JACKSON CLASSIC

Jackson Classic: The Bird

Neighborhood spot draws a local crowd for burgers, wings and brews.

by Melissa Thomasma photos by Jay Nel-McIntosh

AS you meander around Jackson Hole, you won’t see much marketing for The Bird. And that’s on purpose. Perhaps it’s because this off-the-beaten-path eatery eschews a single definition, and boasts a torpedoes-be-damned brand of personality and experience.

“It’s a chill, neighborhood spot with a bunch of stupid s--- hanging from the walls,” says owner Will Nowack with a shrug and a grin. He’s adamant that his staff is always genuine and polite but embraces a no-nonsense ethos. “If someone’s rude, we have no problem kicking them out.”

“We pride ourselves on being a local joint, something of a hidden gem,” explains Nowack. “Largely that’s because we’re here for the community first and visitors second. We’re a spot that’s on the outskirts of town — kind of hidden behind other buildings off the road, really.” This relaxed restaurant relies largely on word of mouth and the loyalty of locals to keep humming right along.

THE BIRD’S SIGNATURE KRAUT

Delicious heaped onto a burger, as a side to schnitzel or — of course — mounded atop corned beef in a Reuben, this homemade kraut from The Bird makes a great addition to almost any sandwich you can imagine.

1 pound bacon 2 large onions 3 heads cabbage 2 tablespoons salt 2 cups chardonnay 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 5 tablespoons caraway seeds > Mince bacon into 1/8-inch pieces and place in bowl. Cut onions in long, thin half-moon slices and put in bowl. Quarter and core the cabbage. Thinly slice.

Render the bacon until crispy on low heat, stirring every 5 minutes. Add onions and salt, and cook on low heat until the onions have soaked up most of the bacon grease.

Deglaze the pan with the chardonnay and increase heat to medium, stirring every 5 minutes until reduced. Add apple cider vinegar, cabbage and caraway seeds. Cover with lid and increase heat to medium high, stirring every 15 minutes until the cabbage is wilted.

While that word of mouth almost always includes enthusiasm for the bar’s everrotating constellation of local and global beer, the award-winning chicken wings, or the oh-so-messy-delicious lineup of creatively topped burgers, it’s impossible to overlook the boisterous atmosphere of this watering hole. The eatery’s colorful, irreverent character has long welcomed drinkers and diners looking for a laid-back and unlaced kind of experience.

The Bird, about a 15-minute drive south of downtown Jackson, first opened its doors in 2010. Two years later, Nowack and business partner Ted Hansen took over the restaurant. Their philosophy is twofold: Serve great food and drinks, and have a great time doing it.

The low-key bar grabbed headlines in 2016 for a record-shattering mega shake-a-day pot with a total just shy of $70,000. Players pay a dollar to take a roll in this game that is typically played with regular, six-sided dice. The Bird, however, decided to take it up a notch by using 12-sided die — reducing the statistical chances of winning to essentially 1 in 22,000. The pot remained unclaimed for nearly three years.

“It ended up getting way out of hand,” laughs Nowack, recalling the ever-increasing enthusiasm to play and win the pot. While he remains committed to protecting the anonymity of the eventual winner, Nowack revealed that he was pleased with who finally cast the winning roll. “It was ultimately won by a local — a longtime regular who is definitely considered a staff favorite.”

Shake-a-day prizes certainly aren’t the only thing that have been known to get more than a bit out of hand at The Bird. The restaurant made an even bigger splash with its seminotorious Super Bowl parties.

“It started as an under-the-radar event, but then people started traveling from

ALL PLAY, NO WORK:

Even the owners get in on the fun at The Bird.

MENU FAVORITES include wings, and their beer selection offers 20 choices on tap.

neighboring counties,” says Nowack with a laugh. Of course, there were plenty of elements that one would expect: the big game on large screens, plenty of beer flowing, and mountains of spicy wings, crisp potato skins, and cheese-slathered nachos.

The less-expected parts of the party? Adult entertainment. Some planned, Nowack points out, and some … not so much. “We’d bring in four strippers for the party from places like Las Vegas or California. One year, we even had trapeze-style dancers who were swinging from the ceiling on these giant bands of silk.”

Enthusiastic locals — ostensibly after a few of The Bird’s imported brews or craft cocktails — also decided to share their own exotic dance moves. “We would have local girls, and guys, too, taking off their clothes and dancing on tables. Even swinging from the rafters! It got pretty rambunctious,” Nowack says.

Despite the watering hole’s reputation for late-night antics that may be less than “family friendly,” Nowack says it’s generally all in good fun. “It’s been wild over the years. It’s a neighborhood pub, but some nights at 2 a.m. it can feel like a Wild Western bar scenario — a bunch of rednecks wanting to get into fistfights,” he says. It’s those nights that the staff’s straight-shooting attitude comes in especially handy. While seminude dancing is acceptable, interpersonal combat certainly isn’t. Beneath these stories of outlandish and unbridled shenanigans, there’s a depth of heart to The Bird. It’s a go-to for many locals, whether they’re looking for an unpretentious spot to share an after-work drink and snacks, or they’re a family relaxing on the spacious deck enjoying house-made food. It exudes a quiet confidence, and an invitation to truly sink into the experience of eating and drinking with friends and community.

All of The Bird’s dishes are fresh, made to order and without too much flourish. “We’re a bar that serves good, homemade food,” Nowack says. “It’s not gonna be healthy, but it’s definitely gonna be good.”

Nowack says that while The Bird’s burgers (cleverly served on English muffins so as not to overwhelm the toppings with excessive bread) enjoy enduring popularity, some staff favorites also include the schnitzel and the loaded French dip.

Also of note are the restaurant’s chicken wings — demonstrated by over a decade’s worth of “Best Wings in Jackson Hole” accolades. Pick from an array of sauces ranging from mild (garlic Parmesan or BBQ) to medium (classic Buffalo, sesame ginger) to hot. If old-fashioned “hot” isn’t spicy enough, peak options include “Oh My God” (made with ghost peppers) and the ultimate “Meet God” (featuring the Carolina reaper). But beware! As the menu warns, “Hot is HOT, no refund for wimps.”

Wash your selection down with one of the 20 beers The Bird has on tap at any given time. “We always try to have nothing but premium beer on tap. And they’re always rotating. We try our best to have local and regional beer, as well as some unique German and European beer,” says Nowack. “We’re definitely beer nerds, and it’s a beer-nerd kind of bar.”

Whether you’re in the mood for some late-night rowdiness, a nononsense burger that will scratch any carnivorous itch, or looking to soothe your Sunday morning hangover with brunch and bloody marys, head to The Bird. Just be sure to leave any stuffy attitudes at the door.