Austin fried chicken and biscuits make Yelp's top sandwich shops list
You can't argue with that crunch — and who would want to?
As proud as Austinites can be of their increasingly diverse food scene, it's not much of a sandwich town. However, one local sandwich shop is standing out on a national level, says Yelp. Fried chicken sandwich shop Bird Bird Biscuit was No. 66 on the online review platform's Top 100 Sandwich Shops list.
The top 100 were compiled based on Yelp reviews, using "National Sandwich Month" as an excuse to talk about the almighty any-meal food. The list draws from all businesses in the website's sandwich category, which were than ranked based on total volume and ratings of reviews, plus some other unnamed factors. And having a passing health score was a prerequisite.
Bird Bird Biscuit checked all the boxes. Yelp only detailed its top 10 choices, but it's not hard to guess how Bird Bird made the cut. The chicken is crispy, well-seasoned, and fried fresh to order. The thick biscuits used in place of bread hold up well — no annoying crumbling. That's as long as you don't do this, anyway:
As evidenced in that squeeze, Bird Bird also does not shy away from sauces and other add-ons. The "Queen Beak" comes with a spiced black pepper honey sauce and a bacon-infused chipotle mayo; the "Carolina Caviar" comes with Hatch green chili pimento cheese and dill pickles.
There are also some other sandwiches on the menu that don't include chicken, some with an unexpectedly Italian-American twist. (How about a breakfast sandwich with pesto, or a grilled cheese made with mozzarella and cheddar, plus a marinara dipping sauce?) And the "Biscuitarian" features Impossible vegetarian sausage, an over-medium egg, and cheddar.
Those non-chicken picks fit right in with some trends Yelp discerned from this year's list. One was classic sandwiches from one region available in a faraway city; another was vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options. Add to that a love of the Vietnamese bánh mì and subs, and you've got all of Yelp users' favorite things about sandwiches right now.
Bird Bird Biscuit has 4.7 stars on Yelp across 1,800 reviews. One user, Keith T., even left a poem shouting out co-founder Brian Batch with his five-star rating:
"Took my parents to Bird Bird Biscuit - being from out of town.
They said it will be their first stop next time they came back around.
The biscuits are the best, nothing short of perfection.
I'm voting for Bryan and his Wolf Pack in the next election!"
South Austinites pining for some Bird Bird Biscuit, which is currently only north of the Colorado River, are in luck: the restaurant posted June 24 on Instagram that it's opening a third location next to Loro and Uncle Nicky's at 2121 S. Lamar Blvd. No opening date has been shared yet, but the plan is to open by the end of summer, according to the post.
Existing locations are at 2701 Manor Rd. and 1401 W. Koenig Ln. Hours vary by location; the Koenig Lane location is only open for breakfast and lunch, but the Manor Road location is open for dinner as well Thursdays through Saturdays. Both are open daily.
A very saturated look at spicy chicken and sides.Photo courtesy of Angry Chickz
Cape Bottle Room is pairing ice creams and wines December 9.Photo by Jack Fanelli