Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar is a restaurant group focused on Southern American cooking, with fried chicken as its best-known specialty. The concept was created by chef Jeff McInnis, a Florida Panhandle native and former Top Chef finalist, together with Miami restaurateurs John Kunkel and Chris Romero. The first restaurant opened in Miami’s South Beach in 2011, establishing a format that combined regional comfort food, substantial portions, bourbon-oriented drinks, and a polished but informal setting. The brand’s menu is centered on a family-style fried-chicken preparation. The chicken is brined for approximately 27 hours, coated in a proprietary blend of herbs and spices, and fried before being served with honey hot sauce. Other menu staples include buttermilk biscuits with honey butter and jam, chicken-and-biscuit sandwiches, fried green tomato preparations, macaroni and cheese, waffles, pork dishes, brunch plates, and Southern-inspired desserts. The restaurants also emphasize in-house and small-batch preparation, including freshly baked biscuits and house-made bacon. Depending on location, ingredients may include locally sourced seafood, pork, and other regional products. Beverage programs are an important part of the concept. Yardbird restaurants specialize in bourbon and bourbon-based cocktails, with the Miami and Los Angeles locations described as carrying particularly broad bourbon selections. Signature drinks include combinations of bourbon with fruit, citrus, cider, herbs, and bitters. This drinks focus, together with the restaurant’s substantial food menu, positions Yardbird between an upscale casual restaurant and a destination bar. The brand expanded beyond Miami with a Las Vegas restaurant at The Venetian in 2015. Further growth included Singapore in 2017, Los Angeles in 2018, Dallas in 2020, and Washington, D.C., in 2021. The locations have used different culinary leadership teams while retaining the core Southern-food identity. The Las Vegas restaurant has been associated with executive chefs including Todd Harrington, Sandra Palomo, and Kimberly-Ann Ryan. Yardbird’s design language is generally described as modern farmhouse. Individual restaurants adapt the look to their buildings and markets. Miami used reclaimed barn materials and a chandelier made from Ball jars; Las Vegas incorporated pickle jars, vintage-style light bulbs, and visual references to Southern music; and Los Angeles used industrial details, leather booths, and original artwork. These interiors support the brand’s effort to present Southern food as both familiar and contemporary. The original Miami restaurant received early critical recognition, including a James Beard Award nomination and a Best New Restaurant designation from Bon Appétit. Southern Living also recognized the restaurant in connection with notable fried-chicken destinations in the South. Yardbird is owned and operated by Yardbird Group, and its publicly documented footprint includes restaurants in multiple major U.S. cities and Singapore. Exact current location status, corporate headquarters, and financial information are not established in the supplied sources.

Yardbird Table & Bar originated in Miami from chef Jeff McInnis’s intention to build a restaurant around the Southern food of his Florida Panhandle upbringing. McInnis partnered with Miami restaurateurs John Kunkel and Chris Romero, and the first Yardbird opened in South Beach in 2011. From the outset, the concept combined familiar Southern dishes with a more polished restaurant environment. Fried chicken became the signature item, supported by biscuits, waffles, pork, vegetables, desserts, and a substantial bourbon and cocktail program. The original restaurant gained early attention. It was nominated for a James Beard Award and was named a Best New Restaurant by Bon Appétit. Southern Living also included it among notable fried-chicken restaurants in the South. This recognition helped establish Yardbird as a chef-led restaurant brand rather than simply a local fried-chicken venue. Expansion began with Las Vegas, where a location opened at The Venetian in 2015. The Las Vegas restaurant developed its own culinary leadership and presentation while preserving the group’s central menu identity. Todd Harrington was identified as its executive chef at opening, followed by Sandra Palomo in 2017. Kimberly-Ann Ryan, known for winning season 16 of Hell’s Kitchen, later served as the Las Vegas location’s head chef. Yardbird also began international expansion in early 2017 with a Singapore location. In April 2018, the group opened in Los Angeles at the Beverly Center. The U.S. footprint then grew to Dallas in 2020 and Washington, D.C., in April 2021. The documented group footprint includes locations in Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Denver, Chicago, and Singapore, although the supplied material does not establish the opening dates or current operating status of every location. Across its restaurants, Yardbird uses a modern farmhouse design approach, adapted to local buildings and markets. Miami operated in a former grocery-store space and incorporated reclaimed North Carolina barn walls and a Ball-jar chandelier. Las Vegas used pickle jars, vintage-style light bulbs, and projected imagery associated with Southern musicians. Los Angeles combined industrial elements, leather booths, and original artwork. Food preparation remains central to the brand. Its signature chicken is brined for roughly 27 hours, coated with a proprietary seasoning mixture, fried, and served with honey hot sauce. Biscuits are prepared throughout the day, and bacon is made in-house through an extended curing and cooking process. Menus vary by restaurant, with some locations featuring regional ingredients and location-specific dishes, such as a large Niman Ranch pork chop in Las Vegas. Beverage programs emphasize bourbon, with broad selections and cocktails built around fruit, citrus, cider, herbs, and bitters. Yardbird is owned and operated by Yardbird Group. The supplied reference material does not provide a confirmed corporate headquarters, current executive roster for the parent group, financial disclosures, or a complete record of restaurant openings and closures. Those areas require further verification.

