Wings News

San Diego sports bar Dirty Birds brings best wings to Plano opening

Dirty Birds award-winning wings

Dirty Birds

There's a restaurant doing award-winning wings that just flew in from California. Called Dirty Birds Sports Bar & Grill, it's a small chain with five locations in San Diego, making its Texas debut at 4021 Preston Rd. B618 in Plano.

Dirty Birds first opened its doors in San Diego in 2008 and soon became a staple that earned national praise for its wings. Everyone who makes wings thinks theirs are the best, but Dirty Birds has won awards such as "best wings in the U.S." by Yahoo Sports and TheDailyMeal.com.

Wings are their centerpiece, and can be ordered with an unprecedented 37 sauces, ranging from standards like lemon pepper, teriyaki, and BBQ, to unique variations like maple chipotle BBQ and "dirty blue" — a blend of hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.

That said, they're not just a wing joint, but more of a sports bar-restaurant in which wings are the centerpiece on a broader menu that also includes salads, burgers, and sandwiches, often featuring chicken such as a blackened chicken club and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.

There are classic bar-food snacks but with a subtle upscale twist: "crispy" fried pickles, chicken tenders, fried okra.

They also have a full bar with craft beer, and a welcoming, local atmosphere.

The team bringing Dirty Birds to DFW includes Adam Salazar (The Mitchell, Ye Olde Scarlet Pumpernickel Tavern) and Chris O'Mara, who has experience in both the hospitality and lending industries.

"Our wings — I'd put them up against anyone's," O'Mara says. "They're very big and meaty, and they're also made differently. I don't want to give away our technique but it involves cooking them in two stages so that when you get them, they're nice and crisp on the outside and juicy inside."

One signature for the Plano location is that their beers are served at 29 degrees, a popular benchmark at places like Twin Peaks, and a temperature that is deemed "very cold." AI says that the benefits of serving beer at a cold temperature include more satisfied customers, more sales, and an increase in profitability by up to 35 percent, because keeping it that cold reduces wasteful foaming.

They'll have 16 beers on tap, plus two big walk-in coolers with everything from High Life to craft beers. The restaurant has 18 TVs and also features football jerseys on display, since some football players have been known to frequent Dirty Birds. There is no patio currently, although a small space on the exterior could become a patio in the future.

O'Mara says he's been tickled to find that the brand has some local recognition.

"You have this little sports bar in San Diego, but one of their locations is near a military base, so a lot of people know about Dirty Birds," O'Mara says.

Burger News

Northeast burger chain Slap Burger set to smash in Richardson

Slap Burger

Smash burger from Slap Burger, coming to DFW.

A buzzy burger concept from the Northeast is coming to Texas: Called Slap Burger, it's a small smash burger chain based in New Jersey, and it's opening its first Texas location in Richardson, at 888 S. Greenville Ave., in a center called the Arabian Village, taking over a space that was previously occupied by a CBD shop.

Slap Burger was founded in Paterson, New Jersey as a smash burger joint that adheres to the principles of halal, including using meat from halal purveyors and avoiding certain ingredients such as pork. (Their bacon and hot dogs are made from beef.) Halal has been increasing in popularity, due to both a growing Muslim population as well as a rising demand for "ethical" clean-label food.

Slap now has five locations in the Northeast — two in NJ and three in NY — as well as an expansion to Tampa, Florida.

They specialize in smash burgers, loaded hot chicken tenders, and cheese fries topped with slap sauce. They make a decadent banana pudding dessert, and they also keep late-night hours.

Their burgers are four ounces, featuring the lacy and crispy edges that are a signifier of a smash burger, topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and pickle on Martin's potato buns, which they toast on the outside, leaving the inside of the bun soft.

They do two other burger styles: the Slap’N Melt, which features cheese stuffed into a beef patty, then seared so the exterior is hard and the interior is melting cheese; and the Slap N Jack, a double patty burger with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pepperjack cheese.

Other menu options include hot dogs, as well as fried chicken in a number of ways: as a sandwich with pickles and cole slaw on a griddled bun; as tenders; in a loaded platter over choice of mac & cheese or fries; or chicken & waffles, with choice of an Oreo or Fruity Pebbles waffle.

Alcohol is not allowed at a halal restaurant, but Slaps has house-made lemonade in a variety of flavors such as dragonfruit, strawberry, orange Curacao, and mango.

Shepherding the concept to DFW is Adam Shawish, the enterprising owner of Arabian Village, who is transforming the center into an exciting foodie destination with businesses such as Arwa Coffee, recognized as the first Yemeni-style coffee shop in DFW.

Shawish was inspired after visiting Slap Burger while on a trip to the Northeast, seeking interesting concepts that might make a good fit at the center.

"One night, my wife and I had already had dinner, but I was determined to try it and they were open late," Shawish says. "I fell in love with it on the first bite. Texas has a lot of burgers, but I said, 'This is my type of hamburger.' It's very simple, not mixed with anything, the buns are not too soggy — just a pure burger experience, not like anything else in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Shawish says that construction is underway and they hope to get it open by Christmas.

"My office is right next door," he says. "Every time I get ready to go home for the day, I ask the kids what they want for dinner, and I can't wait for Slap Burger to open so that I won't have to ask."

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