Red Rooster
Red Rooster at one point in the last decade was well known for its fried chicken. From acclaimed chef, Marcus Samuelsson, this was his first restaurant that he opened in December 2010, focusing on casual Southern eats. It became even more famous when it was on the Michelin Guide, but it has since kind of gone off grid. We were in the Bronx area, so we thought this would be a good time to stop by and check it out. We were able to walk in with 2 at 4:45 PM on a Saturday early evening.
Ambiance & Service
On Saturdays, it seems they have a live band playing. We saw a sign that said there was a $10 cover, but when we looked at our bill, we didn’t see that tacked on thankfully. The music they were playing was reggae, and the host seated us fairly close to the stage. It was quite loud, so we couldn’t really have a conversation.
The service was pretty fast once we ordered, though you can tell diners during this time frame were there for the music. Apparently on weekdays after 7 PM, they feature more live music, so it seems this restaurant’s vibe is about live music and casual American foods.
Food
The Rose in Harlem ($20 - left) came with vodka, floral liquor, lychee, and lemon juice. This cocktail was just OK for me. The ingredients didn’t quite blend well at the start.
The Sweet Ice Tea ($6 - right) came with a lemon. The sugar was definitely on the lighter side which may be both a good and bad thing. You don’t feel like you need to chug it down because it’s not too sweet.
The Deviled Eggs ($12) came with po’boy hummus, sweet relish, crispy onions, chives, and caper berries. I found these deviled eggs to just be OK. There was not much special with this.
The Corn Bread ($9) came with roasted tomato and corn butter. The corn bread was excessively buttery, so when you add on the corn butter, it seemed just too much.
The Crab Cake ($26) came with charred spiced cherry tomato, collard slaw, and salsa verde. The crab was definitely not great and forgettable. It tasted like a frozen puck, and the meat itself just middling at best.
The Yardbird Fried Chicken ($34) came with 2 pieces of fried chicken, garlic mash, collards, and roasted chicken gravy. This style of fried chicken may have been good over 10 years ago, but nowadays, there is better batter introduced by different cuisines. The batter here can be best described as thick and crispy, but with extra honey marinade. It comes off quite sweet. The meat itself was tender considering it’s dark meat. The collard greens and garlic mash were good for what it was. The chicken gravy tasted pretty good as well. Overall, this reminded me a bit of fried chicken at a diner.
Overall Impression
Red Rooster is a shell of its former past, so the food is not worth trekking for unless you really want to experience the ambiance. Even though Marcus Samuelsson popularized this restaurant, it feels the food and ingredients have been surpassed by many restaurants in the city. There isn’t much of it that is creative nowadays or particularly stands out. If you’re in the Harlem area and are looking for live music, that’s probably its only sell.
Yelp & Google Jabs
The side of cornbread was something that I’ve never tasted before in a cornbread but none the less very good. The consistency was great, soft, like a cornbread with a different spin and I love that it was paired with a roasted tomato and corn butter sauce.
This Floridian Elitist hasn’t really adventured out to try solid cornbread. This one was moist, but very buttery and not enough corn flavors.
I disagree with any negative reviews. The food this morning was excellent and the staff was lovely. We were there right when it opened, it wasn’t too loud and it was quick service. We ate more than we should have but if there is one thing I would go back for anyway, it’s the lobster Mac-n-greens.
This Elitist likes dishes that are heavy on cheese. The lobster mac was simply drenched in cheese, so anyone with a heavy tongue will likely enjoy this. Most of the positive reviews call out the live band as being the positive.
Revisions
- Apr 4, 2026 - Initial revision.