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Rooster's

4.8 (72 reviews)
Closed Closed
Updated 3 months ago

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ROOSTER'S ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Rooster's

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Jessica M.

Delicious, quaint (but moving to new location within next few weeks) Staff was super friendly, and food is prepared fresh to order in front of you almost. Delicious. Chopped sandwich reminds me of a 10x better Big Mac. Large portion sizes and prices are super reasonable!

Lunch counter
Peter D.

Man, do I love a place that takes pride in their food. We don't spend a lot of time in Utica. Well, we don't spend any time at all in Utica, but it was about halfway between where we were and where we were going, right off the Thruway...and I trust the reviews on this Yelp thing, so we came to give it a shot. It was a fantastic decision. Javon is the owner and the grill man, and he KNOWS HIS FOOD. Not just HIS food, but food in general. He found out we were from Brooklyn and he wanted to talk about pizza, and burgers, and everything in between. And you can tell that he takes an immense amount of pride in serving great food. He's just an awesome guy, and his shop is my favorite kind: they only do a few things, but they do them all very, very well. We shared a Figgy single burger and a Rooster chopped cheese. Our girls had chicken nuggets and fries. Everything was about as good as you can get. Like I told Javon, the only thing I'd change is that I'd get a double burger...but that might've necessitated a nap, and I had a drive ahead of me. If I had to pick just one thing though, go chopped cheese all the way. To be clear, it's a lunch counter. If you're looking for frills, you're in the wrong spot. They've got some stools that my girls loved spinning on, a couple of tables, and not much else besides some walls covered in chalk marker by happy customers. But you're here for the food, not the decor. If you find yourself on the Thruway near Utica and need a meal, do yourself a favor and come see Javon at Rooster's.

The Figgy
Sam D.

One of the best burgers we have ever had. Roosters burgers are smashed burgers. Meaning they are thin and juicy. The have a simple menu with 3 burger options and a few sides. It's a no-frills big flavor type of place. 2 tables and 8-10 bar seats. The staff seem really nice. We ordered one of each burger and loved all of them. Our faves was the Rooster and the Figgy (perfect for people who like sweet and salty!)

Good food inside...
Michelle G.

What a lucky find! Thruway-friendly fare is not usually such a good experience. The fam was traveling from western NY to a lacrosse tournament in Massachusetts, so at late dinner time we found ourselves approaching Utica. We were trying not to get our hopes up because we rolled into Rooster's at about 10 minutes before closing time. That was not an issue! We each ordered chopped cheese sandwiches because we lost out to a phone order on the last burger buns--all the bread is delivered fresh each day, so when they're out, they're out! The chopped cheeses are smash burgers chopped up and served on lovely toasted, soft, sesame-seeded sub rolls that hold up great, even when filled with flat-top yumminess. We got to watch our food cooked from fresh ground beef right in front of our eyes. The owner was so friendly and kind, and it was fun chatting about his place that's been open since 2021 while he smashed patties and built our sandwiches. We took our food to go because we had many hours left to drive. When I dove into the bag, the owner had labeled our orders, "Mom," "Dad," and "Lax Bro." Personalized service, baby! My chopped cheese was the Classic (minus mustard, plus pickles), while my son and my husband ordered the Rooster, one with bacon, one without. Hubby says he'd skip the bacon next time and add some onion. Son says it was really tasty and devoured it in under 5. The beef had some crispy bits and some softer, which gave a great texture to the whole thing. I was glad to have the fresh lettuce and tomatoes to balance out the saltiness. The fries were perfect--lightly browned, crispy, and correctly seasoned with seasoned salt. Well done, Rooster's. Thanks for a great dinner!

The Figgy Double
Valerie C.

Docked a star because it was wicked hot inside. Otherwise it was a fantastic smash burger for a great price!

The Figgy (single - but can be ordered as a double, as a chopped cheese, or prepared over fries)
Billy B.

I'm a big fan of any place that stakes it's claim on very few offerings done very well. That's tough to find in CNY for many reasons so I was excited try Rooster's for lunch. I got The Figgy - a single patty with bacon, cheddar, caramelized onions, and fig jam - and french fries. I was prepared for the roll to be firm and bready from the looks of them, but what a surprise. Soft, pillowy, and perfect. The scent and feel gave me a brief 'glazed donut' vision as I bit in and it was almost immediately enhanced by the patty and bacon. The fig jam gave a lot more nuance than just 'sweet.' You could taste the fruit through it all and it was well balanced by the onions. The fries were golden, crispy, and soft inside. Seasoned with more than just salt. The extra efforts on all fronts paid off. Nicely done!

Rooster Burger and Cheese Fries

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

One of the BEST burgers and burger joints I've ever had. Fast friendly and fresh food.

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

Food is freshly made right in front of you and everything is delicious, especially my the Figgy Burger! Yum!!! I'll be back!

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1 year ago

Great staff and excellent burgers. Always fresh. Definitely recommended, just give them a try.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

First time here. Food and service were great. I ordered "The Figgy". Will definitely come back.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Best smash burger hands down! Sat at the bar and had a great lunch while chatting with Javon.

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1 year ago

Great food and people. Found Roosters on the way to nexus center for hockey and it was great choice.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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Ask the Community - Rooster's

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Swifty's Restaurant & Pub

Swifty's Restaurant & Pub

(145 reviews)

$$

I've sat on this review for a week trying to decide if I wanted to share a not-so-flattering…read moreexperience. However, if there is a chance that Swifty's management may read this, along with fellow diners, it may be helpful for the future. The overall experience, food, and service was good. Clearly, this place and its 2 sister locations know how to be successful. But what we experienced could either be because a rogue chef or location manager is trying to cut corners - or - it could be the philosophy of the company to try and nickel-and-dime the customer to reduce costs and take advantage of those who won't notice. My boys and I ordered 20 wings to start, my oldest had a burger to follow, and my younger really wanted to focus on wings, so only ordered fries. I had the. Cheeseburger wrap with onion rings and coleslaw. Wings: crispy, tasty, and really good blue cheese. BUT...when they came to the table, the baskets looked light. So... WE COUNTED THEM. ONLY 17. My (as the menu clearly states) "half pound burger in a wrap" was probably 1/4 of a pound light. Wait til you see the photo. So, all the good service and reasonably good food was ruined by Swifty's trying to either take advantage of customers incrementally hundreds of times a day (order by order) - or - they have a location chef and manager who tolerate food leaving their kitchen that is not as advertised or up to the standard which allowed them to open 3 locations. It's one or the other. Will we be back? I don't know. We really wanted this to be great. We live in the Northwest Corner of CT, my son goes to college in Rochester, this location is literally (to the mile) half-way between. We make the trip weekly due to his athletics schedule. We wanted to be regulars. Will probably look elsewhere next time. 2 stars for the front of the house service. It was excellent. And the blue cheese dressing. It was fantastic. If you go - count your wings and make sure what the menu says is on your plate.

My reuben sandwich was absolutely fantastic and prepared them like I have not had in a very long…read moretime. Even though this is a particle food is very fantastic if you're looking for something to eat as well. You have to stop by this place if you're in the Utica area. Services incredibly friendly and they get you exactly what you want. Food quality is incredible as well so you get double the dining pleasure

Rooster's - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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