Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
Iced Tea
Fried Green Tomato BLT – House smoked Pork Belly, Pimento Cheese, Frisee, Smoky Tomato Jam, Lemon Vinaigrette
Classic Buttermilk Biscuits – Honey Butter, Apple Butter
Deviled Eggs – Dill, Chives, Smoked Bacon
Crispy Brussels – Spiced Honey
Friday Fried Fish Platter – Shrimp, Crawfish, Catfish, Remoulade, Grilled Lemon
Shrimp n’ Grits – Seared Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes, Virginia Ham, Red Onions, Nora Mill Grits, PBR Chicken Jus
Etouffee – Shrimp, Rice, Tomatoes, Dark Roux, Grilled Bread
Short Rib – Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, Blistered Corn, Asparagus
Chilled Spiced Watermelon
Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Waffle – Bourbon Maple Syrup
Lewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken – 27-hour Buttermilk Brined Natural Chicken
Cornbread Muffins – Jalapeno, Vermont Cheddar
Cast Iron Cherry Pie
Red Velvet Cake – Chocolate Pot, Vanilla Ice Cream, Oreo ‘Dirt,’ Gummy Worms
Raspberry Brioche Donuts – Crème Anglaise, Whipped Cream, Chocolate Fudge
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie – Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Fudge, Peanut Butter Cups
Fried Oreos and Twinkies – Rice Crispy Doughnut Dough, Confectioners’ Sugar
Peach Bourbon Paletas
Now with a Singapore outpost flying high and more expansion soon to come it was once again on Friday that Yardbird continued to show itself as a standard-bearer for Southern Food and Hospitality, a party of five including four first-timers all impressed by a multi-course feast featuring three new savories and a half-dozen Desserts pending release as part of the new Fall menu.
Undeniably a fan of the restaurant, and as such apparently in good company as this visit once again found Yardbird packed to capacity while it’s 50 Eggs neighbor and several other spots along Venetian’s Restaurant Row were less than half-full, it was moments prior to 7pm that guests were sat at a high-top in the front section, drinks ordered a la carte while the Menu was prix-fixe crafted by Chefs Sandra, Keris and Joe.
Now marking the sixteenth visit in what will soon be three years, the sustained popularity of the space a testament to both the concept and the quality in a city where dozens of restaurants come and go in half as much time, it was with Cocktails and Tea in hand that the night got started with several classics, the Buttermilk Biscuits still reigning supreme while the BLT and tricked out Deviled Eggs were as delicious as ever, as were the caramelized Brussels Sprouts and a fried platter of Seafood including flaky Fish, jumbo Shrimp and sweet Crawfish Tails.
Presenting some dishes in larger portions than the menu versions, though most entrees remain more than capable of feeding at least two, it was with an oversized plate of the Shrimp n’ Grits impressing all present that NOLA-classic Etouffee additionally made an appearance, the smoky Roux clearly time a time-consuming endeavor given its complexity and smokiness while the house Short Rib remains as meaty and tender as ever atop Cauliflower Puree buried beneath a blanket of blistered Corn.
Looked after by a team of servers, the same thin fella’ as last visit happy to take on the role of southern gentleman in playing up an accent throughout the evening, course four saw Yardbird’s signature dish broken down into three separate plates along with Cornbread, the 27-hour Brined Bird, crispy Cheddar Waffles and cubes of Melon all dialed in while the Muffins were piping hot and lightly spiced, though not quite as impressive as the menu’s skillet version.
At this point turning the show over to Keris Kuwana, her Las Vegas Dessert Menu soon to undergo substantial change after a trip to help the team open up in Singapore, it was with only one repeated plate that a half-dozen items were presented, the Popsicles not for the faint of heart as they pack a hefty punch of Booze while everything else was straight forward and delicious, the Donut Tree drawing a lot of looks thanks to the service piece while the potted Red Velvet has evolved a lot since it was first seen, the Vanilla Ice Cream layer playing well off of two layers of Cake while the Peanut Butter Pie is downright decadent even before a tableside pour of molten Chocolate.
FIVE STARS: Always a great time, both the food quality and the service continually impressive for a place doing such big numbers, Yardbird remains the reference-standard for Southern cuisine West of the Mississippi, a situation that seems unlikely to change even as John Kunkel and team focus on Global expansion.
RECOMMENDED: Buttermilk Biscuits, BLT, Shrimp n’ Grits, Etouffee, Chicken n’ Watermelon n’ Waffles, Peanut Butter Pie, Red Velvet Cake.
AVOID: The off-menu Bourbon Peach Popsicles might need a little more sugar…or maybe a chaser. 
TIP: Photos display a triple order of the Chicken and double order of Shrimp n’ Grits. Etouffee, Fried Fish, Cornbread Muffins and Desserts all potentially coming soon.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.runchickenrun.com