows patrons the opportunity to try the variety of interesting toppings The Rock offers. Some of the different toppings that may or may not tempt the taste buds are sliced almonds, artichoke hearts, hot cherry peppers, caramelized onions and broccoli, to name a few. They also offer a wide variety of more traditional toppings.

Speaking of beer, Rettig said, another difference with the new Rock is that they are no longer a brewery. While they still have a fully stocked bar, the brewery is gone and now Fish Tale Ales out of Olympia brews The Rock brand beers for its three restaurants.

While the food and decor here is smokin’ — the patrons aren’t. The Rock is now one of the many restaurants in the state jumping on the band wagon to offer a smoke-free restaurant and bar.Shannon Sessions is the editor for the Lynnwood/ Mountlake Terrace edition of the Enterprise Newspaper.