Fried Chicken. It’s one of America’s favorite things to eat. I have never been to a 4th of July picnic or celebration that didn’t include a hearty basket or platter of crispy delicious fried chicken. What’s more, as I was growing up, it was almost always the main dish cooked and served at my grandmother’s house for our traditional weekly Sunday family dinners. So when I heard there was a place in LA serving up soon-to-be legendary fried chicken sandwiches, I had to see it and taste it to believe.
Photo by Jessi Jordan
I didn’t expect much when I arrived at Birdies. From the outside, it looks like a small but quaint unassuming little doughnut shop on a busy street in LA. Yet, what I experienced there was nothing short of awesome.
To make a really great chicken sandwich – or any great sandwich for that matter – you gotta build each layer with different favors and textures and Birdies LA over delivers.
Photo by Jessi Jordan
Chef Jake – the resident chef there – (who’s piercing green eyes make him ever so adorable) was kind enough to walk me through the whole process of making not one, not two, but all three ridiculously delicious Birdies chicken sandwiches.
First the chicken breasts are dredged in flour, next they are put in a combo mix of egg & buttermilk & seasoning, and then flour again. Next to my surprise, Chef Jake began to knead them like you would some sort of pizza dough and the results produce a chicken breast that is super crunchy as well as flaky. This is a signature style of Birdies chicken and I simply loved it. The chicken breasts are put in this cool looking machine that flash fries them in 7 minutes.
Photo by Jessi Jordan
The Brioche bread is baked fresh every day and it is super soft buttery and delicious.
As any great chef will tell you, fresh ingredients are everything; and Chef Jake prides himself on how committed he is to only using the best quality ingredients: including free range chicken, fresh vegetables and brioche bread baked fresh every single morning. Birdies even makes every single sauce fresh from scratch.
Photo by Jessi Jordan
Then each sandwich gets their own delicious fresh made toppings. I’ll break it down for ya’ll:
BIRDIES BREAKFAST SANDWICH: topped with an Over Easy (or Scrambled Egg) with Applewood smoked bacon, Tillamook Cheddar and Birdies special sauce.
BIRDIES SPICY: topped with Cole Slaw, Ghost Pepper Mayo, Tillamook Pepper jack & cured pickles. (my fav)
BIRDIES ORIGINAL: topped with a vinegar based Cole Slaw, Buttermilk Ranch Mayo, Tillamook Cheddar & cured pickles.
If sandwiches don’t tickle your fancy you can get chicken tenders, wings, legs, or thighs.
Photo by Jessi Jordan
In my opinion, no meal is complete without french fries and the fries here are insane. I don’t know how they pack so much flavor into a potato wedge but somehow they do. Plus, the fries are seasoned all the way through. Do you understand what I am telling you people? These are not the kind of fries that only have seasoning on the outside with bland potato taste inside. NO SIR. NO MA’AM.
My mouth is still watering just thinking about them.
Spoiler Alert: Birdies is going to be rolling out some new flavors including a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.
Photo by Jessi Jordan
They also have the best tasting donuts in LA including a $100 24K Gold Doughnut. Click to here read all about on this bad boy, and the entire selection of their artisanal donuts that I gleefully stuffed into my mouth.
Also, you gotta watch how the $100 doughnut and these amazing fried chicken sandwiches are made:
Plus, you may have a chance to meet American Idol’s Randy Jackson since he frequently visits Birdies.
Photo courtesy of @chefjakeeps on instagram
When you walk into Birdies it’s like you are walking into a friend’s house; which I found really strange at first but it turned out wonderful. Everyone that works there from the first person I met at the counter, Jayden, to the kitchen staff to Chef Jake, were all so welcoming and friendly. They each know their customers by name and every customer I saw honestly seemed happy to be there.
Chef Jake was adorable. Go in and meet him on July 6th to Celebrate National Fried Chicken Day and he will make you the best chicken sandwich of your life. And don’t forget to tell them that Jessi Jordan from Spoon sent ya.