Yardbird Table & Bar — Restaurant in Chicago

I came in with a party of 9 total on St. Patrick's Day weekend. We made reservations in advanced given the size of our party.

When we were seated, we were put at a table that only seated 8, and we were only given 7 chairs. When the first gentlemen came up to us to offer water, we tried telling him about the seating issue, but I, uh, don't know if he couldn't speak Enligsh? But he just kept making the motion to try to pour us water without saying anything back. So we stopped trying, let him pour, and waited for the waitress. Once we told her the issue she was able to bring us over another chair but couldn't really do anything about the table size so that was awkward, but thankfully they seated us upstairs and there were 2 kinda loungey chairs near the end of our table, so the overflow we had were able to sit there. Annoying though, given you place a reservation and nothing was communicated to us about the table situation or anything.

My wife and I decided to go with the Hickory Smoked Salmon ($23), The Great American Wagyu Burger ($35), and the 16oz Skillet Seared Ribeye ($69). We also ordered several drinks: Southern Revival ($16), Kentucky Buck ($17), All Things Flannel ($16), and Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade ($17).

The drinks were mostly good; my only complaints are subjective and I don't expect to enjoy every mixed drink everywhere I go. I mainly got the Southern Revivals for myself and loved them. The price was very reasonable for downtown.

For food, the smoked salmon starter was good. Nothing insane; straight forward thin smoked salmon filet. It had great taste, great texture, decent portion size.

My wagyu burger was a dud. The beef was cooked to something like a medium-well-to-well. The meat was bland and underseasoned with a very underwhelming flavor. The extra ingredients on it like farmer's egg, bourbon maple pork belly, and house pickles, were all barely noticeable. The burger was extremely sloppy and very tall. I wasn't expecting a true wagyu experience for $35 but wanted at least a good burger, and instead found mine to be mediocre and boring.

My wife's steak had to be returned. Twice while cutting through, she found brittle pieces of plastic wrapping. We originally thought it was the coating on the plate, but after closer examination we realized the plates are solid ceramic. When the manager came over she confirmed it was more than likely a wrap they use when prepping, that may have been cut into causing some pieces to remain in the food. She offered a new steak or to comp it, but since it already took a while to get our food and most were almost done eating, we opted to have it comp'd. The manager then offered "dessert for the table" and left us. A nice gesture that didn't go unnoticed. However, we were left in a bit of a dilemma when it came time to choose, because we weren't sure what she really meant by desserts for the table. Are we sharing? Are we each getting one? So I had to clarify with the waitress, who didn't know and then had to clarify with the manager. We were told "because many of our desserts are larger and meant to share, we will comp your table 3 desserts." Great, I thought! We ordered some Key Lime Pie ($18) and Biscuit Donut Bites ($14). I didn't have any of the Key Lime pie but the Biscuit Donute Bites were amazing. The Key Lime pie was a single piece so not really able to be shared, and the donut bites could barely be shared amongst two people, so while it was a nice gesture it also added to the overall awkwardness of the experience.

I normally try to not give 1 stars because it means I have to have had a truly bad experience. I know we're not always at our A games, whether we're people or businesses. But between the bad reservation/seating and the broken chair we received, the issues with service, the mediocre and overpriced food, the plastic in our food, and the added awkwardness from the entire night, I can safely say this was a bad experience and a restaurant I can neither recommend, nor consider...

This was an exceptional dining experience at Yardbird, and it was our first time trying many of the dishes. We’re on our honeymoon, and I must say, we picked the perfect spot. The service was outstanding from start to finish—our server was charming, and the manager made a point to personally greet us, which was a lovely touch. They really made us feel special, like we were dining with friends rather than just customers.

Now, let's talk about the food. As a Southern cuisine enthusiast, I can be a bit of a critic, but I’m pleased to say that none of the dishes we ordered were anything less than excellent. While not every dish was a jaw-dropping experience, we thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

We started with the deviled eggs. We may have made a slight misstep by ordering the Yardbird classic instead of the jalapeño and bacon variety, which I’m sure would’ve taken things to another level. That said, the classic was still a solid choice—a good, satisfying start to the meal, though I personally make them with shrimp at home, so I wasn’t blown away by these.

But then came the Fried Green Tomato BLT Stack—House-Smoked Pork Belly, Pimento Cheese, Frisée, Tomato Jam, and Lemon Vinaigrette. Wow. This dish was phenomenal! The combination of smoky pork belly, tangy tomato jam, and the creamy pimento cheese was absolutely divine. If there’s one dish you absolutely can’t miss here, it’s this one.

