Frothy Rooster — Restaurant in Hickory

I want to begin by saying I normally would not write a review like this for the public to see, but since I couldn’t find a direct way to contact you besides an email address and phone number, I felt this was the best option to ensure my message reached you. Please accept my apologies for the length, but I believe this is important for you to know.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Frothy Rooster with my family who was visiting from out of town. I want to share that I was extremely impressed with the food, and the service from the server was exceptional. You truly have a wonderful establishment.

However, there is one matter that has been weighing heavily on me since our visit, and I feel it’s important to share it with you. While dining, I witnessed behavior from a manager toward her employees that was concerning. The tone, language, and overall treatment came across as belittling and harsh and unfortunately, it happened in front of guests. At one point, I even saw a young employee leave the kitchen in tears after being yelled at.

I completely understand that rules, standards, and direction are vital in running a successful restaurant. But as someone who owned and ran a company for over 25 years, I know firsthand that the foundation of success begins with how employees are treated and led. A manager’s role is not only to enforce rules but to lead by example, communicate respectfully, and build morale. When employees feel valued and supported, that positive energy naturally extends to your guests.

The energy in a restaurant is contagious. Guests return not only for great food but also for the welcoming atmosphere your team creates. Unfortunately, the actions I witnessed shifted the energy of the entire room. I could tell that many of your employees are young, and guiding young staff members requires patience, encouragement, and strong leadership skills. Based on what I observed, I believe the individual currently in that leadership role may not be the best fit to inspire and develop your team in a healthy way.

Please know that I’m sharing this out of respect for your business and in hopes that my feedback helps you maintain the high standard you’ve already established in food and service. I truly believe your restaurant has all the ingredients to continue flourishing, and with the right leadership approach, your team will be the driving force behind its long-term success.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message and for considering my perspective as one of...

Moved the old review down, this is an update! Food has drastically improved the last 3 times I have been and so has service. I really appreciate that the restaurant is clean as well! Its been a pleasant experience and now I come here before golf regularly. Thanks.

(Old review below)

This is a review of our last 2 experiences at Frothy Rooster. For those reading, this restaraunt has a lot of potential to be great!

The good: Love the vibe, food ideas, and decor. Love the simple menu and value for the amount of food you get. Love the coffee options too! Love the food presentation!

The bad: The food is very mediocre. It has potential but (and Im saying this as someone who loves seasoning) it has way too much salt. In addition, it comes out room temp and tough like it comes from frozen and is microwaved. I think there are good spots like the eggs, sausge, and biscuit but a lot is disappointing. Another way it could be improved is less reliance on the dipping condiments to counteract the strong points of the food. (I.E. super sweet ketchup for overly salty hash browns). Again, love the ideas for the food but execution needs improvement.

Coffee: its bad, i dont expect cafe level but it really needs improvement. Very watered down and bitter with fines on the bottom (americano). Please train the staff on espresso drinks.

Service: Both times our servers have been very nice. However, the first time we were completely forgotten about, the second time there were mix ups about drinks - apps came out with meal - we were seated next to the host stand and were listening to a server and bus boy bicker. Overall, both times were a negative experience despite the friendly service.

Overall: I think with additional training this restaurant will be fantastic. Make it about the total customer experience not just highlights! Use less microwaves. Some things literally and figuratively leave a bad taste in the customers mouth. Thanks...

I am not one to typically write reviews, but having come to this restaurant multiple times, never did I imagine that I would be appalled at what occurred.

I recently went in, had a cup of coffee, and decided to order 3 eggs (scrambled) with cheese and a side of fruit. The waitress was excellent, and very attentive. The food, however, was the appalling part. I received a plate with 3 eggs ranging from over-easy to over-hard, not at all scrambled, and with cheese smothering the eggs. When taking the first bite, the egg split open, and the yolk came running out. The odd part was, it appeared to be fried than scrambled, as there were brown parts of the egg that were borderline blackened right next to that part of the egg.

Additionally, the amount of cheese appeared to have simply been melted on top, and I could only taste cheese and no egg. The waitress apologized for mistake, but I had been waiting for roughly 20~25 minutes for the food and lost my appetite after the way the eggs came out. I simply requested to not have the food be remade, as I had no intention of waiting almost an hour to eat, paid for my coffee, and left. As a regular in the morning, I was sadly let down at a place that has exceptional coffee and good food, but if the quality has come down this far, then I will be taking a break from eating here.

To management, I am sorry for the length of this, but I could not have been more displeased with...