Rooster & the Till

Very nice — great everything!
I understand that it use to be smaller, but kitchen and staff seemed to keep up with the tables just fine
We will be back

Rooster & the Till continues to be our favorite restaurant in Tampa. The food is just phenomenal, as is the service and the heart that the owners and employees put into their food. We decided to try a few new dishes on our most recent visit instead of always going with our favorite tried and true options. Each dish was better than the last. Hubs’ favorite was the quail and mine was the scallops and pork neck. Those scallops were just perfection. The cheese and charcuterie board is always a great option, and make sure you leave room for dessert!

This is one of our favorite places to go. We don’t make it often which makes it more of a treat! They recently doubled in size but they still fill it up in there! It can be a little loud when the bars full of chatting folks. The menu never disappoints always awesome combinations and presentation and taste is spot on! They also have great beer choices that rotate & fancy cocktails. Today we were lucky enough to get into a pop up brunch! This is the 2^nd time we have been to brunch here. Today they had something new, a DJ. It was fun to have the twist of music & the volume was tolerable for us but we weeny right next to him thankfully. Rooster & Till please bring back the kitchen sink offer! We did this one year as our hours at outing with friends & it was AMAZING !! For those that don’t know the kitchen sink was ordering a small taste of EVERYTHING on the menu that day! It was so much fun for us to get a taste of it all! Sadly it’s gone now!

An amazing culinary experience. They refine and redefine classic dishes and made them unique. Their gnocchi is quite flavorful with a hint of heat and cannot be missed. I have not had better octopus anywhere and we are regular consumers in Tarpon Springs. This is a great addition to Tampa’s culinary scene presented in a casual and unpretentious way.
PS; Don’t miss their local craft beer !

Modern and trendy décor with eager servers, and an inventive menu.
My guest and I sat at the bar with a view of the magic that goes on in the open kitchen. The cheeses included a French Taraentaise Tomm that melted in our mouths, blue cheese with honeycomb, and a gouda that tasted like it was a goat cheese miracle (may not have been goat, just guessing). The charcuterie, aka meats, did not include actual meats but fois gras and head cheese, which was spelled out on the menu, but I didn’t care for either — thankfully my guest was a fan.
The rest of the menu looked inventive with fried tentacles, and other curious dishes. From the other reviews on here I gather that this is a revolving menu and you might see something here that’s not an offering when you visit.
Service was attentive and prompt. Our server must have checked on us every 120 seconds, giving us little time to eat, drink, or even review the menu to think of any other choices. We decided to move on to another restaurant as we felt rushed and that maybe they wanted to turn the space over quickly (while no one else was seated at our side of the bar). OR, maybe they were eager to have us order more. Either way, iit was overkill.
The restaurant had space open at the bar on a Thursday night, but all tables were reserved, so make sure you make a reservation. They do beer, cider, and wines, but no liquor. I’d recommend this as a first stop or happy hour.

