Red Rooster Cafe — Restaurant in Beaufort

During a weekend visit to Beaufort, SC, my friends from Central Florida and I decided to try brunch at the Red Rooster Cafe, and it was a delightful experience. Situated conveniently on Boundary Street, the cafe boasts a charming atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating, ideal for those bringing their furry friends as it is very dog-friendly.

The service was impeccable from the moment we arrived. We were warmly welcomed by a friendly staff member and seated outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. The atmosphere is inviting and nostalgic, reminiscent of mid-level dining with a touch of authenticity that makes it stand out.

The real highlight of our visit was the food. The menu offers a variety of breakfast, brunch, and lunch options, catering to diverse tastes. We indulged in a fantastic array of dishes including Shrimp and Grits with sunny side eggs, Loaded Hash with bacon, Crab Benedict, cheesy grits, and French toast. Each dish was prepared to perfection, with flavors that were mild yet lingeringly intense, avoiding the common pitfall of overwhelming the palate.

In addition to the food, we tried the margarita and mimosa flights. The margarita flight was a hit with its well-balanced flavors, while the mimosas were a bit too juicy for my liking, though some might appreciate the fruit-forward taste.

One unique touch was the complimentary piece of jalapeno cornbread with butter that our server brought as we waited for our meal. It was a delightful start to what turned out to be a fabulous brunch. If you have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend saving room for their beignets, which are a perfect finish to the meal.

The Red Rooster Cafe is spacious with ample seating and plenty of parking, though I can imagine it getting crowded during peak times. The background music adds to the pleasant ambiance, and the aroma of the food as you walk in reassures you that you’ve made a great choice.

Located near the MCRD military base and across from the Hilton hotel, it’s a great option for a nice breakfast or brunch with family and friends. They close at 3 PM, so plan your visit accordingly.

Overall, Red Rooster Cafe is a gem in Beaufort. With delicious food, excellent service, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, it’s a place I highly recommend to anyone visiting the area. I will definitely be back to try more of...

Food was good, but that's where the good part of the experience ends. So understaffed it isn't funny. Waited 75 minutes for a table, only to discover they were only using maybe 35 to 40 of the tables. Had to wait a long time to order, and about another hour for food to arrive. Pretty much had to flag down someone every time we needed drink refills because it was like our server was trying to avoid us at all costs. When food arrived, one member of the group didn't get theirs. They said it was coming right up... But after over 2.5 hours into this dining disaster, everyone at the table was either done or 90% done by the time the server came by... Without the missing meal still. At this point it was clear they didn't cook the meal at all or it was given to another table, so our starving member asked to change their meal to something quicker, which was essentially a plate with two big pieces of french toast. Server said yes and vanished... 20 minutes later a food runner came to the table with the new meal AND the original meal, which wasn't even correct, eggs cooked wrong, choice of meat wrong... So just over it at this point they ignored the wrong meal, ate the French toast and then came the wait for the bill, where they tried to charge us for the incorrect meal and offered no apology for all the screw ups. Flag down the server after waiting forever for anyone to acknowledge we were there to Point out the error, only to be told they have to talk it over with the manager. The manager had been unseen all morning, so either they were off site and had to be called or they were the one cooking in the kitchen, but add another 15 minutes for the resolution to remove the extra meal. And then server rushes away before we can get cards out to pay, so at that point we got up and went to the front desk to pay only to be told we could have waited at the table... But after 3 hours here we were just ready to get out and leave it behind us for good. What a disaster which is a shame because the food was pretty good, but the only hard working employee here was the poor food runner girl. Without her, this place wouldn't function. But the way it's going, id be surprised if this place stays open much longer unless things change in a...

TLDR: If you have 2.5 hours (not an exaggeration) for a leisurely brunch, this is the place to come. There is NO SENSE OF URGENCY IN THIS PLACE. Zilch.

Frankly, the less than satisfactory reviews are taking it easy on these poor folks. The waitstaff in general is impressively inept…the unnecessary one hour wait to be seated was attempted compensated with us going to the bar to order drinks…the bartender, Shelby, finally acknowledged me after standing there awkwardly for 10 minutes minutes (that’s a bit of a wait when there’s an empty bar and one drink ticket to make for a server)…I stood for another 10-15 minutes, fascinated with watching her and her underaged helping hand sidekick answer phones (Togo orders don’t take priority, FYI), wash dishes, answer personal phone calls on cell phone to explain to friends how busy it was…you name it, unless it was making the two drinks I ordered 15 minutes ago. I mean, it was a train wreck to behold.

Our server, didn’t give her name, was nice and on it and I hope she’s considering finding a better place where she isn’t putting out fires all the time, because again, our food took eons to come out, was missing most ingredients per menu description, and the second round of bar drinks (bless her, Shelby was probably busy cleaning the floor with a toothbrush) never got made; we dined outside but went in to tell Shelby to cancel our drinks because we had been finished eating for 10 minutes, and she said “oh no, I was just making those!”. Lucky we weren’t born yesterday, and we took the opportunity to pay our check inside, because the outdoor tables tended to be forgotten about by the looks of it. We had a dog and had to do it, but lucky to say we’ll never find out if eating inside is any less absolutely stressful.

Food unmemorable, again for the absolute escalation in blood pressure after such a let down of having to pay to be so wildly disappointed. Eat at home (or at Waffle House?), this is your sign.

PS, per the math, had our small group of 3 drank what we desired and over the span of our wait period, we would have paid the restaurant an additional $75-100. Slow workers and lack of structure reduces profit margin, in case that perspective helps management in...