The last few weeks in Omaha have been brutally cold. The high has been 0 degrees for 3 days straight, and our lows are consistently in the negative double digits. You have to wonder why we live in a such a cold place when we could easily be relaxing on the beach in Florida. One of the biggest reasons is the food. Even when it’s this cold and miserable, you look forward to the little things like temperature Tuesday at Runza or picking up some delicious food from the local restaurants in Omaha.
Recently, a new place opened and it has taken the city by storm. They sold out consistently the first days they were open and their following on social media has exploded. Once you pay them a visit, you’ll understand why. For the last decade in Omaha, there really hasn’t been a great fried chicken sandwich place. Sure, there are classic fried chicken places like Time Out Chicken in North Omaha or Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering (or if you’re feeling more soul food, there’s Small Bites in Bellevue, Mouth of the South in West Omaha, and Herb Sainte in Aksarben), but when it comes to sandwiches and fast, casual dining, there wasn’t anything like that available in the Metro.
Dirty Birds is the name, and let me tell you, it was named appropriately. Whenever I get the Nashville style chicken sandwich, it’s drizzling with the Nashville sauce. What I really love about the place is that it’s all home made. It was started by two guys, named Dan Whalen and Moses Moseley, and they thought about opening a place when they worked at Kitchen Table. They understood that Omaha lacked a place like this, and they believed they were up to the challenge.
Upon visiting, you will notice that they have sandwiches, buckets of fried chicken, and other delicious appetizers on the menu, ranging from hush puppies to debo fries (they also have brunch in the mornings on weekends). Everything is made from scratch and some recipes have been passed down. My favorite is the tater salad. It has that classic potato salad taste but with a twist that includes some cut up pickles. The first time I visited (which was on day 2 of their opening), they ran out of buns for the sandwiches. They easily corrected that by substituting the buns for their homemade biscuits. It was out of this world. The biscuit was super soft, buttery, flaky, and had many layers. The tater salad was fresh with mashed potatoes and some fresh pickles as well. The chicken sandwich was giant. I couldn’t take a full bite because it was that large. It was seasoned well and the chicken itself was very juicy. Sometimes, when you get chicken sandwiches at a restaurant (especially fast-food places), it’s really dry. The exterior was super crunchy and with the Nashville sauce, it was even better. I will say, the breading was quite plentiful, so if you’re gluten-intolerant, then maybe this place isn’t for you!
This sandwich was by far the best one I have had. The Popeye’s chicken sandwich does not stand a chance against it (I shouldn’t compare it to something so mediocre but its the most relevant to people). The best parts are that it’s all made from scratch, you’re supporting local, and it’s so delicious! So, if you’re ever near the Blackstone Switch, you need to stop in and pay them a visit. I am sure you won’t regret it.
The Local Provision 