Brilliant renditions of their star dishes in takeout mode. We went for the The Roister Chicken Dinner and added a few things. One important thing to note for other takeout patrons...Most dishes require about 30 minutes in the oven. We really appreciate that Roister has thought about what is necessary to make these dishes work at home. They provide detailed instructions for each dish (see examples in my photos). Our favorites were the Fried Chicken (duh) and the Truffle Mac and Cheese. The Lasagne was also delicious but had a little spice so be aware. The Cookies and Milk was incredible and may prompt childhood memories à la Citizen Kane's "Rosebud" moment among the more sensitive patrons. read more

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The fried chicken dish was fantastic, the best fried chicken I've ever had. The pastrami short rib and broccoli dishes were fine but quite overpriced. The short rib had four tiny bites for $45. My cocktail was good. Ambiance is nice. Overall, too expensive, but maybe worth trying once for the chicken. read more

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Went here tonight with my buddy for a special occasion. In my opinion, SKIP THE TASTING MENU. Doesn't seem worth it for $115 and based off other reviews. Drinks: I'm a sucker for refreshing, not very sweet drinks and the Roister G&T was exactly that. Slightly tart with the cucumber, refreshing enough for summer, all around perfect. My buddy liked his beer so much he got two, but I can't remember the name. Food: Get the cheddar rilletes. The fry bread is pillowy soft. My buddy and I cut them halfway down to let out the internal steam (so you don't destroy your mouth), and shoved the cheddar/cauliflower spread into the fry bread. This was really good, salty, creamy, nice crunch from the cauliflower, and honestly unlike anything I've ever eaten. So glad we tried it. The chicken is a must have. The fried chicken is so perfectly moist (I hate this word, too) and the breading is crunchy in ways I've never experienced before. The breading itself has its own flavor. The dish comes with hot sauce and gravy. The gravy is good, but the hot sauce is the shit. Ask for extra if you like it spicy. You should def get both if you go. I've heard the fried potato wedges are good, but we didn't try them. Very happy we didn't get the tasting menu. Multiple waiters/waitresses told us we got the best stuff on the menu! read more

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We were expecting much more...We arrived on time for our 8:15 reservations but were told our table was ready and please come back in 20 minutes. We did so and still waited another 20 minutes. Even when seated outside the music volume made conversation difficult. When asked about some menu items the waiter rushed through his explanation so quickly that he was difficult to understand. A second round of drinks was forgotten. New dishes were not placed on the table but almost dropped with a clatter. The Caesar salad was underwhelming. The pastrami short ribs were delicious but with only two ramps and 3 morel mushrooms. I guess they'd served mine to earlier patrons. One bright spot: the cheesecake was truly delicious. In all, our bill was $100 per head. Not worth it in my opinion. And they added an automatic 20% tip - for a table of 3? Disappointing. read more

I do not have enough words to express how impressed I am by Roister! And my experience started even before I got to the restaurant! Dina from Roister was super responsive and professional in helping with my reservation. I goofed on my reservation and tried to call the restaurant, but (understandably) no one answers, but there is a message to reach out via email. Considering my reservation was in two hours I thought there was no way I could fix my mistake. I was wrong. Dina replied in 5 minutes. There was a couple of messages back and forth (within 20 minutes), and the reservation was fixed. I so appreciate how attentive Dina was and helped me fix my mistake. Now onto the food! We had a little bit of everything. The oysters, chicken & waffles. All amazing. There was a party in my mouth with every bite! The food was amazing and we ended with a dessert that was as delicious as it was creative! All the tastes were very complementary! And our server was great at recommending certain dishes and adult beverages. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu! read more

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We sat outside and had some great food. The service was excellent, from the waitstaff to bus boy. Each dish had its own personality and some similarities but all were very different and exciting. read more

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This is easily one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. I am shocked there are anything under a 5 star review here. We were sat at the chefs table and got to interact with the different chefs and kitchen staff and it made this entire experience amazing. They were so friendly and eager to answers our questions! Our waitress was also amazing and helped us navigate the menu tailored to our tastes! There wasn't a single thing we ate that wasn't just amazing. It honestly has ruined so many other restaurants for me as nothing will ever compare to that experience. read more

