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Hours
Sun
10:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Wed
4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Thu
4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Fri
4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Sat
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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CUISINES
American, Bar, Barbecue, Beer restaurants
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront, Dog Friendly, Non-smoking restaurants
Is this restaurant good for breakfast?
Details
About
Some of best southern cuisine in all of Historic Downtown Wilmington. Just steps away from the Riverwalk located in the Chandlers Wharf building. Serving pressure fried chicken, half pound brisket, short rib and chuck burgers, and other delicious dishes like shrimp & grits. Brunch also served Saturday and Sunday 10am-2pm.
CUISINES
American, Bar, Barbecue, Beer restaurants
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront, Dog Friendly, Non-smoking restaurants
Contribute
4.5
38 reviews
Excellent
27
Very good
9
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0
JoJo-OIB
Fredericksburg74 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
I haven't written a review in awhile, but this gem of a spot on Water Street in Wilmington deserves a Big Shout Out.
My husband picked this place as our dinner before theater experience. We enjoy going to different restaurants in Wilmington before hand. He spotted the reviews for The Rooster and The Crow which were all very positive.
Our server Ashley was attentive, patient, courteous and simply lovely (and she was busy besides). So thank you for adding to our enjoyment.
We split the fried green tomatoes which came with pimento cheese and bacon jam....yowza. I could have ordered another helping. I'm a sucker for She-crab soup and fortunately for me it was on the menu. It was piping hot and loaded with tender pieces of crab. Oh my! Probably The Best She-crab Soup I have ever had in NC.
My husband ordered the Chicken Special, for which I'm thinking they are known for. Half a perfectly crusted and fried chicken that comes with 2 sides. I wanted something a little less filling so I ordered the Caesar salad with fried chicken on top. Haha-definately not less filling. Enough food for a second meal. They warn you to come in stretchy pants and they are not kidding.
A charming, intimate spot. We live in OIB, so we have to choose carefully for our dinner spots when we are lucky to come to Wilmington. This place will make it hard for us to try somewhere new. Absolutely delicious with great service.
Thank you.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peggy P
Wilmington46 contributions
Sep 2022 • none
I'm still giving four stars because we've eaten here before and generally it's worth that rating, but we were rather dismayed to see a $2.99 split plate charge on our bill.
No place we've been to recently actually applies these charges, even if they do split something for us, and a 'split plate' means they bring it out already divided and plated separately. In this case, we knew the kitchen was closing in about 20 minutes so we didn't want to order anything time-consuming, nor were we super hungry, so I told the server to bring us a Cobb salad and we'd share it. She brought it out and put it in front of my husband, and put an extra plate in front of me. We did the dividing ourselves.
It's maybe a minor thing, and I didn't see it till after my husband had already given his card and it had been run, so I didn't say anything, but still....$3 to hand someone a plate?
The salad was pretty good (avocado was somewhat slimy and tasteless but, to be fair, I haven't been able to find good avocados lately, either) and we have really enjoyed the fried chicken here in the past. Interior atmosphere is a little marred by too-bright light from the bar and emanating from the kitchen, but service has always been friendly.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara H
Wilmington97 contributions
May 2021 • none
Tucked away near the end of Water Street (beside the Riverwalk) in historic downtown Wilmington, this sweet little cafe-bar-bistro is a gem! Their specialty is amazingly well done Southern specialties with enough of a gourmet twist to appeal to Northerners, too :) Their brined fried chicken was tender and excellent. The grits and creamy/chunky mashed potatoes were melt in your mouth good. The homemade banana pudding, served cold in a lidded mason jar was heavenly.
I will definitely come back to try more options and enjoy the easy atmosphere of this great bistro find!
Written June 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Davihood
Jacksonville19 contributions
Aug 2021 • solo
In order for us to give 5 stars, we have to have zero faults with our experience and that is what we had. Original and creative drink menu, and a selection of dinner items that had us drooling in the car when I randomly picked the restaurant for our date night out. Our meal was served fast, hot and fresh. I had fried chicken and waffles and crispy sweet potato waffle fries - the chicken was perfectly cooked, tender and just the lightest amount of batter, which I prefer. My husband enjoyed the brisket platter with plenty of tender meat that had a nice smoke ring. The collards and cheese grits rounded out his meal nicely. We will be back to try more - and we'll try to leave room for dessert!
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donny H
Gardiner164 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
Not quite enough staff to serve a full restaurant, but they managed.
The menu is actually a bit sparse. There are so many burger choices that you can only assume that is their specialty. The burger was mediocre.
Very thick and slightly stale bun (they should use a fresh roll or soft brioche roll). Burger was fine, but mine was an “Elvis” and included a fried banana in it that was not fried and basically raw.
Maybe I ordered the wrong thing?
