Bird

It’s a bit dry and predictable inside with its American diner theme. And the welcome isn’t in the slightest friendly. It’s like the staff believe they are working one step up from KFC. Not much passion or energy.
But the chicken wasn’t bad.
A good sticky crispy shell covering tender enough juicy chicken inside.
The sauce I had was an interesting Japanese one and the flavours were zingy.
And the chips were really very good. Crisp and firm, well seasoned.
I ordered some pickles in vinegar and sesame seed which also complemented the meal well and cut through nicely.
So the food was not bad at all but the service and place was a little lacking. It struck me that a place championing the chicken should maybe have a bit more about where their chicken comes from and why it’s so good. A bit of a provenance story wouldn’t have gone amiss.
But there wasn’t anything like that there and it led me to suspect that this brand doesn’t really care about that.
From my visit I didn’t get an inkling of what it IS passionate about. And for me, with so many other brilliant places to eat in the close vicinity, this lets it down.

Upon arrival around 5.30pm on a Thursday evening, the restaurant was very quiet so our booking was almost unnecessary — but the space filled up more as we ate. As the restaurant was quiet, we were served quickly and our food was with us around 15mins after ordering — the only fault I’d mention for service was actually that three seperate staff members asked us if our food was okay — unnecessary, but hardly hugely problematic!
Rather than the below-​pictured Original Waffle Burger, I had the signature Fried Chicken, Waffles and Syrup. I really didn’t think it would work but it SO TOTALLY DID. Seriously, wow. The chicken itself was fried to perfection — a crispy exterior encasing soft, falling-​off-​the-​bone meat, complemented perfectly by the sweetness of the runny maple syrup. I also picked up some fries with my dish — definitely a solid choice, well-​cooked and delicious — but still paling into comparison to the wonder that was my main dish. Quite honestly — you probably don’t need sides doing this but the variety of glazes for the chicken wings is impressive, with something for all tastes. There’s a slight focus on Asian flavours for a lot of the glazes too.
I’ve already actually made plans to make a return visit — and for someone who tends to try loads of restaurants rather than go back to regulars, that’s a big seal of approval.

Really underwhelmed by my meal here. The food was served cold and they served fake Heinz in a Heinz bottle which is one of my pet hates when eating out. I’d avoid it and head to Clutch a five minute walk away for anything chicken related. The foods amazing every single time and the ketchup isn’t fake.
Only saving grace were the nice staff.

I know. Why update a review if only to keep the stars the same?
It’s because I had a total brain wave.
They do Deliveroo! That has to be the only way to be able to experience Bird.
Went again on Saturday (why do I keep doing this to myself?!!) and once again was pleased enough with the food but the service felt like banging my head on a wall.
I also had a friend with me who is gluten free/​dairy free (her awesomeness makes up for her dietary shortcomings) and the waitress didn’t even try to help her find something to eat. I know that’s a challenge, but it’s called HOSPITALITY. Helping a hungry guest is part of the game.
Sigh.
Delivery from now on.
And they’re opening up two new sites?!! I just hope their new staff are better.

Super super oily as I was expected. I ordered the waffle burger. It came with deep fried chicken thighs which was so oily but so yummy. As I imagined before, I won’t be able to finish it on my own. Super good if you feel like some extra calories.

Chicken had no flavour and the dips were disgusting. Had to wait an hour to be seated. Definitely do not recommend anyone to come here.

The environment is good and we went there for lunch. Food does not really match with the joy-​able environment, actually the fried chicken are just not chunky or tasty as I thought neither with waffle or with sauce. Emmmm the waffle is actually quite fluffy and nice.
Maybe try some doughnut next time~~~~

I love the doughnuts more than the chicken… fast becoming a student hangout too!
Fried Chicken & Waffle £10
After a really hard time deliberating what to order, I decided to go with the simple (but filling) Fried Chicken & Waffle which consisted of two pieces of fried chicken (I begged for breast pieces as I hate all the other parts) and two relatively small waffles filled with griddled bacon & cheddar, but don’t be put off, these waffles pack a filling! This side comes with maple syrup which I suggest you mix with the table’s complimentary hot pepper sauce. It’s such a tasty combination. If I have to give one con, I’d say the waffle wasn’t very exciting and it didn’t really taste of much cheddar at all and although the bacon was evident once the waffle was sliced, I couldn’t taste much of it.
— See more at:

We went for the «whole bird» which contained 8 pieces of chicken and 4 wings. I opted for the honey and ginger glazes and I must say it worked really well with the lovely crispy skin, the chicken pieces were well seasoned and not too salty, definitely a big improvement if you compare it to KFC, but my main problem was the inconsistency of the meat, some were really tender and some were really dry so I wondered if the pieces we had weren’t that fresh and got mixed up with the fresh batches. For a premium chicken joint, this really shouldn’t happen. Overall a nice and trendy concept, but some room for improvement.

Unfortunately Bird did not please last night. We had the mixed fried chicken, wings fried pickles, fries with hickory bbq sauce and gochujan (sweet chili sauce).
Chicken itself was fine, not greasy, tasted fresh and organic however it lacked crunch. Fried pickles were just battered pickles, no seasoning and no flavour.
Though in saying this I’d give Bird another go, might not have been their night.

Saw a sign for fresh doughnuts after a long work day and snuck in to get a couple to share with a colleague. Love that the flavours were kinda different, but not too hipster! We got a cherry doughnut, and also a caramel and cashew. They were seriously well sized for £2 and I’d totally return for a sneaky sugar fix! Love the extra touch of the classy boxed!

One of the food combinations of the moment appears to be fried chicken and waffles. Perhaps this has been influenced by the success of the ‘Duck and Waffle’ restaurant in the city. I noticed the trend when surfing twitter feeds and reading the newsletters from restaurant reviewers. Let’s be clear on where I stand: it’s a great combination of two of the best comfort foods!
I was expecting such a restaurant to be in the Shoreditch/​Hoxton area. I made a search using the reliable Unilocal app and I was suggested this restaurant. It is roughly in between the Shoreditch and Hoxton overground stations.
I went there for a late lunch. Because of the time of day, there was a lot of space and I sat next to a window to watch the people passing outside. I ordered the fried chicken and waffle (of course) and a Hackney pale ale. There are plenty of other nice meals on the menu and I also spotted a specials board.
There are two nicely fried pieces of chicken and a savoury waffle, but it comes with a cup of sweet syrup. (I think it was maple.) My preconception was confirmed: it was a delicious meal.
If I am vaguely in the area, then I will head back there again. It looks like a great place to go with a group of friends to have tasty chicken and drinks.

Came here for lunch today as part of their half-​off promo for the new lunch menu. About half the tables were occupied but the manager (who had an IDGAF expression on his face for our entire visit) said it would be five to ten minutes. We sat at the bar until the barman took pity on us and left the bar to speak to the manager, and then we were seated.
Service was slow, but that’s because they had only two people on the floor plus the manager for the first half of our visit. Two more staffers came later to deal with the stressful dining room. There was a bottleneck situation near the front due to the manager’s weird seating policy — lots of empty tables and at one point four different parties waiting to be seated. We saw one girl get seated, sit without service for about ten minutes and then walk out. The table next to us got their food after us and two other tables, even though they were there first.
Anyway that’s all I have to say about the service and poor management, with no apologies or explanations for long waits. Our bill had an error on it, which was quickly rectified when we pointed it out, and when we asked if we could leave extra tip on the card (felt super bad for the stressed out servers), she said she didn’t know how and it would be easier to leave cash.
But the food was pretty good — nice dark meat cuts of fried chicken, delicious tangy dressing on the Caesar salad and fresh doughnuts. Love the hand wipes on the table and the fun music. Was really worth it for the promo price but wouldn’t return for the regular lunch price unless they sort out the service aspect and the manager’s strange too-​cool attitude.

I came here with friends in Summer 2014 a couple months after opening. As a fan of fried chicken, I don’t eat it often because of them there health related reasons, but when I do have it I want it to be an amazing experience. Having said that, there aren’t too many opportunities for great fried chicken in London though the last 2 years have seen the rise of more gourmet chicken shops amongst the background of the greasy ones we love to hate.
My experience at Bird was nice following a gym session with said friends so we all deserved it. I ordered the chicken and waffle burger as I’m heavily influenced by American’s and Snoop Dogg loves this, therefore I had to try it if only once!
The chicken itself was good, but not great: the batter was good but not crispy and light as I’ve experienced when in NYC. If I could I’d give the chicken 3.5÷5. The waffles were a pleasant surprise as I was expecting plain potato waffles but these were wheat I think but had ham and (possibly) spring onions inside — nice (though a little dry) therefore ⁴⁄₅. The meal was served with maple syrup as a condiment, this gave a nice sweet undertone to the dish but there was so little of it, I didn’t just want more I NEEDED more! You got literally 3 teaspoons of it. I guess they still had kinks to work out at this point so I made the suggestion to the waitress for their next board meeting. Points had to be deducted for this transgression so I had to award a 2.5÷5. The service was nice enough but I can’t award a final score of 3.5÷5 so it’s sticking at 3 stars.
I’ll be going back to Bird this Summer 2015 for a follow up and hopefully a 4.5÷5 experience.

Great fried chicken. This place has the right approach: do one thing and do it damn well! Only come into Bird if you want chicken, damn good chicken! The fried chicken was juicy and the breading was tasty and crisp. The fries were a bit of a let down, so I’ll skip those next time. The beer was nice though, a local London microbrew.
I had the Chicken and waffles and they were both fab! The waffles had cheese and spring onion inside, so they were somewhere between a sweet and a savory waffle (once I doused them in maple syrup!).
Next time, I think I’m going for their chicken wings. Looking around at what other customers ordered, I think that’s the way to go.
They also sell donuts (which are apparently all the rage), but I’ll have to taste for myself next time.

A little secret: this place sells GLUTEN FREE free range fried chicken! It is not written on their website or their menu, which greatly worried me. I read it in an article by the Londonist, then checked when I made my reservation and when I placed my order. It’s true: the chicken is GF. It’s fried in rice and corn flour, instead of wheat flour.
You can choose whether you want dark or light meat, or mixed. I chose mixed and got a breast and a leg. The quality was so good that I would get two dark meat pieces next time, and it isn’t greasy at all. You also get to choose a glaze or dipping sauce *check for allergies* — I got honey ginger glaze and it was a-​mazing. The chips are also GF but were average. Next time I would sub a few chicken wings in for the chips!
They also serve chicken and waffles (which my husband said were delicious), burgers, and breakfast! Their homemade doughnuts also seemed to be extremely popular too — people came in for doughnuts rather than the chicken!
This place is actually a saviour to me. I just don’t know WHY they don’t advertise themselves as selling GF chicken?!

Bird might just be the word you’re looking for if you’re looking for fried chicken in Shoreditch.
Chicken and waffle isn’t that much of a thing yet, but if you’ve TRIED it, then you know it should be.
BIRD does good, but not GREAT fried chicken. It’s a little on the oily side, without the satisfying payoff of that moment where you’re like «damn, that was the best fried chicken I’ve ever had». What elevates the meal is surprisingly the waffle. A lovely giant cheese and onion waffle. With LOTS of cheese. Cheese in the waffle, cheese between the chicken. So much cheese. So heavy. And Bacon. Hello!
The chicken waffle burger is a beast and one you’ll need a good appetite to tackle. The southern fried wings were again oily but the glaze was pretty good.
The service was pretty lacklustre to be honest. Doors were left open whilst staff chatted to persons outside. Requests for water had to be repeated. The place was cold. A little fuss was made over the table booking despite the restaurant being half empty.
These things aside however, it’s a rarity to get chicken and waffle together and it’s the combination of the core ingredients that make this place good. If you can forgive whatever is going on around you, then when that chicken waffle burger arrives, you’ll forget whatever annoyances were occurring and work on defeating this beast of a burger.
PS. Do not try to eat with hands. That’s just asking for a mess!

I made an extremely large order as part of a group — I didn’t really feel like fried anything that night so put down I wanted a salad which, just co-​incidentally, happened to be the only vegetarian option. However, what I got had lots of fried chicken… The next day I asked what happened and was offered a «free drink» in compensation. I implied that was a little weak given that it was the only vegetarian option and they had no way of *actually* knowing my preferences. Oh well.
Most rest of the group seemed to enjoy it – especially the waffles – so I won’t give it ¹⁄₅

I love fried chicken. It’s my favourite food on earth. It would definitely feature in my 25 course «last meal on earth» palava.
And guess what? I absolutely LOVED the fried chicken at bird. Loved loved LOVED it. So crispy and deliciously gooey at the same time that I could forgive it for its short comings. Of which there were many.
Let’s start with that cherry soda. Ok, maybe I just don’t like soda, but I couldn’t taste cherry it in (but everyone else seemed to find it was ok tasting. So, it’s an american style soda. very sweet. Not. Cherry syrup and soda.) Soda. BLAAHH.
As Grant mentioned, the sauces were… let’s just say next time I’ll bring my own ranch. Or just stick to ketchup. I love my ranch as fake as it comes. Super real stuff is good too… but butter milk with a bit of chives and dill? Yeah, I know that’s what supposed to be a ranch, but that ain’t a ranch mate.
Also the service was a bit spotty. Our girl left halfway through our meal which meant we were left without a server and waited for ages for our bill. All the other servers ignored us. You could hear the tumbleweeds literally rolling past our table.
Anyways… back to the good bits for a rousing finish:
The corn pudding was to die for. TO. DIE. FOR. I mean, lucky we were all decent people surrounded with really good fried chicken, or else Unilocal book club would have descended into some sort of fight to the death for corn pudding. The slaw was good to, though skip the chips.
Did I mention how good the fried chicken was? No? OMG I’d be a square if I lived in shoreditch coz that’s all I’d eat. Posh fried chicken. Every Friggin Day. Words fail me.
Now I want more fried chicken.
(To sum up. Lots of fried chicken, lots of corn pudding. No soda, no chips. BYO sauces)

Short:
Big portions, good fried chicken, poor chips, friendly but occasionally slow service.
Long:
I’ve got really mixed feelings about this place. I’ve now been there twice. The first time, I probably would have gone for 4/​5, but the second time, the experience wasn’t quite as good.
Let me start with the good. The fried chicken is tasty, and the portions of it are huge. The chicken & waffle burger is probably enough for two people, and the friend chicken sandwich is also excellent. The service is friendly but…
The service can also be really slow when busy. The second time we went for lunch, it took us over an hour from ordering to get our food, which is too slow for lunch time. Having said that, they apologisde and gave us a reduction on the bill, so hopefully they are working on it. Next, the chips are really disappointing. For £3.50 you get a really small bowl of fairly limp fries. This doesn’t really make sense, as chips are cheap to make, but organic chicken isn’t. If they made the fries portions bigger, they could probably get away with including less chicken.
I will be back here, and may upgrade it to a 4* if the service is better, but there is definitely room for improvement.