With all this fried chicken sandwich hype with Popeyes, had to try a Michelin starred fried chicken sandwich. Since we made our way out there, it'd be a shame to not get anything else. We also ordered the chicken and waffles and the aged cheddar rillettes. This chicken, by itself definitely all the other chicken sandwiches out the water. Insanely crispy and they use thigh not breast which is a huge plus. I'm a fan of dark meat, it's just juicier and more flavorful. I wish the bun was warmed up so soften a bit as it was hard like they just sliced it from the bag. However, for 16$, I'm not sure if I can justify buying this as I could get 4 Popeyes chicken sandwiches. Even thought the chicken was fantastic, they only gave us one thigh per dish and that piece was pretty small for 16$. Chicken and waffles was fantastic was well, sweet and salty was a nice combo. Waffle was nice and fluffy, another solid dish. Again size of chicken was underwhelming, I get that they are a Michelin starred restaurant but I felt they could have been more generous with the chicken. The rillettes was another phenomenal dish. The fry bread was so good, I could have eaten that by itself. It its fried to a slight crisp and the interior is so soft and fluffy seasoned with garlic and a touch of sugar which was a very nice add. The rillette just continued to elevate this dish, with the flavorful combination of truffle, cheese and the texture from the rillettes. Overall, the food was fantastic and highly recommend based on flavor but I wish they could have given us a bit more. read more

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I have always wanted to stop by Roister to try the famous chicken sandwich, but I haven't had the opportunity to do so until today. I was able to get a last minute reservation for brunch at Roister. My friend and I ordered the following dishes to share: -Aged Cheddar Rillettes: I thought this dish was quite good. The cheese was a bit pungent, but it went well with the the puffy bread that was served alongside it. I wished there was little more cauliflower in the dish itself, but it was still delicious. This bread + dip style dish was a nice start to the rest of the meal. -Beet Salad: I am a big fan of beets so I had to order this dish to try. I thought the combination of beets, goat cheese, and fig was nicely balanced with each bite. The goat cheese was smooth and mild and the fig added some sweetness to balance out the flavors. The beets themselves were well marinated and flavorful. -Battered Roister Chicken Sandwich: This was supposed to be the star of the show...but unfortunately this was disappointing and turned out to be my least favorite dish of the meal. The chicken itself was juicy, but I thought that the amount of breading was a bit excessive. The breading itself was very crispy, but at times there was so much of it in a single bite that you wouldn't get any of the chicken and instead just end up with a mouthful of breadcrumbs. The strangest thing about the chicken sandwich was how SOUR it was. The hot sauce or at least one of the sauces used was so sour that it completely took away from the rest of the sandwich - there was something that tasted like an extremely strong buffalo sauce and I was not a fan. I don't like to waste food, but every bite was overwhelmingly sour which made it difficult to finish the rest of the sandwich. -Poached Eggs Benedict (+Poached Blue Crab): There wasn't really anything too special about this dish. The flavor of the crab was very strong with each bite, but I was not a fan of how saucy the overall dish was. If you didn't finish this dish fast enough you would end up with a soggy croissant which was unfortunately the case for us. All of the flavors mixed together into a mild mush with each bite of this dish, but honestly after just eating the super sour chicken sandwich, this wasn't necessarily the worst thing for my taste buds. Brunch at Roister started off strong with the appetizers and starters, but really missed the mark when it came to the main courses, especially the famed chicken sandwich which turned out to be a sour mess. If I were to return to Roister, I would definitely be interested in exploring some of the other starters and sides on the menu and steer clear from the main courses. read more

