Yardbird Southern Table & Bar has eight locations, each offering a variety of whisky cocktails, neat pours, and flights.
There has always been a deep connection between Southern cuisine and whiskey, especially bourbons and ryes traditionally made in the same regions famous for specialties such as barbecue, fried chicken, and grits. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar tapped into this delicious match-up in an elevated, modern way when it opened in Miami in 2011. An overnight success, it was nominated for a James Beard Award and named Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit magazine. Its popularity led to rapid expansion, and today, in addition to Miami, there are locations in Las Vegas (in the Venetian Casino Resort), Dallas, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Singapore
Menus and beverage lists vary slightly due to the regional focus of each, but the signature cocktails and dishes are consistent across the board. For instance, the bestselling cocktail at all locations is the Yardbird Old Fashioned, made with bacon-infused Wild Turkey, maple syrup, water, and angostura and orange bitters. But the house-made bacon is cooked at each place, a 21-hour process using whole pork bellies that are combined with whiskey and left to infuse for several days, a craft process that means each batch is slightly different. There’s no actual bacon in the drink, but it gives the cocktail more mouthfeel and a touch of spice. Second most popular is the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade, also at all locations, with Jim Beam, blackberries, lemon, and bitters.
Similalry, when it comes to food, the bestseller is the fried half chicken, brined for 27 hours, then dipped in pork fat and pressure fried, followed closely by the chicken and waffles. Most items are made from scratch, including their pimento cheese, also used in the popular signature fried green tomato BLT. The menu is fun and creative, with gourmet spins on Southern classics.
The “Beverage Book,” is also impressive, with more than half a dozen whisky-based signature cocktails. Most locations have three to four whiskey flights (three 1. oz. pours). These vary the most geographically, and Miami has a Rare & Unique ($26), with Belle Meade, Bib & Tucker, and Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea bourbons. But the wildcard choice is the House Infused flight ($21), where you choose three from Bacon Wild Turkey, Banana Jack Daniel’s, Applewood Smoked Woodford Reserve, Dark Chocolate Knob Creek, Toasted Pecan Angel’s Envy, and Peanut Butter Wild Turkey. You don’t see that every day.
The whiskey lists at most locations have over 125 options, mainly domestic, but with around 20 scotches. Given the Southern theme, they are all most focused on bourbons, followed by ryes, then a handful of American whiskeys outside these categories. Prices are reasonable, especially for 2 oz. pours, and start at $11-$12 (George Dickel No. 12, High West Silver Oat, Redemption bourbon, Old Overholt rye) and run up to 12 and 15 year old Pappy Van Winkle ($85 and $110). But the majority are under $20, including a lot of interesting options such as Belle Meade, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch, W.L. Weller Special Reserve, Masterson’s rye, and Redwood Empire Lost Monarch.
The regional variances among locations focus on the local and small-batch scene. For instance, most locations have Yardbird’s 120-proof Knob Creek private barrel, but Denver also has its own cask bottling of Breckenridge bourbon, and extra labels of Laws. Chicago features Koval bourbon, Dallas has Garrison Brothers, and Las Vegas stocks Smoke Wagon and Frey Ranch.
For a chain that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Yardbird has an upscale, elegant feel, with lots of dark wood and leather, good-looking bars with elaborate bottle displays, and serious bartenders skilled in their crafts. The appeal to travelers is that you can feel like a regular even as a visitor, and enjoy reliably delicious food and a great selection of whiskies and cocktails, while also diving into the local nuances each location offers. It’s a strategy that keeps whiskey fans coming back.
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