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Lifestyle

Supporting Black-owned Restaurants: Tenleytown’s Roaming Rooster

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at American chapter.

Spoon AU is going to make sure we celebrate and support Black-owned restaurants year-round, but in celebration of Black History Month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the Roaming Rooster in Tenleytown! This is a DC-based, Black-owned business that we’re lucky to have near campus. 

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Promise Pitman

A handful of our team took the AU shuttle to the Tenleytown Metro stop and followed the delicious smell of crispy, hot chicken for a couple of blocks. We sat down for a quick lunch inside. However, if you want to grab and go, your order will be ready for pickup in no time!

Here’s a rundown of what we tried and recommend:

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Promise Pitman

OG Nashville Sandwich

This delicious sandwich packs a punch of flavor, and depending on what level you pick, HEAT! It’s a huge chunk of fried chicken topped with coleslaw and pickles. We are lucky enough to have a Nashvillian on our team and are happy to announce that this sandwich got the stamp of approval! Definitely try this RR staple.

Coleslaw

This colorful, sour and crunchy slaw can come as a side or a sandwich topping. Jalapeno haters beware: this coleslaw has huge chunks of fresh jalapeno in it. However, if you’re a fan, definitely order this side!

Fries

The fries were salty, greasy, and great when dipped in sauce. Roaming Rooster’s specialty is definitely their sandwiches, but the fries completed a filling meal.

Iced Tea

Don’t be fooled by the lack of ‘sweet’ in this menu item’s name. It’s a true southern-style tea! Although very sweet, this tea provides excellent relief from spicy sandwiches.

Honey Mustard

We recommend asking for a side of honey mustard with your order! It comes with your purchase and completes every bite perfectly.

Review

We spent a total of $22.80 on our trip! If you’re stopping by for a quick lunch or filling dinner, expect to spend around $15! This makes it only $5 more expensive to support a Black-owned business over a huge fast-food chain, like Chick-fil-a.

However, the Roaming Rooster is not really vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free friendly, with very few meatless or accessible options available. The Roaming Rooster is also available for order from Postmates if you don’t want to go all the way down to Tenleytown. 

The Roaming Rooster is a delicious option! We would recommend it to anyone looking for a savory, flavorful, filling meal near campus! 

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Promise Pitman

American '24

I'm a storyteller with an interest in journalism and multimedia