Crackbird?

olaola

Rumours are, Crackbird is opening up on South William St again! omnomnom

duckworth

It seemed to be a great success, so I'd be surprised if they didn't open it permanently. I thought it was okay - but a little over priced for what it was serving - the chicken wasn't free-range, and I found the buttermilk coating quite bland.

Still a good fun place though, I'll be at it again if it opens like you said on South William Street.

MissFlitworth

They tweeted this today

http://yfrog.com/hsba7rkj

looking good!

dudara

I saw the photo on Twitter today, plus all the rumours as well. Definitely looking forward to its (hopeful) return - I want more of that garlic, soy chicken and that burnt lemon whipped feta!

olaola

Opening opposite Peter's Pub, today at 6pm apparently!!

*WAHHHOOOO!* :pac:

MissFlitworth

olaola wrote: »

Opening opposite Peter's Pub, today at 6pm apparently!!

*WAHHHOOOO!* :pac:

chicken & beer, chicken & beer yay!!

olaola

Keep an eye out on Twitter, they're doing #tweetseats again.

faigs

Excellent! 6pm according to JoBurger

bosswinger

Really interested in going to CrackBird this Sunday. How does bookings work and what is the menu like? I hear there isn't much choice but the food is meant to be quality. Do they do sides?

Cheers for any info!

MissFlitworth

They don't take reservations so it's just walk in. Not 100% on what sides there will be, menu could be different to what it was. There was a good variety of them in the last location but no potato-y ones (so no chips etc.) if I recall correctly.

Pretty good review & pics of what it's like here

olaola

MissFlitworth wrote: »

There was a good variety of them in the last location but no potato-y ones (so no chips etc.) if I recall correctly.
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There was a FANTASTIC potato salad on the old menu.

MissFlitworth

D'oh, must have missed that! Lost in a chicken fog I guess

olaola

MissFlitworth wrote: »

D'oh, must have missed that! Lost in a chicken fog I guess

I know, we only found it on our last visit. We were a little overexcited about the whole chicken nyoms!

faigs

The chipotle baked beans were amazing in the last one.

Info and menu for the new one here!

WindSock

Wow, this place certainly seems popular for a variety of dishes. I will waste no time in trying it out when I am around that area next time.

tfak85

Their pop-up marketing scheme worked on me 100% - I ate there eight times in Crane Lane, three times were #tweetseats (with various groups).

I absolutely love their non-alcoholic drinks, as a non drinker, sometimes it's really hard to get nice (big) drinks!!

It makes me happy that they are open again, though I wont be in there immediately.....well.....maybe next week.

olaola

faigs wrote: »

The chipotle baked beans were amazing in the last one.

Info and menu for the new one here!

New stuff on the menu! I'm drooling now... The rhubarb lemonade is amazing.

Just got me tweetseats. NYOMZ!

duckworth

Is nobody else bothered by the fact they are using battery chickens? At €18 a pop?

faigs

Free range would be better but at least they're Irish unlike a lot of restaurants!

MissFlitworth

duckworth wrote: »

Is nobody else bothered by the fact they are using battery chickens? At €18 a pop?

Pretty much all restaurants use battery chicken, unless they explicitly say free range and I can't think of very many places I've eaten this year that do that. I'd prefer free range but I'd imagine it's not viable for them, the amount of people who say they'd like free range chicken is a lot larger than the amount of people who would be prepared to pay what free range chicken costs.

Also +1 for Irish chicken being used, at least it's not coming in on a freezer ship from Thailand! Unlike the contents of the 70 billion (guesstimate) chicken fillet rolls being knocked back in Dublin every week

duckworth

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Pretty much all restaurants use battery chicken, unless they explicitly say free range and I can't think of very many places I've eaten this year that do that. I'd prefer free range but I'd imagine it's not viable for them, the amount of people who say they'd like free range chicken is a lot larger than the amount of people who would be prepared to pay what free range chicken costs.

