Last weekend, I ventured out to Cherokee Street. Instead of going to the usual Melt or Revel, where I usually frequent, I headed to the end of the street to check out a new place called Byrd and Barrel.

This restaurant, which opened in September of 2015, is located at the intersection of Cherokee and South Jefferson Avenue. I knew I was going to fall in love with this place when I heard the main two items on their menu: chicken and mac and cheese.

My boyfriend and I got there at about 7 p.m. It’s a pretty small joint. There’s a bar on the left side that takes up most of that area, and then there’s three large tables against the windows. A railing was available for seating too. Outdoor seating seemed to be where they could fit most people, but it was way too cold for that.

We got seated when it wasn’t super busy, but with the limited seating it was tight enough inside. At the restaurant, they did not offer normal Coke or Pepsi options, but rather Vess soda. I’m not a soft drink lover so I didn’t try it, but my boyfriend did and said it tasted just like normal.

I ordered ten-pieces of white chicken nuggets and an order of mac and cheese. My boyfriend got the Banh Mi sandwich, which consisted of fried chicken livers and the normal burger toppings. The service was nice and our food came fairly quickly. I was extremely hungry though, so a short time seemed like an eternity.

When I got my food, I was shocked. These chicken nuggets are not the size of your normal run-of-the-mill fast food chicken nuggets. No siree, these babies were HUGE. Each one was a little bigger than a golf ball of thick cut chicken breast. I wasn’t a huge fan of how big they were, but it didn’t impede much on the experience. The meat was very juicy but not enough to not gross you out.

The breading on the nuggets was made out of St. Louis’s own Red Hot Riplet chips. This made the nuggets have spicy taste with a little crunch, and as a huge fan of Red Hot Riplets, I obviously loved the taste it gave the nuggets. It tasted just as good in ketchup too, something I need when eating chicken nuggets.

My favorite part of the meal was obviously the mac and cheese. It was made with white cheeses and had a taste similar to the famous mac and cheese from St. Louis Bread Co. But what made me like Byrd and Barrel’s more was the thickness. It had a more hearty cheese that made it delicious. This was also topped by Red Hot Riplets, which added a nice crunch to compare to the squishy noodles. My date swears his Bahn Mi was super good, but I am too much of a weenie to try something with a liver in it.

After my visit, I think I’ve found my new favorite place near Cherokee Street, as it has something a little heartier than Melt and something a lot less healthy than anything at Revel. The fact that this restaurant has two of many people’s favorite foods makes it a crowd pleaser.

People who would want to check out Byrd and Barrel can go to 3422 S Jefferson Avenue. Hours and further menu items can be found at byrdandbarrel.com.