Opening a restaurant that serves bacon and ham in the middle of a predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood may seem like madness, but that’s exactly what Rouha Sadighi dared to do. Sadighi launched a brick-and-mortar version of her popular food truck, The Rooster, smack dab in the middle of Pico-Robertson, where most restaurants are kosher and closed for Sabbath.

The Rooster’s Rico Sauve breakfast burrito has been named one of the best in Los Angeles. Never having crossed paths with the truck, it was always a mystery to me until the arrival of this permanent location. There’s no clear signage above the storefront at Pico and Robertson, so I drove right by it on my first visit. There is a logo on the doors, but it’s somewhat low-key and obscured by the glare.

The menu covers both breakfast (burrito, tacos, breakfast sandwich, plate and avocado toast, of course) and lunch (Cubano, patty melt, burger and BLT), with French toast and pancakes offered for brunch on the weekends.

The kitchen is huge in relation to the rest of the restaurant, which has a tiny dining area. You order at the counter and then patiently wait for your order. Even if there are no other customers around, the cook is busy working on huge batches of food (probably for their wholesale business), so you’ll have a good 10-15 minutes for your order to be ready. I’ve been here twice, and on both occasions, asked for a cup for water, which I never received.

The Rico Sauve is stuffed with tater tots, eggs, bacon, avocado, cheddar and cotija cheese and cilantro crema, with a side of Molcajete salsa. Sadighi prefers her eggs cooked over medium, which is a little more well-cooked than I prefer. I had high expectations since their burrito was so famous, and, well, it was fine. It was a very polite rendition, not exploding and dripping with ingredients, not as big as a full-out belly bomb that some breakfast burritos are (Tacos Tu Madre, I’m looking at you). The flavors were pretty muted and needed that salsa to make it a bit more interesting.

On another visit, I tried their Choracos, eggs, cotija cheese and Choriman chicken chorizo on corn tortillas. The chorizo was extremely mild, bordering on bland, and needed that Molcajete salsa to help kick up the flavors. The sunny side up eggs were still a bit runny, which is the way I like them. The tacos were something I could have made myself, except for that salsa.

I returned last week because I had a date with Andy Garcia – that is, Andy Garcia, their version of a Cubano sandwich. When I saw the darkened interior, my spirits sank. I was being stood up. The sign on the door said, “Closed Early. Open at 7am on Friday.” Given that it was a Wednesday at 1pm and the posted hours were 7am-3pm, it left me wondering how long they had been closed. Since Tuesday? Monday? At least, it did seem to answer how they would fare in a such a challenging location. I can’t say I blame them. If you’re considering paying them a visit, I would suggest calling first, to prevent disappointment.  As for me, I guess my date with Andy Garcia will have to wait for another day.

Location – 8809 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Website – https://www.roostereats.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegan Friendly – Not really, unless you count tater tots and avocado.
Gluten-Free Options – Yes