I’ve had Rooster & Till bookmark for over a year now. It just happened that I was in that part of town and it was time to get something to eat. It was during the 5 o’clock traffic and I must have driven by the restaurant 10 times and was about to give up. There is absolutely minimal signage.
Upon entering, it is a sharp set up. There’s a large bar and then tables on the sides and straight through the middle you can see the cooking and preparation of your food. Please note that the chairs are exceptionally heavy.
What a great menu. It’s certainly not for everyone but, if you like to try different foods and have a good palate could be quite the experience. I can’t say that my experience was top-​notch, but I can see where it would be a very nice place for business meetings, to meet friends where to have a special date night or occasion.
Upon my arrival there were more employees mulling around doing various things then there were customers. As time went on that changed drastically and I was really quite surprised at how full the restaurant did you become.
When I see small plates it’s kind of a tough decision because you can’t figure out how small is small. Everything that was offered on the menu was very eclectic and seemed to pair well with what it’s accompaniments were. The server explained very little to me.
After reading my Unilocal reviews I found there was a wall with specials on it. I ask the server about this and she said it was just raw stuff and did not push it at all. She did not even suggest that I go check it out to see if there was anything I was interested in.
I had some issues with the menu. It was explained but it wasn’t thoroughly explained, most people would not understand what they were going to receive and the very small amount of food they were going to receive. I see how this could be quite deceptive.
I ordered the potato tortada. On the menu it was described one way and I was quite excited about the plate, especially the black garlic dressing. This is something that I’m exceptionally fond of, and it is something you seldom see on the menu.
I realize I ordered a small plate. But what I received was not at all what I was expecting. In the center there was a small rectangle of absolutely tasteless potato tortada. I mean no salt, pepper, buttery creamy flavors to it at all it was well pressed & had a crusty bottom which was good, but the overall taste was nothing but bland. To the side there was a small group of microgreens. On the edge of the plate there was a tiny Circle going around of the black garlic sauce. Well I wouldn’t call that addressing. So for the microgreens you basically had nothing to use as an accompaniment, and you just ate it plain.
This is quite a hipster location and menu for Tampa. Quite eclectic and very minimalistic approach. I tasted the black garlic dressing and it was quite good, even though there was a minimumal amount of black garlic and of the dressing overall. It was more of a decoration on the plate.
I am all, all about trying new things and finding things that are rare to find in most restaurants. I was quite excited too find rooster and till and wanted to try another small plate, or try a large plate. On this particular night after the first one that was enough for me I was quite disappointed in what I had received.
I had read on Unilocal about some fabulous desserts and wanted to try them. I got a dessert and a glass that had three quarters of it filled with fluff that was related to make it taste like a toasted marshmallow. Once I got past the fluff I got a little bit of the chocolate taste that was supposed to be in there and then the last two small layers were pretty much tasteless and indecipherable. I can’t say that I was impressed with the dessert at all. It was very difficult to get a bite of everything all together and maybe that way it would work better together. There was a «coconut doughnut», that was not anything like a doughnut & was totally burnt. The other thing was I had to ask if they had any desserts because they had a separate dessert menu in the only reason I knew about the desserts was from what I read on Unilocal.
From the reviews and other people’s opinions I think giving rooster and the till another try is in order, but under different circumstances. Maybe with a group of people in ordering everything on the menu and trying a little bit of everything would be the way to go.
What’s a girl to do? Well, you’ve had a bookmark for over a year and we’re really looking forward to the experience, maybe expectations we’re too high.

Location: Rooster & the Till (Seminole Heights)
Date: 4-​28-​2016
Time: 1730
Rooster & the Till is one of those places that I always enjoy going to visit in the wildly popular Seminole Heights district. The menu changes often as do the raw/​cured options (Crudos, oysters, clams etc…) which are not to be overlooked. The happy hour menu has been what we have been coming back for out last two visits and that’s what this review is based on.
The happy hour menu is available from1600−1800 Monday through Saturday and offers various small plates and discounted wines/beers…and a wonderful option called the «Little Kitchen Sink». This is the Happy Hour Prix Fixe menu that lets you get a full serving of ALL the happy hour small plates for a reasonable price.
Porky Prix Fixe («Little Kitchen Sink») $ 34.00 served two.
Chef’s 3 cheese selection + Chef’s 3 charcuterie selection
The first two plates that arrived were comprised of a three cheese offering and another with three meets, both with complimentary accoutrements. The misses and I love when plates arrive with separate components that we can combine in different ways to make unique bites and this was exactly that. The cheeses were excellent with a salty offering a, a smooth and a nutty one. The meats provided a fatty choice, a spicy and a smoky textural experience. The «extras» were excellent and paired well with all the offerings and the combinations seemed endless… and were extremely tasty.
Pork Nachos
The pork nachos arrived shortly after the above smörgåsbord and were explained as a play on the typical nacho offering. The chips were fried pig ears (think gas station pork rind — this a good thing) with black beans, picadillo, cotija cheese and a mildly spicy sauce. The dish really worked well together and the saltiness of the ear with the spice of the sauce played well against the black beans and greens. This dish was salted well (see below) and was devoured in short time.
Vindaloo Braised Pork Ribs
The pork ribs were plated minimally (as an understatement) with them placed atop a sauce and that’s it. I think there was some room to add a garnish or something to give this plate a little more dynamics, oh well… on to the taste. It tasted lovey, the fall off the bone ribs and the Indian inspired yogurt BBQ sauce worked so very well together I soon myself with my fingers in my mouth and my plate clean. Rich, sweet, savory… normal BBQ flavors, but so different with how they were accomplished in this dish.
Pig Mac
Our meal concluded with what I thought was going to be some sort of pork mac & cheese… you can image my surprise when I say a burger arrive to our table. Pig Mac = Big Mac… this one was obviously over my head. One our server explained it I was excited to try the Big Mac reimagined by the Rooster & the Till. The burger (ground pork) had all the usual suspects, burger, poppy seed bun, lettuce, tomato, onion and special sauce! The first bite had me reaching for my water… the pork was overly salty (I am one who loves the salt) and overpowered the rest of the dish. I was disappointed but continued on (for Unilocalers) and the rest of the burger was over seasoned as well. The salt really distracted from the dish and I can’t recommend it to you, though it might just have been a heavy hand on the preparation of this one.
Water Closets — 2 Singles
The restrooms were two small be well appointed offerings in the rear of the establishment (to the left of the bar). They had small rectangular sinks (I’ve see you at Ikea) with nice fixtures and interesting art work and were in good order.
Overall
This spot never disappoints, even with one of the five dishes missing the mark, the price point and the rest of the offerings more than pulled up its slack. The service is great the interior is well thought out and not overly done. This is a spot that you should make the trip for and make it between the hours of 1600 – 1800 for a great offering without the crowds!

