Unsurprisingly, Birdbox does chicken. It arose during the pandemic from fine dining restaurant Birdsong when they decided to pivot into the now famous-on-Instagram Claude the Claw sandwich. I saw photos of this epic looking fried chicken sandwich with a giant chicken claw sticking out of it, and thought about getting it several times, but I never really got around to it. I’m not sure why. So needless to say, I was incredibly excited when after Birdsong pivoted back to fine dining, the masterminds behind it decided to open up a permanent Birdbox location, so I could try the trend myself, for better or for worse.
So I walked over for lunch one day to get there when they opened to avoid any long queues. They were already busily getting ready takeout orders, so it was clear they were getting quite popular. I knew I had to try Claude the Claw ($20), which is a deboned chicken thigh/leg deep fried and put on a sandwich. There are two seasonings: Classic Yeast or Spicy Falcon, and we know I like spice, so Spicy Falcon it is. They also do a chicken breast sandwich ($15) if you prefer that part of the bird, or if you’re meatless, a hen of the woods mushroom sandwich ($14). You can get them with a side of fries (+$4) which I opted for. I’m also a sucker for cornbread so I had to get some ($7). I knew I probably over-ordered, but who knows if or when I’d be back, so why not try it all at once?
First up: The sandwich. It’s absolutely as delicious as Instagram photos lead you to believe. The chicken is moist, and the breading is crunchy. The seasoning goes really well, and the toppings on the sandwich are pretty much everything a person could want. It did kind of fall apart toward the end, but the mess was definitely worth it. The fries are a waffle cut, and they are also perfect. The seasoning (is it the yeast seasoning?) really amped up the potato flavor, and I quickly found myself addicted.
Of course, I kept eyeing my cornbread. I decided it would make a reasonable dessert, so I kept filling up on the delicious chicken and fries. I almost regretted my over-ordering until I took my first bite of the cornbread. It’s probably the best cornbread I’ve eaten, and I try it at a lot of places. It was so moist and soft, and while it was slightly sweeter than I usually like my cornbread, I couldn’t stop eating it. It was just so moreish that I was actually a bit sad when I finished, even though I was completely stuffed.
Honestly though, the whole meal was moreish as the flavors and cooking were so well done that you just keep wanting to stuff your face. It’s definitely worth coming back to, and I really hope to try the actual fried chicken next time, and not just a sandwich. Plus there are dipping sauces for the chicken, so that’s always something that excites me. I mean who doesn’t like dips? I’m hoping it will become a staple for dinner when driving back from wine country, as I imagine popping open a great bottle of wine with it would just be the icing on the cake.
Score: 5/5
Recommendation: Everything was amazing, but make sure to try the cornbread!
Birdbox
680A 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
