Pretty Bird Hot Chicken, Midvale — Restaurant in Midvale

Why didn't I come here before now? I saw the Midvale Pretty Bird many times while shopping at Winco but never came in. So I decided to treat myself after a long, hard day to try their hot chicken. Their store is small, but holy cow, it is immaculate inside. White tiling gives you a vibe of a diner. They also have a patio area as well; had I not taken my order on the go, it was a wonderful day to do so (swimming is a little more questionable this time of year). The only downside some might have is that you order via tablet rather than a traditional cashier. However, that is something I do see with many independent restaurants these days; that aspect of the service is up to your preference. This is different than the traditional Nashville Hot Chicken. It's a dry rub, which might discourage some, but it's interesting. I had the Fried Chicken Sando combo with an extra tender. Nice thing here is that you can pick the spice level as well. I went with hot... but not quite Hot Bottom. When I bit into the tender, it was big and moist and that heat is assertive, but not aggressive. Almost swore tasting a hint of cinnamon in that rub as I tasted the skin. But that got me anticipating the sando. I also chose the Pretty Bird sauce and for their take on fry sauce, I like it. That's coming from someone who doesn't Iike most fry sauces. Goes good with the chicken and the fries. The fries were crispy and denser than many fries, but with the chicken, it works. The chicken sandwich, done traditionally, has the sauce, pickles and slaw based on red cabbage all on the sandwich. Having my first bite, I could tell that the slaw and pickles really pair well with the chicken. Couldn't really pick the sauce that well, though. After that, I added some mayo, having lived in the Old South for about six years, is how I like my fried chicken sandwiches, especially spicy ones. The mayo also works with the chicken. Couldn't quite finish the fries, but I devoured that Sando. As mentioned, it's too bad I only tried it now as I am moving away. Would love to come here again if I find my way back to the...

This review is only about the original sando as that is the only item I have ever purchased in various hotness levels. It's sad but true that all good things must come to an end. Pretty Bird used to be so good that I started eating out more regularly just so I could go there. Despite the high price for a chicken sandwich, I genuinely felt what I was getting was worth the price. Sadly, that is no longer the case. The chicken has changed so drastically (in size, preparation, overall aesthetic, and seasonings) that I immediately noticed and thought that I was given the wrong order. I would compare it to going into Wendy's, ordering a chicken sandwich, and getting served a Pretty Bird; that’s how drastically different it looked. It was a generic light brown piece of chicken similar in appearance to what one could get from a grocery store or gas station. I thought that I was given an order with no spice because from my experience the more spice the darker the chicken and crunchier the texture. When I asked the employee if I was given the incorrect order and explained to him the more spice the darker in color the chicken is, he lied and said, “no, the spicier we make it the lighter in color it is.” Again, I know this to be false from my previous orders ranging from medium spice and up, plus that doesn’t even make sense. The taste of the chicken is no longer unique and is that of gas station chicken. Unless they go back to making sandwiches the way that Viet Pham intended them to be, I will no longer be eating at Pretty Bird in Midvale Utah. If Pretty Bird is franchised and this particular owner is changing things, this should not be tolerated from the other owners since this location is giving...

Ridiculous little place. First of all, you have to order through their "kiosks" which is a tablet on a counter. What happened to human interaction? I don't want to order from a robot, I want to say hi to someone, ask questions, customize my order, etc. You should atleast give people the choice. You have a lot of employees standing around doing nothing anyways.

Secondly, their kiosk automatically adds a tip to the order. If I wasn't observant I would've probably not noticed and payed it. What am I tipping for exactly? I don't tip for handing me food I paid for. Like I said, ridiculous. Also, shady.

Third, the food is not that great, 3 stars at best and overpriced.

Finally, the customer service is lacking. I was sitting near the counter when I received my food. The guy just put my food in front of me without making eye contact or saying thank you. No one said hi when coming in, no one said bye when leaving.

I guess in the case of Pretty Bird if you're going to do away with cashiers you should just go all the way and remove the rest of the staff too. Maybe have an automated hand or a conveyer belt which hands you your order while calling out the order number in a robotic voice and saying "Thank.you.for.your.order.have.a.nice.day". That might have made this a 3 star review.

Also, any person who rates this place above 3 stars has no...