Yardbird Table & Bar — Restaurant in Washington

Yardbird is a fave restaurant of mine and I've been tracking the DC opening since I visited the Miami location.

I visited the new DC location on opening (April 2021) weekend for brunch, and already knew what I was going to order---their trademark chicken and waffles, of course. See below for more deets...

The Good: Beautiful location! The food, drinks, and presentation was great. I ordered the fried green tomatoes, chicken+waffles, and southern peach drink. It was also nice that water was already on the table upon sitting. The outdoor seating is great and spacious. Both sides of the restaurant offer patio seating but one side has more overhead coverage than the other.

The Bad: The drinks for my party of 2 took about 20min to arrive to the table. The appetizers arrived before the drinks. (bummer). It seems the wait staff doesn't keep straws on them. When requesting a straw to drink my water, I had to ask a couple of times from multiple team members before I was finally provided a straw. Lastly, the waffles weren't warm but kind of lukewarm to cool (for example, butter wouldn't melt once applied to the waffles)

The Ugly: As a former server of multiple restaurants, I'm big on service. The service needs some work here. I also noticed that tables are not pre-bussed so even though you may be finished eating, the staff doesn't go out of their way to clear the table. Since there's an automatic 18% gratuity to every check, one would think they would provide a higher level of service. Lastly, this location seems to be still figuring out what vibe they are hoping to set with the music. I heard lots of country music being played, then a Beyonce track, back to more country, an Usher track, then back to more country while I was there for two hours. An EDM playlist or just a cool retail inspired playlist would work well for this City Center DC location with young professionals. It'll be interesting to see what playlist is played during Happy Hour times of operation. Hopefully they'll figure out a decent playlist soon.

*By default, they provide digital checks and accept payment on a handheld device at your table. They provide a paper copy of checks/receipts upon request. Once you get the paper copy (as I requested), you'll notice the statement of 18% gratuity added and that it can be adjusted upon request. A Manager provided more clarification and stated that 18% gratuity auto add was a company wide implementation during COVID times to help staff out. It would be good if the wait staff also had this info so that when asked, they'll be able to provide the same statement.

Edited from 3 stars to 4 on 5/14/21 I visited twice after posting the original review and the service got better and better each time. Everything I mentioned above in my original review was resolved--timing of food/drinks, pre-bussed table, etc..and the service was so great during my 3rd visit that I spoke to the manager about it. I'll be back...

Mother’s Day at Yardbird DC – A Thoughtful Experience with a Few Hiccups

My family and I visited Yardbird in Washington, DC for Mother’s Day, and while the experience was overall positive, it came with a few logistical challenges—some expected, some handled impressively well by the staff.

Given the holiday rush, we made our reservation a bit late and, understandably, couldn’t secure a single table for our party of seven. We ended up with two separate tables: one for three, and one for four. After booking, I called the restaurant and spoke with a hostess who confirmed that no larger tables were available but kindly noted my request to seat our tables near each other, if possible.

Upon arrival, Melanie at the host stand let me know they couldn’t guarantee adjacent seating—and that was fine. But shortly after being seated at the first table, a nearby group finished up, and Melanie quickly reassigned our second table nearby so we could all be close together. That thoughtful gesture really stood out. Managing two young kids split between parents and grandparents was still tricky (note to self: book way earlier next year!), but the staff went above and beyond to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation.

As for the restaurant itself, Yardbird has a clean, stylish atmosphere —a mix of industrial loft and upscale Southern charm, with concrete textures and leather furniture throughout. It was busy, as expected on a holiday, but never felt chaotic.

The Mother’s Day menu featured a few nice perks: complimentary biscuits and a glass of champagne for moms, which added a festive touch. We kicked things off with the cornbread skillet and deviled eggs. The cornbread, packed with bacon, jalapeños, and corn, paired perfectly with the honey butter. The deviled eggs had a tangy, pickled twist—not quite traditional, but still tasty.

For my entrée, I ordered the fried chicken with strawberry cheesecake waffles. The chicken was excellent—crispy, juicy, and flavorful. The waffles, on the other hand, didn’t hit the mark for me. They were mini waffles filled with a cream cheese layer and a caramelized sugar topping, but the flavor was too muted. I found myself wishing for a classic Belgian waffle instead.

Since I wasn’t eligible for the champagne (not a mom :/ ), I opted for the Well, I Declare—a cognac-based cocktail and a delightful riff on the sidecar. It was well-balanced, not too sweet, and elegantly presented.

Final Thoughts: Yardbird DC delivered a memorable Mother's Day experience with attentive service and a welcoming vibe. While our seating arrangement wasn't ideal, the staff’s proactive approach made a big difference. The food had high points—especially the fried chicken and appetizers—with only a few missteps. I'd definitely return, just with a bit more...

Walked in on 3/29/2025 at ~230. They were not accepting walk-ins but we found two seats at the bar. The place was pretty full on a beautiful Saturday in the city. The weather was gorgeous in the low 70s.

They were clearly understaffed because the wait times were very long for any service. Most of the time there was only one person at the bar and at times there wasn't anyone at the bar to get assistance from. It took nearly 20 minutes to get the first drink.

We ordered the Deviled Eggs ($18 for two eggs) with the Jalapeno and Bacon. The eggs were delicious. My wife ordered the Walking Fool Caymus and I had one of their Signature Cocktails, Smoke on the Water. As noted it took quite awhile before the drinks showed up in the Whiskey cocktail seemed like a light pour (it was delicious however, if a little sweet).

Next we ordered the Brisquet Juevos Rancheros, an Old Fashioned and a wine refill. The Juevos Rancheros was underwhelming. Small dish size and plain tortilla chips on the side. The Bison Juevos Rancheros at Silver Diner is a better dish.

We got the food without getting drinks. I eventually got the Old Fashioned (much better, perfectly clear rock cube, orange peel, but no Luxardo Cherry). We were finished with the meal and still had not received the wine refill. We ultimately received a refill on the house for the incredible delay, I would have ordered a third cocktail but I knew it would take too long. Given the slow service we didn't consider a desert.

Finally the bill came with an 18% tip already included. For a two person bill this is truly egregious and unfortunately cost them since I normally tip above 20% but refuse to add if they assume tip. Just raise the wages and build it into the price but don't pre assume tip on terrible service.

For deviled eggs, Juevos rancheros, 2x cocktail and 1x glass of wine, the total bill with (mandatory tip) and tax $123.

Chrisa was very nice and had a good demeanor. She was simply disadvantaged with a lack of support staff for her during those hours.

They need more staff hired during busy times like gorgeous Saturdays when a ball game is going on and the convention center down the street was hosting multiple events.

Overall it was ok and under different circumstances might be a great place, but I am not sure I...