Iron Rooster

We just had the best restaurant experience in months. Fast, friendly service, and absolutely delicious food. Everything was cooked to perfection.
My husband and I both ordered the breakfast Cuban and we’re sincerely happy with that choice. It was amazing. .
We also both ordered their play on an orange crush; an Iron Crush. Do yourself a favor and try one. Refreshing and tasty.
The atmosphere was calm and homey. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and look forward to future visits.

This restaurant has such good food. We enjoyed the shrimp with grits (amazing), yogurt parfait, and Apple cinnamon pop tart. I have to say, I’ve never ever tasted something so close to my grandmothers homemade apple pie as their pop tart. So delicious and just as good for dessert as breakfast.
The very most glaring flaw in this restaurant though is their seating system. Their hosts do their best but they simply use paper and pen, no electronic system at all. There were several groups called that were not around to be seated. It gets very busy in the morning as it’s a popular breakfast destination. With many places to walk around, a text messaging system to notify waiting guest groups would be a great addition. but we were told 35minutes and were sat in 20. If we had walked around like we wanted we would have missed our table. After we sat down the 4 person table behind us sat empty for most of our meal while people waited outside or decided the wait was too long and went elsewhere.
Overall the food and service were well worth the wait, but it was pretty apparent this business could easily make hundreds or even thousands more each day if they installed a simple electronic seating system.

First things first… FREE jar of bacon when you check in, follow or like Iron Rooster on FB/​IG/​Twitter!
We came here as a party of two on a Sunday around 1pm. The hostess greeted us and told us it would be around a 40 minute wait. Many people told me I must eat here when visiting Annapolis so we waited. They were accurate about the wait time and we were seated after 35 minutes.
We ordered the most popular item on the menu which was the chicken and waffles. The chicken was tender and lightly battered and placed on top of cornmeal waffles. The gravy for this dish was very tasty! We also ordered the smoked brisket benny. The brisket was soft and placed on top jalapeño corn bread waffles. The waffles had a slight sweet taste to it and were more on the softer side than I would’ve preferred but I still enjoyed it.
What sets this place apart from all the other brunch places is their homemade poptart! You must order this if you come here. It’s a huge poptart that comes out warm and it’s delicious. The flavor of the day when we came was cinnamon and brown sugar. The downside here is you have no choice on the poptart you order, they only have one flavor choice per day. I want to come back to try their other flavors.
Overall, I definitely recommend this place for brunch. Just be advised you’re almost guaranteed a wait time because unfortunately reservations are not taken on weekends.

This is a great spot in Annapolis for breakfast or brunch.
They have a wide selection of signature options to choose from and of the many times I’ve been here I have yet to be disappointed nor have my friends.
Very casual environment with friendly staff and rather quick service.
Recommend the homemade poptart.
Must try!
⁴⁄₅

I had guests visiting from out of town and they wanted to do brunch in DTA. I’ve heard amazing things about Iron Rooster and the Unilocal reviews are pretty good… Sad to say, this is one of the few times that Unilocal has let me down :(
We arrived a little after 9 on Saturday morning. We were quoted a 30 minute wait (not bad!) which ended up being closer to 45 – 50 minutes. No biggie. We were surprised to see so many empty tables when we were seated upstairs, which continued to remain empty during our dining experience. I can only assume they were short staffed because why else would they have so many open tables and a line of people out the door spilling onto the sidewalk and roadway?
Our server, Stephanie, was very nice and accommodating. The water is self serve at the table, but was room temperature. After waiting on the sidewalk in the sun for 45 minutes, an ice cold water would have been preferable. Mimosas are overpriced at $ 9.
Everything on the menu sounds amazing. The descriptions make you want to have one of everything. Unfortunately, the descriptions do not live up to the actual taste of the items. We ordered a brown sugar and an oreo «homemade» poptart, pancakes, chili omelette, french toast, and chicken and waffles. The poptarts came out first and we did not have to wait long at all for them to arrive. The glob of whipped cream on top was room temperature and a melted hot mess after 2 seconds. While good, I could only manage a few bites… definitely sweetness overload. Chicken and waffles are usually my «go-​to» brunch item at any restaurant. Sadly, they fell short on execution. I think it was a texture issue. I am used to crispy waffles and crispy fried chicken on the bone… here the waffles are super soft and the chicken was just 3 little soggy chicken fingers. The saving grace for taste was the brown pepper gravy on top, but it just made everything else taste even soggier. The home fries were bland and under seasoned. I had a few bites of the chili omelette and the chili sauce tasted like it was out of the can. There was no zest to it at all.
Overall, $ 123 later and I had just an A-​OK experience. I definitely would not rush back anytime soon or wait a ridiculous amount of time for average food.

