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Miniature Rooster
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (Traditional), Canadian (New) [Edit]
1300 W San Antonio StMarfa, TX 79843
(432) 729-3030
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Miniature Rooster
Review Highlights
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"The chicken and waffles was really good." In 6 reviews -
"...lentil fritters, the roasted acorn squash, and the chicken..." In 2 reviews -
"...which is a whole roasted game hen, was one of the best..." In 3 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Jamie B.
Las Cruces, NM
3/11/2012
Holy cow!! I had one of the best meals ever here. We made complete pigs of ourselves: pakoras, chicken and waffles, asparagus vinaigrette, pork and cornbread. The food was a revelation and the service was friendly. Even my kid loved it.
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Review from Bert H.
Austin, TX
1/15/2012
Couldn't have been happier with this restaurant. If I had one night in Marfa and had to choose between Miniature Rooster and Cochineal, it's not fair to compare the two b.c they are somewhat different.
But I definitely have this at the top of my list for next trip to Marfa. Cochineal has a menu that I could probably find at most restaurants in big cities. (Still a good place.) But maybe it's more appropriate to define Miniature Rooster as a type of comfort food. Had fried chicken and waffles and then some curry action.
The dessert is great b.c they have homemade whipped cream.
Really glad that this place is here. Like I said, it's the first place I'll hit next trip to Marfa. And that says a lot b.c Cochineal and Pizza Foundation are also incredible restaurants.
But these guys could use some serious help when it comes to their wine list. It's terrible. If you know good wine, please mention it to the owners and they need some better wine. That made the evening less enjoyable. So I'll knock it down to four stars because of that. -
Review from Maggie G.
Berkeley, CA
12/27/2011
My boyfriend & I were driving from New Orleans to San Diego, and decided to swing by Marfa on a whim. Unfortunately, rolling in during the middle of the week somewhat limits food options. Luckily for us, Miniature Rooster was open!
We split lentil fritters, acorn squash, grilled caesar salad, kebabs, and ginger root cake. Everything was very tasty, but the acorn squash and kebabs were particular standouts for dinner. The cake was a lovely slice of heaven with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side. The table next to us ordered the waffles & chicken, which looked insanely good - if we're ever back, we'll be getting that to share. I had the iced tea (the simple syrup on the side was a nice touch).
Service was pleasant and reasonably quick. We only ordered small plates and starters & our food was out before the two tables that had been seated/ordered before us. I'm going to try my hand at replicating the acorn squash at home. I only wish they were open for breakfast - we would have stopped by! -
Review from Trish R.
Denver, CO
4/30/2012
I would love to review this place - - but, unfortunately, like so many Marfa joints - - this one is gone - C-L-O-S-E-D. The town grapevine said the owner jacked their rent too high to sustain. Sad.
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Review from Olivia S.
New York, NY
11/9/2011
There are some meals that can make my week, and this week was made by Mini Roo.
The white adobe facade is especially inviting. Upon walking in I was immediately drawn to their diner-like pie case to check out the goods. A small assortment of beer, fresh vegetables, and huge hunks of meat chilled out in large convenience-store coolers across the room.
Chicken & Waffles: The most tender chicken bathed in a crispy, slightly spicy batter... served piping hot. Waffle was average, but the syrup they served was amazing. I felt I got my moneys worth ($18) with 2 full waffles and 4 pieces of chicken.
Cauliflower: Cooked slightly crunchy and dressed so well that I ate it like movie theater popcorn. Would serve 2.
Acorn Squash: Yum! I thought it was quite creative to add a citrus & black sea salt kick. Ima copy it at home.
Asparagus/poached egg: My roommate who doesn't even like runny eggs gobbled this up. duh.
High quality loose leaf tea that comes in a personal pot with adorable creamer and sugar bowl. That stuff just gets me. Three bucks gets you around 4 full cups.
The interior is a mix of charm and function, but the cozy lighting makes up for any sort of "coldness". However, on a more literal level, it was actually very cold inside and I kept my down coat on throughout the whole meal, which was a bit unfortunate.
Service was relaxed-- as is the norm in Marfa. I expected the food to take a while but it was actually just average wait.
