The Dirty Bird

We had a great time at this restaurant. We came on a Thursday for lunch, it was busy, but our servers were very and friendly nice and very efficient. Our food arrived in just a few minutes and everything was just perfect, popping hot out of the stove, just as we like it. We have the pool, pork sandwich and the Cod dinner and enjoyed both. Portion size was OK for the price paid. Definitely recommend this local business and look forward to bringing our family and trying different items on the menu.

We have seen lots of favorable things about this place and their breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches and the information is true!! Delicious!! Huge!! We had enough left overs for 2 more sandwiches!! We also had fried chicken which was delicious as well! Their coleslaw slaw is pretty good too. The lights could have been a little dimmer though, it was really bright 🌞 but the decor was cute. Highly recommend!

Absolutely love this place! I’ll bring friends and family there just because the food is delicious. The chicken is juicy and lightly breaded so it’s not greasy like most chicken joints. Definitely pick up the cheese curds! Best I’ve had outside of Wisconsin. Plus… their bird sauce is the bomb!

This off the road accidental find was an ABSOLUTE CLUCKING SURPRISE! We felt welcome as soon as we walked in, hungry for SOMETHING,and something NOW. We missed our intended dining idea and saw it... A HUGE BIRD, ROOSTER, CHICKEN-WHATEVER maybe they are the same but A BIG BIRD and THE DIRTY BIRD did NOT disappoint! The food looked, smelled AND TASTED sooo so good! The GIZZARDS are outrageously tender, the filthy burger is aptly named you feel filthy and guilty for enjoying it so much, dont forget to take on the Big Birdy Challenge! We WILL be back!!!

Cool restaurant and good food... rude waitress today.. I had a not super pleasant experience with the waitress. When I jokingly said something to the cashier... she responded with WHAT? My friend and I had our 1 and 1.5 year old daughters like last time. Anyway maybe just don't go when it's super busy with two toddlers.

Good food! Burgers, chicken, fun drink options (both for kids and adults). We liked the laid back environment. Smaller place, so off times might be your preferred if you are worried about noise or crowd. Don't come here looking for ultra healthy. Very rich, savory, and flavorful. I would like to see what they can do for veggie side varieties in the future (seasonal or not), brussel sprouts were sold out when we went.

We came for lunch & enjoyed the food very much. I had the 1/2 fried chicken, which was juicy, fresh & delicious! There was no coating, just a crisp skin. My husband had the huge pork tenderloin, which he enjoyed. We had fried pickles, which were great, fried mushrooms were good & wrecking balls which has good flavor, texture and also good. Our waitress was very friendly and really on top of it. Not a long wait, plenty of seating & friendly. We'll definitely be back.

My first time to the dirty bird. It was recommended by my friend that lives in Sycamore. He have always raved about the giant pork tenderloin sandwich. We started with the Appetizer Combo. The app was a very large portion of food for sure. The problem was everything was very similar in taste and just dripping of oil. I ordered the giant pork tenderloin sandwich and it was giant for sure but was very oily / greasy with not much flavor other than oily flavor like the app combo. All in all very disappointing. Another person at the table ordered the Filthy Burger and I got a taste of the Pulled Pork and it was very goodand the fries had great flavor also. I was very disappointed that all the deep fried items all tasted the same, not good. The pork tenderloin was very thin, and dripping with oil. I think I would like to try something with the Pulled Pork next time because it had a very good smoke flavor and maybe I should try the Saturday Ribs some time. I have the feeling the deep fried items just isn't their Forte!

Best fried chicken I have ever had Crispy juicy hot and fresh Great service Nice casual place

We drove almost an hour because the reviews were great. When we arrived there was one table eating. It's comfortable inside. We ordered chicken tenders, cheese curds and onion rings. The onion rings were delicious. The curds were average. The chicken tenders were warm, not hot. And, they were slightly rubbery. Service was just okay.

