Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Officially Opens in Dallas’ Park District

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar was just about to open their doors in Dallas’ Park District when COVID-19 shut everything down. Now, after six months of delay, the highly-anticipated Southern restaurant is officially open and serving up some of the best fried chicken in Texas.

Originally based in Miami, the James Beard-nominated restaurant has expanded to additional United States cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Singapore, Washington D.C., and finally to Dallas this year.

The new Yardbird space was designed by award-winning architecture and design firm Rockwell Group and includes a large outdoor patio and open-plan dining space with an industrial look. Large windows allow you to look out on Klyde Warren Park. Unfortunately it was pouring down rain the night we dined at Yardbird, but the rustic, warmly lit interior offers some incredible scenery of its own.

The Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade is Yardbird’s signature cocktail. It’s a mixture of Wild Turkey Bourbon, blackberry purée, fresh lemon, cardamom, and Angostura bitters and absolutely worth the splurge. Specific to the Dallas menu are a few special craft cocktails, like the Yardbird T&T (tequila and tonic) and Take 2 & Call Me In The Morning (a Yardbird-style Penicillin).

For starters, the fried green tomato BLT with house-smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, frisée, smoky tomato jam, and lemon vinaigrette is a must-try. A couple of appetizers were also just made exclusively for Dallas, including the Col. Newsom’s Prosciutto Country Ham Plate and Jumbo Butter Bean Chili.

As for the fried chicken, you really can’t go wrong with any of the dishes. Obviously, the chicken ‘n’ watermelon ‘n’ waffles is a favorite — I devoured the cheddar cheese waffle with bourbon maple syrup and half bird. If you’re sharing, go with The Whole Bird. It’s the same dish, but the chicken comes in an Instagrammable, chicken-shaped gold basket.

Another popular choice is the Lewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken (also a half bird, but no waffles). Sides like skillet cornbread, mac & cheese, and mashed potatoes perfectly round out the indulgent meal.

Dessert choices are tougher to narrow down. We went with the towering Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Cake, but if you have 20 minutes to spare, the Strawberry Peach Cobbler is baked to order and comes with a brown sugar oat crumble. If you’re comfortable dining out, Yardbird’s spacious Park District location closely follows safety precautions, while offering a warm, inviting atmosphere and delicious Southern food.