I want to come here again and again until I know the menu like the contents of my refrigerator. -
Review from Mary E, F.
Austin, TX
10/4/2011
On our weekend visit to Marfa, this place was very high on our favorite list. The shrimp and grits elicited the most moans and groans of pleasure.
My only complaint is that there was not quite enough of the very delicious spicy catsup on the pakora plate.
Lots of vegetables. This is a good place for vegetarians. -
Review from Tom A.
8/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
We threw in the towel on spotting any Marfa Lights and decided we'd better get into town and find some dinner before everything was closed.
On the later side of the evening in Presidio County your options for getting a full meal are pretty limited. So how lucky were we to find the Miniature Rooster, not only open until 10 but serving some really great food! The stepteen and I split an order of chicken & waffles (dy-no-mite!), while Ms. A went for veggie pakoras. We washed it down with some house-made lemonade.
Service was so warm and attentive it was more like visiting some sweet long-lost friends than stumbling into a strange restaurant 30 minutes before closing time. Not only did we get a top-notch dinner but they pretty much forced us to have chocolate cake for dessert because otherwise it would go to waste. Don't you hate it when people demand you eat cake? I know I do. -
Review from Grace S.
Dallas, TX
8/23/2011
This was our first dining experience in Marfa during our girls' trip to the small town, and it left a really bad taste in our mouths.
First, the decor. I give It five stars. The interior is modern, decorated with interesting art, and has almost an art-gallery feel.
The entrees and appetizers were pretty good. The only tricky part was that many of the dishes were on the spicy side, and because the menu didn't specify this detail, one of my friends (who's allergic to many spices) had a difficult time.
As for the dessert -- horrible. My friends and I ordered a chocolate strawberry cake, and it was one of the driest cakes I've ever tasted. I may not know a lot of things, but desserts, desserts I KNOW. And this was an unsatisfactory cake. I ate some of the icing in an effort to assuage my dessert craving, took a few bites of the cake, and halfheartedly put my fork down. No use wasting calories on bad cake.
Finally, the service. The most apathetic service I've ever received in any half-decent restaurant. Not sure if our server was an actual waiter or the manager doing double-duty (he was dressed differently from most of the waiters and seemed older), but he was unfriendly and always seemed to find a way to interrupt us as we were asking questions so he could go tend to something else. He'd return a few minutes later, only to find another reason to flee before returning several minutes later. We also noticed that this server/manager, who seemed almost disdainful towards us, went around to other tables and warmly greeted the other diners.
A very disturbing experience in this small town for my friends and me. -
Review from diego m.
Austin, TX
6/20/2011
Very cool dinner restaurant. An interesting mix of Indian and down home southern cooking. We had prawns and waffles! :)
They did not have a liquor license while we were there but he was totally cool with us bringing in our own alcohol.
They did not have open Wifi there but I asked if I could use the wireless and he logged me in on their SSID no problem.
Great food, great people, good times!
If ever in Marfa make sure to stop in to this dinner restaurant. -
Review from Annie F.
Austin, TX
6/20/2011
My friends call this the Tiny Cock, I call it good.
Everything was yummy, but I liked the apps the best. Beet salad and the kabab thingie. Hope to be back soon. -
Review from Mike E.
Brooklyn, NY
5/12/2011
Really fun, tasty new spot that's open late, by Marfa standards. Spacious interior with lots of room.
The waiter/proprietor was super-friendly and very helpful. We mostly stuck with his recommendations, and were happy with them. Subz pakora was perfectly fried with spicy ketchup for dipping. Chicken & waffles was perfectly prepared, perhaps a bit too much food. Shrimp & grits was very tasty; I'm a northerner, so I'm not that familiar with grits, but I thought the grits were very heavy. Probably on purpose?
The lemonade was delicious, and very fresh. Nice iced tea, too, with simple syrup on the side.
BYOB for now until they get their license. -
Review from Jack H.
Austin, TX
8/20/2011
Fantastic west texas restaurant!
