Are you an animal lover whose chicken cravings are getting the best of you? Are you having a dinner party but forgot you can’t actually cook? Are you just hungry in general? My answer for you, friend, is Bird on a Wire. A free-range rotisserie chicken, sandwich and salad restaurant in Ponsonby that offers fast-food without the guilt that usually accompanies it.
You can grab either a whole ($25), half ($15) or quarter ($10) chook and customise it with your choice of baste: either Jamaican jerk, mushroom truffle butter, Korean barbeque, salsa verde of just plain ol’ gravy. Then you can add a few side salads($8-21) from their delicious range of veggies, or some of the best chips($6) and dipping sauce I’ve ever tasted (and I consider myself quite the fried potato connoisseur). Or if you’re not after a full-on Kiwi dinner spread, then you could just grab a Bahn-Mi pulled chicken sammy ($13) that comes slathered in chicken liver pate and topped off with a Vietnamese dressing.
The place is small, but you wont feel cooped up (pun fully intended), because most people get their meals take-away. There is some seating outside, or diners might choose to cross the road (ha ha) to Western Park where they can go for a peck-nic (I am so sorry).
Bird on a Wire is so eggceptional (had to be done) that the owners have opened a sister store in the CBD, Box of Bird, which is pretty eggciting (last one, sorry). So if you’re feeling peckish (seriously this time) then skip Colonel Sanders and Nandos and get down to one of the two Birds for some clucking good chicken (okay I’m done.)