This place really impressed me. It’s located in a very small shopping center basically on the side of the road but please don’t judge this book by its cover. The interior is beautiful, the staff is so sweet, AND THE FOOD IS AMAZING!
This establishment has a farm to table business model so the plates are pretty small but they pack an extra punch of flavor.
I ordered the potato & oxtail pierogi for my app. The roasted cabbage was kind of dense and hard to cut through but the pierogi had a nice flavor of potato and beef and simply melted in my mouth.
I ordered the duck breast for my entrée and it blew me out of the water. The untraditional risotto was made with wheat berry but was just as creamy as a risotto should be. The gastrique that was drizzled over the crispy skin of the duck added an extra sweetness to the dish.
I had a wonderful experience at the rooster and the till!

I’ve had this place bookmarked forever, so I finally decided to make reservations for a date night with the wife. We were a bit early, but we were seated immediately. Our server went over the drink menu with us, and I made her go through all of their beers on tap before deciding on something not on tap. I can be a richard that way.
We started off with oysters and the charcuterie and cheese tasting. I loved the pickled mirepoix mignonette they put on the oysters. I hate to say this, but I’ve had a better charcuterie and cheese board. That doesn’t mean that theirs is awful by any means though.
Next we ordered several «Smalls» and a couple «Slightly Larger» plates. My three favorites:
Foie Gras: Foie Gras, Sous Vide Pear, Cashew Pear Butter ‘Nutella’, Minus 8 Huckleberry Gastrique. Simply unbelievable. Just the perfect amount of sweet and salty, one of the best dishes that’s ever gone into my belly.
Pork Neck and Scallops: Again, unbelievable. The pork was awesome, the scallops were cooked to perfection, and the pork fat potatoes and blackened onions enhanced everything nicely.
The Duck Breast. I’ve never had duck cooked so excellently. Little crispy on the outside, perfect medium on the inside, juicy, tasty, and I’d be completely content if this were the last dish that I ever ate.
The service was outstanding as well. I forgot our server’s name, but my receipt says Bailey. Bailey was awesome, able to answer all of our questions from food, to wine, to beer, and always right there to bring me a new drink when I needed one.
Mild complaints: The benches and chairs. I’m an old man, the seating was uncomfortable, I need padding. This last thing is more of a wish than a complaint, it would be awesome if there was liquor instead of just beer and wine. You would make a fortune off of bourbon drinks.
All in all, the missus and I had an outstanding experience, and we will definitely return.

Amazing, amazing, amazing. We arrived early, took advantage of happy hour, and *patiently* waited for dinner to start. We spent the time sipping on a few glasses of wine and beer, accompanied with a plate of pork nachos. Our waitress, Pamela, was so very accommodating and answered all of our many questions trying to sort through the menu of ever-​pleasing and scrumptious options. For dinner, we ordered three small plates: oxtail pierogi, foie gras, and gnocchi short ribs. Our entrees were so good we couldn’t pass up dessert, a chocolate like sorbet that tasted a little bit like heaven– not overly sweet, but just as our waitress described, a dark piece of sea salt chocolate. Apparently the menu is always changing, and we look forward to our next trip here!

So last night was date night with the Mrs. [No little guy]. So our usually trio was a duo. Now Rooster & the Till has been and will be on my to do list. For last night was about wine and dessert. Only because we just had dinner, but the guilt of sitting in this amazingly décor establishment and smelling that yummy food in the air. The temptation of being hungry again came close.
So my review is based on décor, ambience and dessert. Which if you been here already then you know they are winning in all 3. First thing my wife said was this definitely your kind of place. Yes!!! Our dessert choice was the WHITE CHOCOLATE CHAI GANACHE, VANILLA BLOOD ORANGE, TAPIOCA, DEHYDRATED CAKE SCRAPS. Freaking AMAZING, along with the dessert we had 2 glasses of FAMILLE PERRIN ‘LA GILLE’ — GIGONDAS. Perfection!!! If your a fan of red wine then this is definitely a must have. So my 4 stars are based on what we experience but I know next time we’re there will come for the full experience. Bravo Rooster & the Till.