I’ve been here twice and both times I got the veggie burger, A. because it’s tasty, and B. because they don’t really have much else for vegetarians. I took my brother here when he was visiting and although the veggie burger for me was pretty cheap, I realized all the entrees were pretty pricy. So I felt bad for having everyone else pay so much for their food. One of guests ordered the cakes on cakes and was not a fan of it. He was told the cornmeal cakes didn’t taste too much like pancakes, but they did and he said it was a weird combo to add to the crab cake. Also, he doesn’t like spicy, so he passed on the hollandaise sauce which resulted in his crab cake being dry. I wouldn’t let that stop you from ordering it though, the sauce was probably what was needed for the meal to make sense and taste good. My boyfriend got the pot roast which he said wasn’t as great as he expected, but it also wasn’t terrible. He just wished it came with mashed potatoes, rather than grits. To be honest, I don’t remember which entrée my brother got, but he liked it. Although I liked my food, I wouldn’t take anyone here unless they were planning on getting a burger too. The rest of the food is pricy, and from my guests experience, it’s not worth the price. We also didn’t have great waiter service that day. She seemed to hardly come to our table and when she was in our area, she would never look at us so it took awhile to ask for requests.
Oh and one more thing, the first time I came here I brought my dog and we were seated outside. They even bring a water bowl for your dog. So even though my second experience was pretty humiliating and not on par with what I was expecting, I had a great first impression and would still eat here again, especially with my dog.

This place was fantastic. Went here based in the Unilocal reviews when in town, and definitely glad we did. I had the shrimp burger (subbed a waffle bun for the regular bun). Awesome. Brought half of it home to enjoy later.
The homemade pop tart for dessert (brown sugar and cinnamon) was beyond excellent. Going back to the Iron Rooster again soon (mostly for the pop tart).
Service was excellent and friendly.

What a let down… after seeing several people brag about this place on social media, I just had to go. The food was «ok», nothing to brag about and certainly not worth another 2 hour wait anytime soon. The feature item, the Pop Tart, I think was the biggest let down. I was expecting more Pop tart, less pastry. Also DO NOT get the monkey bread, it was extremely dry. the breakfast entrée’s were pretty good, but still not worth bragging about and 3 out of 4 of the meals were barley warm after it took way too long for them to come out after we ordered.
Also if you have a baby with you, they do not allow you to bring your stroller into the restaurant. We had to take everything out and carry it and entrust that our stroller would be secure by the hostess stand while we ate upstairs. Plus side there was a changing table in the bathroom!

My mom and I stopped in for breakfast on a Wednesday morning. We got a parking spot right up front! There was no wait and we were seated on the main floor. Our server, Tim, was polite, friendly, and a delight to talk to!
Tip: Let your server know you’ve «liked» them on one of their social media pages and you’ll receive free bacon! I did this and our bacon came out in no time at all. The bacon was nice and crispy.
I ordered the chicken and waffles (buttermilk marinated fried chicken breast, cornmeal waffle, black pepper pan gravy) with potatoes and a side of grits. I have to confess that this was the first time I’ve ever had chicken and waffles. I know — I know! I’m very confident in saying their chicken and waffles will probably be the best I’ve ever had. The chicken was moist and delicious. The waffle was soft and tasty. The gravy, oh my god, the gravy. I agree with another reviewer that said she wanted to lick the gravy off the plate. I pretty much had to stop myself from doing the same thing! The flavors were on point. It was delicious. The grits and potatoes were excellent as well.
My mom ordered the french toast (challah bread with apple and vanilla bean egg batter, with maple bourbon butter) and she loved it. The slices of toast were huge and she ended up taking half of it home. You can’t go wrong with challah bread! She really loved the flavor of the maple bourbon butter.
Overall, we were as happy as pigs in mud. The food was excellent and the service was great. We will definitely return.