Bring Your Appetite. We were coming into town for some errands and for lunch. We picked The Dirty Bird as we had not tried it yet. Good choice. The interior "ambiance" is chicken-oriented, as you would expect. Various "chicken" related items adorn the walls, there is a game between the bathrooms with a chicken / egg theme. So you have that going for you. When we dropped in, we were promptly greeted and told to sit where ever we wanted. We ordered our drinks and mulled over the menu - there was a 3 piece chicken strip dinner with a side called The Baby Bird, a 5 piece called the Momma Bird, and a 7 piece called the Daddy Bird. My wife and I ordered the 5 piece, thinking the chicken strips would be similar to other chicken strips. WRONG. These chicken strips would be better characterized as Chicken Breast Halves. They were HUMONGOUS. I could go through 5 strips just about anywhere, here, I had to stop at 3, and so did my wife. Food quality was excellent - the chicken and my fries were literally right out of the fryer. They were cooked properly, tasted great, and were hot hot hot! The Dirty Bird sauce is kind of a honey and something sauce, which was okay. I ordered another dish of their hot wings sauce, which was basically a plastic cup of your typical red hot sauce. We did have to salt the wings and fries. My wife ordered their Jalapeño Cheese soup, which was spicy and hot, and she ordered cole slaw as her side. The cole slaw was okay - not great or epic. They have a full bar with mixed drinks and beer, and soft drinks which have free refills. We both got refills and the waitress was checking to see if we had another. If you like breaded chicken strips and have an appetite, this is YOUR place. Honestly, next time I'll order the Baby Bird - that will be enough!

I had the best fried chicken very friendly service nice place to come with your friends too many items to choose from I did not Like the Brussels sprouts they were extremely salty and I got The runs Ambiance is very country love it and the huge rooster outside is fun

Traveled to The Dirty Bird in Sycamore. Well worth the drive. We shared the Filthy Fry and Pretzel Bites as our appetizers. Both were very good, especially the Filthy Fry!! Of course I ordered the Giant Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich. It was delicious and tender. Upgraded my side to onion rings, I enjoyed them a lot. Only issue was one of the group was served barely warm Mac and Cheese. Probably because she had to wait for her food to be brought to the table. The service there was pretty good. Very friendly staff. We will be going back there in the near future.

We had a great time all around at Dirty Bird! It is quickly becoming one of our favorite places for chicken. In the summer they have a food truck at the DeKalb Farmer's Market, but they also have a restaurant open all year in Downtown Sycamore. This time around we got the fried pickles and mama bird basket. The fried pickles are thick and juicy. They came hot with crispy breading and pair nicely with ranch. We really enjoyed this appetizer. The mama bird basket comes with five chicken strips, your choice of side, and sauce. We were pleasantly surprised to get six good sized strips and plenty of fries. The strips are juicy, crispy, and have great flavor. We also tried the original and spicy bird sauces. Our favorite was the spicy that was sweet with a nice kick of heat. It's very reminiscent of Nashville Hot Chicken. The service by Emily was wonderful. She was very attentive and came around multiple times to refill our drinks and ask how the food was. The restaurant is also well decorated. The outside is on theme and resembles a chicken coop and the inside is well lit with plenty of tables. Overall, we had a great experience at the Dirty Bird and will definitely be back to try the specials and other food items!

Hubby and I sampled The Dirty Bird food truck at the IL Railway Museum during the Thomas the Train event recently. I chose the three chicken strips basket and hubby chose the fried pickles. We thought service at the food truck was slow but the food was delicious! The fried pickles were ginormous! Never seen anything like them. The chicken strips were excellent. Meaty and crispy on the outside. I'd like to actually go to their restaurant and sample more of their offerings. Wish their service was quicker because they had quite the line!

Great selection of food and drink. Seems like they put some serious thought into the menu as to only put on it what they can put out in quality. Great chicken obviously. Really good service. I highly recommend the cheese curds. It's a nice clean place with good food, prices and very family oriented.

A small town feel located off the main road .. walk up and you're greeted by a large Rooste once inside it gives you a country feel with warm tones thru out r. With both indoor and outdoor seating it gives you a choice. Today's special was a flight of Soup and grilled cheese. We went with an order of onion rings for an starter the size was amazing meal in itself I went with the Pork Tenderloin of course that's what they are known for and hubby had to try the Pork Belly BLT. I will tell you that the choices did not disappoint at all.