Good food but extremely overpriced.
The food was good but it was extremely overpriced. Yes, it is inventive. Yes, it is good. Yes, it is unique for Tampa. But… the portions were small. The seafood and proteins were not the best quality. I would advise against ordering any food that is a take on ethic food. Their gnocchi was subpar compared to any decent italian restaurant and their take on asian food was subpar compared to authentic asian or any half decent fusion restaurant in a big city. Their desserts are great though.
The service was attentive but a bit slow. I know good food takes a while to cook but build out a bigger kitchen if you can’t keep up. You can have a prep kitchen in the back… They also bring the food as they are ready so they don’t even have to worry about matching up the ticket times.
The atmosphere was typical Seminole Heights but I felt I should have gotten more for what I paid for.
Overall, not a bad restaurant but fell way short of expectations and was definitely overpriced.

The meal was so nuanced that I’m not sure how to describe it. It was micro portions & tweezified but so beautifully executed you thanked them for it. It sounds like a backhanded compliment I know but it was really an impressive and unique meal.
We started off with the cheese & charcuterie plate which was a good opener.
Everything was like art on a plate. Some of our stand outs were the pork dumplings (perfectly crisp), the braised short rib gnocchi, the oxtail pierogi & the warm potato torta with duck egg yolk cooked to perfection in an unctuous olive oil bath.
The only very minor disappointments for me were the pork jowl dish (wish they’d still had the pork belly everyone raves about). The Jowl was just too fatty for my taste. And they had changed their desserts up. The two we had were good but didn’t quite live up to the rest of the meal.
Again minor quibbles over an excellent meal. Our sever Bailey did an outstanding job guiding us through it all. Spot on service.
Highly recommended. Go with at another couple so you can try most of the menu & bring a few bottle of wine to share as their corkage fee was quite reasonable. This place definitely does the Tampa Bay Area proud. My kudos to the chefs and owners. Thanks for a great dining experience.

Chef Ferrell and his crew continue to dazzle with everything they do. The fish collar is such an excellently executed dish with wonderful flavors and textures. The latest beef crudo in the crunchy edibles bowls deserves its place on a pedestal.
The staff is attentive, knowledgable and friendly. Nice ambience with good music. Love this spot!
Ty and Ferrell keep up the good work!

Great experience last Saturday at Rooster. We had reservations and when we got there, we were sat immediately. Our server came to the table to talk to us about the restaurant and poured water right away — he was very nice the whole time and the service was great. We asked for the wine list and started going through it when the server mentioned that they didn’t have some of the options of the menu (have to say that this is a bit disappointing for someone that enjoys wine but it was fine). We finally picked the Dusted Valley one and it was really good… but unfortunately they couldn’t serve by the bottle because they were running low.
Anyhow, we ordered a couple small plates and they were really tasty, especially the colbia fish. We also ordered a couple more larger plates to share and the steak was by far our favorite. It was an interesting combination of flavors that worked really well and I usually don’t eat my steak with anything but salt. To finish of, we ordered dessert, which was an cool mix of flavors again with tapioca along with Buddy café con leche — the coffee was awesome.
All in all, if you like farm to table food and very elaborated cuisine, this place is for you. Their selection is somewhat limited but it’s fresh and good. Now I understand why so many people rave about this place.

I had the pleasure of dining at this restaurant a few days ago. I was truly baffled at what I’d apparently been missing out on.
The décor of this restaurant is simply beautiful. It’s an open-​storefront style with large wooden doors that manages to be minimalistic yet trendy at the same time.
They have specials for the night written on a chalkboard that features oysters and where they are sourced. I opted to sample a few from each location. My server (who was a complete sweetheart) told me that they were from Maryland. They were extremely savory, and fresh. It tasted like they put some sort of Tabasco sauce on top which I didn’t necessarily mind. However, I prefer to enjoy my oysters with just a side of lemon because I feel like it’s too destructing on the palate otherwise.
I feel I need to mention, I also had an extremely hard time deciding on what I wanted to enjoy as my meal. The small plates and the large plates seemed equally diverse with flavor, and they all were described with great detail. I settled on the cobia collar and my companion opted for the gnocchi. I don’t regret anything at all whatsoever. The skin on the fish was so light and crispy, and everything underneath was so moist and flaky. They definitely cooked the food to perfection. The little amount of gnocchi I got to sample was great. Obviously it was tasty as my companion didn’t want to share.
For dessert we opted on sharing the Panna cotta and had two café con leches. The dessert can only be described as a multilayered masterpiece. The top was a fried doughnut stuck into a creamy sticky slightly charred custard top. As we delved deeper it evolved into a sweet crumble followed by a mild pudding. It was also at different temperatures, so that made it even more interesting on the palette.
I loved the meal so much server suggested visiting their happy hour or tasting menu for more fun filled eating excursions. I will definitely be there to join in!