I seem to be on a streak of disappointments and Iron Rooster fit right in.
The hostess was more interested in chatting with her friend than greeting and seating us. Very uncool. The staff member next to the hostess (who turned out to be «in training» under the rude hostess) was visibly uncomfortable. I was just irritated. In a half-​empty restaurant we were seated next to the kitchen door.
The waitress was slow and similarly inattentive and everything took a long time. My bagel and lox ended up on English muffin because this «breakfast all day» restaurant RAN OUT OF BAGELS. The lox was held over too long and was unpleasant around the edges. My wife’s turkey burger was dry.
The entire place is full of hard surfaces and you can’t hear the people you are eating with (you can’t possibly consider your experience at Iron Rooster to be «dining»).
Service: F
Food: D
Ambience: F
Pass.

Our niece told us about this spot and we made sure that we would get breakfast/​brunch here before we left Maryland.
I called in the night before to ask if they took reservations and was told that they do Monday — Thursday and for Friday — Sunday, only accept reservations for after 4P.M.
At 11a.m. on a Friday, there was a decent wait. We waited about 20 minutes before being sat, but there were quite a few people that came in after us and I imagine that wait-​time only grew as it got closer to lunch.
Thanks to all the Unilocal tips (and the very first page of the menu), I knew to check-​in/​follow Iron Rooster’s social media accounts (either facebook, twitter or instagram) in order to get a free side of bacon! I asked our server about it and she said they would honor 2/​table. So my niece and I followed them on instagram and we got 2 plates of bacon! (We were slightly disappointed that the bacon came out on plates and not in a mason jar). I think we got about 6 strips of bacon per plate, so it was enough for 4 pieces for the each of us. One of the plates was a little on the oily side (literally bacon swimming in a pool of oil), so there was some blotting action that was needed… but that’s bacon for you.
I ordered the chicken and waffles, my boyfriend ordered the crab cake benedict and my niece ordered the angry pig omelette.
*Chicken and waffles: being from southern california, when I hear «chicken and waffles» I think: Roscoe’s! This is NOTHING like Roscoe’s chicken and waffles. These were better (gasp)!!! The chicken was lightly breaded and still moist. They sat on top of a cornmeal waffle that was slightly sweet and very much reminded me of cornbread… phenomenal!!! But the best part of this plate? The gravy!!! I wish I had followed another Unilocalers tip and asked for extra gravy! I literally licked my plate clean. It didn’t taste like any gravy I have had before or used to… it was very creamy and not too salty. I would come back here and eat the chicken and waffles ALL. DAY. LONG.
*crab cake benedict: being in Maryland, my boyfriend and I were trying to get our fill on crab. We had crab cakes at another place and were blown away, so naturally, (being a benedict fan), my boyfriend HAD to order this. Unfortunately, this didn’t blow me away. The crab cakes were fine and the benedict was typical. It was good, but didn’t taste any better than just a regular eggs benedict…(my boyfriend liked it though).
*angry pig omelette: this omelette was VERY angry. it was smothered in jalapenos (both on top and inside the omelette… so be careful). My niece spent most of her time trying to fish out all the jalapeño and making sure she didn’t leave a single seed behind. I took a bit of her omelette, and though I wasn’t anywhere near a jalapeño, i still got the spicy kick of it coming through. The omelette was good (my niece nearly finished the entire thing), but I don’t think it was anything you couldn’t get anywhere else.
Service wasn’t too bad, and the interior of the restaurant was very nice. My boyfriend and I agreed that we would keep coming back to eat here anytime we’re in Maryland and would definitely order the chicken and waffles. Do yourself a favor and ask for an extra side of the gravy!

My family loves this place and today was the first time I came with them.
They got the fried green tomatoes, Oreo poptart, breakfast tacos, chicken and waffles, and pecan pancakes. I can’t vouch for their food because I have a dairy allergy, but they enjoyed it.
I did try the BLT deviled eggs and I got the bacon and egg ramen as well. Both were a little on the bland side, but great with the pepper/​hot sauce they had.
The service was amazing! Bryce was our waiter and he was so thoughtful. The hosts were great too and stopped by our table to chat.
Didn’t realize the place was so big (we sat downstairs) so have to amend my check in. There are, indeed, televisions and lots of seating.

