The signature Starbird sandwich.
In the midst of Foster City’s gamut of fast food restaurants, Starbird’s nondescript exterior may leave many unsure what to expect. Upon entering, customers are pleasantly welcomed by the smell of fresh greens and battered chicken. From yellow striped walls to the brickwork panelling, the restaurant exudes a farm-to-table dining experience.
Although a little on the pricey side, the menu has a lot to offer, from the Nashville Hotbird sandwich ($7.77) to the Korean glazed chicken tenders ($10.47), it has everything to satisfy your chicken cravings. The staff is friendly, and the service is quite efficient; I was served about 10 minutes after I ordered. Another interesting addition to the menu is the locally sourced soda drinks from Alameda Point Craft Soda Co. With a wide variety of housemade beverages, like the ginger beer and cream soda, the refreshing drinks serve as a great reminder of just how fresh the restaurant is.
Although there is a variety of items on the menu, they all have a couple things in common, including the hand-cut and battered chicken breasts from local farms, as well as fresh California avocado and kale-slaw. In addition to the tenders and tacos, Starbird also offers a generous selection of dipping sauces, including Star Sauce, maple aioli and a sweet and spicy seol. When biting into their signature Starbird sandwich, the combination of freshly cut avocado and crispy chicken is perfectly balanced. Firm on the outside and perfectly cooked through on the inside, the chicken is light and airy. Paired with the kale-slaw, the overall taste becomes slightly skewed, as the lack of flavor from the slaw changes the balance of the sandwich. Although quite good separately, together the creaminess from both the avocado and slaw is a little too overpowering.
I also tried the Korean glazed chicken — the deliciously seasoned fries paired with the sweet and spicy chicken wings created a beautiful harmony of flavors. The presentation is also very neat. The chicken has just the right amount of glaze and is topped with some roasted sesame seeds for extra flavor. Lightly sprinkled with salt, pepper and paprika, the housemade fries are a delightful addition to the crunchy chicken. Many of the sauces are tasteful including the smoky honey chipotle BBQ and sriracha buffalo, along with my personal favorite, the greek yogurt ranch. When dipped into the Korean tenders, the creaminess and richness of the ranch perfectly mellows out the spicy tenders, making every bite an enjoyable balance.
With its plethora of creative menu items, Starbird may have stretched themselves out a bit too thin. Although the concepts are all there, the lack of balance within many individual dishes harms the overall takeaway from the food. From the heavy kale-slaw to the unbalanced bread to meat ratio, there are still some aspects of a good sandwich Starbird is are struggling to achieve. The lack of balance the pricier costs are some of the reasons why Starbird might not be the first pick for healthy, quick dining. While on the road to reinventing the way in which America consumes fast food, Starbird still has quite a way to go before there are customers lined out the door, anxious to receive their locally sourced chicken.
