Chef Eric Hara loves Park Circle. When he moved to the Charleston area with his wife, Carly, and their family a year ago, he knew he wanted their new restaurant, Barnyard Chicken, to be in the popular North Charleston neighborhood.
When the space at 4262 Spruill Ave. (the former location of FOOD) became available, he seized the opportunity.
“I just love the area… There are great restaurants down the street,” he said. “It has a great vibe. It’s a little bit bohemian. So, yeah, we love it.”
Barnyard Chicken opens for lunch and dinner on Friday, August 9. Each week, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Barnyard Chicken offers table service and takeout. Also on the menu: beer and wine.
The smallish menu focuses on chicken, chicken, and more chicken. From sticky wings to hand-cut chicken fat fries (fries cooked in beef tallow and later tossed in rendered chicken fat), the food is approachable and fun. The restaurant’s signature dish, the brick chicken, is cooked under a brick for a crispy crust and served with your choice of dipping sauce.
“Nobody really focuses on chicken,” Hara said. “I know that as a young chef, that was the last thing I wanted to cook. I come from a fine dining background, but I don’t want to go down that path. I just want to do something casual, something fun, and, you know, you can’t go wrong with chicken.”
With 25 years of experience in the service industry as a chef and restaurant owner, Hara considers Barnyard Chicken a passion project. He wants his guests to be as excited about the food as he is.
“I want everyone to come,” he said. “And I want to give them a reason to come. The goal is to do something special and do it in a special way.”
Good neighbors
For Hara, the experience at Barnyard Chicken is as important as the chicken.
“For chefs, food is not about cooking, it’s about the customer experience and having fun doing what you’re doing,” he said. “As a foodie, I know that when I eat something memorable, it’s unforgettable. It’s a memory. It brings you back and that’s the goal.”
Hara said he has received support and positive messages from the Park Circle neighborhood and surrounding businesses since moving into Spruill’s space.
“They’re really excited,” Hara said of his new neighbors. “They say, ‘Oh my God, we’ve been watching you. We’ve been checking you out. We can’t wait.'”
Barnyard Chicken opens next to The CODFather and down the street from The Junction Kitchen & Provisions, Jackrabbit Filly and Sesame Burgers & Beer. Throw a stone and you’ll hit both Holy City Brewing and Firefly Distillery. Half a mile away is East Montague Avenue, home to a variety of long-established, new and soon-to-open bars and restaurants. Hara is rightly excited about the possibilities of the culinary scene in Park Circle.
He said he wants his guests to be satisfied with their food when they leave Barnyard Chicken.
“I want them to be delighted,” he said. “I want them to leave and 1) get their money’s worth, 2) be served well and 3) remember what they’re eating.”
Barnyard Chicken is a partnership with Park Circle Caresa nonprofit organization that combats food insecurity in the area. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the brick chicken will be donated to Park Circle Cares through August 23rd.
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