Red Rooster
“The fried yard bird is my favorite dish but you also can't go wrong with the Mac & cheese dish.”
“The atmosphere is great, the food immaculate and the location in the heart of Harlem just perfect.”
“One of my textbooks, "The Medici Effect" by Frans Johansson, profiled many people, namely Marcus Samuelsson.”
Red Rooster
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I like (don't love) the food @RR but I LOVE the vibe. Drinks are great. People are great. Music is fresh. Also, I've been here several times on a Friday or Saturday night for the dance party downstairs–amazing old school and hip hop music and never feels like a meat market. Just a spot to have a good ass time. I bring clients and friends visiting from out of town all the time.
So NOT worth the hype. The place is way too pretentious for it's own good, and the 'tude w the staff doesn't help. The food is mediocre at best, and most certainly overpriced. Not sure what this place is doing in Harlem because it feels out of place.
I only came for drinks and jazz (lower level in Ginny's Supper Club). I only had Prosecco, so I can't speak on their cocktails. There was live jazz in progress and while lovely, equally as deafening. I think omitting the microphones altogether might help. Once the live jazz stopped, some jazz tunes softly played from the restaurant's speakers creating a much more relaxed atmosphere for me and my eardrums. If I do return (Harlem is a journey) it'll be for cocktails and sides (not much in terms of entrees for us veggie eaters).
My boyfriend and I came here after a trip to Bob's Furniture and before I went to work. He had been raving about it for some time, so I was pretty excited to finely try it. I've gotta say that I really enjoyed the old school clothing that decorated the high walls of Red Rooster's swanky space. The restaurant was really well designed, and I bet could put a smile on just about anyone's face.
The service was also very friendly and helpful. They responded quickly to my boyfriend and I's requests, and were very professional when handling our complaints.
Which leads me too the complaints…
I ordered the mac n 'cheese and unfortunately had to send it back twice for the same issue; it was cold. I had suspicions about it when the first order arrived. It's served in a cast iron skillet, which normally means whatever is being served in it will come to the table still bubbling. My mac n' cheese came to the table looking lifeless. Lo and behold, the dish was barely warm. Our waiter was really understanding when I told him, and quickly replaced it with another, however that one was even colder than the first. Ooops! Embarrassing mistake. Thankfully the third was boiling hot and really quite tasty. I really loved that it was served with an arugula salad, which offered a nice fresh and slightly bitter break from the super savory and cheese macaroni.
Back to good stuff! My boyfriend ordered the yard bird, and the few bites I had of it were really delicious. The hot sauce and bechamel served with it were really great additions. I loved how the bechemal was made simplely and had a delicate taste of nutmeg. (A lady next to us ordered the same dish and said the bechamel tasted like vomit, and I think she just didn't understand the classic use of nutmeg in cream sauces). The hot sauce was GREAT. The base seemed to be roasted red pepper, which gave the sauce a sweet and smokey flavor. I could put that shit on anything. Hehe! Also, the chicken stayed crispy for a really long time. Even after 20 minutes of sitting, it was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Very impressive.
Overall, Red Rooster did provide my boyfriend and I with a tasty meal and a lovely space to enjoy it in. Their mac n' cheese mistake was a star killer, but honestly, when they finally got the dish hot, it was very good. I would return to the restaurant given an invitation.
I've been to Red Rooster so many times over the last four years. What I love the most is that it draws one of the most hip and diverse crowds I've seen anywhere in the city. Young and old, black and white and everything in between, college students in jeans and old ladies in pearls and furs. They all flock to Red Rooster.
I've had a lot of the food, and it's all pretty solid. By that I mean you should enjoy your meal, but the food alone isn't usually anything to write home about. Some favorites include the wings, shrimp and grits, cornbread, and at brunch, the barrio biscuit, which is basically biscuits and gravy. Cocktails are also solid, and I particularly enjoy Strivers Rowers, Bourbon Negroni, and of course you can't pass up the Obama-tini, on name alone.
Try to get a table outside or upstairs. The bar is usually packed, and the communal tables aren't really large enough to seat 6 adults eating dinner… you will be uncomfortably close to your fellow diners. And downstairs in any business feels sad to me, because, well… underground. Upstairs or downstairs, you may be lucky enough to catch a show.
For me, Red Rooster is always a good bet because you'll have solid food and drinks surrounded by cool people in a cool spot, and that's a NYC institution for ya!
We made the mistake of eating two breakfasts before coming here so don't make that rookie mistake. The food here is solid: fried chicken and waffles, short ribs with eggs, kale, and potatoes.
The staff are super friendly and cool. We weren't rushed out and allowed to stay, chat and enjoy the cheery ambiance (and ac) of the restaurant.
I went to the Red Rooster and met my coworker and her friend Friday night after going to the Inkwell. Red Rooster is a lively, fun place to hang out that has a restaurant and a club in the basement. We went down to the club and had a great time! The drinks were good and the bartenders were excellent! Everyone was courteous and the music was wonderful! This place is popular and gets crowded quickly so it is good to get there early enough….We went down there around 11:30 pm.
Red Rooster has become a popular restaurant destination if your in Harlem!
I have been wanting to go for such a LONG time! Every Time I am in New York there seems to be a situation where that is not able to happen. I finally got to go two weeks ago for my bachelorette on a Saturday night and it was LIVE! It definitely on a saturday night has a "grown and sexy" feel. Everyone is 30 and over and the bar area is VERY crowded and they have a DJ spinning music! So that area feels like a club. The restaurant sitting area is quite tiny, and really do need reservations or else you will be waiting FOREVER. Luckily we did and got seated quite quickly.
This restaurant is owned by the world renowned chef Marcus Samuelson. I have heard he pops in from time to time but he wasn't there when I was there. The food is mostly southern style dishes. The dishes are tasty. I had the Mac and Greens which was quite a delicious mix! The cornbread was my favorite, it was traditional but flavorful! The wings were bland and didn't have much of a taste. Friends of mine got the royal dinner or two which was quite delicious but EXPECT to pay because it was $76 and most of the dishes are $20 or more so it is a bit pricier. The waiters were kind and were attentive even with everything going on.
Expect your bill to be a bit steep if you dine here! I would recommend it to anyone in the Harlem area.