Rule number one!!! Free bacon when you check in on Facebook so be sure to show your waiter. I did not want to try the pop-​tart with fear it was going to be too sweet. But it was buttery with the right amount of sweetness. We had the cookies and cream one and I was very impressed. I also had the chili omelet and that was delicious as well. The mimosa was $ 9 which seemed a little pricey to me but hey I’m no drink expert. Service was great! And try not to get intimated by the long wait. Our hour and half wait ended up only being like 30−45mins.

I knew it would be impossible to grab a table for brunch in a reasonable time at Iron Rooster during memorial weekend. Since they serve breakfast all day, why not have it for dinner instead?
My go to whenever I see it on the menu is shrimp and grits. I have yet had this dish made exactly the same way (flavor, texture) in two different restaurants. The two poached eggs, five jumbo tiger shrimp, and cheesy grits smothered in tomato based sauce were beyond delicious. The perfect amount of heat and acidity — My husband who right out claimed he didn’t like grits couldn’t stop sneaking in bites from my bowl! This bowl was a game changer.
Chicken and waffles with gravy on the side — although the flavor was spot on, the chicken was a bit soggy. The waffles wasn’t as crunchy as my husband hoped to be. Nevertheless, another winning choice. My husband didn’t need any of the gravy or syrup!
Overall — because the prices of the breakfast dishes were half of the dinner entrees, we were expecting a much smaller portion. However we were blown away by the generous size (let alone quality!). Service was warm and attentive. 2 years in business, 1 expansion, 500+ reviews, 4.5 stars — totally justified!

Somehow I found Iron Rooster on IG and I started following their page. My husband and I visit another breakfast spot (Miss Shirleys) frequently in Annapolis and I was excited to try a new spot.
Visited Iron Rooster and now I have two favorite spots to go for breakfast. I would like to say that Iron Rooster pushes the envelope with their dishes and understand why there can easily be a two hour wait on the weekends.
My go to dish is their Chicken and Waffles with Gravy. I was interested in trying something different but at the same time I didn’t want to ruin my meal so I got the Gravy on the side. Boy, was wrong the Gravy is the best part… it’s so good and creamy I always ask for more because it’s never enough. I dip my waffle and chicken is this epic Gravy and savory every bite, taking my time to enjoy all the yummiest in my mouth.
The last time I went I decided to try something different and get lunch. I went with the chicken Panini with salad it was good, really good. Unfortunately for me I was still hungry after eating my meal and I told myself that I would finally try one of their homemade pop tarts. Oh why did I do that… first it’s huged… I’m totally thinking it going to be the same size as the ones that you buy in the packages, wrong. These pop carts are twice the size and delicious. I went in thinking I was just going to eat half and take the rest home. I dont even know if i believed that myslef. I tried the brown sugar one and it’s the best pop tarts ever!!!

Yep, still amazing. Yep, still a long wait, even worse than two years ago… the word is obviously out. Came around 9am on a Saturday and had to wait 20 minutes. By the time we got out, the whole street corner was taken over by people waiting. I noticed there’s now an option of free valet, I assume only for weekends. (Although if you’re familiar with the area or willing to parallel park on tight roads, you should be able to snag a free 2-​hour street spot nearby.)
Just want to provide a few additional tips on dishes…
–Shrimp & grits — The kids these days would say YASSSS GURL YASSS. This dish is the bee’s knees, and the portion is pretty hefty. There’s magic in these grits.
–Housemade pop-​tarts — Yup. Do it. It’s basically an oversized hand pie, so think more like a gigantic folded up pie and less like the storebought pop-​tart. Plan on sharing it.
–Smoked brisket benny — Amazing. Huge portion.
–Pancakes — This might be the only thing I’ve tried that I would recommend avoiding. It’s not that it’s *bad*, it’s just not as spectacular as the other options and a bit on the dry/​starchy side.
–BLT&E — Still highly recommend getting this amazing sandwich, and swapping out the fries for grits.

Chicken and waffles — and not just any waffles… but amazing and delicious waffles. That in it of itself is a mic drop. I also had breakfast tacos — also beyond amazing. Yes, on the surface, the menu looks like a run of the mill breakfast and brunch place — but when the food comes out — it is beyond amazing! Warning — portions are a little bit on the bigger side (though not crazy).
On a sunny day, this is the perfect place to go sit out on the patio and have a beer too! Just be prepared for a 30 min to an hour wait during lunch time.
Oh and the service was just beyond spectacular! She knew the items in the menu and could tell us the trends.

