First Look: There’s a New Fast-Food Chicken Contender in Town

Colorado Boulevard is packed with fast-food options, but the latest stands out for all the right reasons.

Starbird Chicken was founded in California in 2016 and now has over a dozen locations in that state. Whiplash Holdings CEO Daniel Wagner was at the San Francisco outposst when he first tried Starbird, and fell for its ultra-crispy tenders, nuggets and sandwiches. Wagner wasn’t new to fast-food chicken, either: At the time, he was the director of operations for local chain Birdcall, but he saw Starbird’s potential and decided to bring it to Colorado.

The state’s first Starbird Chicken debuted at 965 South Colorado Boulevard, next door to an Einstein Bros. Bagels on September 15. A Castle Rock outpost is also in the works, with more to come.

Because the neighboring Einstein has a drive-thru, Starbird isn’t able to offer that convenience, but that’s (almost) the spot’s only shortcoming.

What we saw:

The new Starbird is bright and welcoming, complete with a glowing yellow sign that promises “Positively delicious chicken.” Before tasting the goods, guests place their orders at easy-to-use kiosks near the open kitchen, where you can see workers preparing meals, giving the spot a human touch without the need to order from a cashier. Starbird also has a mobile app for those who prefer to order ahead.

Even the drink selection is a step up from your average fast-food joint, with a variety of iced teas and lemonade plus cane sugar-sweetened beverages from California-based Alameda Point Soda Co. This makes for some fun drink experimentation if you’re into mixing. (I went for a blend of blueberry lemonade and mango sparkling water — would recommend.)

The menu is chicken-focused, not surprisingly, but there are a lot of options to choose from, including a variety of fried chicken sandwiches that are far heartier than those offered at Birdcall — or Chick-fil-A, for that matter. Large, juicy nuggets are nearly too big to eat in one bite, but it’s the well-seasoned tenders that really stand out. I’m a Cane’s fan, but even I can admit that these tenders are superior — bigger, crispier and more flavorful. Wagner says that when he first visited Starbird, he saved some tenders to test their crisp level after hours of sitting untouched, and they still had a crunch. That’s one of the reasons he became so passionate about the brand, and the crisp exterior is indeed impressive. The tenders can be ordered plain or in several flavors — start with the lemon garlic and work your way through the rest.

You can pair your meal with sides like fries (which come loaded as well) or less common options such as crispy Thai Brussels sprouts, and “elote” — though technically it’s esquites, since it’s made with corn off-the-cob — served in a cup with cotija cheese, Tajin and cilantro.

Of course, nuggets and tenders require dips, and that’s another category where Starbird shines, from its signature sweet and smoky Star Sauce, which is billed as a take on white barbecue sauce but tastes very similar to Chik-fil-A sauce, to the bright notes of Thai herb aioli, appropriately chunky and tangy blue cheese, decadent truffle aioli and a spicy ranch that actually has a noticeable kick. All in all, there are ten sauces to choose from.

The standout on my first visit, though, was the Avo Cabo Crunch Salad. Each of Starbird’s salads comes in a large, circular container that not only holds a whole lot for a filling meal, but also makes it easy to mix the ingredients without making a mess. The Avo Cabo is loaded with sliced tenders, romaine cabbage, grape tomatoes, pickled red onions, jicama, cotijia cheese, pepitas, cilantro, Tajin and avocado mash, with an herby Avocado Goddess Dressing. I’d be happy with this salad in a sit-down restaurant, so to have it easily available from a fast-food spot feels like some kind of unlocked lunch cheat code.

What surprised us:

The bone-in wings, and not in a good way. Starbird’s other offerings are so impressive that the sadly average wings stood out for their total lack of crispiness. There is a boneless option as well, with “wings” that look very similar to the nuggets but come coated in sauce, which may be a better play. But if bone-in wings are your thing, we’d recommend skipping them here and opting for one of our local favorites.

Those wings aside, Starbird made a solid first impression and is exactly the kind of quality I crave when a fast-food meal is in order.

Starbird Chicken is located at 965 South Colorado Boulevard and is open from 10 a.m. to midnight daily. For more information, visit starbirdchicken.com.