New day, new review. We hadn't visited in a while (time marches on) and I had a burning taste for the Dirty Bird. So back we went. The theme is still the same - CHICKEN EVERYWHERE! It's clear, and they love chicken. I mean they REALLY love Chicken! First off, they are FAST. They were very busy - almost every table filled and they kept filling after people left. After we placed our order, our chicken (two Baby Bird meals) came out HOT and FRESH within around 7 minutes. With my appetite, the Baby Bird is the right size, and I have a big appetite for their chicken. Service was great as well - our drinks were checked, and the server was very pleasant. What a great place to visit in Downtown Sycamore! The drink menu is still impressive, and they even have a Whiskey Acres Bourbon-infused barbeque sauce. read more

The Dirty Chicken is a must stop if you are in Sycamore, IL. The menu has so many yummy sounding options that it is hard to decide. The restaurant is small but a decent amount of tables for the space with cute chicken decorations. Our server was so sweet and delightful. We ordered our drinks and answered all our questions. She was helpful with her opinions on items on the menu and helped make it possible to narrow down the difficult choice of what to order. My friend ordered the soup flight(only available in the fall) and I chose fried pickle burger. (I know a burger at a chicken place) the soup flight had three cups of the soups of the day and a four cup of the brisket chili. It also came with a grilled cheese sandwich. Plenty of food! My deep fried pickle burger was a thick patty, crunchy onions and 2 thick deep fried pickle chips with a dill sauce on top. The burger was juicy and the toppings were delicious with a little crunch. The Dirty Chicken will be a stopping point on my return trip to Sycamore! read more

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We drove almost an hour because the reviews were great. When we arrived there was one table eating. It's comfortable inside. We ordered chicken tenders, cheese curds and onion rings. The onion rings were delicious. The curds were average. The chicken tenders were warm, not hot. And, they were slightly rubbery. Service was just okay. read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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

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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! read more

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Food was plentiful but salty. Service was friendly and swift. Place id clean and homie. Food would be so much better if they cut back on the salt in both their appetizers and wings. read more

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 read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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! read more

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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. read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Giant Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with fried mushrooms. - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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! read more

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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. read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Inside - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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. read more

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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 read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Dirty Midwesterner - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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Best fried chicken I have ever had Crispy juicy hot and fresh Great service Nice casual place read more

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. read more

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Great selection of food and drink. Seems like they put some serious thought into the menu as to only put on it what they can put out in quality. Great chicken obviously. Really good service. I highly recommend the cheese curds. It's a nice clean place with good food, prices and very family oriented. read more

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 read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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

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

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

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

I had the shrimp Swiss burger with a side of fried mushrooms. I would give the fried mushrooms a 10 outta 10 and the burger an 8 out of 10. The burger had lots of flavor just not as juicy as I like em. read more

I had a friend take his family to visit the dirty bird a month ago and they all raved about it. Weeks later I made the drive on a Sunday afternoon, it was well worth the trip. I've heard about ginormous pork tenderloin sandwiches in southern Illinois, Indiana and Iowa but never had one. The dirty bird was about a 50min ride away, but totally worth it. I tried the smoked wings which were crispy and delicious, their homemade sauces a good, you'll find a couple that you like. The pork tenderloin sandwich was thin meaty and crispy served with crinkle fries all very good. You will leave with leftovers for later. The staff was very nice , good service, it's a friendly place in a charming little town. It's worth the trip. read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Dirty bird restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

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Amazing amazing amazing!!!! I crave this chicken nearly every day. I am here often from San Diego & rush to get there any time I am in town. BUT I asked our waitress if the jackets on display were for sale & wanted the tie dye one which she said was $50. So I went back to my meal & then she proceeded to take that specific jacket off of the hanger & put it in, & carried on with her shift... very strange. True story. read more

ThI food was amazing, the tenderloin was great and huge. Chicken was enjoyed by all and the cheese curds were so fresh. read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - The pork tenderloin done right. - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

We went with 9 friends all had Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches and Onion Rings, Fry's, Breaded Mushrooms! So Good! Service was wonderful and lots of fun. Ambiance is very Kitch with Chickens everywhere. So Good! Not be be missed read more

We have tried this place a few times. The chicken is always very tender and juicy. The fried pickles are really good. It's a small local place that does all chicken. The pork belly nachos are really good Big menu selection also. My one complaint is the batter needs a little more flavor. Kinda bland. They have good service, and the place is decorated nicely. read more

Depends on what you like for your chicken. I don't think there is enough seasoning the batter. Chicken is extremely greasy. Favorite items there are the fried mushrooms and cauliflower. Won't be back for the chicken. To expensive for what you get. read more