If you appreciate good, inventive culinary creations and atmosphere then Rooster & Till is where you need to be. Rooster & the Till delivers an upscale modern yet somewhat casual dining experience. The dining area is classy yet chic and I very much enjoy the open kitchen concept and the rectangular bar. On my most recent visits I have sat at the bar twice and I enjoyed watching the chefs and cooks prepare the menu items.
Parking can be found at a lot adjacent and on the side street next to the strip of store where it is located.
It is refreshing to have a restaurant of this caliber in Seminole Heights. The preparations of food items leave nothing to be desired. The flavor and food combinations are unique and inventive. The staff on my visits have been very attentive and knowledgable about the menu, offering information and suggestions. While being energetic and dynamic, it is a treat to watch the chefs prepare the food from the open kitchen area.
Do not skip out on dessert. The innovative concoctions of the pastry chef are delightful and unlike anything you have had before. The deserts we had were an intense flavor explosion in my mouth.
Check this place out for a fun date night or meet up with friends.

You can’t talk about this place without giggling about this:
Seems this trend is finally making it’s way to Florida (see also: Fodder and Shine) after ravaging the Pacific NW (off the top of my head: Beaker and Flask, Grain and Gristle, Salt and Straw).
Anyway, what you need to know up front:
1) The food is unique and challenging.
2) The portions are small.
So you should:
1) Be brave and eager to try new things. Like a couple doing Ecstasy together for the first time. Stuffy «meat n’ potatoes» folks should probably not be taken here.
2) Be prepared to get lots of dishes. The «large» ones are only slightly larger than the small ones. You will spend a decent chunk of change to do this.
Now that you’re are mentally prepared for these two things: you will love R&tT!
Part of the fun was seeing what the hell these insane creations were going to look like before they came out. My family and I order and shared over a half-​dozen different dishes. Some were better than others, but they were all unique and unlike anything we’d ever experienced before.
Our server (who’s name escapes me, his parents probably speak Spanish?) was incredible. Really nice guy that seemed excited to be there and excited to help us!
Great beer selection as well. Most of the taps were local and most of the bottles were unique and/​or rare selections.

Rooster and chill, gave me a thrill, even the bill, it wasn’t so bad, considering the memorable good times that I had.
Eating their food, creative dudes (and a chick) preparing my grub, rub a dub dub, sauces and detailed inventive takes, on the foods that they makes, kid this ain’t no take n bake, they’re open kind of late.
They have fun beverages, and pricey exotic desserts, honey ice cream in one, oh yes that was fun, so was the other one, with a donut on top, and all kinds of other tasty glop, this place is no flop. Truth be told it kind of rocks.
Edison bulbs. Craft sodas and beers. Wines by the bottle and glass. Solid service don’t get all nervous. All you have to do is ask Jervis.
It’s a seasonal menu. Fish, meat and various treats. A daily fish special that’s fresh and neat.
It wasn’t so fancy like I thought, this is Seminole Heights said the boss. So relax and enjoy. Like a good little boy. I know you’ll enjoy. Like a brand new toy.
Word.

Easily the best meal I’ve had in Tampa.
The Rooster & the Till is an experience. The menu, décor, and restaurant layout seem thoughtfully designed yet at times so carefree. Maybe it was the playfulness of ingredients, mason jar accents, or our free-​spirited waitress Pia. The food is priced for fine dining, but the atmosphere does not feel exclusive. Instead, the restaurant runs on tireless inventiveness.
Each plate had several elements, thoughtfully brought together. At times we were surprised by the addition of caraway crumble, nori glass or corn pudding. In the same plate several ingredients shone through as exceptional and note worthy. The food keeps you excitable like young love. What is next?
Our waitress Pia was brilliant, well-​traveled and had a deep understanding of the recipes. Each person that presented a plate gave a thorough description. Pork jowl on corn pudding was our favorite.
You don’t rush a meal here. You take it slow and appreciate a chef’s love for food. Discover and be merry.