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.

If you find a restaurant that does southern food really well, you also can’t go wrong ordering shrimp and grits, which Yardbird does to perfection. Made with cheesy grits, sweet corn, smoky sausage, medley of peppers and Louisiana hot sauce, this dish has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors that warm your insides.

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.