ENTERTAINMENT

‘Watts for Dinner’: Red Rooster for breakfast, lunch (or both)

Will Watts
Correspondent
The Mexican scramble from Red Rooster, Marco Island.

Marco has an abundance of restaurants that focus on breakfast and lunch: Doreen’s Cup of Joe, Hoot’s, Empire Bagel Factory and NeNe’s Kitchen, to name a few. Somewhat isolated from the others in location, Red Rooster is nonetheless worthy of high praise for both their breakfast and lunch offerings.

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During our recent visit, I opted for a lunch dish, while my partner in dine remained focused on breakfast, even though it was creeping up on the noon hour. But that’s the great thing about these restaurants, you’re never too late for eggs.

I picked the grilled meatloaf sandwich ($8.95), served on a brioche bun and featuring caramelized onions and served with chipotle ketchup on the side. Understandably, the casual observer may think you ordered a hamburger when the plate arrives. You have an abundance of sides to choose from (fries, hash browns and fruit among them). I opted for potato salad as my side and only because Rooster’s has a reputation for this amazing side.

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I tried the sandwich as served; also, with the chipotle ketchup; with mayonnaise and with both the ketchup and mayo. And it was superb during each and every bite. The meat is top notch; the bun is fresh, soft and tasty. My only complaint and only if I must; there were a lot more onions than I desired. But that’s an easy problem to fix. Unless you’re like me and your mother insisted that you always clean your plate. Then it becomes an issue.

The meatloaf sandwich with potato salad from Red Rooster, Marco Island.
A look at the bottom side of the brioche bun that comes with the meatloaf sandwich at Red Rooster, Marco Island.

My dining companion picked the Mexican scramble ($8.95), with eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, onions, green chilies and cheddar cheese with black beans, salsa and sour cream on the side. I love everything about this dish. Hearty with a wonderful mix of flavors, the Mexican scramble feels like a great choice for breakfast, especially when it’s lunchtime.

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I last reviewed Red Rooster in November 2018. At that time, I ordered the Greek omelet ($8.95), featuring fresh baby spinach, tomatoes, caramelized onions, olives and feta cheese. You get your choice of sides and toast.

Two things struck me as the plate was placed before me. First, the omelet was beautiful; not broken or burned. Second, the items were inside the fold, like a taco; not mixed into the egg. Yes! The omelet was a fluffy delight with generous amounts of fresh feta. The ingredients were blended to perfection.

My partner in dine picked the ‘Huevos Santa Fe’ ($8.95), a flour tortilla layered with chorizo (spicy sausage), black beans, green chilies, cheddar jack cheese, two fried eggs, with fresh salsa and sour cream on the side. Of note, he opted for scrambled eggs instead.

Bread pudding from Red Rooster, Marco Island.

This dish was an artistic beauty. I was so jealous. The chorizo was authentic, yet not as spicy or greasy as you sometimes encounter. It was expertly crafted to meet the tastes of Islanders without losing its lovely composition.

Back to the more recent visit, we shared the bread pudding as a dessert. While bread pudding enthusiasts might be disappointed, this warm dessert served with thick cream is a nice way to end the meal. I highly recommend it.

Looking for a quality breakfast at a reasonable price? Red Rooster is something to crow about.

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More:Hey Marco Island, looking for a place to eat?

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If you go

Red Rooster

  • Shops of Marco, 1821 San Marco Rd., Marco Island
  • 239-394-3100
  • Redroostermarco.com