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The Dirty Bird - Sycamore

4.1 (82 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

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THE DIRTY BIRD - SYCAMORE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - The Dirty Bird - Sycamore

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Mac and cheese

The food was excellent and service was awesome. Highly recommend! We loved it. That is all.

Wreaking Balls Appetizer- very good!
W W.

1st time dining at the Dirty Bird and we enjoyed the Wreaking Balls appetizer, chicken strips with chips, fried cod with chips & coleslaw. Service was good and the quality & value of the food was good as well. The ambiance is basic with a country flare. Not a big dining area but comfortable. Would definitely recommend the Dirty Bird!

Gina V.

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

Special Menu
Zoe B.

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!

Giant Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with fried mushrooms.
Donna F.

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.

I'd believe it.
Christy M.

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!

Inside
Will E.

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.

Fried pork tenderloin
Peter T.

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.

Dirty Midwesterner
Frank K.

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

Kathy F.

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.

Vince A.

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

Everything was great! Food, service, and atmosphere was outstanding! My husband and I will definitely be back!

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8 months ago

Excellent. Great chicken . Fresh fast food . Not over processed. Great cheese curds !!!

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1 year ago

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

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2 years ago

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

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2 years ago

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

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How much do I love a butcher shop with a bbq restaurant all in one? Is not a trick question, I love…read morethem! This one tucked away in a slow road and filled with fresh meats and Americana. The butcher and pit master, showed me the fresh cuts, including organic Amish chicken, seasoned with his distinctive spices, I can tell you it was a hit with the family. I also got the meat and sausage roll and the two meat combo with pork chop and bbq ribs, yummy. The hot food comes rapped with aluminum foil with each hot item getting its own pocket of foil. Like I said, this is Americana, with that hint of nostalgia come a lot of food for a very reasonable price, including home made salads, like traditional loaded potatoes salad, creamy coleslaw to more adventurous, Shrimp Macaroni Salad, and Bowtie Crab Salad. I will definitely have to get some steaks and home made sausages for the grill monster, and might even try some of their fresh habanero cornbread. Man my mouth is watering just thinking about it! The service is nice and welcoming, and the ambiance is roadside bbq shack meets clean and orderly butcher shop, in what looks like a country store with plenty of benches outside to nosh on.

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My wife and are new to the area, we ordered Pizza Beer Whiskey for the friends that helped us move…read moreand everyone absolutely loved it. Two of us are vegan and they even offer a plant based cheese, first spot in the area that we've found it, THANK YOU!!! A few weeks later we decided to go in and check it out in person, cool environment, cool staff, can't wait to go back.

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Crooked Horns Bar & Grill - Potato Skin

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3.9(33 reviews)
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Ellwood Steak And Fish House

3.8(241 reviews)
3.3 mi
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A great spot for a cocktail, friendly bar with a great small plate menu…read more First class food and service, friendly atmosphere for a visitor to the area. Recommend steak , tried a fillet, and a NY strip both satisfying meals excellent quality and presentation. Well worth a visit.

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We finally tried this place after living here for over 30 years…read more We just got carry out. We had a pizza, it was just ok Pork tenderloin sandy was big & good Fries were nothing special Potato skins were dry Chicken wrap was fine Bill was well under $100 for a pizza, 1app & 3 sandwiches w/fries. We usually spend $125 or so at other places. We didn't get any drinks. We might try it again

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The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - bbq - Updated June 2026

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