A former bicycle store on Regent Street was transformed into a fun and uniquely designed space called Butterbird. As the name implies, the restaurant specializes in chicken.
So let’s start with the fried chicken ($11 for two pieces, $19 for four, $36 for eight). It had exactly what you’re looking for in fried chicken: a crispy exterior and a moist interior. The chicken did not have a lot of seasoning and thus had a more subdued flavor, letting the fried taste come through. I also want to note that the fried chicken was not overly greasy, either.
I made my chicken order into a plate (+$5), which came with fries and cole slaw. That’s a good deal, as both sides are $5 individually. However, the flavor of the cole slaw was off, and it wasn’t as creamy as I had hoped.
Other sides include potato salad ($5) and watermelon salad ($5).
The chicken also comes in tenders ($12 for three) and rotisserie ($18 for half, $28 for whole). I got the latter in a sandwich ($14). All the complementary components made for a delicious sandwich, with the buttery bread, garlic mayo, swiss cheese, tomato and crunchy cabbage propping up bland and dry pieces of chicken.
Also among the sandwiches was the triple smash burger ($16). I knew it was going to be good because the wrapper was very greasy. The two patties were tender and served on a sesame seed bun that oddly also was smashed. If I had my druthers I would have preferred the onions to be sauteed more as they were a little undercooked but didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment.
The menu also has dessert items and brunch, plus a full-service bar. I have my eye on the chicken & sweet corn waffles ($16) for a future visit.
Butterbird serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday, lunch Friday through Sunday and brunch on weekends.
