Glenwood South’s oldest restaurant, a Raleigh ‘hidden gem,’ has closed

The Rockford, the second-story “hidden gem” that became Glenwood South’s first restaurant when it opened in 1994, has closed.

The restaurant’s ownership group, which took over the Raleigh restaurant in late 2019, announced the closing in a news release Thursday.

Called a “spunky little restaurant” by News & Observer food critic Greg Cox, the longtime Glenwood establishment ventured into largely uncharted waters when it opened at 320-1/2 Glenwood Ave. nearly 30 years ago.

“The location, in the middle of a six-block stretch of mostly derelict businesses and abandoned warehouses on Glenwood Avenue, was hardly a marketer’s dream,” Cox wrote in 2016.

Situated on the second floor of its building, the restaurant was somewhat of a hidden gem and a “little upstairs hideaway,” at first only having “minimal” signage, Cox wrote — though the restaurant’s name was added to the exterior in large, prominent letters later, which at one point was at odds with city rules, The N&O reported in 2014.

The restaurant’s menu was originally known for its “quirky menu of small plates” and sandwiches, Cox wrote, including the signature ABC, “apples, bacon and cheddar on powdered sugar-dusted grilled whole wheat.”

Changing ownership

The restaurant changed hands a few times in its history, even closing for a period in 2010 before longtime fans rescued it, Cox wrote.

Over time, both the restaurant’s interior space and its menu evolved, taking on a “more refined” look and ditching the ABC and some other menu favorites for dishes “aimed at contemporary palates,” Cox wrote. In its most recent iteration, The Rockford’s menu was known for its “rotation of locally sourced star plates,” as noted by Raleigh Magazine when it named the restaurant one of 2022’s best.

The restaurant’s current owners bought the business and took over in late 2019, with an interest in “honoring the historic dining establishment,” Thursday’s release said.

“Through ever-improving menu and ambiance additions, newcomers and tenured regulars joined to make the experience truly one only possible in a hidden gem of Raleigh,” the release said.

Navigating the pandemic

The owners guided the restaurant through a tough period for restaurants everywhere, navigating closures and other hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Offering sundries and timing kitchen repair and renovations during the pandemic’s closures was just one creative initiative to offset the financial hardships that were brought onto even the most secure and long-standing downtown restaurants,” Thursday’s release said.

“The ability to continue serving Raleigh friends and family was a blessing only made possible by the incredible staff members, including management leaders: Jermaine Caldwell and Cassandra Attalla; and the devoted customers.”

With the restaurant closing its doors, the dining room will be empty, the release said, but “options to properly preserve and honor The Rockford’s memory are being explored.”

“The end of an era,” the release said, “but The Rockford lives on forever.”