We also tried the Mac & Cheese—a creamy blend of five artisanal cheeses. It was rich, indulgent, and comforting, but I’ve had a bit more wow factor with other versions. Still, a solid 8/10 in my book.

For the entrées, we went with the Chicken & Waffles—Chilled Spiced Watermelon, Sharp Cheddar Waffle, Honey Hot Sauce, and Bourbon Maple Syrup. This was my first time ever having chicken and waffles, and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction! The chicken was perfectly crispy, the waffles were just the right amount of sharpness from the cheddar, and the grilled watermelon—oh my goodness, it added an amazing touch of freshness and sweetness that tied the whole dish together. A delightful contrast to the savory richness of the chicken. A must-try, hands down!

Next, we had the Shrimp & Grits—Seared Shrimp, Roasted Tomato, Virginia Ham, Red Onion, Nora Mill Grits, and PBR Jus. The shrimp were impeccably seasoned, tender, and had a fantastic flavor. I also adored the roasted tomato, red onion, and Virginia ham on top, which added a savory depth to the dish. The grits were a bit too coarse for my personal taste, but the flavors were still solid, so I’d give it a 7/10 overall.

We enjoyed a couple of drinks—the Bloody Mary was spectacular, a true stand-out with the perfect balance of spice and flavor. The Passionfruit Breeze was refreshing and delicious too, though I have to admit, it took a backseat to the Bloody Mary.

And then, for the grand finale: Banana Pudding Cheesecake. I could go on for hours about this. 100 out of 10. It was that good. Creamy, decadent, and just the right amount of sweetness. It was the highlight of the meal and worth every calorie.

As for the ambiance, Yardbird strikes the perfect balance between being lively and welcoming, yet quiet enough that you can actually have a conversation without shouting over the noise. It made for a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere where we could fully savor our meal.

All in all, this was a phenomenal dining experience—delicious food, impeccable service, and a warm, inviting atmosphere. If you're looking for a place to indulge in Southern comfort food done right, look no further than Yardbird. We'll...

I can finally say that my mom got good taste when it comes to choosing a restaurant we are both going to for our debut visit together.I was literally going to choose a pizza restaurant we have never been to before,but out of nowhere I actually decided to let mom pick the restaurant for us to go for our debut visit this time.This dice roll turned out to be a lucky outcome this time.I ordered their "Fine Fried Chicken" with mashed potatoes,brown gravy,and petite salad.It came with their Barbeque sauce they make themselves.I had their pineapple juice from a can ("Dole") and changed my mind about that because it didn't really do it for me coming from a can.The waitress we had admitted that it came from a can and I really appreciate her brutal honesty.I switched to their "Sweet Tea" in a jar she offered me two free refills for and it was good.I didn't get the second free refill,but I really appreciated the offer though.Mom ordered a "Protein Salad" and their Classic Buttermilk Biscuits starter or appetizer for us.She got their "Arnold Palmer" drink in a jar and she said it was good.It looked good too and I think I will get it next time myself.Their Biscuits came with a apple jam fruit spread that they make themselves and a cream style butter.We liked everything we had fortunately except for the "Dole" pineapple juice from a can.My fried chicken was extremely well seasoned despite the eurocentric vibe or ownership of this restaurant.This restaurant is literally in 8 cities all over the world ladies and gentlemen.The Mashed Potatoes was edible and soft enough with a watery brown gravy.The Petite salad was very healthy overall,period.Their Biscuits don't look like the extremely fluffy and soft top looking ones I saw in a photo somebody took and posted for them on here,but they still tasted good nevertheless though.Maybe they baked them too long or changed the recipe or changed the way they used to make them.The interior was the usual dim lighting I always see in Chicago restaurants unfortunately.The male restroom seemed to be cleaner than the usual.I also couldn't get any HOT water to wash my hands with as usual too unfortunately.Yes,they was playing the usual annoying so-called "music" in their background atmosphere wise that I usually don't like or care for,but fortunately their volume level was not grating though.They had bench seating that at least looked more comfortable than their table and chairs seating.Mom chose a table and chairs seating for us and very shockingly the chairs are more comfortable than they look if you want to take your time eating your food.The male employee or employees that clear and clean the tables all the time while you're still eating were too eager to take away dishes and other things if they think you're through with them even if you're NOT through with them unfortunately.I really don't like Bussers or Servers that are TOO EAGER to take away your plates and cups and silverware,especially when they don't ask you if you're through with them first.Patience Is A Virtue‼️Some Bussers and Servers and restaurant employees desperately need to be taught this most valuable lesson by their supervisors right now since yesterday,BUT YOU DON'T...