*Update: Absurd Bird has permanently closed down
It needs no further introduction with its name. Absurd Bird is a restaurant that specialises in chicken (i.e. bird) that are absurdly delicious! If you enjoyed the likes of BIRD Restaurant, then Absurd Bird should most certainly be on your radar too. They have branches across London, as well as regionally across Bath, Exeter, Leeds, and Glasgow – so it shouldn’t be hard to hunt one down near you to try them!
We visited the Soho branch, which is quietly tucked away on Peter Street. Stepping in, the restaurant seemed underwhelmingly small, with table booths closely packed together and seated close to the bar/kitchen area. But then as we were led downstairs, it opened up to a more cosy dining area, decorated with dark wood and featuring a moonshine-themed bar. There are TV screens across the wall as well, it was playing live football when we visited.
Absurd Bird: American Fried Chicken & Comfort Food
Absurd Bird prides themselves on bringing fried chicken from the American Deep South into the UK, specialising in fried chicken in the form of wings and tenders, as well as American comfort classics such as mac & cheese and fried chicken & waffles. There is, of course, also a good range of fried chicken burger options and an exclusive ‘Soho special’ that consists of a waffle cone filled with popcorn chicken, lettuce, tomato and mayo. The bottom line is that there are loads of options on the menu to satisfy that chicken craving of yours!
Yes, all chicken is halal at Absurd Bird. Alcohol is served at the restaurant.
The Food at Absurd Bird (what we ordered)
Date of visit: July 2018 & September 2019
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings (£6.95 for 4 XL wings / £12.95 for 8 XL wings)
Starting with the fried wings, it came as a surprise with how massive they are! Without a doubt, they are certainly true to their word on their menu when they mention it’s XL chicken. I went with a classic buttermilk fried chicken wings, though there are a number of other flavour options on the menu as well such as buffalo, hickory smoked BBQ, piri piri, peanut butter & maple, and many more.
Biting into it, you can clearly hear the loud crunch coming out of it. The wings were double-fried to achieve this ridiculously crispy crunch and it’s absolutely lush to taste. Underneath that crispy coating revealed some juicy and succulent meat. The flavourings were simple but very effective. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of it!
Fried Chicken & Waffles (£11.85)
I definitely have a thing for fried chicken and waffles. Seeing it available on the menu, I just had to try out Absurd Bird’s take on it. It comes with one large waffle that’s sliced up into quarters, topped with three large pieces of fried chicken, drizzled with maple syrup and served with a side of gravy.
The waffle was good – soft, and pillowy, with a subtle sweetness that balances with the savoury fried chicken. As for the chicken, it was nice and crispy, though seem to be not as well-seasoned as the buttermilk fried wings above. It’s still good nonetheless. I suppose that’s where the gravy comes in, which just went so perfectly together with the chicken. Last but not least, I loved how maple syrup just rounded up the blend of sweet and savoury flavours together on this dish. All in all, a pretty solid plate of chicken & waffles!
Buffalo Chicken Burger (£9.95)
On a different occasion, we tried the Fried Chicken Burger, which comes with Buffalo sauce, mayo, salad, tomato, blue cheese, and carrot & celery slaw. Visually, the burger looked absolutely fantastic with sauces dripping off the sides and a knife firmly stabbed right at the centre. Though taste-wise, the chicken wasn’t as crispy as their other fried chicken offerings. The buffalo sauce was on the tangy side but seemed to lack a good kick of heat in there. It was an okay burger but nothing particularly special about it.
Mac & Cheese (£5.70)
For a side dish, we went with Mac & Cheese because you can’t go wrong with that, right? Overall, it’s a solid Mac & Cheese, nicely baked till golden on top, but nothing special again. The flavours were mostly decent, but there were times it felt that the cheese was mostly just at the top and the macaroni pasta at the bottom didn’t get much of a sauce on them.
Absurd Bird Review Summary
To sum up our experiences, we can agree that Absurd Bird can deliver a solid standard of American comfort food. The Fried Wings were a standout and the Fried Chicken & Waffles are my personal second favourite. However, the remaining dishes were unfortunately nothing memorable. It’s all in all a decent spot to satisfy your fried chicken cravings.
Absurd Bird Restaurant Info
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus
Restaurant Website | Instagram
