The Roosterโs Den takes pride in serving hearty breakfasts and lunches that taste like they could have been prepared fresh in your own familyโs kitchen.
Thatโs the goal owners Jennifer Hettenbach and Jason Campbell set two years ago when they opened at Highways 66 and 261 in Newburgh, Indiana. Together for a decade, the former Castle High School students always have loved cooking. Hettenbach held a variety of customer service jobs, and Campbell worked in the restaurant industry and still owns a lawn care company, Affordable Landscape and Mowing.
The couple often spoke of owning a restaurant, motivated by memories of dishes their grandparents and great-grandparents handed down to them. โIt was something always in the back of our minds, but we had to wait for everything to align,โ Hettenbach says.
They set up shop inside what had been a Burger King at 3988 Haley Drive. Befitting its name, The Roosterโs Denโs breakfast is a big hit, and one of the most-ordered early morning items โ biscuits and gravy โ is made Jenniferโs and Jasonโs own way.
โThat is straight from my great-grandma,โ Hettenbach says. โShe taught me how to make it. Itโs so funny learning how to cook from that generation. There were no measurements. It was just all eye and taste.โ
That same sausage gravy from Hettenbachโs great-grandma graces other delicacies at The Roosterโs Den, including the Loaded Haystack, which is a pair of biscuits topped with eggs and cheese. Another one to try is the Rowdy Rooster, which has bacon layered between a trio of hashbrown patties, topped with sausage gravy and shredded cheese, with a side of salsa.
Hettenbach says customers love the French toast, and her pancakes, which have several varieties (chocolate chip, tutti fruity, berrytastic, and Caribbean) in addition to the classic, are sweeter than at other restaurants.
โTheyโre big and fluffy,โ she says.
More breakfast choices include Monte Cristo and BLTE (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and egg) sandwiches, omelets, burritos, platters with classic favorites, and a fruit and granola bowl.
And yes, drink options include breakfast cocktails โ โall the fun stuff,โ Hettenbach says.
As the clock moves to lunchtime, The Roosterโs Denโs popular soup and salad bar opens for business, โand we do daily lunch specials as well, ranging from our chicken pot pie to Salisbury steak to meatloaf,โ Hettenbach says.
Lunch menu choices include classic sandwiches and a chicken strip basket. The Roosterโs Den makes seasoned potato chips in-house. Desserts? The Roosterโs Den has plenty of those too, although there isnโt a set dessert menu โ ask whatโs available when you visit. A couple of big cakes, including an Oreo-topped chocolate confection, sat on the restaurantโs bar when Evansville Living visited.
Not currently open for dinner, The Roosterโs Den does offer its facility for private events after hours, and Hettenbach and Campbell also have catered several functions off-site, such as wedding rehearsal dinners and Christmas parties. The Roosterโs Den can customize a menu for a specific event.
โWe do big and small,โ Hettenbach says. โWeโve catered for 20 people. Weโve catered for 300. So, nothingโs off-limits for us.โ
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed Hettenbachโs and Campbellโs plans to open The Roosterโs Den, โbut once we made the decision to go for it, within about six months we were up and running,โ Hettenbach says.
The restaurantโs building, which bears no resemblance inside or out to the fast-food joint of its past life, is in a tricky location to navigate to, but Hettenbach says that after reaching it once, subsequent trips are simple.
Word is spreading โ Hettenbach says she has greeted diners from communities across the region who are drawn to The Roosterโs Denโs homestyle, made-from-scratch style cooking.
โI think we have what people want,โ she says.
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