Address: | 310 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10027, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-792-9001 |
Site: | redroosterharlem.com |
Rating: | 4.1 |
Working: | 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM |
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Leo O
I came here for my b-day dinner and was relatively disappointed. Ive followed this chef since Top Chef and the food that I had at his restaurant was subpar and didnt meet expectations. Came here with a group of 4 people and we were lucky enough to get a table despite not having reservations at around 7:30pm. We took a very long time with ordering drinks but the wait staff was extremely polite and helpful. I would give them 5 stars for service. They were trained very well and definitely attentive. Our glasses of water were never half empty. We had the obama-tini and Radeberger Pilsner. The obama-tini is good if you like your drinks sweet with a little spicy kick but for the experienced drinkers, it would just overpower your palate. The beer was alright, it was clean, not very biter, and light, just as described. For appetizers, we had the oysters rockefeller, fried chicken & waffle, dirty rice & shrimp, and steamed buns. Out of all the appetizers, the best were the oysters. I was quite surprised when it arrived because it didnt come in a half shell. The sauce was excellent in balancing the oyster taste. The fried chicken & waffle was decent, only because the chicken was better than the waffle. I loved how the chicken was made and seasoned. I could eat that any day. The waffle just sucked. It was very plain and tasteless. The dirty rice & shrimp to me was just a twist on an Indian/Thai fusion dish. Presentation was so so and the flavors were bland. The steamed buns were alright, at least the pork belly was better than the one I had in London. However, the skin on this pork belly wasnt crispy at all. I was disappointed. For our entrees, we had Lenox Steak for 2, chili lacquered pork chop, and mac & greens. All of the entrees were disappointing. The steak had an amazing presentation but the meat was cut too early, meat didnt have time to rest, and was sitting under the heating lamp. Came out a little dry and chewy. The pork chop was dry, and thats probably due to the thickness of the pork. The sauce wasnt flavorful enough. The mac and greens were so so. Lets just just say the mac at SoCo is much better! I wouldnt come here again. Ive also heard that this place is a hit or miss. I wouldnt recommend this place. If you must come here, just eat the appetizers and forego the main course. For the amount of time you have to wait to get seated and the hype surrounding this place, it really doesnt meet expectations. We even had a cake and they wouldnt let us eat it there nor even put it in their fridge. Most upscale restaurants would at least put the cake in the fridge for you and charge you a fee for eating/cutting the cake in the restaurant. Disappointed.
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Matteo
I was so exited to have dinner here but my exitment ended after a long wait to get a table despite my reservation. Despite the years of watching Marcuss Recipes. Despite all this publicity of the restaurant on internet. I realized that above all your expectations not always you should be trust certain places. My wife and I sat down at the table, the restaurant to apologize for the wait gives us a corn bread to start, thats nice we said! In the meantime we are waiting looking at the menu (we were very happy and thirsty) after few minutes we were ready but no one of the 13 people at least of the staff showed up to get our order, because YES, the restaurant its packed. Finally a guy came with the cornbread but not to take the order, we said OK they are busy. We started to get impatient and than we called a waiter to take the order at least another appetizer and two cocktails because we are hungry and thirsty chewing our delicious free cornbread ! We are trying to relax and have a conversation in the meantime the other appetizer arrived but we dont see any trace of the cocktails we just see a total confusion in the dining room. After about another 30 minutes, we had already finished our starters and were ready to ask for the bill to leave when suddenly the manager approaches our table, he apologizes for the inconvenience and he want to repair the unfortunate situation offering cornbread ??? (But it was free for the wait?) And the 2 missing cocktails That they forgot because a missing of an ingredient and a lack of comunication with the waiters. He said that if we dont leave he wanted to offer us drinks and appetizer. I agreed just because we were seriously thirsty but after the drinks we left, it was too tedious to stay another hour trying to have a normal dinner. End of the story we really appreciate the Manager to try make us happy again. But my opinion a restaurant like this its should be 100% efficient all the time! We werent lucky this time...
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Matthias Hess
Having resigned ourselves to the reality that Red Rooster now exists for the tourists, we returned after a long hiatus and were quite pleased with the food and service. The fried catfish and leg of lamb were delicious, and the duck liver macaroons were creative. (I dont recommend the dessert macaroons because the texture is all wrong--they are very heavy and dry.) Our server really made the evening. Far from exhibiting the slick attitude that has characterized the place lately, he gracefully handled our dietary restrictions and time constraint, gave good advice, and was extremely pleasant. I would gladly dine with him again! ---------- 2013: Sadly, the restaurant has become more of a tourist attraction than a neighborhood gathering place. While the food is still good, the service has gone down the toilet. During our fifth and last visit, we were given the "first time" tourist treatment. The staff tried to sell us a wine of a cheaper vintage than was listed on their menu (at the same price of course)--three times! To top it off, when our table was not ready upon our arrival (not a big deal) the host gave complimentary drinks to other diners who arrived at the same time we did, ignoring us completely! I can only hope that once the hype wears off the Red Rooster will return to its classy neighborhood roots. ---------- Pre-2013: I love the Red Rooster, and its not just Harlem pride. From the drinks to the menu to the music, its a great place for a special occasion or just getting together with friends. Ive had brunch, dinner, and supper at Ginnys. The meat (lamb, chicken, fish) is fantastic. I find the legumes (black-eyed peas, lentils) a bit dry. Veggies (e.g. roasted winter vegetables) are amazing! Service is top-notch, and they are very accommodating of dietary needs. If you can catch some live music (gospel brunch or evening jazz) all the better! The place only gets more popular. I strongly advise a reservation!
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Karen Stephens
"I think James Brown is playing at the Apollo." Make a reservation. Otherwise you will be seated at the bar, the "Speakeasy" in the basement, or at one of the communal tables along the wall. Sit ANYWHERE other than the communal tables. You will literally be rubbing elbows with your fellow diners and being subjected to their little quirks and quacks. I was forced to listen to the nasal conversations of my compatriots. Does everyone have adenoids these days or is this some kind of new regional speech pattern? I dont care what it is... its insufferable. And I also watched this lady remove every piece of fried batter off her Chicken and Waffles. It was sacrilegious. Being a party of 1, I was placed in-between two other parties. Once drinks and appetizers and entrees start coming out, there really isnt space for 6 people at these damn tables. And of course I get the only stool without a back so I ended up sitting on my coat and perching my purse on the top of my feet. *sigh*. But the Fried Yardbird saved the day. And the Starr Punch was pretty good as well. Dont be shy about getting at that Yardbird with both hands. The napkins are nice and thick. Add little dips of the hot sauce for flavor. The Mac & Greens were underwhelming. I kept adding the accompanying paprika to it, all for naught. I was told it was a blend of spices.... it was paprika. Having asked to keep the mashed potatoes off my order since I was getting the Mac side, I would have liked to have seen that reflected in my bill. It was not. The staff is super friendly, but theres really nothing they could do to make dining at those damned communal tables any better.