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Visiting Chicago, I wanted to visit a famous chef's restaurant, and I am really glad I tried Chef Grant Achatz's place. At first, my reservation was for a party of three, but they were super nice to accommodate the addition of two more people. We sat on the nice looking patio because of the beautiful day, and our dining experience was wonderful. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive, refilling our waters at every chance he can get and giving us recommendations. I see why they lost a Michelin star, but this restaurant is wonderful nonetheless. Food We Ordered: Aged Cheddar Rillettes - This was the best part of our lunch, hands down. The fry bread was fluffy, crispy, and delicious with the truffled cauliflower and cheese concoction. It was something I have never had before, and I dreamt about it later that night. Fired Hearth-Burger - There was nothing special about this burger, just your classic burger. The plate was a little too small, the burger was quite messy and stuff kept falling off the plate. Battered Roister Chicken Sandwich - The fried chicken was super crispy and juicy, and the other components on the sandwich came together to make a nice dish. To be honest though, I didn't think it was super special from other places I've had, but it was still delicious. Stacked Green Tomato BLT - There needs to be more filling in this sandwich because I mostly felt bread. I didn't think this sandwich was all that, especially comparing it next to the fried chicken sandwich. If I were you, I wouldn't order this. read more

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We arrived about 10 minutes before they opened for Brunch on a Sunday, and they were kind enough to unlock the doors and let us in early. We were so thankful because it was quite windy and chilly. We walked form our hotel and got there a bit earlier than expected. They sat us immediately and got us our water and menu despite being early. We really appreciated that and they didn't seem upset at all, they were pleasant and attentive throughout. Normally we always get an appetizer and dessert with our meals, but it was a bit too early for us so we just got entrees. The eggs Benedict was exquisite. The eggs were perfectly runny and the sauce was divine. The croissant was light and flaky, highly recommend. I'm a slut for chicken and waffles. If I seem them, I almost always order. And Roister's did not disappoint. The chicken was crunchy and still moist. The waffle light and crispy. The perfect combo. I did have to ask for more syrup because I absolutely drown my chicken and waffles, so that may be atypical. All in all, cannot recommend enough. It did fill up quickly and despite that the staff was watching our drinks throughout, and was quick with the bill. read more

Roister - Poached eggs Benedict - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We like coming later and sitting at the kitchen counter to watch the action. Desserts have been good and generous portions. The basque cheesecake was very rich sweet and salty. The embered ice cream was addictive and we were sad to see it go. When we had dinner the steak tartar was very very salty and served with more salty crackers. The kale salad was good, but arranged in this super weird crescent shape that didn't add lots of value to the dish. And last time, we watched a cook spend several minutes plating a Caesar salad that looked comically like....a regular Caesar salad. It's hard to explain, but a lot of the comfort food at roister seems really labored over, but it doesn't always seem to pay off. Why isn't the food a bit more fun and relaxed at this hearth-themed restaurant? The best savory dish we had was the prawns curry which had a nice heat to it. Service is witty and professional, and can be very attentive, though when it gets busy you may not see your server for a while. And the kitchen counter is festive and fun! The whole staff works very hard at this place. read more

Roister - Tall soft serve that was challenging to eat but also delicious - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for lunch with a friend several weeks ago, and we were both craving their fried chicken sandwich. We both got the sandwich as well as fries and the beet salad to share. The fries were pretty solid, but it was the beet salad that actually blew my mind. I loved the combination of beets, pistachios, goat cheese, and poached figs - it was a perfect balance of sweet and savory. It was also a good palate cleanser in between bites of greasy fried chicken. Speaking of which, I was not overly impressed with the sandwich considering its price [$19] and reputation. I felt like most of what I was eating was the breading. When I did get bites of the chicken, it was certainly juicy and flavorful, but not anything that I couldn't get some burger chain. I would love to come back to try out the chicken dish for dinner but would skip the chicken sandwich in the future. read more

Roister - Fried Chicken Sandwich and Beet Salad - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was delicious. Cocktails and wine were great. The decor and ambiance was nice but it was way too loud. We went on Friday night and sat inside. Couldn't hear anything my family was saying right next to me and across. If you're looking for a place to have conversations and not lose your voice after, don't come here. There were outside seating which seemed cold but much quieter. We made reservations too but waited about 30 minutes. read more

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Amazing good beginning to end. Located in the west loop and lives up to all the hype. The chicken is one of the best I've ever had and the Peking duck is too. Cheers to them. read more

