If you like fried chicken we have something that may, well, ruffle your feathers a bit, because we have a feeling this fried chicken sandwich is probably like nothing you’ve ever seen before. The reason: it’s served with the claw still attached.
The sandwich is being fried up by two Michelin star chef Chris Bleidorn over at Birdbox in Times Square–a fried chicken iteration of San Francisco’s popular restaurant Birdsong.
According to Eater, couple Chris Bleidorn and Aarti Shetty first popularized their chicken sandwich a la claw at Birdsong during the pandemic. Aptly named Claude the Claw, the sandwich, of course, is served on the bun claw and all. It’s certainly photo-worthy, though can be a bit intimidating when thinking about biting into it.
Bleidorn told Eater SF last year, “Everyone sees the claw and takes photos … But this is the thing — you shouldn’t be scared of a sandwich with a claw. You should be scared of a sandwich without a claw.” What Bleidorn means is that, basically, serving the sandwich with the claw still attached proves to eaters that the chickens aren’t cheap and have been humanely raised.
Claude the Claw is a whole fried chicken leg (thigh and drum) served on a potato bun with slaw and pickles. It also comes with their Yeayo sauce, which is made by adding nutritional yeast to mayo. The sandwich costs $19.
Eater writes that though the claw was pretty much inedible, it did have some good flesh at the base. As for the sandwich itself, they write it was juicy, crunchy, delicious, and worth ordering again.
Beyond Claude the Claw, Birdbox also offers several additional fried chicken sandwiches, such as the Spicy Falcon Chicken Sando and the DeClucks. There’s even a vegetarian version made from hen of the woods mushrooms.
So, if you’re looking to spice up your lunch, Birdbox may just be the place to go. The full menu can be found online here.
📍 245 West 46th Street – inside of Backstage Food Hall