“Hey, want to go to Starbies?” you may hear me ask when trying to decide on where to get dinner. “Starbucks? That’s not really dinner food.” No, not Starbucks. I’m talking about the best gluten-free fried chicken you will ever have this side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and that is Starbird Chicken.
Starbird is probably my favorite go-to, last-minute restaurant for late nights or when you just can’t be bothered to figure something out. Located in the Pruneyard, Starbird boasts gluten-free fried chicken so good, you won’t even be able to tell it’s gluten-free. Senior Luke Hanuska vouches, stating “I didn’t know it was gluten-free until I was told.” I am 80% sure that from the amount of people dining there on weeknights, they don’t realize it’s allergy friendly either. One time, my family got their catering platters for the Westmont Soccer Team, and those boys definitely could not tell it was gluten-free.
As for ordering, Starbird offers many different options for the plating of the chicken. Not going to lie, I order their Lil’ Tender Box (2 chicken tenders, fries, and an included drink) every single time I go there, but they also offer the fried goodness on all sorts of salads, sandwiches, and tenderboxes. I have also just discovered they have wings, and no one told me? On a similar note, one of their newer items are their chicken nuggets, which are massive by the way, and I’ve been informed that those are good too.
ALSO BIG NOTE: please keep in mind that not everything they make is gluten free!!! Please please please check their allergen menu before ordering because some of their sauces and dressings do have gluten. Also!!! They are not very dairy-free-friendly, so make sure to bring a Lactaid or skip it all together. However, I have never (and haven’t heard of someone having) had a bad experience gluten-wise here so do not be deterred.
Overall, if you’re looking for a great gluten-free fried chicken restaurant that also has amazing sauces and drinks, look no further than Starbird Chicken. If you need any recommendations, let me know (or take me with you) and if you go tell me what you order! Forget Starbucks Starbies, give me Starbird Starbies any day.