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21st birthday dinner for my son. Roister lives up to everything you've heard. Open kitchen with the serious smell of charcoal sets the tone for a cool, unique meal and experience. Service was generally outstanding (a little slow at the outset, but made up for with a server with a fabulous personality and attentiveness). Being tragically hip appears to be a requirement...but without the tragically hip attitude...top notch service. We had a really hard time picking apps...went with the shishitos (nothing special), burrata (super good), and of course, the octopus, which was absolutely outstanding. Also shared the charred kale caesar, which was different and delightful. As for mains: the prawns were outstanding; the curry was delicate and delicious. The pork butt phenomenally tender and delicious. The fried chicken, though, was the sort of thing that you'd keep eating even after you were sated ... and I did. Chickpea fritters were only ok -- wouldn't go there if we returned...but would absolutely try the fries, which we universally agreed were the best fries in the history of modern civilization. The charcoaled vanilla ice cream dessert looked intimidating (smoky black ice cream?!) but was fabulous -- layers of different tastes, textures, and even temperatures. Similarly, the ambered butterscotch custard was complex, delicious, and worth every calorie. Interesting cocktail menu ... we liked one (it was charcoaled) and didn't care for another whose name we can't remember...sorry about that. Wines by the glass a little disappointing in their variety, but scarcely troubling. One option for pretty much every varietal of consequence. Roister lives up to its reputation and its affiliation with the Alinea Group...but blissfully not at Alinea pricing (it's expensive, but not preposterous or obscene). Can't wait to go back... Open read more

This place is overhyped in my opinion.. would never come here again. Can't believe this place has a Michelin Star because I totally don't think they deserve it.. +located in heart of hipster area of Chicago. So many bars and cute restaurants around here so I totally dig the location. -honestly location was the only thing I liked at Roister.. for food we ordered octopus, duck breast, and scallop. Literally everything was below average... octopus was legit way too salty. Like are you trying to kill me salty. Scallop was good but not the best. Texture wise they cooked it perfectly but seasoning was weak and I wasn't a big fan of the yellow sauce that came with it. My boyfriend had the duck breast and first of all, the portion is way too small. Like the scallop, the duck was cooked perfectly however it lacked everything else. He said it was pretty tasteless and forgettable and felt like he wasted his money on his dish. All in all nothing about Roister stood out to us. I can't even say we're glad we tried it. I would recommend people to avoid at all cost. read more

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We chose Roister as an annual birthday dinner hearing that they were part of the Alinea group. While we were expecting a Michelin star experience, instead we walked away with a new found respect for home cooking. Our appetizer course was astounding. Grapes, sweet, and marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with a large BURRATA and delicious flaky flatbread. Our cocktail of choice was a pear martini. Exquisite. For our mains - we targeted the top items with the roasted chicken, lasagna, lemon pasta, and pork butt. Let's start with the roasted chicken.Like a hen the fried chicken is nestled over a fun surprise underneath- more cut up dry chicken. The fried chicken itself has moisture and is very reminiscent of fried tofu with a cereal like crust. If you are expecting this dish to reflect the namesake of the dish restaurant, you are left wanting. For our pasta, we have a homemade Al dente bite, but overall misses the mark on the seasoning and season - if you're wondering why you can't find lemons in the grocery store it's because they're all in this dish. Our lasagna was a feature dish and is served in a fun pot. Don't touch it though! With a startling presentation, the only thing remise is the metallic tint of tomato in the sauce that overtakes the lasagna. The pork butt is the star of this meal. Baked over 24 hrs and with a variety of flavors that seamlessly meld together. You'd be a fool order anything else! However, the unsung hero of this meal are the fries! Get them! Dip them! And share them with friends. Our servers helped make our experience and we spent more time talking about them over the food. read more

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Great location. Excellent service and staff. Beautiful presentations. Excellent ingredients. Everything prepared perfectly. Impressive food selection. read more

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AMAZING! An excellent, more affordable and casual way to try alinea groups amazing textures and flavors. Food - 5/5 - every dish was delectable! We got the aged cheddar rillettes to start, creamy and aged and the puffed bread was fluffy and surprisingly a highlight! The broccoli had a great depth of flavor and pop, the asparagus I thought would be boring but was very delicious nonetheless. The fried chicken was some of the best!! I only wish it's sauces were more creative, but don't get me wrong the gravy and hot sauce were still excellent. Basque cheesecake was perfectly creamy with amazing orange accents. Service - 5/5 - everyone was super helpful and generally fast and attentive. We weirdly switched waiters halfway between... but both were great! Ambiance - 4/5 - love the hip, casual, industrial chic decor and especially the open kitchen. However, it was LOUD, very hard to have a conversation with the music at full blast. The outdoors was also very exposed, I'm grateful we were indoors because it was way too chilly for those heat lamps to suffice. read more

