By Aneska Walrath

A new restaurant opened in Morningside Village named Whiskey Bird. The many restaurants before it, Burger Tap, Waffold, and Timones, never stayed for very long in this area. There is no whiskey in the poultry; the restuarant just wants to highlight their classic cocktails. Located at 1409 North Highland Ave. NE, it is right in the heart of the neighborhood.

The menu brings together the vibrancy of Asian flavors with the diversity of American tastes. Whiskey Bird offers an assortment of small plates including Yakitori, Hong Kong sliders, and tacos along with a selection of larger “entrée” size portions and a vegetable section. The portions are small, so it’s easy to share, similar to a tapas style restaurant.

When I first walked in, I felt like I was in Ponce City Market. It looked like a modern loft with the brick walls and dark lighting, fitting the Atlanta vibe with a full outdoor seating area and plenty of open space. I was greeted by friendly staff and seated at a booth.

From the menu, I decided on the Fried Chicken Hong Kong sliders ($6), Butter Burger Hong Kong sliders ($7), Al Pastor tacos ($4), Hawaiian Tuna tacos ($5), and Bourbon Burnt Sugar ice cream ($8) for dessert.

The Al Pastor and Hawaiian Tuna tacos were put together nicely on one plate. The braised pork, grilled pineapple salsaand cream were terrific in the Al Pastor tacos. The Hawaiian tuna taco sounded like something I normally would find disgusting, but it was one of the best tacos I have ever had. Inside the taco was cucumber, mango, avocado cream and the tuna. The taco shell was interesting as well; it tasted like a rice cake. The al pastor taco didn’t live up to the Hawaiian tuna one, but it was good too.

When I indulged in the Butter Burger Hong Kong Sliders the Korean steamed buns melted in my mouth. With the Whiskey Bird sauce, roasted mushrooms, white truffle, dill pickle, and smoked gouda fondue, it brought together unique flavors.

I finished off my dinner with the fried chicken sliders. Fried chicken is already a classic, but the Whiskey Bird sauce gave it a twist.

I could not leave Whiskey Bird without trying the bourbon burnt sugar ice cream. It came on a plate with a generous serving of ice cream with four sides of toppings, one of them being the bourbon caramel sauce. The other toppings were fruity pebbles, crushed sugared pecans, and oats. I put the pecans, oats, and bourbon caramel sauce on the ice cream and it was delicious. This ice cream was better than expected.

Restaurants that were in the space where Whiskey Bird is never stay for long because they went out of business.  The service at Whiskey Bird was unbelievably quick and the staff were very well disposed. It is a very welcoming restaurant but targets an older demographic with the food that is served.