Drunken Rooster Grove - On The Water — Restaurant in Grove

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We were smart cookies and hit The Drunken Rooster Friday at 5pm—before the Memorial Day lake madness hit full throttle—and let me tell you, we were not disappointed.

This place has been a labor of love (emphasis on labor) for months, and Jen—aka the hardest-working human on Grand Lake—is the heartbeat of it all. After gutting the entire building, wrangling contractors, and surviving the countdown chaos to opening day, the management and the crew pulled off a minor miracle just to get the doors open. And you could taste the hustle in the best way.

Our food came out fast, fresh, hot, and delicious (hello, fried mushrooms of my dreams), and the service? Excellent. Even the food expediters and bussers were on their game—friendly, polite, and working like seasoned pros.

Jen, with her bruises, burns, and a schedule that would send most of us into early retirement, still managed to check on our table twice. Who does that during an opening weekend crush? A boss, that’s who.

Yes, they were busy. Yes, it’s a brand-new spot. And yes, I see that some folks with sky-high expectations and zero chill decided to leave harsh reviews. But come on, people—this isn’t a Michelin-starred spaceship; it’s a brand-new bar and grill on Grand Lake that got slammed by the entire county and still managed to sling top-tier food and great vibes. Maybe get your head out of you a** and give grace before giving grief?

If you’re looking for a laid-back, lakeside gem with great food, cold drinks, and a staff that’s truly giving their all—The Drunken Rooster is your new...

Went in on 8-15 for lunch, the staff was welcoming and friendly, environment was clean and not very busy. We ordered fried pickles, chicken bacon ranch wrap, grilled chicken club. We actually requested the chicken on the club be cooked well done, since he likes a little char. Pickle fries were a great start, hot, fresh and really good. However, our entrees were a train wreck. The chicken club was brought out raw, could clearly see raw pink chunks along the edge of the sandwich immediately on delivery. It felt like an insult after ordering the chicken on it well done. I received my wrap and it was missing the bacon and VERY skimpy on the chicken, it felt like a lettuce wrap, at least the chicken was cooked but it was pretty underwhelming. It was served with chips and salsa and I was mortified to find that the salsa had turned rancid. It had a bubbly, highly acidic, sour taste and was pretty dark brown in color. Once I took a bite of the salsa my appetite was immediately ruined. I am not one to complain about restaurants, I have worked in the food service industry for a long time but this kitchen needs some attention by a manager. The front of house was very polite, handled it to the best of their ability and took everything in stride, unfortunately it was just an off day for the kitchen and we were on the receiving end of it. Will definitely not be coming back. Thanks...

We had the worst dining experience thus far at this restaurant. I understand that this place is newer but you don’t open to the public unless your staff is trained and prepared or else you ruin your shot. No one informed us that there was a long wait time for food to be very clear. We were not in a hurry either so that was not the issue. Food did take well over an hour to come out though. My main concern is with the management, especially the one named Jennifer. If the owners even want this place to have a shot they need to put her through some serious customer service training or fire her immediately. The most unprofessional and rude manager I have ever met. She did nothing but make excuses and try to blame the staff for everything. No accountability and no offering solutions. No apologies. She actually argued with our entire table of adults and had a horrible attitude. I have worked in the service industry for over 10 years and I am extremely disappointed with the level of professionalism in management. This place is doomed to fail with people like Jennifer in charge. I feel bad for the staff who work under her. Place has great potential so it’s a real shame. Very...