We Review The Social Birdy

When microbreweries were first experiencing a boom in the Ozarks, it wasn’t just their tasty local beers that caught everyone’s attention. It was the whole vibe: a low-key place to gather with friends in a outdoor space, while playing a few lawn games.

Clearly, our neighborhood breweries were onto something because the concept of food-plus-fun has absolutely exploded in 417-land. Enter The Social Birdy (250 Branson Hills Pkwy, Branson, MO), one of the latest iterations of this oh-so-welcome trend that couples tasty eats with good, old-fashioned human connection.

Located in Branson, The Social Birdy offers dining, pickleball courts and a mini-golf course outside, plus dining and simulated golf inside. I stopped by with my family on our way to Silver Dollar City on a beautiful afternoon, so we sat outside on the patio. The space features plenty of shade for me and my fellow sun-hating vampires, plus several sunny tables for everybody else. There are a couple of cornhole sets, loads of space and a view that we weren’t expecting: wooded hills and big sky. If you peek off the sides of the patio, you can look down and watch the mini-golfers and pickleballers.

We came hungry, so we started our meal with an appetizer. We truly struggled with choosing an app; the chicken wings topped with gochujang sauce (OMG!) and the margarita pizza both tempted our taste buds. Ultimately, we got an order of loaded nachos. I was a big fan of the pickled onions, fresh jalapeño slices and pico de gallo that came on top. They made every bite zippy and fresh and offset the heft of the heavier toppings: gooey cheese sauce and tender pulled pork. Our only complaint was that the pulled pork was a bit lacking in salt.

While my son and daughter ordered off the very affordable kids menu (and added Oreo milkshakes, because why the heck not?), Eli and I decided to order two sandwiches and split them so we could both try them. He opted for the Texan burger (described on the menu as a “chimichurri burger” and topped with pepper-jack cheese, green chili aioli, fresh jalapeño slices and pico de gallo). For the side he upgraded to sweet potato fries, which were sprinkled with cinnamon and came with a side of marshmallow fluff for dipping. They were a treat!

Although we both enjoyed the burger, the highlight of the meal was definitely the B-Town Hot Chicken Sandwich. It was a thick and juicy chicken breast hand-breaded and cooked to crispy perfection. It was tossed in a buffalo-style hot sauce that didn’t pack a huge amount of heat but did add a pleasant tingle. On top were more of those pickled red onions that we loved on the nachos.

Although we had to race off after lunch to get to our next destination, we still found ourselves eyeing the mini golf course. The weather was perfect and the vibes were right, but alas, that will have to wait till next time.