The first time I went to Yardbird Table & Bar in Miami was some time ago. I couldn’t tell you the exact year, but I remembered the feeling. I don’t often have high hopes for soul food in certain destinations and I’m a tough critic when it comes to comfort dishes, but I know that all those years ago I was satisfied with the chicken especially. When I knew I would be back in Miami again, Yardbird was the first place I made a reservation and the magic is still there.

It’s rare to revisit a restaurant years later and have the food taste exactly as good as you remember, but Yardbird delivered. They obviously are committed to quality and flavor, and they’ve got a formula that works. Most places dry out their chicken breast, but I think at this point Yardbird is one of the places I can trust to bring a juicy, flavorful chicken breast to the table.

They have a wonderful menu of southern staples, but the Chicken & Waffles is a classic dish that’s perfectly balanced and hearty. I genuinely believe it could be split between two people because it took me two days to eat what I ordered. The chicken is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the way it’s supposed to be, served atop fluffy waffles and accompanied by a refreshing, unique side of spiced watermelon. It’s sweet, a little cooling, and a nice contrast to the savory chicken.

At Yardbird, I didn’t wait any more than fifteen minutes for my food, the wait staff is incredibly hospitable and the food is so reliably good that I would always recommend it for a trip to Miami. It was delicious all those years ago, in 2024, and I imagine will always be worth coming back to year after year.