The Cockeyed Rooster Cafe

My wife and I visited this restaurant for lunch when we arrived in Smithfield, VA. On their menu, there were multiple instances of gluten free options. After we were seated, we told the waitress about my wife being celiac. She immediately told us that, despite having gluten free options, they cannot guarantee there won't any cross-contamination as their kitchen is *not* properly equipped. This was indeed very disappointing. To play it safe, my wife ordered the Greek Salad. However, the salad was dressed with iceberg lettuce instead of the spring mix as advertised. The Club Deluxe and soup that I ordered were delicious. My proposal to management is to *explicitly* state on their menu that cross-contamination is a possibility. We certainly appreciated that the waitress mentioned this to us before we ordered. Of course, adapting their kitchen to provide a gluten free environment would be a preferred option.

I love their gluten-free pancakes. I do wish there was a way to get my eggs warmer when served.

Today we decided to give The Cockeyed Rooster a try. Tucked away in a little strip mall it wasn't widely advertised, but not too hard to find. Upon entering the restaurant the atmosphere was homey, and friendly. We were seated immediately and brought water and menus. Typical breakfast fare, not a lot of options for celiacs but they do offer gf toast. I ordered some sort of skillet with scrambled eggs and gf toast. My son got gf pancakes with bacon and eggs. His meal was definitely better than mine. His bacon came out perfectly cooked, the eggs looked great, and the pancakes, though dry looking likely had some flavor. They do offer sugar free syrup upon request. My meal was quite bland, aside from the old grease taste of the bacon. Just a guess, but it appeared that the bacon in the skillets was likely the leftover bacon from the day before. 🤷🏻‍♀️ There was no flavor in the potatoes which were overcooked. The toast was unremarkable. Wait staff was friendly and attentive, restaurant looked clean from our view, and it was quiet and peaceful. Price was reasonable with the exception of the local tax. 🤔 Not sure what that is, but, not something I am accustom to, nor appreciate. To be honest, I am tired of paying more and more to feed greed under the guise of hidden "taxes". If a restaurant needs more money to pay their rent, etc... that should be reflected in the prices. Don't tack it on at the end of the meal like no one will notice it. For anyone who thinks I am being silly, it's not about the $1.30. Its the way they went about it. As I eat for taste, this is not a place for me. The food was edible, but, I won't be back. If you like honest, detailed reviews, follow me for more.