Jo Burger makes a big song and dance about the the fact that all it's ingerdients are organic. Crackbird is at the same price-point, maybe even a little more expensive, and yet serves poor quality in it's chief ingredient.

Half a chicken - €10, One Side-Salad - €4, One Sauce - €2 and one lemonade - 4€, equates to a €20 meal, without a starter. I think at those prices, you should be getting free-range.

In fact, that is the price of lunch at Pichet (which has free-range chicken on the menu........)

MissFlitworth

Jo Burger makes a big song and dance about the the fact that all it's ingerdients are organic.

Do they? I haven't been there in a while but can see no mention of it on their website or fb page. Besides which, free range =/= organic so I don't see how it's comparable?

Half a chicken - €10, One Side-Salad - €4, One Sauce - €2 and one lemonade - 4€, equates to a €20 meal, without a starter. I think at those prices, you should be getting free-range.

In fact, that is the price of lunch at Pichet (which has free-range chicken on the menu........)

You're not comparing like for like at all there, Crackbird has a lunch menu that works out at €4.50 - €5.00 an item (not including drink, which as the Pichet lunch menu doesn't include drinks either seems fair.), Pichet dinner menu, while gorgeous, at its cheapest is what €19 for a vegetarian main course?

I don't see how the chicken is automatically 'poor quality' if it isn't free range? I buy Cootehill chicken in supervalu quite a lot and I like it, unlike most supermarket chicken it doesn't leak a pint of water when I try cook it.

Ideally the chicken would be free range yes (but I have a completely OT rant in my head about terms like 'free range' and 'organic' and how farms/companies are able to wiggle around loopholes to use them) but I can see why they don't & it wouldn't stop me from eating there. I don't buy free range chicken myself anyway

duckworth

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Do they? I haven't been there in a while but can see no mention of it on their website or fb page. Besides which, free range =/= organic so I don't see how it's comparable?

It's on the menu. Free range and organic are comparable in the respect that they both reflect a higher quality product.

MissFlitworth wrote: »

You're not comparing like for like at all there, Crackbird has a lunch menu that works out at €4.50 - €5.00 an item (not including drink, which as the Pichet lunch menu doesn't include drinks either seems fair.), Pichet dinner menu, while gorgeous, at its cheapest is what €19 for a vegetarian main course?

Comparing the dinner menu in an upscale bistro with Crackbird is not comparing likewith like. I think comparing the reduced price lunch menus around town with the full casual dining experience of Crackbird is fine since they are roughly the same price.

I didn't know Crackbird had a different lunch menu.

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I don't see how the chicken is automatically 'poor quality' if it isn't free range? I buy Cootehill chicken in supervalu quite a lot and I like it, unlike most supermarket chicken it doesn't leak a pint of water when I try cook it.

No, it doesn't mean it's poor - but it's certainly poorer.

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Ideally the chicken would be free range yes (but I have a completely OT rant in my head about terms like 'free range' and 'organic' and how farms/companies are able to wiggle around loopholes to use them) but I can see why they don't & it wouldn't stop me from eating there.

I can see why they don't do it also - to make more money. My main problem is the price of the chicken - for what they are serving, it should be a good 20-30 per cent cheaper.

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I don't buy free range chicken myself anyway

You should if at all possible. Battery life is really a terrible existence for chickens. Aldi free-range chickens are 5.99, and are absolutely delicious.

Krusty_Clown

duckworth wrote: »

I can see why they don't do it also - to make more money. My main problem is the price of the chicken - for what they are serving, it should be a good 20-30 per cent cheaper.

Your first point answers your second point. It isn't cheaper, because they want to make money. It doesn't sound like they have a shortage of customers either, so they have pitched the price of their chicken at the right price point. Don't be fooled by the internet-hugging pop-up theme, and free tweetseats. At the end of they day, they wouldn't be doing it, if it wasn't profitable, and the fact that it's re-opening kind of says it all.

duckworth

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Your first point answers your second point. It isn't cheaper, because they want to make money. It doesn't sound like they have a shortage of customers either, so they have pitched the price of their chicken at the right price point. Don't be fooled by the internet-hugging pop-up theme, and free tweetseats. At the end of they day, they wouldn't be doing it, if it wasn't profitable, and the fact that it's re-opening kind of says it all.

