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Exterior shot of Byrd & Barrel
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The chicken dinner plate with two sides: kale and broccoli stem coleslaw and mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.
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Three house-made hot sauces
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A close-up of the brined and pressure-fried chicken.
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Mashed and chunky red potatoes with skins on, a crew favorite. The speckled chicken gravy is made in a cast iron skillet.
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Mac and cheese with provel sauce, panko and rub
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The creamy kale and broccoli stem coleslaw
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The grilled farm salad includes hearts of romaine grilled and chilled the tossed with fresh, seasonal vegetables from Such and Such farm, some pickled in house. The dressing is a pepper jelly vinaigrette.
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Roasted cauliflower tossed with toasted cashews, grana padano, salsa verde, and Peppadew aioli
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The fried chicken liver banh mi
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A view of the tables in the dining room
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Vendor sign and red bar stools
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The specials board
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A big-art chicken. Maybe the inspiration for the Mother Clucker?
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The kitchen crew, left to right: Bob Brazell, Drew Sedlack, Luke Cockson, and Ryan McDaniel. Not in photo: Tommy Andrew (aka Tommy Salami or Tommy Chorizo)
St. Louis chicken fans, the Byrd flies on Friday.
After a long tease of tastes, hints of chicken deliciousness, Byrd sightings, and smack talk about beers and cocktails and fun times, Byrd & Barrel opens to the public on Friday, September 25 at 11 a.m.
Ladies and gents, this unique business model is a restaurant in a former fast food establishment with both a drive-thru and a bar serving 58 varieties of craft beer in cans.
The drive-thru won’t be up and running until Monday, so it will be full-contact, boots-on-the-ground scramble the first few days.
We got a sneak peek at a few things on Wednesday afternoon when chef/owner Bob Brazell and his crew set up food shots for the media. Chicken, house-made tater tots, pickled veggies, sandwiches, salads and more. See above photos.
Here’s a first look at two menu items, deconstructed, for your consideration:
Brazell makes one hot mess when he rocks poutine to excess (below). Call it Southside Poutine, Byrd-style:
- Lay down house-made tater tots; dehydrated potato flakes rehydrated in a flavorful crab boil liquid and deep-fried crispy.
- Pile on pulled chicken, brined, then smoked to succulent lusciousness
- Add cheese curds, phresh as cluck and squeaky
- Fry the heck out of some chicken in a cast iron skillet, make a speckly-rich brown gravy and pour over all.
Get ready for the Mother Clucker (below), the behemoth of the sandwich board.
- Spread some house-made pepper jelly on a big sesame bun toasted fine
- Top with a boneless chicken thigh, brined, seasoned and pressure fried
- Throw on caramelized onions, brown and sweet
- Ladle on thick and creamy house-made provel cheese sauce – do not diss the Byrd about provel
- Add a few red hot riplets, that’s right – potato chips
Let ‘er rip, Mother Clucker.
Byrd & Barrel
3422 S. Jefferson
314-875-9998 (not active until opening)
byrdandbarrel.com (not active until opening)
Facebook: Byrd & Barrel
Twitter: @BirdBarrelstl
