Thirsty Bird Southern fried chicken, Potts Point
First there was Mr Crackles. Now we have Thirsty Bird. The folks behind Mr Crackles have expanded to a second outlet, moving their attention from (predominantly) pork to chicken. It's no surprise that their obsession with crunch - have you had their incredible crackling roast pork rolls? - has translated to poultry's version of crack: Southern fried chicken.
Thirsty Bird at Potts Point
Thirsty Bird quietly opened five weeks ago in Potts Point, down at the station end of Bayswater Road. Word is they'd searched for a site in the city for a year with no luck until this one became available. It's a prime location for what they do, offering a hearty but tasty meal to the hordes of foot traffic, especially late at night - they're open until 3am on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Thirsty Bird menu
The short but sweet menu is all about the chicken. Get it fried on the bone Southern-style or go for the Buffalo wings drenched in hot sauce or BBQ sauce. Four burgers alternate between grilled, crumbed or fried chicken fillings.
Order and pay at the counter and hover on the footpath until you hear your number called. The shopfront is even smaller than Mr Crackles with only five stools available to perch on inside. We're not sure if they're planning on replacing their stools but currently they're at an uncomfortably low height for the table, making you feel like you're a four year old in need of a high chair.
8 pieces Southern fried chicken with ranch and roast chilli sauces $25
Southern fried chicken batter
The batter isn't as thick and heavy as other joints, but the chicken itself is succulent and juicy. It reminds me of homemade fried chicken, not over-the-top crunchy but its thinner batter means you can keep on ploughing through.
Katsu burger $10
The katsu burger is a surprise hit, a flattened chicken thigh fillet coated in crumbs and deep-fried. The fillet is super tender, sandwiched by a super soft torpedo roll. Shredded cabbage counters the richness of the chicken, and squiggles of mayonnaise and fruity tonkatsu sauce add sufficient lubrication.
Mash, gravy and chicken crackle $5
We skip the waffle fries and choose the mash and gravy instead, lured mostly by the promise of chicken crackle. It's a shame the curls of chicken crackling get soggy so quickly, but otherwise it's practically a meal in a tub. Smooth and buttery mashed potato is drenched in a lake of chicken gravy.
Mac 'n' cheese with bacon $5
Thirsty Bird
Shop 3, 2-14 Bayswater Road, Potts Point, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8937 4672
Tuesday to Thursday 5.30pm-11pm
Friday and Saturday 5.30pm-3am
Sunday 5.30pm-11pm
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Labels: Fried chicken, Potts Point
posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 2/28/2016 02:20:00 pm
12 Comments:
At 2/28/2016 8:02 pm, Sarah said…
That chicken looks freakin awesome! And that mac and cheese too, *swoon*
At 2/28/2016 9:25 pm, Joseph said…
So many cool new places opening up recently! My kind of place ,I like the sound of everything on the menu!
At 2/29/2016 12:30 am, chocolatesuze said…
Woah that fried chicken sounds incredible but woah I NEED that tub of mash and gravy!
At 2/29/2016 8:31 am, Bianca@forfoodssake said…
I think I'm slightly more impressed by the sight and sound of the mash, gravy and chicken crackle!!!
At 2/29/2016 12:07 pm, Maureen | Orgasmic Chef said…
I haven't had good Southern fried chicken in years. This sure does look good.
At 3/01/2016 7:17 am, John - heneedsfood said…
Good lord, that katsu burger! When's the next train to the Cross?
At 3/01/2016 5:04 pm, Gourmet Getaways said…
Oh Yum!!
You cannot go wrong with food like that!!
Thanks for sharing
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
At 3/02/2016 2:52 pm, Cassie | Journey From Within said…
YES! Everything about this, yes!!
I loved Mr Crackles and I'm sure I'll love this...
mash and chicken skin?! WHAT?!
At 3/07/2016 11:48 am, Ramen Raff said…
8 pieces of Southern FC is not bad!! But it looks like the Katsu burger is where it's at!
At 3/08/2016 1:53 pm, Phuoc'n Delicious said…
Goddamn yo!!! I want all the fried chicken!!
At 4/21/2016 8:09 pm, Unknown said…
While I admit the "meal deal" (2 pieces with mashed potato side) was a tasty snack it was nowhere near as satisfying as a Mr Crackle small roast pork & vegetables.
Of the two pieces of chicken, one was a wing and really it just wasn't filling enough.
Provided you accept it's more expensive and spend say $22 on 3 pieces of chicken with two sides it could be satisfying but sadly Thirsty Bird cannot compete with Mr Crackle when it comes to value.
I would describe it as boutique KFC.
At 5/02/2016 10:36 pm, The Sydney Noob said…
Good selection - the southern burger was pretty good. I have to go again to make up my mind.
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