Voted best chicken and best bbq, this place beckons you in warm letters from the dirty bird official web site. But just as the sweet sirens song leads to a hard and sharp shallow shoreline, that is what we faced here. We arrived ready to rumble, and were greeted by a room full of guests and, we waited.....then waited...The waiter saw us come in, but decided to keep us waiting, and waiting, till he finished taking the order of the table just in front of us. How long would it have taken him to say, "Sit wherever you like," or, "Be right with you"? Seconds! But as current philosopher Swizz Beatz says, "On to the next one". We got some drinks (the Iced Tea is the wateriest in the world). The atmosphere is "small town restaurant," clean, with knicknacks on the walls. We ordered the cheese curd appetizer: It's like carnival funnel cake mix, mixed with curds, and fried. It was pretty good, but would have been better with just a bit of seasoning. But not bad. The lack of seasoning part is a recurring theme, so stay with me. We ordered based on recommendations of the waiter, the signature dirty bird chicken sando, and the giant pork tenderloin sandwich. For good measure, I added the Razor Back BBQ sandwich, with bbq beans. The food is served in big trays, but the only big thing was the pork cutlet. The bbq sandwich pork was tender, but the bun was a pretty mushy mess. (Just toast it a bit, and problem solved). The side of beans have a bit of meat in them, but all of it is overcooked. And it tastes processed. Not a recommend. The signature chicken sandwich makes you wish you had ordered Chick-fil-A, instead. It was all dry and no flavor. The giant (take a funny picture trying to eat it) pork sandwich has no condiments to chow down the big, dry, over-fried cutlet, with 4 small pickles and a Macdonald's style bun. (Another no seasoned bummer). But it's great for Instagram it you are in the area. Sadly, we did not enjoy our meal. The place seems to be a local gang hangout that the locals want to keep local, judging by the looks we got. Well, we will accommodate them and see our way to not returning.

Food was good had the Fried Pickles they were great, the Fried Mushrooms but there was a mix of onions & cheese curds so that was a little upsetting do the the fact everyone at the table HATES Onions, the New Pretzel Bites were spot on. Service was a lacking, just horrible seemed like the people in back were helping more then they needed to do to the waitress slowness. Place looked clean few drips of dressing on the table thought the waitress was gonna wipe it up but instead just dropped the menus on top to cover it up All in all good but definitely not worth the hour drive for a Horse shoe but if in the area I'd probably give them another shot maybe just a bad day for the waitress

Food. Superb. Ambiance. Superb. Service. Superb. I went to the fried pork tenderloin, a "sandwich" one used to have to search small town bars in Iowa or Indiana to find one. Now, they seem to be everywhere, some are good, some are great, some are awful. Dirty Bird gets an A+++ for theirs. Pounded thin, but not so thin that the meat has lost all of its moisture, a crispy light batter coating, friend to perfection, and served quickly. Started with a "half order" of some of the best onion rings I have ever eaten, and I've tried them in 30 countries. This tenderloin is easily in the top 3 of my consumption. A "horseshoe" version would make a great addition to the menu. Went early, 4:30P, but the restaurant filled up quickly. A few tables outdoors, streetside. One block off the main Sycamore drag. Go. Eat. Enjoy.

Chicken is great; atmosphere is great waitresses are tremendous. They are really on top of things.

I had the shrimp Swiss burger with a side of fried mushrooms. I would give the fried mushrooms a 10 outta 10 and the burger an 8 out of 10. The burger had lots of flavor just not as juicy as I like em.

I had a friend take his family to visit the dirty bird a month ago and they all raved about it. Weeks later I made the drive on a Sunday afternoon, it was well worth the trip. I've heard about ginormous pork tenderloin sandwiches in southern Illinois, Indiana and Iowa but never had one. The dirty bird was about a 50min ride away, but totally worth it. I tried the smoked wings which were crispy and delicious, their homemade sauces a good, you'll find a couple that you like. The pork tenderloin sandwich was thin meaty and crispy served with crinkle fries all very good. You will leave with leftovers for later. The staff was very nice , good service, it's a friendly place in a charming little town. It's worth the trip.

We went with 9 friends all had Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches and Onion Rings, Fry's, Breaded Mushrooms! So Good! Service was wonderful and lots of fun. Ambiance is very Kitch with Chickens everywhere. So Good! Not be be missed

I've been eyeing this place for a long time and finally made the trek and it won't be the last. Fried chicken is great - best I've had. Pork tenderloin sandwich is flavorful. Brisket is awesome. They have a great drink called bourbon and blues - the waitstaff is frie

ThI food was amazing, the tenderloin was great and huge. Chicken was enjoyed by all and the cheese curds were so fresh.

Amazing amazing amazing!!!! I crave this chicken nearly every day. I am here often from San Diego & rush to get there any time I am in town. BUT I asked our waitress if the jackets on display were for sale & wanted the tie dye one which she said was $50. So I went back to my meal & then she proceeded to take that specific jacket off of the hanger & put it in, & carried on with her shift... very strange. True story.