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Really wish I could give a 3.5 Unfortunately I think I had a one off experience but for $110 it's not worth going back for a redo.. Went to dinner with two friends and told the waitress I had a dietary restriction (not a real one but was doing Whole30). I've gone out to eat before and had 0 issue, one restaurant even spoke to the chef and he highlighted the menu with what options I had (shout out Table Stick and Donkey). Our waitress just looked at me and said "we'll, most of our menu contains dairy and sugar. What can I get you to drink?" Made me feel bad for those with actual dietary restrictions because I immediately felt uncomfortable. From there, I found the one thing I could order but asked for the sauce on the side and basically felt like that was an Inconvenience. We shared a side of fries and I asked if they could bring out mustard and was told no, with no suggestions. During our meal they kept trying to clear the table before the food was done and the 2 glasses of wine my friends got were noticeably not of equal pours. The chicken did live up to the hype, the fries were amazing but other than that no one was blown away. Pretty bummed to not give this a higher review but don't plan on going back. read more

I was there with a group of friends in September. The weather was great so we sat close to the patio and the garage door / patio door was open. The place was packed but since we had a reservation everything went smoothly. The staff was very friendly and efficient. Our waiter also was very knowledgeable and gave great recommendations. The restaurant is clean and has a nice decor. Obviously they have a full bar and good cocktails and wine selection. The food was outstanding and I recommend sharing dishes with other guests at your table so you get to experience more different flavors. My favorite was the charred octopus. The taste and presentation were amazing. The restaurant also was in a lively area with other restaurants and bars where you can go for a drink before or after your dinner. Definitely recommend! read more

Roister - Charred Octopus - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very, very underwhelming. Food was good, but portions are tiny & expensive. Service at atmosphere are great, but damn these portions are killer. Had to grab food after. Wouldn't go back unless I was with people that wanted to give it a shot. Chicken & Sea Bass were great. Would definitely try the pastrami short rib next time. read more

Roister - Fried Chicken & Sea Bass - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the best dining experiences I've had. We went for Valentine's Day last week and did the pre fixed menu. It was a lot of food, but every single thing was spectacular. We sat at the Hearth, so we were looking into the kitchen during the whole meal which is a very unique dining experience. As someone who loves food and loves to cook, I was fascinated. Like entertainment to go along with your meal!! The music in the restaurant was loud and lively, and the services was phenomenal. A wonderful special occasion spot. read more

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What a delicious dinner! And a treat to sit at the counter to watch the food prepared. We started with the oysters and caesar salad. I especially loved the flavor/seasoning on the oysters. Oh, and the brioche - perfectly soft, with the right amount of butter, salt and herbs. He had the fried chicken for his main... which skateboard came with three total pieces of chicken! I had fish, which was lovely. We had two veggie dishes which way too much food for the two of us. The motels were good... I can't remember what the other veggie was. We shared the cheesecake with marmalade for dessert - such a great pairing. Great service, environment, etc. Definitely a must ... read more

I came here for an anniversary celebration and the food was phenomenal. We got a reservation at the hearth, which is around the kitchen, so you can watch all the food being prepared. We ordered: Roister rigatoni - the corn in this dish added a great crunchy texture. It was a great way to start the meal. Fire roasted salmon - it was so soft and delicate, it melted in my mouth. I loved the smoked tzatziki sauce as well. Rohan duck breast - it was prepared beautifully and was so tender. Roister chicken salad - we expected this to be an actual salad, but were still pleased with what we got. It wasn't as good as the other dishes. The one thing I regret is not ordering the fried chicken - which is what they're known for - so I definitely have to come back! read more