Best chicken and waffles in Maryland! You have to get the chicken and waffles! I had dinner here with my girlfriend and we ordered chicken and waffles and a waffle burger. The chicken is perfectly fried and crunchy with the most tender juicy inside ever coupled with a savory and creamy gravy. The waffle burger was also amazing, go for the egg and bacon add on! But hands down I will be getting the chicken and waffle again and again every time I come here. We also had a apple pop tart, homemade apple pastry that tasted like a warm apple pie. It was the perfect appetizer to our meal.
The restaurant and servers made the experience a winner. Welcoming staff and a nautical/​old fashioned theme made it all work. I can’t wait to come back again for some more!

The food that I ate at Iron Rooster was rather impressive. Being seated near the door where cold air was constantly blowing in, the host/​hostess hovering over us throughout our meal waiting for us to finish our meal and vacate the table, and our rather forgetful server who thought it would be better to «remember» our order and not write it down, were not. I felt rushed the entire time we were there.
Located in the heart of downtown Annapolis, IR luckily offers free validated parking for customers because parking in the surrounding area can be rather tricky. I came during a cold rainy morning, but I’m sure the views would be much better on a warm day. Reservations can not be made Friday, Saturday, nor Sunday for breakfast, so when you arrive, prepare to wait.
I ordered the chicken and waffles, but these weren’t any ordinary chicken and waffles. The waffles were made from cornmeal and the fried chicken was smothered in black pepper white gravy. Absolutely delicious! It was an entire meal in one delicious bite. The waffles had a hint of sweetness and the gravy was extra creamy with a kick of heat. Comfort food at its finest! Home fries accompanied the meal and to be honest, they could’ve left them off the plate. They were dry and flavorless; I could barely eat them. I also had a freshly baked biscuit which was pretty light and fluffy.
I would come back for the chicken and waffles alone, but the service and the congestion inside and outside the restaurant, may deter me.

Everything here was perfect.
It is a very popular spot. I came here with my BF for brunch around 10am but we still had to wait an hour. Waiting an hour wasn’t too bad however. We were able to walk around the town and go by the docks and take pictures. Downtown Annapolis has a lot to offer and an hour passes by quick.
If you follow them on IG, they give you a free mason jar of bacon! Who doesn’t love bacon? And even better– who doesn’t love free bacon?
I had the chicken and waffles which I heard was amazing. And it was indeed verryyyy delicious! The gravy on top was perfect with the fried chicken and the waffles was perfect. They gave home fries on the side which I also devoured.
My BF ordered the breakfast burrito which was a huge burrito with meat, salsa and cheese. I had a bite and the salsa with the meat had a great kick to it. But if I come here, I would rather have the chicken and waffles.
Everyone was accommodating! The staff is all wonderful.

The Iron Roster is a fantastic brunch and breakfast place. The atmosphere is inviting and quirky, yet they do not compromise professionalism and etiquette.
Don’t come here expecting the staple Maryland seafood menu. They focus on an innovative brunch menu, while some seafood if still available.
Or server was very friendly and helpful, always running around between orders, but we never had an issue getting her attention.
The only issue I had was with how busy the place gets. Make sure you get a reservation, or don’t come in a hurry. Since this is not their fault (more like a testament to their quality), I give the Iron Roster 5 starts!

Delicious, southern comfort fare with a twist! All day breakfast brunch menu a plus :) Husband ordered the Chicken and Waffles while I ordered Shrimp and Grits. Seasoning and breading of the fried chicken tenders was exceptional therefore husband ordered the better entrée! Crowd was easy going, lots of midshipmen from the nearby Naval Academy with their family or sweetheart. Service was friendly, efficient and excellent.
For dessert, we had the home made pop tart of the day. Next time, I would try something else for dessert as this hit the nostalgia button more than my tastebuds.

After several visits, we have yet to have a bad meal or experience. The location is great as it’s a stone’s throw from the water in Annapolis. The service is friendly and around just enough. My first visit was on a rainy afternoon that saw me ending up with something I would normally have never ordered: Chicken and waffles. It was the bartender’s strong suggestion and he was so right. Theirs is excellent! One of the best in Annapolis.

