Thursday, Dec. 03, 2009
Giving them something to crow about
Crafty Rooster Bar & Grill
Setting the Table
If roosters are crafty, they can hand-craft and cockle-doodle-do my lunch every day.
The newly opened Crafty Rooster Bar & Grill nests comfortably on Third Avenue, what's quickly evolving into a restaurant row (Rivertown Bistro, Flamers and others) off Main Street in downtown Conway.
Brick-front and clean green signage outside, hardwood floors and exposed brick walls inside. It plays off a yuppie pub personality. And I think that's a good thing. Crafty Rooster is a bar and grill, without the cigarette smoke and atmosphere, you don't have to feel guilty about taking your kids to. Tables scattered in a sort of bi-level dining room area near the front, high-top tables around the bar in the back, along with a juke box and video games.
My "Aha!" moment came when I realized the rooster mascot in this Crafty case is a nod to Coastal Carolina University's mascot, Chauncy the Chanticleer (which I learned later on www.craftyrooster.com that the school describes as "the crafty rooster from " Canterbury Tales"). Green trim, windowsills and server uniforms take on a teal tinge in true school spirit (owners are CCU alums, which I also learned from the Web site).
Down the Hatch
Mom, baby boy and I visited Crafty Rooster in the light of day for a lunch break, a time that quickly gathered a nice slice of Conway professionals - from the office to the police department.
Menu prices are a college student's (and freelance writer's) dream, with nearly everything less than $10 - and it's a substantial casual menu that offers more than the real bar basics, with everything from apps, wraps and sandwiches to salads, soup, chicken bog and 9-inch pizzas.
Mom went with the soup and salad combo at a thrifty $4.95. A bowl of Crafty's homemade baked potato soup loaded with chunks of red potatoes, bacon and cheese was blissfully crafted - a meal in itself. The Crafty house salad, although heavy on the lettuce, was refreshingly punched up with tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, green peppers, croutons and honey mustard dressing.
What could be considered a signature dish at Crafty Rooster? The Ragin' Rooster Chicken Sandwich is one. I asked for three of them, actually, as a Miniwich: fried rooster fingers dipped in Ragin' Rooster hot sauce and tucked into a toasted potato roll. The zingy bite was cooled off with another dip into Ranch. Perfect. My half-dozen order ($7.95) also included a trio of cheeseburger miniwiches. Crafty did not cut back on the beef in these minis. They were oh-so-good. Paired with my plate was a basketful of Crafty chips, warm, homemade potato chips.
Although we sipped on a Diet Pepsi and sweet tea ($1.50 each) during lunch, I would have taken advantage of the beer (in draft or bottle) selections at any other time of day, say happy hour from 4-7 p.m., when they're no more than $2 each. Fresh off a trip to Savannah, Ga., and Florida, where they consider a beer "special" to be $4, I can tell you this is a bargain-rich blessing.
Check, Please
Conway has hatched another delicious success with Crafty Rooster Bar & Grill. I hope the rooster, a sign of good luck, holds true for the restaurant in years to come.
Steps from the courthouse and the hum of downtown traffic, Crafty Rooster is a fun, fresh and filling dining option for lunch, happy hour, game day or an affordable night out. And that's a credible version of fine dining, in my book.
Crafty Rooster Bar & Grill is at 1125 Third Ave., Conway. Opens at 11 a.m. daily. For additional info, call 438-8330 or visit www.craftyrooster.com .
