Mark Mendaros, the chef behind Smashed NYC, is spinning into the city’s comfort-food spotlight again with a new project at Time Out Market Union Square. He is opening The Rotisserie Haus, a stall built around birds, steaks and jumbo shrimp slowly turning on a spit, paired with seasonal greens and straightforward starches. Mendaros says the whole idea is simple, with good ingredients, honest cooking and prices that make it easy for people to become regulars.
According to Time Out, Mendaros is teaming up with longtime chef Fredy Cetina to keep the concept tight and approachable. Time Out reports that he wants the stall to feel comfortable and nostalgic, but executed "the right way," and that he is keeping a close eye on the notoriously thin margins that come with rotisserie cooking.
Menu and prices
The basics are laid out on The Rotisserie Haus site. Quarter chickens are listed at $16 and half birds at $23, alongside a roasted New York strip frites plate at $26 and roasted colossal shrimp at $22. Each protein comes with a seasonal green, such as roasted Brussels sprouts or sautéed Swiss chard, plus a carb like roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, potato purée or brown rice pilaf, according to The Rotisserie Haus. The stall will also serve sauces for dipping, including bordelaise-chimichurri, cowboy butter and a roasted cherry-tomato beurre blanc.
"The costs add up quickly," Mendaros told Time Out, pointing to sourcing, brining, seasoning and the time a proper rotisserie requires. Time Out also notes that the stall is using seasoned, brined halal birds from local vendor Silk City Meat Co.
Why it matters now
Rotisserie chicken has become a talking point in New York dining, with chefs and new concepts reworking the spit-roast format and prompting debates about value and pricing. The New York Times highlighted that wave last year, detailing how rotisserie spots have multiplied and how the cost of a half bird can swing widely across the city. The Rotisserie Haus is positioning itself on the more affordable side of that range while still promising careful technique and solid ingredients.
What to expect at Time Out Market
The Rotisserie Haus joins the existing lineup at Time Out Market Union Square, where Smashed NYC already runs a market counter alongside other local vendors. Smashed’s trajectory from a pandemic-era window to multiple market locations is part of why Mendaros understands the quick, crowd-pleasing approach a food-hall stall needs, according to Smashed NYC.
Hours posted on The Rotisserie Haus site show the stall operating during the market’s service daypart, and the market itself is open daily. The operator notes that keeping pricing fair was a deliberate part of the plan. For Union Square diners, The Rotisserie Haus adds a grill-focused option to a lineup that already leans on pizza, tacos and burgers, while sticking to a tight, roast-first menu.
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