Ye Olde Durty Bird

We were just sitting there at Ye Olde Durty Bird, and two of those bicycle bars came rolling passed the windows and parked on the other side of the street. Then 30 people bum-rushed the place. So the atmosphere went from moderately lively to bachelor party in a matter of seconds. 


The Durty Bird--a gastropub--is located on St. Claire street, just across from Fifth Third Field in Toledo. 


Minglewood Labor Camp was playing some really folksy, twangy stuff and people sitting near the stage were singing along to every word. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but it was entertaining for sure. There's outdoor seating on the patio and it's always packed. On a night like this, it's the place to be. 





The waitress wasn't really talkative, but she was genial, and she was all over us--bringing everything before we asked--extra napkins, refills, water. I thought it was great. 


The wings: some of the best. A buffalo sauce that's not overheated or overly acidic. Everything's in balance. The wings have that sheen about them. You already know they're good before you take a bite. They're larger than the typical wings at other places, so you get a good, satisfying bite when you chew off a piece of drum. But the real surprise is how tender these wings are. Dirty Bird must take their wing-game seriously and brine these little babies or something because man, they're good. They're falling apart. 


At the Durty Bird, the sandwiches and burgers are where it's at. Many are fans of the pulled pork sandwich here, as well as the the Durty Burger or Durty Bird, which features a chicken breast or beef patty, bacon, aged cheddar, and Durty Sauce--house-made barbecue.  The Cuban sandwich is exceptional, and so is the Caprese Bird--a grilled chicken breast topped with mozzarella, balsamic reduction, and basil aioli. 


The wife had the lamb burger. It was tasty enough, but a little too gamey for me. The fries are always good: thick-cut, skin on. 


In this age of the micro brew, the beer list can be about 50 deep. And many of the craft brews taste like a 95 on the IBU scale. So you really have to know what you're looking for, or at least, sample something before you commit to a whole glass of thick, bitter-chocolate-coffee-stout-something-or-other that does not go well with food. It don't even fly well solo. So I stuck with a favorite: Yuengling lager. It became a favorite when I moved to the Toledo area because the oldest brew this side of the Mississippi isn't sold in the Mitten. 


So there you have it: wings, beer, sandwiches, burgers, and Mudhens baseball. Ye Olde Durty Bird has the city atmosphere I've come to love, in the summer, in baseball season. And it also has the food and the music that's tough to beat. 

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