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Find family-friendly vibes and poultry prepared all ways at Park Circle eatery Barnyard Chicken

Find family-friendly vibes and poultry prepared all ways at Park Circle eatery Barnyard Chicken
January 2025
PHOTOGRAPHER: 

Beyond the chicken, you'll find homespun decor, warm service, and a host of unexpected sides 



(Left) Roasted, fried, moussed, and sauced—all manner of poultry dishes await at Park Circle’s Barnyard Chicken, where the friendly and easygoing, fast-casual atmosphere belies the serious technique and training of its chef-owner; (Right) Owners Cathy and Eric Hara.

With a resume that includes cheffing at some of New York’s fine-dining powerhouses such as the erstwhile davidburke & donatella and The Oak Room at The Plaza hotel, Eric Hara brought heavy-hitting kitchen experience to town when he and his wife, Carly, moved here in 2023 after stints in California and Costa Rica. Instead of reviving his signature PB&J foie gras torchon for the downtown crowd, the couple came up with a concept that’s anything but fancy-pants. A stone’s throw from the Codfather on Spruill Avenue in North Charleston’s Park Circle neighborhood, the Haras’ Barnyard Chicken is a no-frills paean to the bird, from brick-style to fried, the latter a stellar riff on the sandwich that Chick-Fil-A made famous.

The homespun decor scheme—think bright lights, corrugated metal, and distressed painted walls—of the restaurant, which opened in August, feels wholesome and inviting, with parking out back, warm service, and a family-friendly vibe. And the food? Cluck, yeah. Brick chicken, available as quarter, half, or whole bird, is a house specialty. While it’s offered with a choice of four sauces, the Peruvian green option would make pretty much anything taste fabulous. Even so, the crisp and juicy bird can stand on its own just fine.  

(Left) A tableful of offerings, including the crunchy BFC sandwich with kimchi mayo, garlic noodles, sweet soy sticky wings, and brick chicken with Peruvian green sauce; (right) a slice of the “Buttertart” pie.

To start, there are sticky wings and Korean fried chicken nuggets with kimchi mayo, which all look enticing, but—perhaps in a rustic nod to chef’s foie gras days—the chicken liver toast is the pro move. More old-school bistro than fast-casual joint, the mousse is accompanied by pickled red onion, tomato jam, and generous slabs of toasted brioche. The whole ensemble made me wish the wine list went deeper than canned Underwood. (The beer list is slightly more interesting, with two Holy City brews on tap.)

Chicken may be the star of the show, but Hara doesn’t sleep on the supporting cast. A tight selection of unexpected sides, like shaved daikon and cabbage salad, mustard greens with rutabaga, and garlic noodles, complement the mains well. And don’t think about flying the coop without dessert: the “Buttertart” pie with oatmeal cookie crust is an especially sweet ending.

4262 Spruill Ave.
Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; 
Friday & Saturday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
(843)-585-5701, barnyardparkcircle.com