May 3, 2006
Street Eats: Dirty Bird
For expat Southerners in the city, good fried chicken is something of a holy grail. There are a few decent contenders—Mama's Food Shop and Maroons, for example. But too often Southern cuisine is treated dismissively, as slop only to be mass produced. Now at last, a chef with a fine sensibility is doing it right. Dirty Bird is a new takeout spot specializing in fried chicken, and the verdict is in: This is the real deal. In the kitchen is Allison Vines-Rushing, a Louisiana native and a recipient of a James Beard award for rising chef. Formerly at Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, she is now bringing it to the people at this tiny storefront. Sound familiar, Danny Meyer? We could have another Shake Shack on our hands.
Marinated, double-dipped in batter, and fried to a luscious deep brown, this chicken takes you to heaven on the first bite. Only free-range animals are used, and the meat has an unusually intense, almost sweet flavor. For $14.99, you get four pieces with your choice of two sides. Try the shallot cornbread, with the irresistibly crumbly consistency of shortbread, or the dirty rice, flavored with hot peppers and gizzards the way it's supposed to be. (Rotisserie, chicken fingers, and salads are also offered, but why bother when the main offering is so tasty?) Beware that the Bird has just opened and is a little overwhelmed from demand, so call first to check if they've run out of anything. And expect to wait—this isn't Popeye's—but in the end you'll be glad you did.
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Real Southerners don't miss the taste, we can fry our own chicken and make our own sides. It's not like barbecue where most people don't have the space...
This place has been a disaster since it first opened (about a week late). After reading all the press (including previous suck-ups at Gothamist, if I remember correctly), I stopped by. They didn't have half the stuff. The staff was rude, rather than apologetic. And when you put your fork into the obscenely small dixie cup of dirty rice they give you for three bucks, you are surprised to find how quickly it hits bottom--not only is the cup small, but the bottom has been raised so as to further reduce volume. I turned it over and the width of the lower lip was at least 3/4 of an inch. Plus, you have to be a trust-fund baby to pay the prices they ask for half a frigging chicken. I had the rotisserie half chicken. It was about as good as Boston Market, but BM has Dirty Bird beat hands down on ambience. I would avoid this place like the Avian Flu.
No way in hell would I pay those prices and get a piece of wing. Don't get me started on the sweet tea prices.
Either make your own in a cast iron skillet or go down south to a real southern buffet.
I'm ma comin home.
was this a paid advertisement? I've heard nothing but bad things about this place since it open, from the uncessarily obscene prices to the miniscule sides, and cornbread the size of croutons.
so this is another one of those acme grill type reviews?
not to be a hater or anything, but i got some dirty bird two weeks ago and was totally underwhelmed. everything--the fried chicken, the rotisserie chicken, the dirty rice, and especially the mac and cheese--was stunningly bland. i guess that's not the worst crime, but i dropped like 70 bucks for 5 people! AND they forgot to pack my rotisserie chicken. yes, it's brand spankin new, so i'm willing to give it another shot (i had a near-perfect meal at the luxury oyster bar a couple summers back), but i hope they get their act together. please?
Wow, as I was reading this review, I thought to myself "let's see how fast the haters jump on the comments." That must've been a new record. Ah well, I guess I'll have to experience it myself.
yeaaahhhh ... i can't stray too far from the comments above. the skin on the chicken had a great crispy and crumbly texture but the meat was bland. and the sides were very small ... sufficient for feeding one person but since we wanted to share the sides family-style, they were only big enough for a couple bites each. i really hope they bring this place around though. i feel like a couple tweaks and this place could be really special.
Pink Teacup (!) anyone??? Mmmmm!
There's some good Dirty Bird discussion going on at Ed Levine's blog, with a back-and-forth between Ed and the owners. Surprised you didn't link to it. Early reports were that it was not up to snuff, but the latest word there is DBTG is improving.
I was just introduced to a truly amazing fried chicken place in Williamsburg called Pies and Thighs. It's on S. 5th st between Kent and Wythe right next to the bridge. Absurdly good chicken, ultra-rich macaroni salad, handful of other tasty offerings and baked goods. Plus it's connected to a bar!
I have to say that I was also disappointed with Dirty Bird to Go. I used to live on its block, and I attend Pratt, so I did some take out the first weekend it opened and again last night (and then took it over to Pratt). The portions of the side dishes are small, especially the snap peas (I received 12 for the price of $2, ordered with rotisserie chicken). I enjoyed the shallot cornbread. The chicken was good. Both times the customer service was lacking; the first time they overcharged (glitch in the system), and it took 10 minutes to get straight. Last night, I asked for salt and pepper to go, and they didn't have any. At a takeout place! One of the cooks came up to me and stated that they seasoned the chicken. I said that I knew that, I'd been there before. He was not into helping me, but a helpful assistant (not counter help, not the main on-duty chef) put salt and pepper into separate containers for me. The price point - although expensive - wouldn't bother me if I felt that I received good side portions or even if the customer service was good. Last night, they told me it would be a ten-minute wait for my rotisserie chicken. I said that I didn't have that long, and the cook came over and said it would be ready immediately, making me feel bad that the counter help said 10 minutes. (I was on a class schedule.)