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vintagechina
Temecula1055 contributions
Apr 2021 • solo
Although on the waterfront there was no view. The place is small and busy 1 did try to book a seat but was told that they were not taking reservations. I was lucky to get a seat at the bar so all was well. The reviews were good so I did not want to miss this restaurant. The menu was varied and unimaginative so I asked the bar tender what the best sellers on the menu were. The choice was fried chicken or barbecue brisket. I went for the chicken which is something I never do. I chose fried cabbage and greens for my 2 sides. I ate the side dishes first. They were both great and I would have been happy to just have them. The fried chicken was a huge portion. It was crispy and moist. Really good chicken. I did take most of the chicken back with me. I think it was more than adequate for 2 people. Dessert he asked? There was no way I could eat any. Service was friendly and helpful. Price was great.
Written April 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LonestarSpartan
Chapel Hill745 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
We had walked by a few times during our visit to downtown Wilmington and finally looked at the menu on line, as well as the reviews. We decided to go for Sunday Brunch.
Brunch starts at 10:30 so we decided to go a little early and we were glad we did. There were already a couple of people waiting outside for the restaurant to open. We were able to sit outside in front of the building which was perfect for us. While we were eating a lot of people came to wait on a table. We learned from one of the owners that the kitchen is pretty small so they like to stagger seating people so the kitchen doesn't get overwhelmed.
Alicia was our server (the Mother of one of the owners) and she was great. The food was fantastic. My wife and I shared 2 dishes, the Breakfast Club and the Lump Crab. Both were large portions so there was plenty to share. We probably could have gotten by with sharing one of the 2 dishes, but we managed to eat it all.
Overall, a great dining experience. We would highly recommend the Rooster and the Crow!
Written May 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
veagle
Dividing Creek4 contributions
Jul 2021 • none
We had the best food, service and experience here. First the waiter was great!!! It was very hot this day and he never let us run out of drinks. The food was excellent. I ordered the burger with the brisket, pulled pork and BBQ sauce drizzled on it. I opted to not have the burger and bun with it. No problem for them. (honestly I did not realize that is came with a burger) If your are a big eater you would love this sandwich. We got to meet the manager and he was so nice. He took time to talk to us which was nice. I will be taking my family back here when we go to Wilmington again.
Written July 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PrincessMichelle8904
Southern Pines7 contributions
Jun 2022 • couples
If you haven’t tried this place, you’re missing out! The fried chicken was AMAZING!!!! There was no way I could finish it in one sitting, so I took home the leftovers. Once reheated it was just as tender, juicy and full of flavor as it was when I initially sunk my teeth in.
We had our pup with us, the staff treated her like a princess (which she thinks she is).
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunshine
20 contributions
Sep 2024 • solo
I observed a well diversified menu that will appease a wide customer base. I ordered the gator bites, breaded chicken wings with the port city hot sauce (medium heat), and the fried green tomatoes. Well done.. I loved it all. River, my server was attentive and polite, and he made good suggestions. When the food arrived, it was appealing to the eye the way it was presented. The chicken wings texture was tender, not tough or rubbery, crispy skin, and the flavor had a medium heat with a hint of smoke, the gator bites were tender, and came with a delicious dipping sauce. The crispy fried green tomatoes were topped with delicious pimento cheese and bacon jam. Adequate food and the price was reasonable. To top it off, the take-home containers were foil pans with a plastic lid to prevent spills because the foil crimps around the plastic top.
Written September 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penny J
2 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
We are part-time residents of Wilmington, so when we come down here, we eat out ALOT. This place has become one of our favorites and the FT locals we take here love it too. Great southern food. The brisket is the best I have ever had and my hubby loves the Fried Chicken. Al and Zach, the owners are great and the staff is terrific. Good place for take out during this COVID19 situation.
Written March 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
blueaiz1
Leland210 contributions
Feb 2023 • none
We ordered what we always order: fried chicken, collard greens, fried cabbage and a side salad. There you have enough for two of the best fried chicken dinners you will ever have.
Rachel, our server was great making sure all was done to our satisfaction.
And then there was the desert, bread pudding to die for and a fudge cookie with ice cream that was superb.
There is nothing about this restaurant that is wrong. Want a view? Sorry, but I can walk a block to the waterfront after my meal and enjoy a spectacular view of the Cape Fear.
Written February 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe J
Raleigh47 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
The staff and food are wonderful. Its so full of life. The menu has specials all the time and I've never had a bad meal. I've been half a dozen times I guess by now. I always stop in when I visit. I had meatloaf that evening and it was fantastic. The cocktails are yummy as well. Please go and try it out. You will not be disappointed.
Written January 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas B
San Diego51 contributions
Jan 2023 • none
We came here later in the evening after a long day travelling. Honestly, we picked it because it was the closest thing to where we were staying--had no expectations of the place.
We both had the chicken & waffles because, well, it's chicken & waffles. Turned out way better than I expected. It was exactly what was needed after a long day.
Would definitely recommend.
Written January 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer M
46 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
I ate here for the first time last month when I was in town for work. This time I’m in town for fun and sought this place out again because the food is truly amazing and the staff are friendly. Highly recommend!!
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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