Since Michelle Ly opened The Rock Sports Bar in 2014, she's had to wear many hats.

On top of running the beloved downtown spot, Ly is a sitting Round Rock City Council member, a mother, a partner of Hall Roofing and Construction and the owner of three other local businesses, alongside her husband, Erik Hall.

"I just love being part of the community. ... If a customer comes in and just wants to talk to me about Round Rock, then I'm happy to sit there and put on that hat," Ly said. "I'll do anything to make my team and my customers feel supported."

The gist

Ly and Hall got the idea to open a sports bar concept from their shared love of football.


At The Rock, patrons can enjoy over 20 TVs playing a variety of sports, arcade games, darts, a patio and a full service bar with brunch and dinner food options.

The restaurant's color scheme of blue and gray are a tribute to the pair's favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys.

"We like to call it our 'Cheers bar.' ... We really want to maintain that hometown feel here." Ly said. "This is where we know our customers' food and drink orders before they walk in the door."

Since opening The Rock, Ly and Hall have created The Rock Shot Bar next door, a Tex-Mex restaurant called The Alcove Cantina and a bar called The Flats a few blocks away.


What's on the menu

With 10 years of restaurant management experience, Ly said it was important to her that the bar had a great food selection to accompany the drinks.

The menu has several classic dive bar appetizers, such as wings, fried pickles, egg rolls, fries, chip, dips and loaded nachos.

Entrees include unique sandwiches and burgers, such as the dragon burger, which comes with fried onions, fried jalapenos, chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese.


"We just wanted people to have good food here to enjoy while they watch sports, so they don't have to cook at home," Ly said. "The burgers are never frozen, they are always hand-pressed in house with Nolan Ryan Angus ground beef."

Quote of note

"I am a huge introvert naturally. So when I'm bartending, when I'm managing or when I'm helping my team, it forces me to connect with people in a way I wouldn't otherwise. I think that's made me a good leader—to find my weaknesses and put myself in an uncomfortable place to really work at them," Ly said.