Red Bird serves up fried chicken in Covington and Lakeview

Red Bird's chicken gives a little crackle when you bite in. That's the wet batter, fried to a gleaming shell.

The finished orders for bone-in chicken, multi-piece chicken boxes and sandwiches come flying out of the kitchen fast, through a format that aims to go beak-to-beak with the big chicken chains, but adds its own character.

The traditional fried chicken is crunchy-crisp with a building spice level at Red Bird, served here with red beans and rice and macaroni with crunchy bits on top. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

This new fried chicken brand took wing in Covington over the winter. Now it has landed a second location in Lakeview.

Red Bird is a new concept for fried chicken, with the first location in Covington. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Red Bird is the creation of the Bennett brothers, Blake and Brandon, and their cousin Jay Morris. They opened the first Red Bird in February along Highway 21.

At Red Bird (from left), Jay Morris, Brandon Bennett and Blake Bennett are partners in the new fried chicken brand for the New Orleans area. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Buoyed by the response on the north shore, they’ve now converted their former concept Three B's Burger & Wine Bar on Harrison Avenue into a second Red Bird. It quietly opened this week.

Red Bird fried chicken expanded into the former location of Three B's Burgers and Wine Bar on Harrison Avenue in Lakeview. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The Covington Red Bird is set up in the spot that was previously home to Pyre Provisions, and Bacobar before that. Both spaces have been stripped down to basics, anticipating a lot of take-out business.

Red Bird fried chicken has self-serve kiosks to order and a counter to order face to face. The Lakeview location opened in June 2023. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Walk in and you see a bank of self-serve kiosks to punch in your own order, and a counter to order the old-fashioned way with staff. The Lakeview location retains its large bar from the Three B's days, but this has been pared back to basics, serving beer, hard seltzers and daiquiris for now, which batched cocktails to come (the partners are working on adding a bar to the Covington location too).

The chicken dubbed "traditional" has a spice level that seems tame at first but builds into a peppery glow. It's a more subtle take on spicy chicken than the sauce-drenched Memphis-esque styles that are seemingly everywhere now. Since opening the first location, Red Bird has added a mild version of this chicken too, though traditional is the best seller.

The "bird bath" is the self serve sauce station at Red Bird fried chicken. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

You can visit the "bird bath," an array of sauce dispensers, to modify the flavors.

There's traditional barbecue and Buffalo, ranch and the house sauce, which is creamy with a hit of chili pepper heat, and an "Asian zing," heavy on the ginger and soy.

Chicken sandwiches, including one dubbed the professional with slaw and Buffalo sauce, are part of the menu at Red Bird fried chicken. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The menu covers bone-in chicken, strips, wings and chicken sandwiches, made on potato buns. The sandwich called "the professional" has slaw and a Buffalo sauce and strongly resembles the Chick fil-A standard.

Crispy bits of fried chicken batter top the mac and cheese at Red Bird fried chicken, where chicken and sausage gumbo and red beans and rice are among the side choices. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Sides are straightforward: smoky red beans and rice, slaw, gumbo, fries and mac & cheese, made with spiral pasta and a heavy cheese sauce component and a sprinkle of "crunchies," little bits of the chicken batter for more texture and extra flavor.

Crispy bits of fried chicken batter top the mac and cheese at Red Bird fried chicken. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

There are also fried dinner rolls, which are like savory beignets.

The Lakeview switch from Three B's to Red Bird changes up what was becoming a crowded burger market along Harrison Avenue, home to excellent examples at Junior's, Lakeview Burgers & Seafood and the Backyard, all in close proximity. It adds a chicken concept that the partners say they're sticking with for possible future expansion as the brand develops.

Red Bird

70437 Hwy. 21, Covington, (985) 327-2220

and

911 Harrison Ave., New Orleans, (504) 300-8400

Both locations: daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

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Email Ian McNulty at [email protected].

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