Twisted Rooster needs a bit more twist

By on August 15, 2010  |  Dinner, Lunch, NE

There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding a new restaurant on East Beltline lately. In fact, every time I drive my 15 minute hike into work, I hear about the Twisted Rooster. Located right next to Applebee’s, Twisted Rooster takes place of the old O’Charley’s. Despite its marketing efforts, the restaurant still has a lot of work to do. In my two dining experiences, I found Twisted Rooster just alright, and right on par with its neighboring restaurant.

One step into the restaurant and you’ll notice that it definitely feels like a chain. There’s a large bar area, and then a more casual dining space. Twisted Rooster definitely did a good job with the overall environment, but I wish it was a bit more specialized in decor. My first meal, just a few weeks after the restaurant open, was on a Sunday night for an early dinner. I was impressed with the menu, and I found several items that I could easily see myself ordering. After asking my server for his advice, I went with an old favorite, the “Twisted” BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich ($7.50).

My meal came and it was anything but “twisted.” It was your typical pulled pork sandwich, with what was a somewhat runny slaw. But then I took my first bite. It had a little bit of sweetness, but was hardly anything that I couldn’t find at a hundred other restaurants around West Michigan. The bun, though, completely put me back. The bottom was completely soggy, and the top dry and hard. There was a point where the top bun literally crumbled as I was taking a bite, and the bottom part fell out from under the meat. There were parts of the bun that seemed either old or frozen, and it was anything but a pleasant experience. That, along with my not-so-seasoned fries, hit the bottom of the barrel for me.

My dining partner also had a difficult time enjoying his Twisted House Salad ($7.00), which seemed to have a bit soggy or old lettuce. Overall, the meal just wasn’t put together that well.

But all of this hype had to mean something, right? The environment was great, the service was great, but the food seemed to fall short. I went back a few days later for lunch with a co-worker to see if my experience would be any different.

I stayed away from the pulled pork sandwich, but my co-worker decided to try it out. I went with the Byron Center Bison Burger ($9.00), which was again served with fries. While I don’t usually order buffalo, the burger was pretty good. The “twisted” sauce is still a long ways from being “twisted” in my mind, but it certainly added a necessary component to the burger. And, to my surprise, the bun seemed fresh, even on my co-worker’s pulled pork sandwich! The fries were still the same old fries, but had a bit more seasoning than last time.

So, while my second dining experience at Twisted Rooster was definitely a step up from the first, it certainly wasn’t enough to earn my recommendation. While Twisted Rooster uses local ingredients, the food seems to be a bit bland, and certainly doesn’t live up to the restaurant’s name. Twisted Rooster has made a name for itself around town, but I think it needs to go back to the drawing board with some of the food components. With a successful chain next door, Twisted Rooster really needs to bring its A-game and differentiate itself more.

Twisted Rooster  ( Rating: out of 5 )

Where: 1600 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids
Hours: Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sunday 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Ambiance: Chain-like restaurant; family-friendly
How much will it cost you: Around $8 for most entrees.
Credit cards: All major
Alcohol: Yes
Contact: (616) 301-8171
Online: http://www.twisted-rooster.com/

  • Anon

    Really? You just ate sandwiches?

  • Neisa McPherson

    I agree that the restaurant still has some tweaking to do. I have found that the kitchen still needs to master it’s consistency, but I fully believe it will and that this is the beginning of a great restaurant. If you are in the mood for twisted, I would suggest the Kawada dog or turkey burger. Personally, I think the restaurant did a great job with twisting the menu a lot with some entrees and just a bit with others. I think as time goes on and the restaurant makes a name for itself, they may twist items even more.
    When I heard of this restaurant and it’s concept, I was excited because it sounded like what this community needed. I am thrilled that it uses a lot of local ingredients and products, but I was disappointed when I realized that the menu was not very healthy. Personally, I would like to see more low-cal or low-fat options on the menu.

  • http://www.littlemisstottenville.com Lorraine

    Hmmm . . . I’ve only been there once, but I am definitely one of those people adding to the hype. I had their amazing “drinkable” spinach dip and the grilled vegetable pasta, but there are about 82 other things on the menu that I can’t wait to try.

