Drew Mitchell and Leo Sloan, co-owners of Good Bird, found success in New Orleans with their menu of sandwiches and salads all centered around free-range and healthy rotisserie chicken. Opened in 2016 near Tulane and Loyola universities, the restaurant mostly served a college student clientele. So it seemed like a no-brainer to bring their food to another college town, Baton Rouge’s own Louisiana State University.
“I think our brand and our food serves [the college] community pretty well,” Sloan says.
The LSU north gates location on West Chimes Street opened Jan. 13, and business has been steady, the team says. The space feels cozy—not just with the smell of rotisserie chicken, but with the fun and colorful murals on the walls and succulents on tables. Even though the proximity to campus makes college students the majority of their customers, they geared their menu toward anyone on the go.
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“I wanted to start a sandwich shop, and the concept just came together right after that,” Sloan says. Soon after, he invited Mitchell to become his business partner.
The name “Good Bird” references the use of free-range chicken, raised free of hormones and antibiotics, sourced from a chicken supplier in Georgia. The chicken is cooked using a rotisserie method, never fried—which means there are no added fats used in the cooking process.
“It’s something you can eat everyday without feeling [bad],” Mitchell says. “Simple foods, simple ingredients, and it tastes good.”
Their popular options include Mitchell’s favorite The Larry Bird sandwich, featuring rotisserie chicken, bacon, avocado mash, romaine lettuce, tomato and aioli on ciabatta. Sloan’s favorite is The Birdman Jr. sandwich, which comes with rotisserie chicken, purple slaw, melted Swiss, a special sauce and pickles on toasted sourdough—though he gets it as a wrap.
On the salad side, there’s The Eagle Street salad with kale, arugula, currants, roasted pecans, parmesan and lemon vinaigrette. And there’s The Sue Bird salad with mixed greens, sweet potato, crumbled goat cheese, currants, roasted pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. There are also vegan and vegetarian options.
Although Sloan and Mitchell say they don’t know where Good Bird should travel next, they “definitely want to keep on growing.”
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Be sure to follow Good Bird on Instagram, and for more information click here.
Good Bird Baton Rouge is at 144 W. Chimes St.
