I fell in love with Streetbird the minute I walked in. The crazy eclectic vibe mixed with the 90's hip hop pumping through the speakers hooked me. I didn't even care if they served me dirt on a plate (spoiler alert: they didn't). Streetbird Rotisserie is one of two Marcus Sameulson's Harlem restaurants. Sameulson is somewhat of a local Harlem hero and champion for minorities. His dedication to the community brought Streetbird & Red Rooster to the area.
From the moment you walk into Streetbird you know that you are in for a fun time. The space is lined with bright neon signs, antique boom boxes, cassette tape chandeliers, and graffiti. A giant drum set and pairs of sneakers hang from the ceiling. The floor was designed by artist Anthony Vasquez who painted a collage reflecting various representations of Harlem eating institutions, street activities and artistic culture. It is a beautifully disorganized urban disaster in the greatest sense. You will be serenaded by the greatest playlist of all time comprising of Big Pun, Run DMC, Tribe Called Quest, and Lauryn Hill to name a few. If you made this playlist and you’re reading this: call me, I love you.
As I mentioned, I'd pretty much eat dirt food just to hang out here. Thankfully I didn't have to. As the name suggests, chicken is king here. The menu is rooted in street food from around the world. You can get dishes with variations of grilled, fried, or rotisserie chicken. They have curry noodles from Thailand, and kimchi & rice from Korea. You can order a traditional southern Sunday dinner with all the fixins of collards and creamy skillet mac n' cheese. For brunch I loved the sinful Hot & Messy with cornbread, chicken, avocado, bacon, peanut butter & egg. It’s a great place for laid back fun & good cocktails with a staff that'll make you feel like you're at home. Here's what we had:
Auntie’s Cornbread w/ Chicken Butter
Notorious C.O.B.B. – , Avocado, Bacon, Fried Chicken, Tomatoes
Hot & Messy - Cornbread, Chicken, Fried Egg, Peanut Butter, Avocado, Bacon
Crispy Bird Sandwich- Crispy Chicken, Cheddar, Potato, Roll, Smokey Q, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles
Chicken & Wafflesw. Bourbon Maple Syrup
Return of the Mac- Cheddar, Parmesan, Rigatoni
Address: 2149 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10027
Phone:(212) 206-2557
streetbirdnyc.com/
