by 
By Mark A Leon
Park Circle is turning the page on one of its longtime neighborhood hangouts.
DIG in the Park, the popular sports bar and restaurant at 1049 E. Montague Ave., has been sold and has officially been replaced by a new concept: Rocko’s. The new restaurant opened in late August, bringing a refreshed look and a noticeably different personality to the familiar Park Circle space.
For more than a decade, DIG was part of the fabric of Park Circle. The restaurant opened in 2011 in the former Zocalo space, transforming the location into a sports-focused neighborhood bar with burgers, wings, sandwiches, tacos, a large collection of TVs and a sizable outdoor patio.
DIG eventually became known as much for its patio and casual atmosphere as it was for watching games. The restaurant was even recognized as one of Charleston’s popular North Charleston happy-hour destinations in the Charleston City Paper’s Best of Charleston awards.
Now, however, the familiar DIG signs are gone.
Rocko’s is positioning itself as a neighborhood bar and restaurant built around good food, cold drinks, sports and a more relaxed atmosphere. Its website now lists the restaurant as open, while current listings show the same 1049 E. Montague Avenue address.
The menu remains firmly in the approachable bar-and-grill category, with items including burgers, wings and other familiar favorites. The restaurant is also emphasizing its beverage program, with current hiring information describing cocktails, wine, craft beer and specialty drinks as part of the experience.
But perhaps the biggest change is the atmosphere.
Rocko’s is bringing a country-Western influence to the space, along with sports and outdoor hangout areas. The change has already generated plenty of conversation among Park Circle residents, with some longtime DIG customers welcoming the renovations and others wondering how the new concept will fit into an already evolving neighborhood.
That conversation is part of a much larger story happening in Park Circle.
North Charleston’s neighborhood has evolved into one of the Lowcountry’s most active dining and entertainment districts, with restaurants, breweries, bars, coffee shops and other businesses continuing to reshape East Montague Avenue and the surrounding streets.
For Rocko’s, the challenge—and opportunity—is to take over a space with a built-in history while creating something distinctly its own.
DIG may be gone, but the corner isn’t going anywhere.
For Park Circle, it’s simply another sign that the neighborhood continues to change, one restaurant, bar and gathering place at a time.
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