I had to Thursday special with four pieces of chicken, fries, and coleslaw. I do not like giving mediocre reviews, but I have to give one in this instance. The good: the place is clean and well kept. The men's bathroom is clean. This place smells good. The service was good. The waitress was kind and attentive. But not so good: the chicken is lightly breaded with minimal seasoning. As I'm originally from the south, I've come to expect more breading and more seasoning on my chicken. There was only a thin layer and minimal flavor. Also, my bill after a modest four dollar tip was $27. With that meal, you only get fries and about half a cup or less of coleslaw. Probably closer to a quarter cup. You also get a roll but it was cold so it was tough. This place is called the dirty bird so I would expect that bird to have more seasoning. It's also a bit overpriced. Three dollars for a glass of iced tea too doesn't help. Clean place, smells good, great name, kind waitress. Those are the positives

2nd try at Dirty Bird, we dined in this time to give it a fair shake. We started with the wrecking ball app - it's basically a fried ball of hash brown potato with jalapeño in a cheese sauce. It was pretty good only 3 balls will 4 of us. Wife a pork tenderloin sandwich, which was thin but the size of a dinner plate on a tiny hamburger bun. She liked it I had the fish fry, it was only 2 small pieces of fish, but it was ok. The fries were pretty solid, lots of salt One son had the curb burger, it was smallish & it looked like a premade patty Last son had the piggy Mac which was pulled bbq pork on Mac- he liked it We weren't that impressed with the chicken last time, much happier with the other items on the menu Bill was $125 B4 tip with 4 sodas & a carry out chicken tender meal to go for the last son who wasn't with us We'll probably be back for a 3rd try.

Excellent chicken and fries. The gish was lightly batteredand divine. A true treasure in Sycamore. Give it a try!

We have tried this place a few times. The chicken is always very tender and juicy. The fried pickles are really good. It's a small local place that does all chicken. The pork belly nachos are really good Big menu selection also. My one complaint is the batter needs a little more flavor. Kinda bland. They have good service, and the place is decorated nicely.

The food was hot, fresh and delicious. The staff was friendly, polite and quick. The seats of the booth are comfy and the lighting is perfect. It smells like their delicious food and really lures you in. Very good and not a bad location. Pricing is fair as well.

At ate their food truck during the sweet corn festival and ordered a pork tenderloin sandwich. It was overcooked and bland. I couldn't eat it. Hopefully their other menu items are better

We went here for lunch a few weeks ago. The pork tenderloin with crinkle cut fries was phenomenal. Big and tasty. The onion rings were some of the best I've had. The chicken strips were amazing. The best part was the service, our waitress Charlotte was so nice, efficient and knowledgeable that her service made all the difference! Give her a raise, Boss! Service and food were top notch.

Depends on what you like for your chicken. I don't think there is enough seasoning the batter. Chicken is extremely greasy. Favorite items there are the fried mushrooms and cauliflower. Won't be back for the chicken. To expensive for what you get.

Great food, staff is so friendly and helpful. Restaurant is decorated so cute. Large selection on the menu. We be back again!!

Ordered the pork tenderloin and the pork was so over processed that to had no texture and was just mushy with breading. Asked the server it this was normal and she responded yes it the way they make it.

Best place to eat in sycamore! The food is amazing and always consistent. Family owned and well maintained. Always clean and comfortable. Only thing I can complain is that they don't have fried cheesecake bites. It would be absolutely delicious I just know it. I could easily see them making fried cheesecake bites!!! Fried cheesecake bites with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle would be absolutely superb!!!

Loved dirty bird!! Great food, super nice service, and cool space. First time visiting Sycamore will definitely be back. Loved the chicken strips with the spicy sauce

This will be a super easy review. We came in, mid-afternoon, to a busy restaurant. That was an obvious indicator for how good our experience was going to be. All boxes were checked: polite and courteous staff, delicious food (best chicken strips I've ever had), and reasonable prices. The happy vibe in the room was noticeable and easy to understand. I will be going back soon and often. The food is the number one reason, but the friendly staff is icing on the cake.

Really enjoy this place! Been here a handful of times and haven't been disappointed! The chicken is fresh, just the right crisp. I wish they would give you more dipping sauce without charging you for it. They don't give you enough sauce for the chicken portion.

Holy crap I had the most delicious pork tenderloin sandwich of my life today! I sure hope this is a compliment but it tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets because the crispy exterior was so perfectly crunchy and delicious. Damn Dirty bird does not disappoint! Can't wait to come back again even though I live in Machesney park and it's a bit of a haul. Please make a rockford location stat!

