To celebrate National Fried Chicken Day earlier this summer, popular restaurant review website Yelp released its list of the best friend chicken spots in each state. The list was created by the “Yelp Elite Squad” which is comprised of reviewers who have reached elite status in the website’s tier system. The restaurant chosen for Maryland is BRD.
Alex Janian, a former resident of Federal Hill and Baltimore native, founded BRD in 2017. The restaurant has two locations– both in Baltimore. One is at R. House (301 W 29TH ST) and the other is at Federal Hill (1104 SOUTH CHARLES STREET). Both restaurants are cashless.
After working in finance in New York and San Francisco, Janian decided to return to his hometown to pursue his childhood dream of opening restaurants. During his youth, Janian spent time living in Italy, where he frequented a rotisserie chicken spot twice a week. Inspired by those memories, he initially planned to open a rotisserie chicken restaurant. However, his concept eventually evolved into a focus on fried chicken, a comfort food he has always loved.
BRD’s sandwiches feature more than half a pound of seasoned, battered, and fried, antibiotic-free chicken thighs sourced from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, served on a Martin’s potato roll. The most popular sandwich, the Bmore BRD, includes local pickles, a house-made BRD sauce (often compared to Thousand Island), and a dash of Old Bay seasoning. Other options include the Japanese-inspired Katsu Ando, the Angry Buffalo, Hanoi Hen, and Jamaican Jerk sandwiches.
Customers can pair their sandwiches with fries, which Janian describes as a “labor of love.” The fries undergo a 24-hour de-starching process, are battered, double-fried, and then tossed in a signature seasoning. BRD also offers Ma’s Carrot Slaw as a side option.
Features photo by @EatBRD on Instagram