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I visited one of Miami's best fried-chicken spots and found the real star is the hot sauce

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Joey HaddenJan 19, 2022, 02:33 IST
I visited one of Miami's best fried-chicken spots and found the real star is the hot sauce

The author went to Yardbird's first location in South Beach, Miami, to try the restaurant's famous fried chicken.Joey Hadden/Insider

  • I visited Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, one of South Beach, Miami's most popular restaurants.
  • I thought its famous fried chicken was crispy and juicy, but the flavor was a bit bland on its own.
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Yardbird Southern Table and Bar is a South Beach hot spot known for comfort food and some of the best fried chicken in the US, according to Southern Living.

Yardbird Southern Table and Bar is a South Beach hot spot known for comfort food and some of the best fried chicken in the US, according to Southern Living.
The outside of Yardbird on a Thursday evening in South Beach.Joey Hadden/Insider

Yardbird made Southern Living's list of the best fried chicken in the US.

I recently ate at Yardbird for the first time and thought it lived up to the hype thanks to its delectable sauces.

I recently ate at Yardbird for the first time and thought it lived up to the hype thanks to its delectable sauces.
The author eats fried chicken at Yardbird.Joey Hadden/Insider

Yardbird has restaurants in Las Vegas; Dallas; Washington, DC; Los Angeles; and Singapore. But the restaurant's first location opened in Miami in 2011, The Miami New Times reported.

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The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was the dress code sign — casual, but neat. I wore this dress with comfy shoes and had no issues getting seated.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was the dress code sign — casual, but neat. I wore this dress with comfy shoes and had no issues getting seated.
The author wore this dress to dine at Yardbird.Joey Hadden/Insider

Since the dress code was so casual, I assumed it was there to deter nearby beachgoers with incomplete outfits.

Inside, the restaurant was pretty busy on a Thursday night, but I didn't need a reservation.

Inside, the restaurant was pretty busy on a Thursday night, but I didn't need a reservation.
The inside of Yardbird on a Thursday evening in South Beach.Joey Hadden/Insider

Rustic lighting and decor gave the space a country vibe.

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The menu was mostly comprised of Southern comfort foods from a skillet cornbread appetizer to a shrimp and grits entrée. But the star of the show is the chicken.

The menu was mostly comprised of Southern comfort foods from a skillet cornbread appetizer to a shrimp and grits entrée. But the star of the show is the chicken.
The restaurant's 2021 dinner menu.Mark M./Yelp

Of course, I had to order the fried chicken.

Within five minutes of placing my order, there was a cast-iron skillet of four crispy chicken pieces in front of me.

Within five minutes of placing my order, there was a cast-iron skillet of four crispy chicken pieces in front of me.
The author's order of fried chicken.Joey Hadden/Insider

I ordered the half chicken, which came with four pieces.

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Two sauces — honey hot and bourbon maple syrup — to go with the chicken were already on the table.

Two sauces — honey hot and bourbon maple syrup — to go with the chicken were already on the table.
There were two sauces for the chicken.Joey Hadden/Insider

A representative for Yardbird told Insider the restaurant makes its own honey hot sauce and bourbon maple syrup.

I tried the chicken by itself first, and I found that the flavor was simple and subtle.

I tried the chicken by itself first, and I found that the flavor was simple and subtle.
The author presents her pieces of chicken before and after taking bites.Joey Hadden/Insider

The chicken could have done with slightly less breading, in my opinion, but I was thrilled with how crispy and juicy the meat was.

In terms of flavor, the chicken tasted a bit bland to me on its own, even though, according to a representative for Yardbird, the chicken is soaked in a sugar-salt brine with paprika and cayenne pepper for 27 hours before being fried in lard.

If I didn't have sauces to hand, I would have added salt and pepper to give the chicken a bit more flavor. And as I soon found, adding Yardbird's sauces to the chicken changed everything.

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Then it was sauce time. I tried the honey hot sauce first.

Then it was sauce time. I tried the honey hot sauce first.
The author pours the first sauce onto the crispiest pieces of chicken.Joey Hadden/Insider

I thought the honey hot sauce was delicious and not too spicy, better than any buffalo sauce — which I'm used to having on fried chicken — that I've ever tried. The sauce was also surprisingly thin, so it didn't stick to my hands and make a mess.

I asked for another plate to try the bourbon maple syrup.

I asked for another plate to try the bourbon maple syrup.
The author pours the second sauce over a fried-chicken thigh.Joey Hadden/Insider

As someone who hates the taste of bourbon, I found the subtle flavor in the sauce complemented the maple well. It was so good, I felt like I was eating chicken and waffles — except I didn't even miss the waffle.

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While I preferred the honey hot sauce, each sauce was super flavorful in its own way — and they worked well with the chicken.

While I preferred the honey hot sauce, each sauce was super flavorful in its own way — and they worked well with the chicken.
The author's plates as she nears the end of her meal.Joey Hadden/Insider

The sauces were so different from one another, that it made sense to me that the chicken flavor was a bit bland on its own so as to be complemented by the sauces.

In my opinion, any additional seasoning on the chicken would have taken away from one sauce or the other.

Next time I'm in a city with a Yardbird, I'll definitely make the stop — as long as the honey hot sauce is on the table.

Next time I'm in a city with a Yardbird, I'll definitely make the stop — as long as the honey hot sauce is on the table.
The author enjoys her meal at Yardbird.Joey Hadden/Insider

Even though I wasn't a big fan of the chicken without any extra flavor, its juicy, crispy texture paired with Yardbird's amazing sauces make it worth coming back for — which I fully intend to do.

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