I enjoyed my visit here in what I guess is downtown Annapolis; the food was food but I guess I was expecting a lot more food wise as I had so many good things about this place I guess being from the Midwest I like food a little bit more flavorful! However the food was good and enjoyable for a breakfast place and the free bacon is a definite fun cute add on while you wait!
My service was exceptional once I got to my table and my Moscow mule was very good also! So for great service I would give this 5 stars but the food was just okay to me! I had the steak omelette and the pancake maybe I’ll try something else next time!

I was in town for a night and woke up wanting some breakfast. Of course Unilocal to the rescue. There are few options for a good solid breakfast it seemed but the rating here seemed like a good call. And it was indeed.
I sat in the bar area and Ryan, the bartender was my server. Really nice guy and great service all around. I couldn’t decide between the chicken and waffles or burrito. He said, if you’ve never been here you need to get the chicken and waffles, so I did.
Holy food coma at breakfast Batman! These were soooo damn good!!! A ton of chicken, 3 pieces of waffle and home fries (note I didn’t even know it came with home fries, so an added bonus). The gravy was delicious and really brought it all together, delicious! The home fries were also excellent! I cleaned my entire plate, but man was I stuffed. This was a lot of food!
Other dishes coming out looked great, and I wish I wasn’t alone otherwise I would have gone for a homemade poptart.
Overall, a great spot for breakfast or brunch with great service and food. it was a bit pricey for breakfast, 18 bucks just for coffee and the chicken and waffles, but it was a ton of food and very good. I would definitely come back.

Wow. Delicious breakfast on a chilly Sunday after church! Being from the South, was afraid the two Southern classics we ordered my not hold up to standards. Boy, was I wrong! We started with a mixed berry pop tart. Many reviews had called them, bland, yet we loved it. Pastry crust was the perfect combo of sweet and buttery salty. Homemade whip cream was perfect on the side! My husband got shrimp & grits, I chick and waffles. And man, the gravy! Both — AMAZing, and for a great price! We will be back to try others, no doubt.

Based on other reviews we saw, my husband and I stopped in here while in town. We were worried because there seemed to be a lot of people waiting for tables for Sunday breakfast. However, we did not have a long wait to be seated and were attended very quickly. Overall, we got great service through our meal and our server was pleasant. It was especially nice when I was offered a final cup of coffee to go — I didn’t realize I could even ask for that!
Now the important part; our food. It was delectable. My husband had the cast iron scramble and I had the ranchers benny. My eggs were perfectly poached and the stack of sauces and components went perfectly together. The home fries were crispy but not too greasy and they soaked up the rest of the sauce and egg yolk. My husband was also very satisfied after his egg scramble, which was made to his request.
Not a far walk down to the pier either if you want to stroll and digest!

They do NOT take reservations all the time/​days. FYI. Just called to get two tables of 6. No dice. Walk in.

We waited about an hour and a half to eat here (no reservation, just put our name in) but it was very worth the wait. There are many stores and things to see in the area, so it was a great time walking around and waiting (minus the cold).
Monkey Bread, Breakfast Tacos, Eggs Benedict — all super tasty. The waitress was extremely attentive and the coffee was delicious. She even gave me a to-​go cup of freshly poured coffee as we left.
This place has so many stars for a reason. They even had the football game on, which was of course a huge bonus for me. Great atmosphere, great for groups. Just expect a wait.

No shade but this restaurant was very bright if
you know what I mean. I had a very well cooked steak porterhouse or top round steak, would have preferred a tenderloin but oh well. Didn’t enjoy my friends waffle but everyone at the table loved my French toast lol.
5 stars for my Long Island, service and French toast, 3 for my steak and eggs, and 2 for that 1.5 hr wait. Lol

This place does everything right.
Hands down, best chicken and waffles in the area. You get a big hearty serving of fluffy, subtly sweet waffles topped with crispy, juicy fried chicken. The breakfast burrito is unbelievable. Tender brisket, egg, veggies and more wrapped into a massive burrito topped with poblano sauce and cheese. Wow. Regardless of whether or not you’re into pop tarts, just get it. You will not be sorry. We opted for the Chocolate Banana one and it was pretty tasty. Note: it too is quite sizable like everything else they serve here, so be warned that you’ll barely be able to make a dent in your main dish of you start off with this.
The staff is exceptionally nice and attentive, which always elevates the experience that much more.
Make your way over here now!

