RT Rotisserie Opens Larger New Location for More Chicken and Better Delivery

A second location of fast-casual favorite (and Eater 38 essential) RT Rotisserie opens today for more chicken sandwiches and porcini powder-dusted “umami fries.” Just off the busy Divisadero corridor (at 302 Broderick on the corner of Oak in the Falletti Foods grocery building) the new RT is a slightly larger, nearly identical copy of the first, which took Hayes Valley by storm in 2017 when it spun off from nearby, Michelin-starred Rich Table.

The new RT Rotisserie is good news for NoPa dwelling chicken fans, not to mention anyone stuck at the DMV down the street. But it’s also a win for the restaurant’s would-be delivery customers in far-flung neighborhoods that RT’s original location struggles to reach — areas like the Outer Richmond, home to RT co-owners Sarah and Evan Rich. Even they’ve balked balked at the high, distance-based delivery fees for RT Rotisserie in their neighborhood, the Riches say.

Like the first location, RT’s bright new Broderick Street space was designed by the firm Fine Root. It’s got more wood benches, tables, and a healthy smattering of potted plants. Outdoor seating is in the works, too.

But to-go and delivery orders are a key component of the business. “You might even see one of us drop off your catering,” says business partner Jonny Gilbert: He, Sarah, and Evan all do deliveries, and to help with added volume from the new restaurant, they’ve invested in a new delivery truck.

The new location’s menu, like the original’s, is centered on herb-heavy salads, soups, and rotisserie chicken served on its own (with sauce choices like chimichurri and Douglas fir sour cream) or as a sandwich. But a few new offerings are specific to the Broderick location, like crispy pork belly, enabled by a new oven that better crisps the pork skin, and a “fat rice bowl,” with chicken fat rice plus veggies and a choice of chicken, lamb, pork, or cauliflower on top.

RT Rotisserie is one in a growing number of SF fine-dining restaurants to expand its reach — and bottom line — with fast-casual, delivery-focused spinoffs. AL’s Deli, a relative of Michelin-stared AL’s Place, just joined the club. But many RT customers dining on lamb kebabs and roasted cauliflower haven’t made the connection between their go-to weeknight spot and its higher-end sibling, Evan says. “We have a lot of people who eat at [RT] Rotisserie and have never heard of Rich Table.”

That’s no problem, says Evan. But for the restaurants themselves, the operations are “intertwined.”

“You can get two completely different types of restaurants experiences,” says Sarah. “But the level we hold ourselves to in the kitchen, and the friendly and warm service, those are same.”

Disclosure: Carolyn Alburger, the Cities Director for Eater, is the author of Rich Table’s cookbook. She has recused herself from involvement in any Rich Table coverage on Eater.

• RT Rotisserie Plans Second Location in the Lower Haight [ESF]
• Check Out RT Rotisserie, Rich Table’s Spinoff Opening Next Week {ESF]