Gator/ Glen Thompson is a dishonest, scammer and has multiple judgments against him or maybe he declared bankruptcy on them aswell as he did me.
This place has great atmosphere and food. I had the burger and it was so good. You could tell the meat was very fresh and not a pre-made patty. Husband had the chicken Caesar and said it was very good. Also had the quiet puppies. Only problem there was they did not list all the ingredients on the menu. Luckily I saw carrot in them before I ate one sinceI 'm very allergic. ( I know its weird ). Good prices also however, credit card was down so they were sending everyone to the ATM. only trouble there is I got hit with a ATM fee. GGRRRRR! Only other thing is the name is different everywhere you look. It's either Rustic or Chef Gator's or Chef Gator's and friends. Would I go again, You Bet! I have heard their brunch is fabulous.
Never a disappointment. Always fresh and delicious. I can’t recommend it enough.
Gator the chef is super friendly and the food is amazing!
Great food- going back to try more!
Talked up “Chef Gators” place and the wonderful past experiences. Family agreed to have dinner on Monday. Out of corn bread, no French fries(0nly sweet potato), no collard greens and when seated the table next to us said they had been waiting almost an hour. Ours arrived in 20 minutes. Very disappointed and embarrassed for Chef Gator.
Very disappointing. Burger was not good, lettuce was old. I don’t believe this is grass fed either. Bathroom key lost. Stay away.
The food was very good. We ordered the cheeseburger (gras fed beef) and grits with micro greens. Everything was yummy. They also offered a separate brunch menu-looked good but not what we were looking for at the time. Very casual place.
Came here on a Wednesday afternoon, about 1:30ish, and was pleased to find it was not that busy - good for us, as I had heard about how packed this place can get! Found it randomly on Yelp, and as one of our party spends a lot of time in the South ("NorLeans" area!) I thought this would be perfect - and I was right (of course! LOL). Upon entering, our friend looked around and immediately said, "I feel like I'm at home." A gentleman sitting at the counter turned, smiled and said, "That's because you ARE at home!" It was Chef Gator, whom I recognized from photos. What a wonderful welcome. He let us know what wasn't available and the specials, and we set about ordering. The young lady at the counter was very friendly and helpful, as we worked through our first time here. We settled on: the Louisiana Red Hot Chicken Sandwich (tender chicken breast pan-fried in their chicken powder, then tossed in their Louisiana red hot BBQ sauce, and then topped with pepper jack cheese on a foundation of pineapple jalapeno cole slaw!); the Bayou Meatless burger (a seasoned black-eyed pea patty, packed with flax seeds, carrots, pumpkin seed, celery, onion, grilled then placed on a foundation of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers dressed with a creole mustard vinaigrette), and I added Tillamook cheddar for $1.75 extra - worth it!; and a Rustic Mississippi Catfish Rich Boy (fresh farm raised Mississippi Catfish dusted with their seasoned cornmeal, then fried to perfection and placed on a foundation of lettuce, tomatoes, and pickled red onions with a chipotle aioli). I subbed my fries for the Chipotle Parmesan fries (I think about $1.75 extra), while the others had the "regular fries," which are lightly seasoned with a tad of heat. The drinks were self-serve at a separate counter, and the soda machine is one of the new styles, with a touch screen to choose your flavor(s). There is also iced tea (freshly brewed) and coffee and hot tea options. They have other drinks as well, such as seasonal lemonade, Arnold Palmers and milkshakes, and some varieties of beers on tap and bottled wines. The ambience of the place is definitely New Orleans thematic, with colors, murals, paintings, signs, posters, masks and more all coming together beautifully for a homey ambience. And the varied hanging lights are beautiful, too! The seating is varied, with outdoor counter and tables, but it was a little chilly so we stayed inside, where you have a choice of those "high tables," lower tables or counter seating (with a TV view). You order at the counter where the ramp comes down (look for THE gator!) and then a number goes with you. Very easy. The food came quickly, and you could see the cooks working in the kitchen, through a window behind the main counter. The presentation of the simple lunches was very nice, and from looks alone we were dying to try the food! And LOTS of fries on each - no skimping on those here. The chicken sandwich had a big piece of meat sticking out of the bun, and was perfectly seasoned. The catfish poor boy was an "oh boy!" with an enormous piece of fish tossing the top of the bun off! After our friend took a bite of it I could see the flakiness of the filet - wow! The white meat was tender, moist and flaky, and the crust of cornmeal stayed on with each bite - nice! The buns and veggies on all our burgers and sandwich were fresh. As for my meatless burger, I have tried many over the years and THIS was the best I've had in a long time - and with a Southern taste twist I absolutely loved: creole mustard vinaigrette. It added a slight tanginess that complemented everything like no condiment I've had yet. The patty itself, unlike many house-made patties elsewhere, held together with each bite (cheese helps that!) and it was just so flavorful and meaty in it's own way. Very impressed that a Southern style restaurant could nail a meatless burger like that - wow! (Thanks Chef Gator!) But the best was yet to come . . . we weren't sure that the three of us wo
And we will definitely be going back. My husband had the ribs - and at first was going to order the 1/4 rack, which was 3 ribs - but ended up ordering the 1/2 rack that was 6 ribs, thinking he'd take half of them home. He ate them all. The ribs came with a pineapple/jalapeno coleslaw, and when we left, he said he could have eaten more of that. I had the Bayou Italian Burger minus the bun. (I don't eat bread). It was served on a bed of lettuce and had great flavors. I opted to include bacon and it was delicious. I didn't need any fries or other food. Service was great - order at the counter and the food is delivered to your table. Everyone was helpful, making sure things were ok. We will be going back, and plan on sitting outside.