The Eagle has landed in Mason.
Thunderdome Restaurant Group will open the first suburban location of its popular fried chicken joint, The Eagle Food & Beer Hall, in Deerfield Township on Monday, Oct. 5. Local media, including yours truly, was invited in for a sneak peek during a soft opening held on Oct. 1. What I discovered is that their fried chicken tastes just as good in the tranquil 'burbs as it does in Over-the-Rhine.
Located at The District at Deerfield mixed-use development, it's an impressive space. While you can't recreate the charm of The Eagle's original location, inside a former OTR post office, Thunderdome worked with the Drawing Department design firm to ensure the 4,600-square-foot, newly constructed space came close.
Nice touches
include the postal lamps outside and the 15-foot operational glass garage doors that open to a courtyard that often hosts community events, including outdoor concerts. The bar, which seats 20 guests, is made from reclaimed wood from Rustbelt Modern Heirlooms, and the walls are decorated with murals by local artists.
While the location seems much larger than the one in OTR, Thunderdome co-owner Joe Lanni said that it seats roughly the same number of people.
Right next door to The Eagle is a new location of Thunderdome's chicken tender joint, CityBird, where customers can order the entire Eagle and CityBird menu, as well as Dora district beverages, for takeout. In perhaps even bigger news, Thunderdome will also open the second location of its widely popular Over-the-Rhine Italian restaurant, Pepp & Delores, in November.
The menu
The new Eagle offers the same menu as the Over-the-Rhine location, but includes some additional items that are very good and surprisingly healthy. They include roasted carrots with honey-whipped feta and a marinated cucumber salad with green apple, sesame seeds and champagne vinaigrette.
There's also a hearty wedge salad with green goddess dressing, blackened shrimp skewers with remoulade and a smashburger made with beef from Eckerlin Meats, at Findlay Market. A full bar offers an impressive bourbon selection, including several single barrel options.
The wine menu borrows from Pepp & Dolores and includes several bottles meant to pair well with fried chicken.
The takeaway
The northern suburbs needed something like this, a sophisticated but family-friendly selection of dining options on par with what you would find Downtown or in Over-the-Rhine. And the District at Deerfield is already home to the excellent Cafe Patachou out of Indianapolis, as well as Jenni's Ice Cream, Fifty West Brewing Co., Pins Mechanical Co. and 101 Craft Kitchen.
"The Eagle, CityBird and ... Pepp & Dolores are exactly the kind of concepts The District at Deerfield was designed to attract," said Ryan Silverman, vice president of Silverman and Co., which developed the project. "Their opening is another big step towards solidifying the entertainment hub we've planned for this site, and we're excited for the northern suburbs to experience what's made The Eagle a Cincinnati staple."
5200 District Park Drive, Mason, 513-848-1530, eaglerestaurant.com. Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Attention fried chicken lovers, The Eagle has landed in the 'burbs
