You know everybody thinks they know fried chicken. I went by yesterday and had a fantastic meal and think that this could possibly be the greatest fried chicken ever.

P.S. Isn't a little strange how all the May 3rd reviews were posted within minutes of each other?

Was it destroy Dirty Bird Day?

We were there on friday at 7:30....they "had" everything i asked for. From the magic-marker-blacked-out-menu I think we can assume that mac-n-cheese had been taken off the menu as well as the greens.

So far I have to agree with the reviews back on the 3rd. DBTG is too epensive for the portion size and quality. Both the fried and rotisserie chicken is tasty but not sublime, and the dirty rice is a tasteless, dry, miniature bowl of rice whose only sensation that it imparts is heat.

will.....Do they use fancy chefs. Maybe that is their problem. This is home cooking we are talking about.....If Dukes isn't working...try it something else.....decafisevil/North Carolinians should get together and open a restaurant.

/ - Don't forget the sides. Collards, white sweet potatoes, orange are good also. Cobler or peacan pie....I will visit the establishment often. That would be my investment. All of my friends will visit too.

Do tarheels own Duke's? Sheesh, they should be ashamed of themselves. You're right, Duke's sucks.

decafisevil, i think its already called duke's and it kind of sucks.

Read the review before any comments had been posted and since I work a few blocks away I tried it for lunch. I guess I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think I will go back unless they decide to drop their prices or give you more food for your money. It really isn't worth the price. The chicken is alright but really small and the sides, well everyone seems to have covered them. I got it to go and had to walk a block back to the resturant to get a knife and fork and a NAPKIN. Hello!? It's fried chicken to go and you don't put a napkin in the bag? The learning curve better be pretty drastic or this place will fail, even with Gothamist-like puff pieces.

I've haven't met many people from the tarheel state, here.

Met plenty from MI, WI, and IL.

GO CANES'!

I think we North Carolinians should get together and open our own restaurant.

Very bland uninteresting chicken with a soggy, lifeless skin and sides that wouldn't be considered palatable at Rikers. Plus, they got my order completely wrong twice. Much better fried chicken at *gasp* Popeye's.

North Carolinian's Holla. I learned to cook fried chicken from my mother the North Carolinian. Slammin. We cook our chicken in an iron skillet. We also bake our cornbread in an iron skillet. The Dirty Bird sounds like it is Louisiana influenced. They are very much influenced by the French. You know, sauce, fish, shrimp, spice, Forrest Gump. The chef has a good idea. He should emphasize what region of the south more prominantly inside the restuarant. If it is take out, you can expect that it is not going to be as inviting as an eat in resturant. Take out usually equals fast food. Food Emporium on 50th street and 8th avenue has the best fried chicken in NYC. It is always fresh, constantly replenished to served day and eveining. It is southern fried.

Tried it too and was not impressed. The skin was layered so the top part was OK but then there was this chalky layer still on the chicken. The chicken was flavorless and dry but it was free range. The sides were eh, but then again they only had the dirty rice and potatoes.

For the best fried chicken in Manhattan: Miss Mamie's and Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too!!

Wow, I was thinking about checking it out 'cause I love good fried chicken... but I guess I'll take a pass.

I moved out of that neighborhood a week ago and failed to discover Dirty Bird to Go before I left, but I did routinely patronize a bare-bones Chinese joint just around the corner (on 7th Avenue above 14th Street) that sold half a fried chicken and french fries for less than $5. No-frills, crispy, fundamental fried chicken, though cut up in a curious way, perfectly serviceable. Why pay three times as much?

The only thing I miss about the south is the food (and owning a car), so I've been slowly visiting all the southern food joints in NYC. I don't get what the big deal is about Maroon's. Their chicken looked like it came from McDonald's and didn't taste much better, and they had the worst grits I've ever encountered. I hesitate to try out Dirty Bird since most of the recommendations I've gotten for southern food in NYC have turned out to be disappointments. When will restauranteurs realize that southern food takes time and grease, not flashy fake decor and new spices on old standards?

don't know why this is perceived as southern cuisine. chicken itself was very good, but the crust was like what you'd find in good fish and chips. service was surly, wait was long.

We tried Dirty Bird on Monday and liked it fine; the chicken was very good, as were the sides we tried (dirty rice, kale) -- but serving sizes, especially sides, are skimpy and prices are steep, and the cornbread is meh.

I have heard such contradictory things about this place... well, one of two things (or maybe both) are going on; they're having consistency problems early on, or the critics who claim that this isn't "real" fried chicken don't know what the hell real fried chicken is supposed to taste like.

My sainted Southern grandmother would have happily chowed down on this stuff, though I doubt she would've been able to bring herself to even taste it if she knew what it cost.

In this expat North Carolinian's opinion, the winner-and-still-champion in the NYC fried chicken derby is Charles Gabriel of Charles' Southern Style Kitchen in Harlem. Charles fries his birds in iron skillets the approximate circumference of oil drums, and the result is poultry perfection. Worth the trip on the train.

I have to say that I was also disappointed with Dirty Bird to Go. I used to live on its block, and I attend Pratt, so I did some take out the first weekend it opened and again last night (and then took it over to Pratt). The portions of the side dishes are small, especially the snap peas (I received 12 for the price of $2, ordered with rotisserie chicken). I enjoyed the shallot cornbread. The chicken was good. Both times the customer service was lacking; the first time they overcharged (glitch in the system), and it took 10 minutes to get straight. Last night, I asked for salt and pepper to go, and they didn't have any. At a takeout place! One of the cooks came up to me and stated that they seasoned the chicken. I said that I knew that, I'd been there before. He was not into helping me, but a helpful assistant (not counter help, not the main on-duty chef) put salt and pepper into separate containers for me. The price point - although expensive - wouldn't bother me if I felt that I received good side portions or even if the customer service was good. Last night, they told me it would be a ten-minute wait for my rotisserie chicken. I said that I didn't have that long, and the cook came over and said it would be ready immediately, making me feel bad that the counter help said 10 minutes. (I was on a class schedule.)

What it comes down to is that nothing at Dirty Bird To Go is splendid to justify the price. I really wanted to like them, but I felt like a chump getting disappointed again, yesterday, like "Why did I go again?"

I was just introduced to a truly amazing fried chicken place in Williamsburg called Pies and Thighs. It's on S. 5th st between Kent and Wythe right next to the bridge. Absurdly good chicken, ultra-rich macaroni salad, handful of other tasty offerings and baked goods. Plus it's connected to a bar!

There's some good Dirty Bird discussion going on at Ed Levine's blog, with a back-and-forth between Ed and the owners. Surprised you didn't link to it. Early reports were that it was not up to snuff, but the latest word there is DBTG is improving.

Pink Teacup (!) anyone??? Mmmmm!