The fact the restaurant is busy and people are paying the price doesn't negate my point that it's not representing good value for money. People queue up to pay 10,000 euros for first growth Bordeauxs - but nobody in their right mind thinks it represents good value.

Fair play to Jo Macken for making a successful restaurant - I still think the food is pretty average for the price.

coffee to go

tfak85 wrote: »

I absolutely love their non-alcoholic drinks, as a non drinker, sometimes it's really hard to get nice (big) drinks!!

Deffo with you on the drinks - They are amazing, as you can see in the photo from this review - Crackbird - Clucking Delicious!

The other pics are giving me a serious attack of the nomnoms :pac:

olaola

A half bird is enough for 2 people, you get 4 pieces. We've ordered 1 & 1/2 for 3, and we were eating the doggy bag for two days. It's great the next day btw. All of the chicken comes from a co-op in Cavan afaik.

Dirtyduffer

Can someone explain the "take a picture of your meal, post on Twitpic and get your meal free" thing please? Surely there's T&C and not exactly as quoted?

olaola

Dirtyduffer wrote: »

Can someone explain the "take a picture of your meal, post on Twitpic and get your meal free" thing please? Surely there's T&C and not exactly as quoted?

For the tweetseats, if you get tweetseats - twitpic the meal and you get it for free. (food only, no booze)

Toto Wolfcastle

I wasn't really impressed by Crackbird tbh. I was really looking forward to it but the buttermilk chicken was pretty tasteless. I did like the croquettes but I was there for the chicken and it just wasn't great.

Jane Eyre

I could never understand why people raved about this place. Maybe drinking out of a jam jar is cool, but I was VERY ill after a meal there and another friend had the same experience a few weeks later. Wild horses wouldn't drag me back there. Even if they paid me.

dudara

Went for my 3rd trip today and it was as good as ever.

Soy and garlic chicken is excellent - juicy with a lovely tasty coating. Our sides were slaw (very nice and light) and croquettes (heavy and dull). Sauces were chermoulla and burnt lemon whipped feta (amazing stuff - must make my own).

I like the new venue but I hadn't reaslied that the previous tenant Maloti had closed.

Krusty_Clown

dudara wrote: »

Soy and garlic chicken is excellent - juicy with a lovely tasty coating. Our sides were slaw (very nice and light) and croquettes (heavy and dull).

I agree completely. Soy and garlic chicken was great, as were the chicken brochettes. Croquettes could have come from the deep freeze section in your local supermarket. Potato salad was slightly better, but still unremarkable. Nice atmosphere, good service and music. Meal for two, with two lemonades and three beers came to €44, which would put it in the price range of Nandos or TGI Friday, and IMO it stacks up very well against those types of establishments.

Twee.

Nom can't wait to be home and go back here! I'm a drooling on the keyboard thinking about the cous-cous and lemonade! Not to mention the soy-garlic chicken!!

Last time I went for the Habenero dip and holy moly was it hot! Joe himself even warned us, but we were feeling bad-ass. Delicious, but definitely hot, you'd only need a small bit!

Krusty_Clown

Forgot to mention, when I was there last week, Dylan McGrath (of Michelin Mint fame) was beside us tucking into some tasty chicken (possibly checking out the competition). Interestingly, his chicken wings (from the Rustic Stone) are cheaper, and also free-range.

Hootanany

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Forgot to mention, when I was there last week, Dylan McGrath (of Michelin Mint fame) was beside us tucking into some tasty chicken (possibly checking out the competition). Interestingly, his chicken wings (from the Rustic Stone) are cheaper, and also free-range.

They wonderful Are how do I book Crackbird hopeless at twitter do I just walk in many thanks I advance , want to bring my mistress there Sat night.

Krusty_Clown

Hootanany wrote: »

They wonderful Are how do I book Crackbird hopeless at twitter do I just walk in many thanks I advance , want to bring my mistress there Sat night.