Roister - Salmon and chicken salad - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My bf & I are huge fans of Grant Achatz and hope one day soon to splurge on a meal at Next or Alinea. For now, stopping for brunch at Roister while we were driving through Chicago seemed like a great way to experience Achatz's food. You have to make a reservation on Tock and pay a deposit, which is then applied to the payment of your meal. The price of the meal is about what you expect to spend at a restaurant in a trendy neighborhood in a major US city. Free parking can be found closeby in the neighborhood. We were able to snag seats at the hearth. It's hot sitting there, but very fun watching the chefs prepare your meal. I was surprised by how limited the brunch menu was. None of the cocktails or entrees had that "wow! I can only that get that here!" factor. First, we split the silkened white gazpacho. It was great. You get a glimpse of Achatz's whimsical take on food with this dish. Next, I ordered the perfumed salmon & my bf ordered the fried hearth burger. My salmon was cooked perfectly with crispy skin. My bf's burger came overcooked, but tasty. Service was good. The executive chef checked in with us during our meal, which was nice. Roister earned one Michelin star in 2017, 2018, and 2019. They lost their star in 2020 and have yet to regain it. I haven't ever eaten at a Michelin star restaurant, but Roister doesn't really feel like it would have a Michelin star. Not that it was a bad experience. It just feels like a nice dining experience at a gastropub. read more

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We had an awesome brunch here, although the noise level was quite high. I came to this place for the appetizer - Foie Toast; however, the toast had too much topping - lots of strawberry jam, nuts, and spice in addition to foie gras. Toast itself was delicious, but I think it may taste better had there been less topping. We tried Grits after the toast and it turned out great. The Grits were very light in flavor, so it well-cleaned the mouth and prepared you for the main dish. The main dishes were amazing! The Chicken & Waffle was one of the best ones I've ever had. Waffle was light and fluffy with right amount of butter and syrup. The fried chicken was surprisingly good - crispy shell plus juicy and tender chicken was just flawless. Wagyu Beef Burger was also very delicious. The beef patty was noticeably softer than the normal beef patty. It's so hard to stop eating those Yukon fries. Thick Bacon had a good smoky flavor to it, but might be a little too dry. Overall, the brunch was so delicious that we will definitely come back again. read more

Roister - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very overhyped. The food was all bland, oily, or had a bizarre texture. The service was not great - the server kept showing up at the worst time and couldn't read our body language and clear repeated dismissal when we said we were good and did not need anything further. The fried chicken was mediocre and worst of all - it gave me food poisoning! SKIP read more

A really wonderful meal! Patio seating was wonderful on a nice night and not as loud as inside. Highlights were: - cheddar rillettes - the fry bread and the cheesy dip go so perfectly together. Love the sweet and salty sprinkle on the fry breads! - confit Sicilian pork - so tender and flavorful! - rigatoni pasta with corn and lemon sauce and crab - so bright and springy! The pasta had such a wonderful chew. - caramelized mushrooms - very umami but acidic sauce and mushrooms had lovely texture; the mushroom flavor was slightly overpowered by the sauce, but still very good. - desserts!!! Basque cheesecake was my favorite but my dining partners preferred the cookies and milk and butterscotch custard; suffice it to say you can't go wrong with the desserts Misses: - scallops - their delicate flavor was overpowered by the sauce and all of the other things on the plate. A different protein (maybe shrimp or a sturdy whitefish) would have been better. Was really disappointed in this one. - broccoli salad - didn't really come together on the palate. read more

Fabulous experience... five star service and dining experience!!! We loved the food and drink!! The ambiance was outstanding!! Definitely a favorite experience and can't wait to return!!! read more

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Went here for dinner while we were in Chicago for the weekend. Bourbon selection was awesome! The octopus was absolutely amazing! The presentation of the dish was really cool and the taste was out of this world! This is honestly the main reason we tried this place. My wife hates octopus and ended up eating more of the dish than myself. We will absolutely be going back next time we are in town. read more

