Now open in Dundee, the Black Rooster talks a big game on spice.
Their “Peri Peri for the People” offering ranges from mild to hot and spicy, with something to cater to all tastes.
Former St Mirren and Hamilton midfielder Jordan Kirkpatrick – who also played for Brechin City and Forfar Athletic – is the Dundee Black Rooster’s franchisee.
The empire is co-owned by former Darvel and current East Kilbride manager, Michael Kennedy.
Jordan qualified as a plumber in August, and didn’t know what route he would end up going down.
But he has thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks getting the Black Rooster team ready to go.
Jordan feared Black Rooster ‘worst case scenario’
The Black Rooster’ s Dundee branch opened on Wednesday, and since has had plenty of customers popping in to taste their spicy offering.
“At 10 to 12, I was bricking it. Just worried that nobody knew about it,” Jordan says.
“Thinking about the worst case scenario, you know?” he laughs.
“But then when they started to come through the door, I got more relaxed.”
Jordan says he will be in the Black Rooster venue every day, for at least the next few weeks. He hopes the franchise will take off here the way it has elsewhere in Scotland.
“I love it down in Glasgow and I know how folk in Glasgow love it,” Jordan says.
“So it’s about making sure people in Dundee love the food. I hope they’ll have the same feeling we get when we go into the stores in Glasgow.”
So what can visitors to Black Rooster in Dundee expect?
“A warm vibe about the place,” Jordan answers immediately.
“It’s a fast food place but I want them to be able to sit in and enjoy it, enjoy the music and the atmosphere.”
The venue is lively, the place abuzz with locals all keen to try out the new offering.
The door is constantly swinging open with new customers bustling in.
With sleek grey and white décor, it’s pretty swanky for fast food. Colour me intrigued.
Black Rooster Dundee menu items to try
And what about the food at Black Rooster?
Jordan‘s favourite item on the menu is the chicken quesadilla.
“I’m a quesadilla guy,” he says, “I like the way it’s flat and condensed, because I’m a messy eater.
“The less mess I’ve got, the better. It’s less t-shirts to wash.”
At Black Rooster there are plenty of combinations to try and a range of spice options even for the spice wimps among us – I am naming no names.
If coming to Black Rooster in Dundee, you should 100% try the peri curly fries (£3.30).
These are crunchy with that nice kick from the peri peri seasoning.
The chicken tortilla wrap (£6.50 on its own, or £9.80 with a drink and side) is a must order.
It’s a sizeable portion with huge chunks of chicken inside it so there’s great bang for your buck. If you go for the lemon flavour, there’s delicious seasoning coming through it.
The mozzarella sticks (£3.30) are another great option for sides, with great seasoning on the crust and perfectly gooey cheese on the inside.
But peri peri chicken wings (£6.50) are the show stopper.
These are brilliant – spicy, crispy and juicy all in one.
The chicken is juicy on the inside with heaps of flavour gushing out, while there is also a crisp herb coating to add some bite.
Paired with a generous helping of their mouth-watering sauce, you couldn’t not get the wings when you visit Black Rooster Dundee.
Black Rooster Dundee menu items to avoid
If you’re going to visit Black Rooster in Dundee, there are a few menu items you might want to avoid.
The mac and cheese bites (£3.30) aren’t the tastiest but they are very filling. The cheese tastes quite artificial and there isn’t as much flavour to them.
Although it is Jordan’s favourite, the chicken quesadilla (£6.50 on its own) didn’t do it for me.
The inside (diced chicken, cheese and salsa) was slightly mushy and the flavours weren’t that distinguishable.
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