Rooster Soup Co. is open and folks are loving it

Rooster Soup Company, the social venture from Broad Street Ministry (BSM) and Federal Donuts three years in the making, is here at long last.

The restaurant finally opened its doors this week, ushering hungry patrons in from the rain and filling their bellies with broth (and BSM’s coffers with coin).

Rooster Soup may be a for-profit business, but 100 percent of its profits are donated to BSM. The model is designed to curb customers’ hunger pangs while sating their desires to make Philadelphia a better place.

But wait — how’s the food?

There are no formal critiques of the restaurant just yet, but here’s what folks are saying anyway:

About the menu, Zagat reports “Soup, duh,” followed by a suggestion to pair the Dutch apple pie with a Great Lakes porter. That’s right, there’s booze. “Treat yo’self,” offers Zagat, and we agree.

Tablet mag’s coverage of the Monday opening begins with a bold confession from the writer that she is, indeed, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Despite having admitted to suffering from poor taste and judgement, the author found inspiration in Rooster’s “delicious and belly-warming smoked matzo ball soup.”

Smoked matzo ball soup is one of four soups on the menu. “There’s a touch of Jewishness in a few dishes,” writes Philly.com‘s Michael Klein.

“A must try!!” writes Yelp! user Cara S., in a gleaming five-star review. “The place is so cute.”

Yelp! user joanna w., who also gave Rooster five stars, said the “Place is like a diner, except the food is seasoned and they have good beer.”

Even Pa. Governor Tom Wolf got in on the action. Here he is taking a selfie with Federal Donuts cofounder Michael Solomonov.

https://twitter.com/RoosterSoupCo/status/822943614510780416

Incredible. Maybe this reporter will leave his computer and try some of the soup for himself.