The Racks family of restaurants -- which operates Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar in Delray, and Boca Raton-based Racks Downtown Eatery + Tavern and Farmhouse Kitchen -- is adding a new concept to their South Florida line-up.
Fat Rooster will be located in the former Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster space at the corner of Atlantic Ave. and SE 2nd Ave. in the heart of downtown Delray Beach. The small, 1,600-square-foot space has been empty since the summer of 2013, when the Maine-based company closed up shop.
See also: Boca Raton's New Coffee Roaster: Wells Coffee Company
Don't expect Fat Rooster to be a high-end breakfast joint, however. Instead, the restaurant is being billed as a casual, "down and dirty" diner-style eatery -- perhaps the only Gary Rack restaurant where you can show up in jeans and flip flops without feeling a touch underdressed.
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, the interior will be old-school Americana with rustic decor and -- if construction goes as planned -- an indoor-outdoor diner counter. Hours have not been set, but Racks marketing director Andrea Johnson said it will be an all-day affair, opening as early as 8 a.m. (and closing with the late night bars around 2 a.m.).
Although a menu has not yet been released, ideas have been in the works for close to two years as a joint collaboration between restauranteur Gary Rack and Racks executive chef and director of culinary operations, Matthew Danaher.
The menu, according to Racks, will offer a "diner-like dining experience meant to evoke the nostalgia of the South." Expect to find dishes that deliver true Southern-style cuisine -- hearty breakfast entrees like biscuits and gravy, country fried chicken with waffles, and smothered eggs with grits.
Fat Rooster will be located at 200 E. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. Stay tuned to Clean Plate Charlie for updates.
Nicole Danna is a food blogger covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.
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