I had to Thursday special with four pieces of chicken, fries, and coleslaw. I do not like giving mediocre reviews, but I have to give one in this instance. The good: the place is clean and well kept. The men's bathroom is clean. This place smells good. The service was good. The waitress was kind and attentive. But not so good: the chicken is lightly breaded with minimal seasoning. As I'm originally from the south, I've come to expect more breading and more seasoning on my chicken. There was only a thin layer and minimal flavor. Also, my bill after a modest four dollar tip was $27. With that meal, you only get fries and about half a cup or less of coleslaw. Probably closer to a quarter cup. You also get a roll but it was cold so it was tough. This place is called the dirty bird so I would expect that bird to have more seasoning. It's also a bit overpriced. Three dollars for a glass of iced tea too doesn't help. Clean place, smells good, great name, kind waitress. Those are the positives read more

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2nd try at Dirty Bird, we dined in this time to give it a fair shake. We started with the wrecking ball app - it's basically a fried ball of hash brown potato with jalapeño in a cheese sauce. It was pretty good only 3 balls will 4 of us. Wife a pork tenderloin sandwich, which was thin but the size of a dinner plate on a tiny hamburger bun. She liked it I had the fish fry, it was only 2 small pieces of fish, but it was ok. The fries were pretty solid, lots of salt One son had the curb burger, it was smallish & it looked like a premade patty Last son had the piggy Mac which was pulled bbq pork on Mac- he liked it We weren't that impressed with the chicken last time, much happier with the other items on the menu Bill was $125 B4 tip with 4 sodas & a carry out chicken tender meal to go for the last son who wasn't with us We'll probably be back for a 3rd try. read more

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

The food was hot, fresh and delicious. The staff was friendly, polite and quick. The seats of the booth are comfy and the lighting is perfect. It smells like their delicious food and really lures you in. Very good and not a bad location. Pricing is fair as well. read more

At ate their food truck during the sweet corn festival and ordered a pork tenderloin sandwich. It was overcooked and bland. I couldn't eat it. Hopefully their other menu items are better read more

Really enjoy this place! Been here a handful of times and haven't been disappointed! The chicken is fresh, just the right crisp. I wish they would give you more dipping sauce without charging you for it. They don't give you enough sauce for the chicken portion. read more

We went here for lunch a few weeks ago. The pork tenderloin with crinkle cut fries was phenomenal. Big and tasty. The onion rings were some of the best I've had. The chicken strips were amazing. The best part was the service, our waitress Charlotte was so nice, efficient and knowledgeable that her service made all the difference! Give her a raise, Boss! Service and food were top notch. read more

So a word of warning: The pork tenderloin sandwich comes disassembled. The bun, about 4 inch around, has pickles and lettuce on it. Kinda standard. So, why is't it assembled. Well, the pork tenderloin is an oval, a tad less than a foot by about 7 to 8 inches wide. The onion rings come in a take out container that is full, a meal in themselves. OK, now you know how it comes. How good Is it. As big a taste as the dimensions. The pickles appear to be home made. If they're not, keep that supplier guys. The pork is perfectly breaded and very juicy. So much for my wife's order. I got the chicken, the breading is a little "crisper" than I am used to, however the chicken is juicy and flavorful. I was trying to explain to someone I work with who picked up KFC on their way home that KFC is more expensive. If you just go by the menu, that may be true, however these pieces are easily 30 to 40% bigger and come with fries and a roll. This NEEDS to be at least on your try list. I can't see anyone being disappointed and there is a rumor from a reliable source that the menu may even be expanding a little. This has become our go to. read more

The Dirty Bird - Sycamore - Pork Tenderloin Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Sycamore, Illinois

Love this chicken! Prob the best chicken in Dekalb/sycamore. Kind of pricy- but def worth every penny! Love the white sauce that comes with it! This is always a favorite of mine. Sometimes they have some interesting specials, but I'll always prefer the tenders and fries!!! (They're pork is amazing but they go under The Filthy Hog for it- another amazing place to check into!) read more

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Ordered the pork tenderloin and the pork was so over processed that to had no texture and was just mushy with breading. Asked the server it this was normal and she responded yes it the way they make it. read more

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

This will be a super easy review. We came in, mid-afternoon, to a busy restaurant. That was an obvious indicator for how good our experience was going to be. All boxes were checked: polite and courteous staff, delicious food (best chicken strips I've ever had), and reasonable prices. The happy vibe in the room was noticeable and easy to understand. I will be going back soon and often. The food is the number one reason, but the friendly staff is icing on the cake. read more

Best place to eat in sycamore! The food is amazing and always consistent. Family owned and well maintained. Always clean and comfortable. Only thing I can complain is that they don't have fried cheesecake bites. It would be absolutely delicious I just know it. I could easily see them making fried cheesecake bites!!! Fried cheesecake bites with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle would be absolutely superb!!! read more