If any of you have been out to the Big Bend area you know that the remoteness of the place makes it uniquely beautiful and special. It also makes it inconvenient and provincial and oftentimes, hard to get a good meal. There is a surprising lack of good, authentic Mexican food. The more upscale, hotel food can be bland, uninspired, chill and grill stuff. And there is always the problem with restaurants always sort of not open or sort of out of everything.
Miniature Rooster is a nice change. Its open. They make tasty food. They use fresh ingredients. They care whether you come back or not.
It's BYOB which can make it a very affordable option as well. -
Review from Mandy B.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 5/31/2011
Saturday, we went to Miniature Rooster for a fourth time. This time, I ordered the chicken and waffles. FINALLY! It was so hard to decide, knowing that the other entrees are so good, and this was our last dinner there for this trip to Marfa (so it has to be good).
My husband had the Steak and Eggs again, with grits instead of sweet potato fries. As in my prior review, he was very pleased, and from the morsel he passed to me, I agree! So delicious.
The chicken and waffles was really good. The fried chicken (breast, drum stick and wing, if I recall) was very nicely done, with a good amount of spice and a delectable crust. The waffle was also good, but the combination of chicken and waffles was a little lost on me. I should have asked to substitute the waffles for those nice potatoes again, but I was determined to flow with the menu.
As others have mentioned, this was a generous serving of food. I gave half of the waffles and the chicken drum stick to my husband, and there was still plenty of food.
We both had dessert, he the vanilla cheesecake, and I the banana cheesecake.
The banana cheesecake had a blueberry glaze, so I wasn't sure if it was labeled correctly. The first bite delivered the freshest of banana flavor, so all doubt went out the window, and the blueberries were a great accompaniment.
Service was prompt and friendly yet again, although the restaurant filled up and several parties were waiting to be seated by about 8:15PM or so.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/17/2011
I am so happy to have a new dinner spot in Marfa to fill the huge hole in my heart left by Blue… Read more »
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Review from M T.
Brooklyn, NY
5/16/2011
This place rocks. Perfect price-to-quality-to-quantity ratio, and the combination of Southern American and Indian really works. We shared the lentil fritters, the roasted acorn squash, and the chicken & waffles. All were excellent, and made us regret not having eaten there every night of our stay in Marfa. I especially love the cheery pennant banners that were hanging above our heads. Very cool.
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Review from margaret w.
Houston, TX
7/24/2011
We first visited the restaurant in early June on our first trip to Marfa. We were, simply put, bowled over.
Right out of the gate, we were impressed with the friendly waitstaff and her interest in making our dinner experience an enjoyable one. She even introduced the chefs to us and we shared a great conversation while they had a little "down" time.
We tried several things on the menu, and each was better than the one before it. The cauliflower, the beets, the shrimp and grits! All were expertly fixed - these guys know what they're doing!!!
We found ourselves back there again in late July and were surprised to find out they had a liquor license. Not to worry. Their wine selection is broad and well priced. This time, we had the chicken and waffles. OMGosh! The chicken was the best I've had since my grandmother died.
We will be back as soon as we can get back to Marfa. -
Review from Kat H.
Austin, TX
5/9/2011
My boyfriend and I drove in from Austin, TX and stayed at the Antelope Lodge. After we exhausted all restaurant options in Alpine (which is not hard to do ;-))
We drove to Marfa thinking we'd try the restaurant at the Paisano where they filmed Giant. Well, turns out they were having a party there and were not serving till 8 pm. Just as we were about to walk out a manager suggested a few restaurants in town but he specifically told us to try the Miniature Rooster.
We stopped by a few more restaurants but none of them seemed right. We were looking for something both funky AND down to earth but with a bit of class.
Well we drove West and on our right found the Miniature Rooster. From the outside it looks very much like the cool, minimalistic architecture you find in Marfa but it has an immediate brightness to it. From the outside we could see candles reflected in the window. "This is it" said my boyfriend whether out of hunger or true inspiration we went it. We were immediately greeted by a friendly (but not fake) young woman who asked where we wanted to be seated. We sat by the windows facing out into the highway and parking lot - which doesn't sound cool but it was bc the place was beginning to hop and a pretty eclectic crowd was coming in and we had the best view.
The menu was not extensive but the items on it were well chosen and we decided on the Game Hen with Asparagus and mashed potatoes (they did have chicken fried steak and waffles btw.)
