Blue Rooster is at 1525 4th St., Sarasota. STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
An anchor business in the burgeoning North of Fruitville neighborhood, Blue Rooster plays an important role in the downtown Sarasota scene, especially the nightlife and weekend scene. For enthusiasts of music inspired by the traditional sounds of the South, Blue Rooster, which opened in January of 2013, is the top destination spot in the county. On Wednesdays the restaurant typically hosts the area’s best jazz artists, while Thursday through Saturday local, regional and national acts with a more rock-leaning style usually occupy the stage. Sundays are generally reserved for the gospel brunch followed by a blues jam in the evening. While Blue Rooster might be guilty of booking some local acts a bit too frequent it consistently puts quality live music in its funky, high-ceiling, solid acoustic room adorned with the portraits of rock, blues and country heroes.
Sazerac from the Specialty Cocktails of the South region of the menu. STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
Happy hour runs 5-7 p.m. and I remained there for the duration on a recent Friday. The bands don’t usually play until 9 p.m. and the crowd would not arrive until closer to the start of the performance. I pretty much had the bar to myself. Happy hour deals include $1 off all alcohol and a bunch of reasonably priced bar bites. For instance, you can get a pulled pork slider for $3, mac and cheese for $5 or “crazy shrimp” for $7.
From the “Specialty Cocktails of the South” region of the menu I ordered the Sazerac.
Bartender Stacey Rhoads did an exception job with the winning mix of Old Forester Bourbon, simple syrup, Anisette, and Peychaud's bitters ($8 during happy hour). When my amazing wife Kristin called and said she probably would not be able to meet me for dinner until about 45 minutes later I ordered one of those $3 sliders. The bread was fine, the pulled pork was fine, the pickled red onion made for a nice addition and you really can’t beat the price.
Pulled Pork Slider for $3 off the happy hour menu. STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
Turned out Stacey and I have many mutual musician friends who play Blue Rooster and places like Ace’s Live in Bradenton and various Tampa Bay venues when not touring nationally. In addition to knowing music, Stacey knows booze, especially bourbon. Blue Rooster’s bourbon selection includes several of my favorites. Stacey had no trouble filling my request for an Old Fashioned made with Bulleit Bourbon. It’s not on the menu, but it should be.
By the time my wife arrived we were both starving and wanting to try Blue Rooster's Famous Fried Chicken. We knew before our latest visit that Blue Rooster had a fun, satisfying cocktail menu with a bunch of drinks priced around $8 like the delicious Cajun Lemonade made with Pimm’s No. 1, a high-class Hurricane, Rum Runner, Mint Julep and a Bloody Mary made with the Bulleit Bourbon. Plus, there are exceptional beers on tap from sister business Darwin Brewing Co. that are made in Bradenton and also served next door at Darwin’s on 4th. But aside from some chicken biscuit sliders consumed with cocktails months ago, we had never eaten at Blue Rooster.
An Old Fashioned made with Bulleit Bourbon. STAFF PHOTO/WADE TATANGELO
Kristin and I both ordered the fried chicken breast ($5.50). The sides were $4 each. We went with Smothered Collards, Sautéed Brussels Sprouts, Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and House Made Southern Baked Beans with Kielbasa and Steen’s Cane syrup.
Let’s start with the fried chicken. The batter on both orders turned out to be a splendidly seasoned with a hunky-dory crunch. Unfortunately, Kristin and I both found the white meat inside to be bland and dry. As for the sides, the baked beans were bursting with flavor. The potatoes advertised as “smashed,” which typically means they still have the skin on them and arrive chunky, were just your average mashed potatoes surrounded by a pond of gravy. The collards and brussels sprouts, two dishes I could not wait to devour, were surprisingly flavorless.
Kristin and I will definitely be returning to Blue Rooster. The service has always been first-rate, those cocktails rock and there are numerous shows coming up by acts we enjoy such as Kettle of Fish on Oct. 24, Devon Allman on Nov. 22 and Paul Thorn on Dec. 7. I look forward to trying the fried chicken again, too. If all goes well, I will write about how much it has improved since our last visit.
Blue Rooster
1525 4th St., Sarasota; 388-7539; blueroostersrq.com
Have a suggestion for a place or event to be featured in Bar Tab? Comment below, email to wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com or contact me on Twitter: @wtatangelo For past Bar Tab columns, slideshows and SNN videos visit the archive.