This is probably one of the best, if not the best place to eat in downtown Annapolis in my opinion! Breakfast all day, excellent food and service quality, and not overly expensive (at least for Annapolis) make this one of my mandatory visits when I visit.
First, each visit usually requires a minimum 20 minute wait in my experience, but it’s worth it. After being seated, service has always been at least very good, which is surprising based on how busy the place can be. As I have usually gone at approximately the brunch/​lunch hour, both the breakfast menu (available all day!) and lunch menu are available.
I usually order the chicken and waffles (sans gravy — I’m not a gravy guy but friends tell me it’s very good) and I usually have a HOMEMADE Pop Tart. There is a flavor of the day for the Pop Tart but each one I have had is simply amazing, my favorite being the Brown Sugar/​Cinnamon variety. As for the chicken and waffles. you get ¾ of a Belgian waffle (made with cornmeal) and three decent-​sized boneless chicken breasts. The waffles are soft yet not mushy with syrup and I only can describe the chicken as the best I have ever had. It’s like they have made perfection into a crispy, savory, spicy crust fried onto white-​meat chicken. I could eat this for every meal, everyday!
I will be honest, I have never eaten here after about 2PM, so I cannot mention how the dinner crowd is, but if it’s anything like the rest of the day, you probably won’t be disappointed.
Highly Recommended!
Pros: The best chicken and waffles I’ve ever eaten
The best fried chicken I’ve ever tasted
Not overly expensive
Full-​service bar, so there’s that going for it as well (Bloody Mary Sunday Mornings?)
Cons: There’s been a wait each time I have gone
The restaurant is on two levels, which may inhibit some customers from visiting
It’s not closer to my house!

The Iron Rooster is one of my favorite Annapolis stops. Don’t be put off by the hordes of people standing outside (and there always are). This place is worth the wait. Even at it’s busiest, we’ve never waited more than 30 – 45 minutes for a table. The food is incredible. The staff is incredible. The atmosphere is really fun and vibrant. And I’m super glad to see they’re starting the process to expand next door. If you are a morning person, go early and enjoy your coffee and drink in relative quiet and don’t feel rushed to hurry out and let someone else celebrate and savor this great spot.
I think my favorite drink is The Morning Glory with a vodka, elderflower, & cucumber that is refreshing and delicious. concoction that was refreshing and delicious. I can’t wait to try other speciality drinks.
I don’t know if I like the Shrimp and Grits or the Chicken and Waffles better. They are both a foodies dream!
The pop tart flavor of the day is another BIG dry. Flakey pastry and yummy insides covered in whipped cream. Oh my…
The Iron Rooster will become a staple in your Annapolis restaurant repertoire for sure.

As everyone says, chicken and waffle is really really good! The chicken batter is crisp and thin. Gravy sauce is delicious as well as the waffle and their home fries. Perfect dish altogether!
The only reason I’m giving them four stars instead of five is because after more than an one hour wait, we were eventually sitted at a the high rise table at the bar without asking us whether that would be okay. I didn’t mind too much of that but the bar area seemed to be connected with the kitchen so I didn’t feel relaxed at all during the meal due to the heavy traffice of the waiters going in and out consistently.

I’ll spare you the entire backstory of why we were in the area and just give you the basic break down of the visit:
–In and out in less than 45 minutes
–nice front staff
–waitress never introduced herself…
–Waitress completely forgot drinks
–Tended to table next to us 5 times without even turning to us
–Brought out free bacon halfway through the meal
–She didn’t even bring the food or take the check… other servers who I wish we had did
–Saw her a total of 5 times: bring water, take the order, put water jug on table & bring check, bring Coke and bacon, tell us to have nice day. (Not in that order)
The food was good, but our waitress was rude and absent for most of our meal. It’s a shame because the food was worth the drive to Annapolis, but we probably won’t be returning.

