Rooster's Glenside — Restaurant in Abington Township

Rooster's Restaurant has been a go-to spot for me on several occasions since they opened, and generally, it's been a reliable choice. The service is typically good, and the food usually hits the mark. They often have some fantastic specials and deals that make a visit even more appealing. However, my most recent experience left me with significant concerns regarding their food safety practices.

Yesterday, I was excited to try their clam special. Out of about 15 clams served, five of them were unopened. As anyone familiar with seafood preparation knows, an unopened clam after cooking is a major red flag. It generally indicates the clam was dead for some time before cooking, and the muscle has likely begun to decompose(which is why it doesn't open), posing a potential bacterial contamination risk. Reputable establishments typically discard any clams that don't open. It's not uncommon to also get a dish with maybe one or two, but 1/3 of the clams were closed.

I kindly pointed this out to my waitress, Rose, who was very pleasant and attentive throughout the meal. She admitted she wasn't particularly knowledgeable about seafood, which is understandable. However, she initially told me the chef said, unopened clams "should be fine to eat." When I explained the food safety concerns, she consulted with the chef again. Her return with the chef's explanation was frankly astounding: "sometimes when clams get hot they close up again." This is simply incorrect; heat causes healthy clams to open, and they remain open. I reiterated my concerns, explaining the opposite is true. After I stated we wouldn't be eating them, she took them away but didn't offer any alternative. I just ended up paying for them, without even a sorry or offer to remedy the issue.

While Rose's service was attentive, there was a clear unwillingness to acknowledge the food safety issue, seemingly stemming from the chef's misinformation. My trust in Rooster's for solid drinks and good service (the bartenders are always on point, and servers are attentive) remains. However, I now have serious questions about the food safety knowledge of whoever is in the kitchen preparing the food and disseminating such inaccurate information to their staff. I'll still come by, I love my local restaurants, but I am going to be cautious about...

It's basically a sports bar with pub food. They did a great job renovating the space, and it feels just upscale enough. It's was very busy when I was there (probably because there was a show at the Keswick) and the very young staff seemed overwhelmed. They handled everything fine, but not with the kind of big smiles a great vibes I'd expect from a new place like this.

The food is good. Nothing especially creative or prepared in an outstanding fashion, but that's not what I'm looking for at a place like this. I just want bar/pub food that's dependable. Rooster's delivers that.

I ordered the wings. The server recommended mild for "hot, but not painful." That's exactly what I got: juicy chicken with crispy skin, slathered in a hot wing sauce that was just a little thinner than ketchup, so probably not the traditional Frank's style hot sauce + butter.

My son order the veggie patty melt (Impossible Burger, onions, mushrooms and Swiss). Good choice to make it a patty melt; the oozing cheese and umami onions/mushrooms adds a good dose of fat to compensate for the lack of beef tallow. Fries were crispy and well seasoned.

My wife had the sliders appetizer and the fried Brussel sprouts. The slider patties were a little chewy, like a school cafeteria hamburger--most likely the result of low-heat cooking, or sitting too long (perhaps they weren't cooked to order or maybe baked on a sheet tray in a convection oven). The spouts were exactly what she wanted. They were garnished with pomegranate arils and dusted with parmesan. They would've been better with sherry vinegar instead of balsamic.

Overall, this place is a good addition to Glenside. It's a menu like what you'd get from a fast-casual chain restaurant, but much higher quality and you're supporting a local business. I mean, it's actually owned by a "restaurant group" with many locations in area. But the owners are from the Philly-area, and the choice of the name "Rooster's" suggests they care about local communities.

If you're in the mood for what they're trying to do, this place will...

Our party enjoyed a great dinner at the newly opened Rooster’s. Our table enjoyed starters including the House made Ricotta and the Beer Battered Cheese Curds. The ricotta was billowy and light and was a great combo with the crispy focaccia. Hands down one of the best starters I have tasted. The cheese curds were just delightful and a welcomed addition to the meal.

For the entrée, It was difficult to choose. After much deliberation, I chose the Roasted Salmon. It was prepared flawlessly and the homemade gnocchi were perfect pillows of potato. The melted leeks and the butternut squash provided a subtle sweetness that went well with the earthy mushrooms. It was a perfectly balanced dish. The other members of the party enjoyed the Pork Ragu, Blackened Salmon BLT, the Shaved Ribeye, and the Rooster Double. The dishes looked delicious and the table raved about their choices.

The service matched the food with attentive and friendly staff, adding to the overall atmosphere. The hometown vibe is a sign of a place that has the potential to be a real community staple. Rooster’s has all the right ingredients to become a neighborhood legend—both in terms of food and the kind of welcoming experience that makes people want to return...