The Ugly Rooster Cafe — Restaurant in Town of Malta

Enjoying my final day off from work, by having breakfast right down the street from the office.

Can't tell you how many times I have driven past this location in the last 6 years, but enough that I remember when this was still called the Malta Diner. Which subsequently closed down, and then was bought and reopened as the Ugly Rooster.

Meant to try this spot sooner, but the times for when they open and when I need to be at work just never aligned and the trip here takes me roughly 30 to 45 minutes. But I have discovered, the wait was worth it.

Walked in around 8:00AM to find a pretty quite atmosphere, very classic cafe and diner ascetic, and super friendly staff. I was promptly seated and brought my decaf coffee in seconds, excellent service. My server Radine was pleasant and quick on everything, always checking in on me but not too much that I felt rushed or bothered.

Ended up going with an order of a waffle with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, and the 2-egg breakfast which came with eggs of your choice, toast of your choice, and home fries. Only took 5-7 minutes and my meal was on the table. The waffle was outstanding, 10/10, best waffle I have had in a long time. Had a vanilla flavor with a slight sweetness, so I didn't need to use too much syrup. The whipped cream was not overly sweet either, and the tartness of the fresh strawberries offset things to form a perfect harmony. Would consume again. The eggs were fine, not much to write home about, but they did go great with the toast, making a fine egg sandwich without any extra pepper or salt required. The toast itself was the most wheat-y wheat toast I have ever had, crunchy crust, grainy flavor, and just enough butter to soften it without being greasy. And let's not forget those home fries, which were wonderfully spicy. But I don't mean "ow hot" spicy, I mean it had a tremendous pepper flavor to them. Normally I've found most locations over-salt their home fries, but here, that is not the case. Very fresh cracked pepper, tasty fried flavor, a slightly crisp exterior, and a soft potato-y interior. Thumbs up.

All together my bill only came to a little over $19, which was also a perfect way to end the breakfast. A delicious...

This place is your typical, neighborhood greasy spoon. Our waitress was nice and friendly. She was patient with us while we took some extra time to decide. I had the Foghorn Leghorn Burrito and he had the Breakfast Club Sandwich. On my burrito I ordered it with jalapeños and subbed in cheddar cheese. There were no issues. We received our food in about 10 minutes and it was even better than expected. The meat on my burrito was well seasoned and the steak was tender. I thought the smoked paprika was a nice touch on my homefries. The cheese was gooey, the eggs were soft and fluffy, and they gave me such a great amount of steak! I wish the salsa was made in house but I can never hate salsa so I was happy either way.

The bread on his sandwich was buttery and crispy. It had just the right amount of mayo. The vegetables were fresh and perfect. The waitress was attentive and checked on us during the meal to make sure we had what we need and the food was prepared well.

Overall the portions were generous for the final price of $40, including an $8 tip. We had left overs for a couple of days. It was worth the $40 and we enjoyed it.

The restaurant has heart. The walls are decorated with the restaurant’s philanthropic efforts in the community and the news stories concerning the restaurant and brand. There is a sense of humor in the way the restaurant is decorated in general and the atmosphere is fun and laid back while honoring the culture of the small town it serves. There is a gift shop in the back selling jewelry and even some more mystical items. The person working the cash register was sweet and nice.

The only real complaint I have, and it’s not much of one, is someday the dinning room could use a new coat of paint and the seating could be updated but honestly? As a neighborhood greasy spoon with great service, good food, and a positive vibe, even those criticisms fade into the background. It is absolutely worth a visit, just bring...

This is a long review because they earned it. For the quick review, skip to the end.

This was our first time eating here and we were not disappointed! We chose here for mother's day brunch because my wife has Celiacs and our normal Sunday breakfast place is now closed on Sunday's and this place offered gluten free options!

When we got there the line looked very long because people were just standing around out front. After seeing there wasn't really a line, I went inside and was greeted with a friendly hello. I was asked how many, I told them 4. He then told me that it would be about 25 minutes and asked if that would be alright. We were expecting a wait like that given it was mother's day. I was handed a pager and informed that it only has a range that will reach out in front of the building. I set my watch timer and went outside to wait. 19 minutes later our pager went off and we were shown the next available booth. They were very efficient at their process! A table wasn't empty for more than a few minutes while it was cleaned.

The food was FANTASTIC! my wife was very excited to order gluten free French Toast and was definitely not disappointed! The pancakes my son ordered were bigger than his head! The waffles my daughter orderd were as big as the plate and as thick as her arm! I had the banana fosters French Toast and was definitely not disappointed!

Our waitress told us that they take precautions for cross contamination for their gluten free orders. So far, that's been accurate because my wife would feel sick within a couple hours if they didn't.

Quick summary. Great food, great service, at comparable prices (10-25 each person) and best of all, problem free...