We came for brunch before a football game, and it was packed! There was a wait of 45 minutes, so we put our name down and went for a drink around the corner. I suggest placing a reservation if you can.
Once seated, we immediately placed an order for the homemade pop tart of the day and for our drinks. Our drinks came right out. Iron Rooster features several craft beers and cocktails.
The pop tart came out soon after. It was a mixed berry pop tart. The crust was outstanding. It had a pleasant spice profile. It still had an oven warmness to it. The crust was crunchy, yet it softly granulated in your mouth as you ate it — the cookie version of melting in your mouth. The berry filing was sweet and tasteful as well.
Our main entrees were slow to come out which was understandable considering how busy the restaurant was. I had the chicken and waffles. I liked the breading of the chicken. The chicken was also quite juicy. The waffles has an interesting potato-​bread like texture and taste to them. They were softer than most waffles and feel apart a little too easily. The star of the plate was the gravy. It had a creamy consistency. It was more like a mushroom cream sauce than a thanksgiving turkey juice gravy. It added another level of richness to the dish. I also really enjoyed the crispy home fries; actually, I liked them more than the waffles.
Our server Melissa was very attentive and continued to check on us throughout the meal. She took the initiative to continue checking with the kitchen regarding the timing of our dishes as we waiting without us having to ask her.
Overall, the iron rooster is a super spot for brunch in Annapolis. I’d rate it four and a half stars.

came here for brunch on a saturday morning. with 5 adults and 4 kids… seriously. this place is perfect for this type of thing. clean, big open tables. lots of kids running around, but with much better food than denny’s. the menu is fun, lots of unique things to try. everything we had was good. huge portions, huge! the peanut butter cup dessert fed everyone. Tried everyone’s dish nothing was rock your world, have to come back and have this again, amazing… but everything was good. would recommend.
the wait was only 45 min, and there obvi is lots of shopping and coffee shops nearby. they call you on your cell phone when your table is ready which is really nice.

The Iron Rooster has become a required stop every time we go to Annapolis. It is one of the best additions to the waterfront to happen in years. Don’t be put off by the hordes of people standing outside. This place is worth the wait. Even at it’s busiest, we’ve never waited more than 30 – 45 minutes for a table. The food is incredible. The staff is incredible. The atmosphere is really fun and vibrant. And I’m super glad to see they’re starting the process to expand next door.
Most recently we got the Morning Glory and Orange Crush drinks to start. There were delightful. The Orange Crush tasted like delicious orange juice with some soul. I could see how someone could get in trouble drinking these. The Morning Glory was a vodka, elderflower, cucumber concoction that was refreshing and delicious.
Then we moved on to the Shrimp and Grits and the Chicken and Waffles. Honestly the Shrimp and Grits were so good I wanted to take a bite and shove the rest in my pants. Perfectly poached eggs, perfectly cooked shrimp, grits that taste like angels cried into them to make them so good topped off with bacon and chipotle butter. It was magical. The Chicken and Waffles had slightly sweet waffles covered in crisp perfectly juicy chicken topped with deliciously creamy peppered gravy. The combination is what dreams are made of.
Seriously go. If you read all these great reviews, look at all the delicious pictures and don’t go here, I question your intelligence. :)

Homemade Pop Tart of the Day! Need I say more? The BF, who is a USNA Grad and I were in town and hungry for breakfast– Unilocal to the rescue! I have a reputation for finding awesome foodie finds wherever I go and the Iron Rooster lives up to the hype.
Cute décor, awesome service and amazing food! Even the kiddies were pleased. The various eggs Benedict offerings are a great way to indulge. I got the Rancher’s Benny with a fried green tomato, Boursin cheese, corn salsa and poblano chili sauce– a foodie’s dream breakfast!
I only wish we visited Annapolis more often so I could specifically come back to eat here once a week!

This place is awesome!!! I ordered the chicken and waffles and wow!!! Best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had. I would highly recommend this!!! They serve breakfast all day, so your golden kid! :) Yummmmyy!
The reason I didn’t give them five stars is because in my opinion there cocktails are overpriced. I paid nine dollars for a mimosa. Yes, it’s fresh squeezed, but it’s served in a wine glass that comes half full. Boo!!! Come on guys at least fill my glass up a bit more. Either way great spot! The staff is super friendly and willing to accommodate your needs. Make sure you like them on Facebook you can get a mason jar of BACON!!!
BACON…BACON…BACON…BACON ;)