Serving fresh, free-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free and halal chicken, Roaming Rooster was founded in D.C. in 2015 as a food truck. It quickly expanded to Maryland and Virginia within a year, after gaining popularity on social media.

Located in Chantilly Crossing Lane, Roaming Rooster serves a variety of chicken dishes, including sandwiches, tenders, nuggets, wings and fries on the side. Their most popular item is the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Roaming Roosters’ chicken items have a heat scale, ranging from mild to extra hot. 

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (2.5/5) 

At $10.99, this sandwich features a buttermilk fried chicken breast topped with house-made vinaigrette coleslaw, pickles, and pickled onions. The chicken was juicy and tender with a mild heat and spicy kick, but the lack of a strong Nashville cayenne flavor and the dry coleslaw were disappointing. 

Given the price, I expected better seasoning and texture, making it feel overpriced for the quality. It lacked the depth and boldness that typically would justify a higher price point in chicken sandwiches. 

The coleslaw seemed fresh, but it lacked the sour flavor and the usual creaminess, likely due to the absence of a mayonnaise-based dressing. Nevertheless, the pickles and pickled onions added a tangy bite, enhancing the sandwich’s flavor. 

Chicken Tenders (5/5)

While the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich fell short of delivering that fiery Nashville kick, Roaming Rooster’s chicken tenders, priced at $8.99 were up to the challenge. 

The order comes with three chicken tenders, along with a piece of sliced bread and pickles. The tenders have a crispy, well-seasoned coating of flour and spices. The heat of the tenders isn’t apparent at the first bite, but one tender down and you start to feel it.

 The addition of the pickle with the tender provided a crunchy dill-flavored bite and complemented the spicy seasonings, bringing everything together perfectly. The slice of bread accompanying the tenders was soggy from the crunchy, flour and spice coating of the chicken tenders and lacked any noticeable impact on flavor or texture. 

Fries (1.5/5)

No fast food meal is complete without fries. The fries, costing $4.99,  unfortunately didn’t live up to the chicken tenders. They lacked flavor and crispiness; instead of the crunch I expected, they had a dense, almost mealy texture. These fries lacked salt and overall seasoning, which made them underwhelming. 

Most fast food fries tend to be overly salty, but in this case, they didn’t have enough flavor at all. Without the Rooster dipping sauce or a ketchup packet on the side, they felt bland and were an underwhelming part of the meal. 

The one redeeming factor, however, would be the quantity. For only five dollars, the portion was quite generous, while giving the fries in the provided cup, there was also twice the amount in the bag. While the flavor and texture weren’t the best, they at least offered a good bang for my buck.

The Roaming Rooster gets a 3.5/5. The chicken tenders were the highlight, offering a burst of flavor that stood out from the other items, but I wouldn’t order the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich or the fries again. 

While the restaurant has potential with its flavorful chicken tenders, the overall experience could have been improved with consistent seasoning and flavor across the whole menu.