Red Rooster Harlem

I have been to Red Rooster several times in the past on my visits to NYC. However during my visit to Red Rooster during the last week of January, 2016, I was. Not pleased. The hostess was improperly dressed and her manners were mediocre. I felt as if I was being racially profiled because I was given a bad table in the walkway area, even though there were many center tables available. The soap dispenser in the bathroom was broken. The entrees were average, but the dessert was delicious. On a positive note, My daughter enjoyed the Restaurant Week picks.

One of the best southern foods in NYC. Fried chicken with waffles are the must order. Rooster Royale is a great drink. Meatballs are good but not very spicy. Service is great and ambiance is upbeat. Definitely worth the visit!

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 don't 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!
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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.

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Pre-2013:

I love the Red Rooster, and it's not just Harlem pride. From the drinks to the menu to the music, it's a great place for a special occasion or just getting together with friends.

I've had brunch, dinner, and supper at Ginny's. 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!

One of my favorite places in NYC! Great food, great service, great live music! Come prepared to wait to be seated. But the experience is worth the wait! The waiters are very professional and provide excellent service. The live jazz on Mondays is second to NONE.

The food is great which is why is usually crowded. But the hosts and staff haven't quite figured out a system to quickly seat and serve patrons in a manner that doesn't affect their delicious plates. Even with a reservation my friends and I ended up waiting 45 minutes to be seated then another 15 minutes before our order was taken. we don't mind waiting for perfection but that was a bit long and we still needed up at a community table. This happened on three separate occasions. I'll still go there because the foods great but only on days when I'm not starving and I don't have anything else to do afterwards that I would be late for.