So a word of warning: The pork tenderloin sandwich comes disassembled. The bun, about 4 inch around, has pickles and lettuce on it. Kinda standard. So, why is't it assembled. Well, the pork tenderloin is an oval, a tad less than a foot by about 7 to 8 inches wide. The onion rings come in a take out container that is full, a meal in themselves. OK, now you know how it comes. How good Is it. As big a taste as the dimensions. The pickles appear to be home made. If they're not, keep that supplier guys. The pork is perfectly breaded and very juicy. So much for my wife's order. I got the chicken, the breading is a little "crisper" than I am used to, however the chicken is juicy and flavorful. I was trying to explain to someone I work with who picked up KFC on their way home that KFC is more expensive. If you just go by the menu, that may be true, however these pieces are easily 30 to 40% bigger and come with fries and a roll. This NEEDS to be at least on your try list. I can't see anyone being disappointed and there is a rumor from a reliable source that the menu may even be expanding a little. This has become our go to.

Love this chicken! Prob the best chicken in Dekalb/sycamore. Kind of pricy- but def worth every penny! Love the white sauce that comes with it! This is always a favorite of mine. Sometimes they have some interesting specials, but I'll always prefer the tenders and fries!!! (They're pork is amazing but they go under The Filthy Hog for it- another amazing place to check into!)

I was greeted with warm welcome as soon as I walked through the door! I ordered the filthy nachos. They were great!

Great local place in the heart of Downtown Sycamore. Food and service is top notch and locally owned.

We just ate here via food truck at an event. Had we just ordered their chicken, this would be a 5 star review. Chicken was outstanding! Love the sauce too. It was the sides that pulled this rating down. We are fried pickle fanatics- these were very thick and the batter didn't stick. So really, we just ordered hot pickles. . It was the fried Oreos that really brought this review downhill. I'd give them zero stars- completely inedible. It's like the grease was old and the batter was awful. We threw them away- along with our hot pickles. We accidentally had an onion ring in our hot pickles and it was very good.

Excellent food Hidden gem If you don't love nearby definitely worth the drive !!!!!!!!

For all your chicken needs this is the place to be best tenderloin in the area nice people did you business with chicken is crispy moist the breaded mushrooms and onion rings are great as well everything I've tried there has been great not a bad meal yet

Great service, great food, great place. Biting into the chicken strips sent my tastebuds to the happiest place on earth. I'm not even a big chicken fan. Macaroni was spectacular aswell. The workers there were so kind. Asking of everything is going alright and if we need anything else. Food took about 10 minutes, and it's fresh. 10/10

Mick, our server, is funny and on top of it. Food is fresh and tasy. One of my favorite spots in DeKalb County.

Just a small place in a strip mall but worth the effort to find it. Chicken is made to order (so be willing to wait) but it's worth the wait! Crispy and moist with great taste. The inside of the restaurant could use some repair and updating (the reason it didn't get 5 stars) but the food and service was great!

My favorite guilty pleasure! I love this place. The food is amazing and the owners and staff are wonderful!

first timer! friendly staff, clean cool decor, great prices....but....the chicken though....AMAZING! Will return and recommend!

I would try them again, but my first experience was not the best. I had a tenders meal. The Cole slaw is great, very creamy. The fries were bad, limp and unsalted. The tenders were varied...one was rubbery and two were good. I liked the breading. I am guessing this is hand cut chicken breast, some pieces may have been tenderized better, maybe. The roll was blah and the dipping sauce was interesting, sweet and gooey. I think I'd try the spicy version next time. I went during off peak hours which may have been the problem with the fries, not fresh. Cool concept, just looking for a bit better execution.

My friend told me about the Dirty Bird.She told me how good it was.So I ordered thru Door Dash but too my surprise after the driver got there they said my order was cancelled. I knew nothing of this the driver text me and told. Me.I checked my bank and the money was charged. $22.75. I called they claimed no order came thru I find that odd because my order was confirmed. One of the mgr took my number and said I would get a call back. Iam still waiting. The mgr said that all refunds come by way of Door Dash. "Seriously " All I know is Iam very disappointed. And I want a REFUND. Thank You.

BETTER THAN RIPS CHICKEN in Ladd. Superior to any chicken anywhere. Not bread coated fried. Crispy delicious and it's the same batter on their fried... everything. Fried Cauliflower, seriously anyone remember the boardwalk place in the spring hill mall food court that had fried cauliflower, it's that but better. Sauce, superior to Caine's. Their male server who's a little "fancy" Matty, I think. Best server there. He deserves employee of the month every month. I only wish they were open more. Some day...