Red Rooster Overtown

"Red Rooster is a great place to plan a big, loud brunch with your big, loud friend group. The delightful Southern American menu has some Caribbean influences and includes dishes like cassava papas bravas, brisket hash, and tuna tiradito made with green papaya. The indoor/outdoor Overtown restaurant is large and perfect for your unbreakable friend group of 12 that loves mimosas, cornbread, and their bimonthly group brunch tradition. The food here is anything but light. Get the pork rind deviled eggs and the honey butter cornbread to start. Anything that includes fried chicken, like their hot honey chicken sandwich, will also be great." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino

"The right way to have dinner here is with a big group. Because portions are generous, seating is ample, and the servers match your group’s energy no matter which octave Carol's laugh reaches after her third rum cocktail. The Overtown restaurant has a menu that bounces between Southern American and Caribbean cuisine—with the occasional dish that doesn’t neatly fit into either category. But you can order with abandon because all the different regional flavors complement one another. Start with the excellent skillet of cornbread that comes with a side of honey butter and berry jam. The oxtail pepper pot is low on spice, but rich in flavor thanks to the dark brown sauce that smothers the generous amount of tender oxtail chunks. The huge dining room and back patio are perfect for big brunches with your loud friends. And they have an excellent selection of brightly colored fruity cocktails that’ll make the meal feel like a chaotic vacation to The Bahamas." - Mariana Trabanino

"Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Overtown hotspot welcomes diners on Christmas Day for a three-course prix-fixe meal that includes bread service with seasonal jam. First-course options include scallop crudo or potato croquettes with oxtail. Mains include pork roulade, smoked chicken, or charred halibut. Desserts include barley porridge with cranberry or sweet potato pie. The meal is available from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Price: $65 per person." - Alona Martinez

"Head to Overtown for a Southern-inspired prix-fixe Thanksgiving meal at this eatery helmed by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. Kick off with holiday items like Marcus’ cornbread before digging into a choice of either rosemary-fried or baked turkey. Those craving something other than the traditional main can opt for fried catfish with tartar sauce and pickled grapes, pork chop Milanese, grilled ribeye, and smoked oxtail. There is also a vegan option of crispy oyster mushrooms with roasted celeriac and smoked farro. Classic sides like candied yams, mac and cheese, and desserts like sweet potato pie and chocolate pecan pie round out the holiday. Served from noon to 8 p.m. with a takeout option from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Price: $95 per person and $35 for children under 12." - Alona Martinez

"If you’re bored of cheesy omelets and ghost-like poached eggs for brunch, here’s your handheld solution. The fried chicken sandwich from Red Rooster comes doused in so much hot honey, it seeps through the bottom brioche bun, making it taste like pancakes. It comes with pickles that even out the spice and sweetness with a good vinegary kick. It’s the kind of sandwich that makes you forget to speak for 20 minutes until it’s all gone—that’s when you brag to your friends about it." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino