Yardbird Table & Bar

"Tear into fried chicken served with honey hot sauce, spiced watermelon, a sharp cheddar cheese waffle, and bourbon maple syrup at the comfort food restaurant, which serves plenty of other big proteins such as sweet tea-braised short rib and St. Louis ribs. The River North space has plenty of room upstairs for private parties, including a bourbon room that houses Yardbird’s extensive collection of bottles. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Samantha Nelson, Eater Staff

"Choose from a meal for two to four or six to eight featuring herb-roasted turkey, biscuit stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, bourbon brown butter glazed yams, cranberry relish, biscuits, and giblet gravy. For a turkey alternative, order a 24-piece fried chicken family meal with biscuits and mac and cheese. Brown butter bourbon pumpkin pie is also offered a la carte. Place pre-orders via Tock for pickup on Thanksgiving Day." - Naomi Waxman, Samantha Nelson

"Yardbird hosts private events and tastings for up to eight in the Bourbon Room, a bottle-lined space that floats above the restaurant to provide dramatic views to pair with premiums sips. Parties can also gather in the private dining room, a large booth on the right side of the mezzanine that’s connected to the main space by a glass wall. It’s a great spot to share some comforting fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. Number of guests: 8-22." - Samantha Nelson, Eater Staff

"The brand-new comfort food restaurant serves a herb-roasted turkey dinner including mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry compote, and giblet gravy. Add on extra sides such as biscuit stuffing, lobster mac & cheese, and crispy brussels sprouts, plus brown butter bourbon pumpkin pie for dessert. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman

"Restaurateur John Kunkel says he’s been traveling around the country over the last five years in scouting new locations for Yardbird, a restaurant serving fried chicken, deviled eggs, and grits, biscuits dropped inside luxurious spaces. After debuting in Miami with a Top Chef alum in the kitchen earning a place on the 2012 Bon Appetit list of 50 Best New Restaurants, Kunkel expanded to Los Angeles, D.C., Las Vegas, Dallas, and internationally to Singapore. Add Chicago to the list as Yardbird has arrived on the Near Side, in between River North and Streeterville at the corner of Wabash and Grand. The official opening day is Friday, October 21. Kunkel founded a company, 50 Eggs, that includes Yardbird and five other restaurants that haven’t made it to Chicago. He stresses that he’s “anti-chain” and that his company plans to spend plenty of time engaged within Chicago’s communities. “Chain is a dirty word for us,” he tells Eater. “Each restaurant and menu is curated to the city where we open. We take a humble approach in wanting to appeal to locals and be a part of the community.” Beyond Yardbird’s signature items, there are also dishes exclusive to each location. For example, in Chicago, there’s a new porchetta dish with parmesan white beans. Yardbird’s origins might be more with Southern cuisine and soul food, but they’ve expanded to include other comfort food. There’s also a bourbon room that “floats” above the bar and the restaurant. Look for plenty of whiskey drinks including an Old Fashioned made with bacon-infused Jim Beam bourbon. The bourbon room is available for private events — it can be had for a party of eight starting at $2,500. Rockwell Group has designed the space, and visitors will be lying if they’re reminded of P.F. Chang’s the space’s previous tenant. Tour the space and check out some food photos below." - Ashok Selvam