What it comes down to is that nothing at Dirty Bird To Go is splendid to justify the price. I really wanted to like them, but I felt like a chump getting disappointed again, yesterday, like "Why did I go again?"
We tried Dirty Bird on Monday and liked it fine; the chicken was very good, as were the sides we tried (dirty rice, kale) -- but serving sizes, especially sides, are skimpy and prices are steep, and the cornbread is meh.
I have heard such contradictory things about this place... well, one of two things (or maybe both) are going on; they're having consistency problems early on, or the critics who claim that this isn't "real" fried chicken don't know what the hell real fried chicken is supposed to taste like.
My sainted Southern grandmother would have happily chowed down on this stuff, though I doubt she would've been able to bring herself to even taste it if she knew what it cost.
In this expat North Carolinian's opinion, the winner-and-still-champion in the NYC fried chicken derby is Charles Gabriel of Charles' Southern Style Kitchen in Harlem. Charles fries his birds in iron skillets the approximate circumference of oil drums, and the result is poultry perfection. Worth the trip on the train.
don't know why this is perceived as southern cuisine. chicken itself was very good, but the crust was like what you'd find in good fish and chips. service was surly, wait was long.
The only thing I miss about the south is the food (and owning a car), so I've been slowly visiting all the southern food joints in NYC. I don't get what the big deal is about Maroon's. Their chicken looked like it came from McDonald's and didn't taste much better, and they had the worst grits I've ever encountered. I hesitate to try out Dirty Bird since most of the recommendations I've gotten for southern food in NYC have turned out to be disappointments. When will restauranteurs realize that southern food takes time and grease, not flashy fake decor and new spices on old standards?
I moved out of that neighborhood a week ago and failed to discover Dirty Bird to Go before I left, but I did routinely patronize a bare-bones Chinese joint just around the corner (on 7th Avenue above 14th Street) that sold half a fried chicken and french fries for less than $5. No-frills, crispy, fundamental fried chicken, though cut up in a curious way, perfectly serviceable. Why pay three times as much?
Wow, I was thinking about checking it out 'cause I love good fried chicken... but I guess I'll take a pass.
Tried it too and was not impressed. The skin was layered so the top part was OK but then there was this chalky layer still on the chicken. The chicken was flavorless and dry but it was free range. The sides were eh, but then again they only had the dirty rice and potatoes.
For the best fried chicken in Manhattan: Miss Mamie's and Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too!!
North Carolinian's Holla. I learned to cook fried chicken from my mother the North Carolinian. Slammin. We cook our chicken in an iron skillet. We also bake our cornbread in an iron skillet. The Dirty Bird sounds like it is Louisiana influenced. They are very much influenced by the French. You know, sauce, fish, shrimp, spice, Forrest Gump. The chef has a good idea. He should emphasize what region of the south more prominantly inside the restuarant. If it is take out, you can expect that it is not going to be as inviting as an eat in resturant. Take out usually equals fast food. Food Emporium on 50th street and 8th avenue has the best fried chicken in NYC. It is always fresh, constantly replenished to served day and eveining. It is southern fried.
Very bland uninteresting chicken with a soggy, lifeless skin and sides that wouldn't be considered palatable at Rikers. Plus, they got my order completely wrong twice. Much better fried chicken at *gasp* Popeye's.
I think we North Carolinians should get together and open our own restaurant.
I've haven't met many people from the tarheel state, here.
Met plenty from MI, WI, and IL.
GO CANES'!
Read the review before any comments had been posted and since I work a few blocks away I tried it for lunch. I guess I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think I will go back unless they decide to drop their prices or give you more food for your money. It really isn't worth the price. The chicken is alright but really small and the sides, well everyone seems to have covered them. I got it to go and had to walk a block back to the resturant to get a knife and fork and a NAPKIN. Hello!? It's fried chicken to go and you don't put a napkin in the bag? The learning curve better be pretty drastic or this place will fail, even with Gothamist-like puff pieces.
decafisevil, i think its already called duke's and it kind of sucks.
Do tarheels own Duke's? Sheesh, they should be ashamed of themselves. You're right, Duke's sucks.
will.....Do they use fancy chefs. Maybe that is their problem. This is home cooking we are talking about.....If Dukes isn't working...try it something else.....decafisevil/North Carolinians should get together and open a restaurant.
/ - Don't forget the sides. Collards, white sweet potatoes, orange are good also. Cobler or peacan pie....I will visit the establishment often. That would be my investment. All of my friends will visit too.
We were there on friday at 7:30....they "had" everything i asked for. From the magic-marker-blacked-out-menu I think we can assume that mac-n-cheese had been taken off the menu as well as the greens.
So far I have to agree with the reviews back on the 3rd. DBTG is too epensive for the portion size and quality. Both the fried and rotisserie chicken is tasty but not sublime, and the dirty rice is a tasteless, dry, miniature bowl of rice whose only sensation that it imparts is heat.
You know everybody thinks they know fried chicken. I went by yesterday and had a fantastic meal and think that this could possibly be the greatest fried chicken ever.
P.S. Isn't a little strange how all the May 3rd reviews were posted within minutes of each other?
Was it destroy Dirty Bird Day?