You can just walk-in. There will likely be a queue, but it seems to move pretty quickly. The maitress d' seems to have a bloody good memory (takes no notes and seems to get everyone into the restaurant in largely the right order), and will serve you drinks outside while you wait.

amandausa

i'm intrigued the food looks delicious! why did they close the first time?

tfak85

It didn't close, originally Crackbird was opened as a "pop-up" restaurant, temporary, 12 weeks only.
it proved so successful during these initial 12 weeks that Jo decided to open it up in a permanent spot!

kenmc

went here today for the first time, remembered reading about it here, chicken will never taste the same again. delish. soy garlic chicken, I could eat this forever. good value for money, good beers also, great to see them supporting Irish craft brewers 8 degrees rather than the usual muck..

olaola

Crackbird is closing on Sunday 22nd SAD FACE.

Krusty_Clown

Anyone tried Pyg restaurant up the road (another recent pop-up restaurant). The value was really good, even if the Tuna was well over-done. Really nice meal apart from that error. Lovely setting in Powerscourt Townhouse too, though it was very quiet last Friday night.

the beer revolu

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Anyone tried Pyg restaurant up the road (another recent pop-up restaurant). The value was really good, even if the Tuna was well over-done. Really nice meal apart from that error. Lovely setting in Powerscourt Townhouse too, though it was very quiet last Friday night.

That's no small error:eek:

tfak85

olaola wrote: »

Crackbird is closing on Sunday 22nd SAD FACE.

I'm not 100% sure but I think it's only closing for a revamp...

BaZmO*

tfak85 wrote: »

I'm not 100% sure but I think it's only closing for a revamp...

Their last two tweets on the matter were....

CrackBird @CrackBIRDdublin 15 Jan "only 7 more sleeps till the chicken gets it. we flock off on 22nd"


CrackBird @CrackBIRDdublin 11 Jan "the accountants are wrecking my head that we are not shouting about the fact WE FLOCK OFF IN 10 DAYS time"


No mention that it's for a revamp

Krusty_Clown

the beer revolu wrote: »

That's no small error:eek:

Very true. I was still impressed that I got all of the Tuna and calamari I could eat on a bed of french beans and baby potatoes in a lovely Italian sauce for €12. I'm hoping that it's because they are relatively new that the Tuna was so over-done (I had asked for medium). Starter (shared) plus two cocktails, two main courses (one large, one small) + one side-dish, plus a beer and a coffee, for €50 and small change. Will probably go back. Menu.

olaola

BaZmO* wrote: »

Their last two tweets on the matter were....

CrackBird @CrackBIRDdublin 15 Jan "only 7 more sleeps till the chicken gets it. we flock off on 22nd"

CrackBird @CrackBIRDdublin 11 Jan "the accountants are wrecking my head that we are not shouting about the fact WE FLOCK OFF IN 10 DAYS time"


No mention that it's for a revamp

Went last night - as delicious as always. We asked, and it's defo closing, but he's opening something new in its place. Not another Jo' Burger - but it's a 'surprise'.

tfak85

olaola wrote: »

Went last night - as delicious as always. We asked, and it's defo closing, but he's opening something new in its place. Not another Jo' Burger - but it's a 'surprise'.

Oh right, I'm surprised to hear Crackbird itself is closing, though I have to say Jo'Burger is my favourite of the three..

I do think it is people like him that will start to pull this country out of recession, he just keeps going, opening places and employing hipsters.

Cardinal Richelieu

tfak85 wrote: »

Oh right, I'm surprised to hear Crackbird itself is closing, though I have to say Jo'Burger is my favourite of the three..

I do think it is people like him that will start to pull this country out of recession, he just keeps going, opening places and employing hipsters.

Who runs it?

The Hill Billy

Joe Macken. Also owner of Jo'burger.

olaola

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Joe Macken. Also owner of Jo'burger.

UPDATE! My sis in law is having lunch in there today - they said it will open up somewhere else. Phew!