    And although I eat at national chains far more often than I would like, my long-term goal is to eat in/support more and more local restaurants/businesses. I’ll be going back, at least for now!

  • michael brock

    Well your review seemed 2 agree w your choices of meals once uuu read the menu! Uuu chose pulled pork & bison! Your selection were not TWISTED rather “bible” beltish & conservative! As 4 comparision 2 that chain next door I’m sure its your favorite! What’s it called? The “fruit insect”! Honestly a little adventure or creativity in food selection! Or a Twisted Attitude would make your reviews just a tad more authentic or interesting not. 2 mention valid or reliable words that don’t apply 2 your opinion! Have a wonderful twisted dining experience! At the ROO!

    • Bryan Esler

      Michael -

      You’re certainly entitled to your opinion here; if you noticed when reading, I wrote that both sandwiches were advertised as being “Twisted” on the menu. I expected a twist to the somewhat usual bbq pulled pork and bison burger.

      And for the record, Applebee’s is not my favorite place to eat. It’s not even close to being on the list.

  • Twisted Rooster

    We at Twisted Rooster are eager for all feedback we’ve gotten from the community. In just the 3 1/2 weeks we’ve been open, we’ve had a great response from the community and are excited that our risky venture has gotten so much buzz. The comments and suggestions have been extremely helpful in helping us continue to evolve into a more local restaurant that can respond to the community. I can assure you that we listen very closely and use the voices to guide the direction the menu will go. Chef Mark is already working on the next fall menu and tweeking items, “twisting” them up more, and continuing to “unchain” our establishment. Thank you all again for your support and keep the feedback coming!

    • Mike D

      Will this be read by the right person? Will someone actually respond? First of all you need a web site with a comment section. I would rather send an email than leave a comment on a site like this. Calling your establishment apparently doesn’t work, considering a manager was supose to return my wifes call last night. My family recieved POOR service when we visited your place, my wife spoke with a manager the next day and was told another manager would call later which has not happened another sign of POOR service.

  • Anothony Apollo

    I agree with the review in the sense that the restaurant has come off as a bit “chain-like” with some of its dishes, but the dishes my wife and I tried were wonderful. We started off with the Nachoes and Calimari which were delicious. I had the stuffed salmon while my wife had the twisted mac n cheese. Both were good and I would recommend this place to anyone. However, I was not very impressed with the margarita I was made, that one needs to be chucked. Overall great experience though I will be back!

  • Wood

    This review hit it on the head. I have tried the Twisted Mac and cheese and it tasted burnt and the service was far below par. My dinner party was not served at the same time. Also I tasted the rib and the were dry and chewy. I am and big advocate for local and the Twisted Rooster needs time to work out the kinks.

  • ItsMeDebie

    I’m another that has yet to be impressed. The decor is very chain-restaurant, and the menu selection – while creative – seemed to employ lots of “twisted” this and that but when the plate arrived, it was merely Friday’s level fare. Our recent tries included: pulled pork (very basic and kinda bland, and we experienced the aforementioned bun problems), vegetarian stack or something like that which was long on eggplant and short on twisted anything, and looked really ugly on the plate, and a light pasta dish (tomatoes, garlic, oil, etc) which the server and kitchen approved my special request to add green olives. The pasta was very fresh and cooked perfectly. I liked it, and would order it again.

    My overall impression of the menu is that there’s a lot of “twisted” butters, oils, sauces and if I were watching my weight I’d have a hard time finding anything to order. The server, when asked about “lite” dishes, suggested the plain house salad. ?? How creative.

    • Dave Davidson

      Don’t let House Salad fool you. It comes with strawberries, apples, pecans, cherries, and the best vinaigrette I have ever had.

      Having said this, the server probably should have offered you a few more options than lettuce.

  • Christopher Epplett

    Well, I have to say I disagreed with Bryan on this review, until a second visit. My first time, I grabbed the chicken sandwich…pretty good. The second time the pasta was OK. The chicken inside was tough and, really, it was kind of overpriced for what I got. The twist: croutons. I need more creativity. I’m not so sure about this place anymore, but I will go back because it’s local and they support a ton of Michigan suppliers.