We have had a lot of new restaurants open in Las Vegas and this week I finally got to check out Yardbird Southern Table & Grill located in the walkway between The Venetian and Palazzo Hotel & Casino.
This is a unique restaurant concept that delivers the down-home southern flare right on the Las Vegas Strip. September was National Bourbon Month and if you’re a fan of sipping some fine bourbons check out Yardbird as they have a bourbon and whiskey list on their menu bigger than a lot of places with beer lists.
My buddy, who I was dining with, is a bourbon aficionado and he thoroughly enjoyed his flight, which had a sampling of four different ones. The cocktail menu not only shows and describes all of their handcrafted cocktails but the different types of ice used. Yardbird actually uses a variety of handmade flavored and garnished ice cubes in certain cocktails to enhance the overall flavor.
After enjoying a few cocktails it was time to move on to the menu and we were in for a treat. We started off with some items from the small plates and shares section of the menu. The first item was their Fried Green Tomato BLT. This was a great appetizer as they start with a fried green tomato on the bottom then put pimento cheese; smoky tomato jam and house smoked pork belly on top. This combination was an amazing appetizer, which I highly recommend.
We also tried the deviled eggs, which has suddenly become a very trendy appetizer at finer restaurants. These may have been the best deviled eggs I have had.
You can’t think of Southern cooking and not think of good old-fashioned biscuits. Mama’s biscuits were the absolute bomb as we ordered the classic buttermilk, which was four biscuits served with honey butter and house made jam. Best $7 I have spent on bread, trust me.
Now it was time for the entrees and we decided to get a couple items and share them. This was a wise decision because both dishes were tremendous. We had the Short Rib, a 14 ounce bone-in, a sweet garlic bordelaise sauce served over charred corn, green beans and cauliflower mashed potatoes.
The combination made this a fabulous dinner choice, but the real showstopper was the Chicken ‘n’ Watermelon ‘n’ Waffles. This was some of the best-fried chicken I have ever had. The outside was so crispy and seasoned just right with the inside being moist and juicy. The chicken comes with spiced watermelon and Vermont sharp cheddar cheese waffles. Once you try the fried chicken you will understand it’s worth the trip.
At this point in time we were stuffed but how could you have a down-home southern meal and not have baked-to-order Peach Cobbler, which takes 25 minutes to make. It gave us time to digest a little and enjoy a nice cappuccino while we waited. The cobbler came out hot and was served with marzipan crumble, vanilla bean ice cream in a Florentine almond cookie bowl. This was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
The food was excellent and the portions were good size. I give the Yardbird Southern Table & Grill a rating of 3.75 Forks.
You can find Marco at WagerTalk.com or follow him on twitter: @MarcoInVegas