Roister - Octopus appetizer - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall: The highest of highs unfortunately don't outweigh the amount of lows at Roister. The good: The highlights of the meal really shone - The chicken, both fried and grilled, were out of this world. Crispy yet juicy and seasoned to perfection, you really can't go wrong (definitely get fried though!). The milk and cookies dessert, another highlight, was incredible. The vanilla ice cream was creamy, the cookie crumbles soft, and the cookie dough bits chunky and large. The portion sizes for both dishes were well sized and we left quite full. The drinks were also unique, potent, and refreshing. The not-so-good: While the chicken and dessert was great, everything else ranged from weird to just straight up bad. The fry bread and rillettes were incredibly salty, and the hearth roasted carrots came covered in a bizarre sauce. Not worth the prices you pay. The music, while great selection-wise, was far too loud. The waiter claimed "that's how we do it here", but that doesn't mean it's okay. The restaurant was also incredibly cold, and we couldn't wait to warm up outside. Food/drink: 7/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Service: 7/10 read more

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Roister came highly recommended from a foodie mate of mine who loves Chef Grant Achatz. (Him and I had been to Alinea and Aviary and loved both of them). Anyway, the place itself is different from what I expected. The kitchen is at the center of the restaurant, and there are seats at the open kitchen, but there's also sit down seats in the front and at the back of the restaurant. We had seats at the 'Chef's Table' so we had the opportunity to watch the chefs making the food and stare at the beautiful open fire in the center of the kitchen. Our waitress, Jen, came over as soon as we sat down and we started with a nice bottle of Rose Champagne. She was awesome, very friendly, hospitable, and knowledgeable of the menu. I quite liked her. Anyway, we started with the Island Creek oysters which came out straight away. Very interesting flavor profile. My dining companion asked for cocktail sauce/vinegar for the oysters and she said, no you eat them by themselves (they had enough flavor). The serrano chili on top definitely gave them a bit of a kick. Very tasty, but very unique! (Could be a love it or hate it kind of thing). After that came the terrine of foie gras. This dish was very tasty, and again, not like anything I had expected. The foie gras had a mousse like consistency and came with grilled cinnamon raisin bread, and a freshly made strawberry jam and frisee. It was delicious, but didn't taste like any foie gras I ever had. For dinner we shared the scallops and duck breast. Both dishes were excellent. The scallops were huge and came in a nice, citrusy 'perfect for summer' sauce along with a few small clams. The duck was cut into small pieces and lightly seated and came with a little vegetable side. I also insisted on trying their maitake mushrooms, which were fantastic. I highly suggest these. Next to us the guys ordered the chicken and chamomile and the Caesar salad and I was a bit jealous we didn't order these dishes! We watched them making the Caesar salads and they were meticulously placing each piece of lettuce into a dish. Perfection at its finest! For dessert we ordered the cheesecake which I wasn't that thrilled with, but I'm not a huge cheesecake kind of girl. The cheesecake came in a flaky pastry with strawberry and rhurbarb 'compote' on the side. I was extremely stuffed when we left. Good meal overall, although I was really happy I didn't pay the bill because holy crap was this place expensive! read more

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Start off saying this place is amazing. 4 of us came for brunch and every bite of what we ordered was to die for. Ok so here is where our " waiter" completely changed my 5 star rating. Our 1/2 of the bill was $123.00 so I had just got a $150 gift card from work our waiter ran the card and came back and said there was only $100 on it ( I was pissed at my company) so I gave him the other $23 in cash So a day later I logged on to the gift card website to find they ran the whole $120 ( Which it cleared). Now I'm pissed I gave our waiter another $23 dollars which he clearly kept Yes we will go back because really the food was amazing. We will not have the same waiter ( oh hell no) read more