• 2021

  Washington, D.C., opening

  [1]Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Yardbird opens a location in Washington, D.C.

• 2020

  Dallas opening

  [1]Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant group expands to Dallas, Texas.

• 2018

  Los Angeles opening

  [1]Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Yardbird opens at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.

• 2017

  Singapore location opens

  [1]Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org

  The group opens a restaurant in Singapore and changes culinary leadership at its Las Vegas location.

• 2015

  Las Vegas expansion

  [1]Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org

  A Yardbird restaurant opens at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

• 2011

  First restaurant opens in South Beach

  [1]Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org

  Jeff McInnis, John Kunkel, and Chris Romero open the first Yardbird restaurant in Miami’s South Beach.

Upscale-casual Southern dining with a strong fried-chicken identity, an extensive bourbon program, and modern farmhouse interiors.

• Main course · 2011

  Signature fried chicken

  Yardbird’s core dish is a Southern-style fried chicken prepared by brining the chicken for approximately 27 hours, coating it with a proprietary blend of herbs and spices, and frying it. It is served with honey hot sauce and commonly paired with sides such as macaroni and cheese.

• Bread and side dish · 2011

  Buttermilk biscuits

  Fresh buttermilk biscuits are a recurring Yardbird offering, served with honey butter and jam. The restaurants are described as preparing biscuits throughout the day, supporting the brand’s emphasis on freshly made Southern staples.

• Beverage · 2011

  Bourbon program

  Bourbon is a major component of Yardbird’s beverage identity. The restaurants offer bourbon selections and cocktails combining bourbon with fruit, citrus, cider, herbs, and bitters. The Miami and Los Angeles locations have been described as carrying especially broad bourbon lists.

• Brunch

  Southern brunch

  The brunch menu extends the Southern comfort-food positioning with items such as strawberry waffles, avocado toast with prosciutto, poached egg and roasted tomatoes, and other breakfast-oriented plates.

• Dessert · 2011

  Southern desserts

  Dessert offerings described for the brand include coffee cake with chocolate sauce and coffee ice cream, as well as cinnamon apple pie served with vanilla ice cream.

• 2017

  International expansion into SingaporeStrategy

  Background

  Yardbird sought to extend its Southern American restaurant format beyond the United States.

  Action taken

  A Singapore location opened in early 2017.

  Aftermath

  Singapore became the group’s documented international market alongside its U.S. locations.

  Source

• 2015

  Expansion from Miami to Las VegasStrategy

  Background

  After establishing the original South Beach restaurant, Yardbird pursued a multi-market restaurant-group model.

  Action taken

  The group opened a location at The Venetian in Las Vegas and retained the Southern-food and bourbon-led concept while adapting culinary leadership and design to the market.

  Aftermath

  The Las Vegas opening preceded further expansion to Singapore, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.

  Source

1. 1Yardbird Table & Baren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Yardbird Las Vegas official location pagerunchickenrun.com