15801 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Ste 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Review Highlights
Know Before You Go
Sneaky Bird Restaurant Review (Scottsdale)
I think I found a chicken spot you haven’t tried! Sneaky Bird is located just east of the 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright in North Scottsdale. The restaurant specializes in “never ever fried” chicken.
During my visit, I learned that the concept originated right here in Arizona.
They serve classic items like sandwiches, wraps, flat breads, wings, tenders, and salads. It is a fast-casual establishment. The dining room is very modern and includes a bar.
Ordering for the First Time
Some of the new restaurants have a bit of a learning curve to sort out the menu. The basic flow is to choose your main entree (sandwich, wings, tenders).
Then choose from 10 dipping sauces. Ranch is the default and I believe only one sauce is given per entree.
For applicable menu items, you can also choose from 8 dry rubs. So, it took a bit of education to fully understand how things worked.
Sneaky Bird chicken is available two ways: homestyle and naked.
Homestyle – “battered and tossed in panko, flatbread, parmesan breading”
Naked – “with our signature salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning”
I ordered the 4-piece homestyle tenders, naked wings, and the chicken pesto flat bread. I also added an order of maple dry rub tots to see if they were anything special.
Flat Bread
The chicken pesto flat bread includes mozzarella, artichokes, roasted red pepper, red onion, and is topped with seasoned, oven grilled chicken. Everything was good, of course.
Tenders
The homestyle breading was good. I tried it with both ranch and “fools gold” sauce, which is BBQ sauce plus a hint of mustard mixed in.
The breading had a decent crunch to it. The tenders were served with a side of “sneaky good tots.”
Wings
The wings are only available “naked” and come as an 8-piece. Looking at the menu, it was not clear that the wings included a side of veggies.
Instead of just celery and carrots, Sneaky Bird goes the extra mile and includes a medley of carrots, celery, radish, and cucumbers. Cool. Again, ranch is included by default.
The naked chicken wings were Justin Leonard Approved. Good flavor all around. The salt carries through the chicken, not just on the outside.
Initially, I wanted to try everything without modification. Next time I will deviate and try the rubs.
Maple Dry Rub Tots
They were essentially regular tater tots rolled/tossed in maple sugar. I was given the option of regular tots and sweet potato.
I suggest only getting this item with sweet potato tots. The maple dry rub didn’t quite taste right on regular tots.
Overall Review
Sneaky Bird is a classy joint. The food was good. Taste- and quality-wise it was on par with the competition.
Was it as good as fried chicken? Oh hail knaw! Absolutely nothing beats a good fried chicken.
Their main advantage is a somewhat healthier alternative to deep fried options. Many are embracing this lifestyle, which is why I believe the brand will thrive.
One thing I found to be a bit confusing was they have this interesting “never ever fried” concept, but serve “supply chain” tater tots as the main side.
It is possible the tots are baked/grilled. However, they were oily to the touch. I’m still investigating…
Sneaky Bird has better-than-average ranch dressing. I believe it was house made.
The place was Justin Leonard Approved, no doubt. Look for a new location opening in Gilbert soon. Peace