Another waitress with a funky top on and bright smile brought up a glass bottle with water - NO ice - I hate ice - it's killer on your digestive system and this was a nice touch and refreshing.
We did have to wait about 20 minutes for our food but figured the game hen was worth it AND it was.
Basted in some honey dressing it was crunchy and juicy at the same time, the mashed potatoes were to die for and the asparagus was perfect with the whole meal.
The total meal for the game hens and ice teas came to about $45 with tip.
They didn't have a liquor license but the owner came over and said they'd only been open for 30 days.
The owner was very cool, his name is Uday Huja - I think actually he's the co-proprietor that's what his business card says and he gave my bf and I 3 cards - very nice touch.
I would highly recommend this place! -
Review from Donna P.
Austin, TX
5/3/2011
We tried 6 items from the menu plus dessert and we enjoyed everything!!! Can't wait to go back!!! DELICIOUS!!!
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Review from torryne c.
San Francisco, CA
4/26/2011
a haiku for the miniature rooster
grilled caesar salad
subz pakoras taste great
rocky and uday -
Review from Leah S.
Austin, TX
8/8/2011
Love the Rooster. So nice to have a new option in Marfa that has an ethnic angle to it. The subz pakora were delicious. The fried chicken was great as well. My husband likes his steak rare and, lo and behold, they managed to get it right! Hard to do for some restaurants as they just don't get the concept. The caesar salad is a winner as well. They lightly grill it to give it a nice, earthy flavor. The prices are reasonable and the service is top notch. Looking forward to returning one day!
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Review from Allison A.
Austin, TX
1/3/2012
A couple of friends and I were in Marfa for New Year's weekend. We had heard about the Mini Rooster from some friends who live in Marfa so we were anxious to try it. A memorable New Year's Eve dinner, yum! So many choices! The 3 of us split the rib eye steak with bearnaise sauce and sweet potato fries so we could try all the other tempting small plates and starters. Everything was delicious! The steak was tender enough to cut with a regular dinner knife. The grilled caesar salad was really a stand out...leaves slightly grilled with a subtle mesquite smokey flavor and a scrumptious homemade dressing. The grilled acorn squash was another unusual but winning dish...again the smokey flavor combined with lime juice and black sea salt. That was one of the best vegetable dishes I have had in a while. The only thing a little odd I could say is that the menu is a very eclectic one. Indian, southern comfort, ranch house...however it worked for us! Service was excellent too, attentive and prompt even though they were full. Dishes arrived in a timely and well paced tempo. Can't wait to come back!
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Review from Austin B.
Austin, TX
7/12/2011
This is probably the finest restaurant in Marfa, a city known for good food and drink. If you are a local or a regualr tourist, you must, must, must stop in at Miniature Rooster. Great owners, menu and ourstanding food!!! I rarely post to Yelp but when the experience gives me pause to post, I do. This is a restaurant that will wow you and your friends. I just happened to drop in on a night most restaurants are closed and I was completely blown away. You will not be disappointed!!! I will be back again and and I live in Austin.
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Review from Alice W.
Houston, TX
4/12/2011 6 photos
This restaurant was definitely one of the highlights of my one night stay in Marfa. The owner greeted my dining partner and I and explained that the menu was based on his Indian heritage and Southern roots. Thus, you will find many southern comfort foods such as steak and eggs, shrimp and grits, collard greens, as well as Indian dishes like curry, tandoori, Kashmiri kebabs. For starters, we got the fire roasted acorn squash with lime and roasted cauliflower in vinaigrette. Both dishes were great and had a nice acidic touch to them. The low country miniature rooster, which is a whole roasted game hen, was one of the best chicken entrees I've ever eaten. It was so flavorful and juicy and the skin was perfectly crisp. My vegan dining partner had the chole puri, which is tamarind chickpea curry and potato with whole wheat fry bread, and he greatly enjoyed every bite. The food was amazing, the service was attentive, the ambiance was great, loved the old country music played in the background, and the bathroom was cute with small cactus plants and an adorable rooster artwork. Loved my dining experience and will come back next time I'm in town.
