Rooster & The Crow

Reviews

• Nancy W.

  star star star star star 15 June 2026

  Went for Birthday celebration.
  Moscow Mule great
  Fried Chicken great
  Mac and Cheese great
  Collards great
  Banana Pudding to die for!

• Crystal L.

  star star star star_border star_border 5 June 2026

  Came here Saturday night with a group of 4. It was busy but we were seated immediately. I tried the dark and stormy drink which was what you would expect--no complaints. My group shared two apps--the gator bites and the cheese fries. The gator bites were okay, they were small bites with a remoulade sauce. I am glad I tried them because it's unique but I would not order them again, that being said, they tasted kind of like chicken. The cheese fries were huge portioned waffle fries with very little cheese and some jalapeños. Not served with any sauce which I also think is weird.
  Two people got the fried chicken. This is a steal. It's 15 dollars with an entire half of chicken and two sides. My husband got the mashed potatoes and a premium side of fried cabbage. Both were very flavorful and had me trying additional bites from his plates. The chicken skin had excellent crunch and the meat itself was very juicy. I would say that, although very good, it could have used some additional seasoning to make it a 10.
  I ordered the Mac and cheese. You get to choose either bbq or bacon on top and it comes with a Caesar salad. I ordered mine with bacon as I am far too finicky and stuck up about my bbq and try not to set myself up for disappointment. The Mac and cheese was huge portioned again--especially for the price--with lots of bacon on top. The cheese is from Ashe County and it was really creamy and flavorful Mac HOWEVER mine was cold and the shredded cheese was just piled on top, unmelted. It was just disappointing to get it so close to perfect. The salad was tasty but limp and not cold. I assume it had been dressed hours earlier. The croutons were stale and I ate around them.  My other friend got the friend chicken with the potato salad and the potato salad was a southern mustard style. I am an equal opportunity potato salad girl but this one tasted like grocery store bought. We all tried a bite and no one went back for seconds.
  Lastly, the 4th person got the brisket--also very generous portioned and the flavor was very good. My only suggestion there would be add some sauce on the side as it was dry.  
  The decor and space is lovely with a green accent wall with fake grass(?) and otherwise somewhat unchanged from its previous life. There was live music--a guy playing guitar and he was an excellent singer. This was a great addition to our dinner.
  The menu still lists it as being a soft opening so there is some definite tweaking to work out and the soft opening is the place to do it. I hope that they season things, add a little attention to detail and make sure everything is warm before it gets the table and this place could be amazing.

• Doug S.

  star star star star star_border 31 May 2026

  My sister was in town and we wanted to try something new, so we headed downtown to this beautiful spot almost right on the river.
  
  There are some river-view tables outside but we opted for one one of the hightops inside.
  
  The bar and restaurant are cozy and very nicely decorated. Service was prompt and the beer selection was great.
  
  We tried the loaded nacho, they were great. I had the shrimp and grits which were a HUGE portion. Easily enough for 2 meals. My only minor complaint here is that they were a little oily. My girlfeind had the fried chicken, it was awesome and my shrimp and grits were delish!
  
  We were very full and happy and will certainly will be back!

• Charlene C.

  star star star star star_border 24 May 2026

  Checked out this new restaurant on a Sunday of Memorial Day weekend ~noon. There is plenty of seating inside and outside. There were only 1-2 other customers when we were there. It's a nice location, across the Riverwalk, although there is no good view of the river from inside the restaurant. You'll have to sit outdoors if you want a better view of the river.
  
  Their menu was a soft opening menu, so their menu might change a bit as time goes on. Tried the shrimp and alligator cheesecake appetizer. It's essentially a rich souffle on an oily pie crust. The cheesecake is drizzled with a creamy bacon and tomato sauce and topped with a single deep-fried shrimp and a piece of deep-fried alligator meat. There were sliced alligator sausage throughout, which were tasty and had a spicy kick. The shrimp and alligator cheesecake wasn't my cup of tea since I'm not a huge fan of souffles but it was worth trying for the experience.
  
  Husband got the WilmyWood Chicken Club handheld with fried chicken. You can also request the chicken to be grilled. It was served with bacon, melted swiss cheese, and Mayo. He thought the chicken was tender and had a good flavor but the fried chicken could have been more crispier.
  
  I got the SmokeHouse Burger, as recommended by the waitress. It's a 1/2 pound burger topped with smoked pulled pork and BBQ brisket, pepper jack cheese, BBQ sauce, pickles and red onions. The burger arrived with juice on the bottom of the plate, which made the bottom burger bun soggy. The top burger bun was lightly toasted. Parts of the brisket weren't very tender and the burger meat was moist but not juicy.
  
  The handhelds and burgers automatically come with waffle fries. You can choose to substitute the regular waffle fries with sweet potato fries for an extra charge. I chose the sweet potato waffle fries. They were topped with flaky sea salt and  perfectly deep-fried.
  
  Service was good. One of the owners stopped by to see how the food was. If I ever visit this restaurant again, I look forward to trying their other dishes that sound good, like the fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and bacon jam.

• Kathleen R.

  star star star star star 22 May 2026

  Awesome place stopped after a trip to the Wilmington airport and it didn't disappoint. Try the shrimp and grits it was quite good.