Yardbird
Southern comfort on Lenox. Famous fried chicken with bourbon-spiked watermelon lemonade. The brunch chicken & waffles are a Miami institution.
The Story
Chef Jeff McInnis, a Top Chef alum who grew up in the Florida Panhandle, opened the original Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in South Beach in 2011 with restaurateurs John Kunkel and Chris Romero, built around the Southern cooking McInnis grew up on. It's since grown into a multi-city group with locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Singapore, still anchored by the Miami Beach original.
Known for
The fried chicken is the headline dish: brined for 27 hours, dredged in a family-recipe blend of herbs and spices, fried to order, and served with honey hot sauce alongside biscuits made fresh every half hour. The bar leans into an extensive bourbon list to match the Southern menu.
Recognition
Named to Bon Appétit's 50 Best New Restaurants of 2012 and was a James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant semifinalist the same year.
Worth knowing
Yardbird takes reservations online and gets busy on weekends, so booking ahead is worth it. The vibe is lively and casual, no dress code beyond smart-casual, and the Miami Beach location is walkable from the surrounding Sunset Harbour dining strip.
Deals
No deals at this venue. Know of one?
The Vibe
Convivial Southern kitchen with long waits and even longer cocktail lists. Weekend brunch is an event.
- Formality
- Smart casual
- Music
- Background Music
Entertainment
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MiamiNav is a Miami dining and entertainment guide organized around vibe, experience, and value, not just cuisine. It tracks deals, happy hours, and events across 19 Miami neighborhoods.