Chicken Tender Impressions, Part I: CityBird
Posted Friday, October 5, 2018Does the world need another chicken tender restaurant? Cincinnati entrepreneurs seem to think so. In just a couple short years, we've seen chains like Raising Cane's, Slim Chickens and Tender Towne sweep into...uh...town(e). Now local chefs are cashing in on the craze with two homegrown, "upscale" tender joints: CityBird and Money Chicken.
CityBird, located in Over-the-Rhine, was conceived by Thunderdome Restaurant Group, the same folks who brought us The Eagle, Bakersfield, Currito, Maplewood and Krueger's Tavern. Like the chicken served by its big brother and next-door neighbor, The Eagle, CityBird's chickens led a happy, free roaming, cage free existence full of moonbeams and rainbows before dunked in a brine infused with a super-secret selection of herbs and spices.
The four and six-tender meal combos come with Parmesan and parsley-dusted fries and a choice among five dipping sauces ($7.49-$9.49). Three sandwich variants are featured for $5.99, each sporting three tenders and a unique flavor profile ("CityBird" style with slaw and tangy sauce, lemon thyme ranch and spicy sriracha mayo). A mixed-green salad is available for any roaming vegetarians in your party ($6.99).
Spicy chicken tender sandwich and fries Unlike its chief local competitor, Money Chicken, CityBird is essentially built for carry-out only, though there are exactly three seats one could theoretically sit at near the window. House made lemonade is offered to drink, as well as a selection of tea, bottled water and canned beverages.
I chose the spicy chicken sandwich variant with "smoky tenders," Green Goddess slaw and sriracha mayo on a toasted bun ($5.99) along with a side of fries ($1.99). The fries looked compelling: they were cut to resemble McDonald's fries, then tossed with heaps of Parmesan cheese and flecks of fresh parsley.
The tenders were juicy and the batter was applied with a light touch, so they weren't particularly crispy. The toasty bun and slaw added a welcome crunch to every bite, and the spicy heat was detectable but not overwhelming. The fries were quite tasty, elevated as they were with the wonderful Parmesan and parsley topping.
For a relatively reasonably priced chicken lunch, CityBird satisfies that tender itch.
1344 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202513-864-5720
Rating: 3.0 out of 4
= Outstanding
= Fair
= Poor
The best TACO joint in the city. I go there as a treat to myself every Monday. TEX MEX TACOS are delicious culinary treats that look beautiful and taste great. I'm so impressed with this place that I never explore the other items on the menu. If you don't get your taco fix here, you're losing in life.
posted: Tue., Apr 27th, 2021 @ 2:37 PM
My Wife and myself dined at Ferrari’s on Saturday and the Food and service was great/ I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli with misc nuts and sauce and it was the best meal I’ve had there/ My wife had the Fish and Vegetables and was very happy/ I also got a couple of their pizza and olive loaves of bread/ The bread is always a hit at work.
posted: Mon., Nov 23rd, 2020 @ 1:14 PM
@Rick: Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have to remember to give them a try.
posted: Sat., Nov 21st, 2020 @ 9:06 AM
Try Joe's Pizza located at Airway and Smithville Rd. You might like it...That's one of favorite haunts. I definitely think it beats Cassano's.
posted: Fri., Nov 6th, 2020 @ 4:19 PM
Hands down the best Indian in the area. I have yet to find their yellow Punjabi dish anywhere. It is my favorite, and what keeps me coming back time after time. I think I have been here over 100 times. I love this place.
posted: Thu., May 28th, 2020 @ 12:03 PM
I found a gyro I keep thinking about
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tazikis-mediterranean-cafe-cincinnati
their lamb gyro is about 2-3 bucks higher in cost than a gyro elsewhere - B U T - it is made with whole pieces of lamb meat, not the lamb and beef loaf that all other Gyro joints in Cincinnati seem to do
it is a chain. A minus for me, and I suspect for you as well.
But its good.
really, really good
one caveat: skip the baklava as it is not made in-house
posted: Mon., Dec 9th, 2019 @ 12:43 PM
I'll take your word for it, then.....it is fairly close to work so it'll be an upcoming lunch
I also need to try out this little taco wagon near Quatmans in Norwood
posted: Mon., Sep 9th, 2019 @ 6:21 PM
Hi @TJ - We were pretty impressed with the quality of the items, which I think justifies some of the pricing. I really liked the house-made tortillas and their salsas. Chilero offered some extra little touches that were a pleasant surprise. :)
Just by way of comparison...that same week we'd tried the new Mazunte location downtown...and our experience at Chilero beat them out.
posted: Thu., Aug 29th, 2019 @ 10:18 PM
Great food and fantastic atmosphere
posted: Wed., Aug 28th, 2019 @ 8:29 PM
Seems very pricey for a mostly carryout/counter-service joint
posted: Wed., Aug 28th, 2019 @ 5:51 PM