Birdcall — Restaurant in Phoenix

Was definitely excited to try this place after reading reviews and seeing the long lines during their grand opening. We had waited over a week. Hoping that the lines would die down. Unfortunately we were wrong, lol. We went at noon on a Wednesday and upon pulling into the parking lot every spot was filled. There was a line of about 4 to 5 cars before us that had yet to place their order 😬. They have a different concept of fast food (and for some people it might not like it lol). I thought it was pretty cool and futuristic. Right when you walk in there is no classic counter, it's a kiosk. An employee greets you at the door and explains the system. If you're new to the place or haven't decided, you can grab a laminated menu. Otherwise, you walk up to the kiosk and a QR code is listed to view the menu with your phone. This is where the experience is different than your McDonald's kiosk. To start your order, the first step is swiping your credit/debit card. You select carryout or dine in and enter your name. Then you can select an email receipt or text receipt. Your name is added (with a number)to a TV screen with a timer counting down the expected cook/ready time. With it being as busy as it was, I was surprised that the wait time was less than 10 minutes. It was so busy that only one table was available inside and two tables outside . And while glancing around I noticed the maximum occupancy was 93 . I was surprised as I looked around and counted about 30 people in the building . I found it hard to believe that three times that amount could fit in this small location . It's definitely a smaller cozy dining room . And on average I would say no more than four to five people could fit at a table .Your name remains in blue while counting down and turns red when your food is ready. At this moment you actually go to a wall of numbered cubbies and locate your number. So let's get to the food, we tried three different sandwiches, the original, the buffalo and the rancher. By far the buffalo was the favorite. Different take on buffalo chicken but it had good flavor and surprisingly the coleslaw was a good balance. As for the rancher, the sandwich turned out to be really sweet. Wasn't fan of sweet bacon,onion,BBQ sauce flavor but that's just me. The original chicken sandwich was good but it seemed a little dry. Definitely have to add some of their sauce or ranch or maybe hot sauce. We also tried the french fries and tater tots. Definitely preferred the french fries over the tater tots. The tater tot seem to have a sour cream and onion or dry ranch mix seasoning. Never had tater tots with that flavor profile before they were just okay. The layout is unique and cool. No traditional check out counter, you have three kiosks on this counter which is also a bar with stool seating similar to a bar ( they do sell alcohol here). I would definitely say it's kind of a elevated Chick-fil-A. It's a real basic chicken sandwich menu with a few other options you wouldn't expect. Pricing also reflects this as it is a few dollars more than Chick-fil-A. Definitely would visit again, although to be honest I'll probably stick with Chick-fil-A as the primary chicken sandwich restaurant. Definitely a cool concept and good food..... No classic counter with a cashier. No table service,you grab your food and fill your drinks...and just a friendly reminder to people that don't like change, lol. This might be the future of fast food, So don't get angry at the people or the company. Times change and they just happen to be the...

A Great Addition to the Neighborhood

I recently had the pleasure of dining at "Birdcall," a newly opened restaurant in the neighborhood that specializes in a variety of fried chicken sandwiches and other delightful treats. Overall, my experience was quite positive, and I would definitely consider coming back. Here's a breakdown of my visit:

Food (4/5): The highlight of my meal was the chicken tenders and tater tots. The tenders were cooked to perfection, boasting a delightful crispiness and a flavorful seasoning. The tater tots were also quite delicious. However, I did find the sauces, which were similar to thousand island dressing, to be a bit monotonous. As for the banana cream pie shake, it had potential but fell slightly short. It was a bit too thick to enjoy through the provided straws, which were not quite up to the task. The shake had a subtle hint of banana and cookie crumbles, but I was hoping for a more pronounced banana flavor.

Menu (3/5): While the chicken options were varied and enticing, I was a bit taken aback by the high price point of the salads, which seemed steep for this type of establishment. This deterred me from trying them, despite their appealing appearance in the photos. It would be great to see more competitive pricing on the salad options.

Atmosphere (5/5): I truly enjoyed the ambiance at Birdcall. It had a nostalgic diner/soda jerk feel, which added a unique and enjoyable touch to the dining experience. The patio area that opens up to the main restaurant is a definite bonus, and it will be a fantastic spot as the weather cools down. It's a welcoming place to enjoy a meal with friends and family.

Service (5/5): One standout aspect of my visit was the excellent service provided by Rebecca. She was attentive, checking on our table numerous times to ensure that everything was neat and clutter-free. Her friendly demeanor added to the overall positive experience.

Ordering System (4/5): Birdcall's self-ordering system is an interesting concept, although it may take a bit of getting used to, especially for newcomers. It can be a bit challenging if you decide to make changes to your order. However, with a little practice, it becomes easier to navigate.

In conclusion, Birdcall is a great addition to the neighborhood, offering a unique spin on fried chicken sandwiches and a pleasant atmosphere. While there is room for improvement in pricing and the shake consistency, the excellent service and overall dining experience make it a place worth revisiting. I look forward to seeing how Birdcall continues to evolve and refine...

As a local chef I like to pride myself on trying every place I can, so when I have an opinion I can back it up.

I think the first mistake was ordering pickup because our food was definitely older.

Right off the bat we had to check our order because we picked up our order from a bay window and it is clear that no one checked that order because it was a to-go pickup order that we put in online. We had to go back in and actually request items that were missed.

Once we got home with our food we taste tested the honey ginger and the shaved brussel sprout salad. The Honey Ginger tasted quite old as if it was prepped last night or maybe early this morning and it just did not have any crispness or freshness to it.

The brussel sprout salad on the other hand tasted much like chlorine, perhaps vegetable wash was utilized for these brussel sprouts? Two people taste tested this one and it did in fact taste again quite old so it also could be the Brussels could also be old.

I have the seven piece chicken strips that were spicy. Flavor profile wasn't half bad, it was basically 100% heat... No other flavor unless you dip the chicken in sauce. chicken texture was quite overcooked, but otherwise palatable and may have been left under a heat lamp before serving to go.

Chicken sandwich that we picked up was edible, grilled, and probably the thinnest piece of chicken I have ever seen served and be called a chicken sandwich.

As a chef you can cut a chicken breast sometimes in three or four slices. This was more of a chicken cutlet, grilled sliced thin .... than it was a full chicken breast sandwich.

That chicken sandwich and a side salad was $20.

We got maybe $6 worth of actual food out of this and was only able to eat the chicken sandwich part....even then that chicken sandwich was $3 worth of chicken sandwich.

Now I understand operating a business nowadays is costly, But the cost of my chicken strips and side salad was again $20.

A $40 meal from a fast food place is what you are expecting, in today's world that's really really pricey.

I expect you can do better, but dropping that much money in today's economy is ludicrous for what...