Arrived at 1 for our reservation for 2 tables of 4 @ 1:15. Asked the hostess if it would be possible to push the tables together and she said she would try, and we understood it may not work. At 1:20 she let us know it was not possible to have all 8 inside and we could do 4 inside and 4 outside or all 8 outside. Went outside and it turned out the 8 outside wasn't together (so what's the point), she was annoyed that we misunderstood and told us to figure it out and walked away. We ended up sitting 4 in and 4 out, but it was so windy glasses were falling over and the 4 outside asked to sit at the bar (had plenty of open seats entire time there). The hostess said not possible, but we asked another waitress and she happily cleaned spots for us and sat us down. Seated at bar at 1:45 and provided water promptly. Placed our order at 1:55: drinks, 2x battered roister chicken, poached eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, fried chicken and waffles, and 2x wedges of Yukon gold potato fries. Everything arrived at 2:08-2:11: - Yukon fries were perfectly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, a little salty but delicious! *Note: 1 order would be a good amount for 4 people. - chicken sandwiches were alright, but nothing too spectacular, to be blunt a Popeyes chicken sandwich would've been an improvement (agreed but all present) - chicken and waffle was average, the syrup they used was much sweeter than normal, not bad just different and unexpected - poached eggs Benedict with smoked salmon was pleasant. I do wish the salmon was smoked more. Drinks were average, the mezcal went unfinished. Atmosphere is upbeat, dimly lit with good natural light, music is at appropriate levels for conversations, extremely clean. Kitchen is in the middle of restaurant for all to see, very nice. The manager and our waiter were very nice and prompt. We had a small error on the check and they fixed it no issues. Overall, 5-6/10 experience for our group. Even without the trouble from the hostess, the food and drinks were quite average for 2-3x the price elsewhere. Would not recommend, and will not be returning personally. read more

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Went for our wedding anniversary. We did the chef's counter dinner with wine pairing. Everything was PERFECT. From start to finish we felt so welcome and the food was amazing. Our server Sydney and the rest of the team made this a night to remember. Everyone kept coming by to ask if we were happy and enjoying the food. The most fun was watching everyone in the kitchen. They were all working together and seemed to be genuinely having fun. Just awesome. Definitely going back. read more

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So I was honestly surprised at the prices, they were actually pretty reasonable for the type and quantity of food you get. For example. The chicken is definitely meant for two and only 39 dollars. You must try the fried chicken. That's what roister is known for! It was soooo crispy and parked really well with the gravy and hot sauce options. I loved the oysters as well but they're a bit on the expensive side of the menu. 27 dollars for only six oysters. I'm more a happy hour oyster kind of gal. The mashed potatoes were so rich and creamy!! I wish I knew how to make these. It went really well with the chicken! I think in the future I would skip on the Shishito peppers. Good but nothing special, and there are a lot of other great options to try on the menu. Interior is a little more casual that I expected with dim lighting and loud music. It'd be fun for a group of friends, especially since everything is shareable read more

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The duck. Get it. Not now, but right now! Awesome. Wait staff is really friendly and atmosphere is hip casual.

Roister really pissed me off because the food is so, SO very good, but dumb things happen here... First, I love loud music, but something is wrong when your ears start literally ringing halfway through dinner, the servers all have to repeat every single damn thing because they cannot hear more than 1-2 feet away and I used some fake sign language just to occasionally "pretend hear" the three people sitting with me. You know, where you laugh or nod and hope that was an appropriate reply because you kind-of-sort-of can't hear what someone's saying? Roister has loud music and it ruins what should be a nice dinner. ONE STAR OFF. Second, the cocktails are extremely inconsistent. I got a poblano margarita and it just tasted kind of lousy. Two others got a boomerang old fashioned and it was delicious the first time and came with two cherries each. They ordered another round and the drink had no cherries and was so strong, neither could be finished. Consistency is key since cocktails are formulas and if someone likes one, it can't be changed mid-dinner. ONE STAR OFF. Three stars, however, for the *best* fried chicken ever (it's somehow better than Gus' Fried Chicken). Well worth the $40 and the portions are GENEROUS, so get one plate and split it or take some home for sure. The Robuchoned mashed potatoes are divine with the truffle add-on (little bits of truffle!) and the simple-sounding buttered rigatoni were amazing, but unfortunately undercooked and 1-2 minutes short of al dente. Such a good dish and I really just wish the pasta was cooked right... The charred kale salad was polarizing; some of us loved it and some thought it was boring. I enjoyed the literal taste it promised, haha: charred kale! They don't cut the large leaves for maybe ease of cooking...? When you fork into it, you drag up these gigantic leaves, so they should maybe cut them up a bit, but whatever- they're decent. I like this place and will be back, but god, PLEASE TURN THE MUSIC DOWN!!! It was as loud as a concert. read more

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