I love restaurants that pick one thing and do it very, very well. At Brick & Bones, they picked fried chicken. And goodness, they do it well.
This month, Brick & Bones opened a new location in Rowlett called Brick & Bones Backyard. The original location, in Deep Ellum, has been making world-class, Mexican-inspired fried chicken for almost a decade. The new location does that, too.
"We put a lot of love in our food," chef Alex Lines tells me. That, and time. The chicken is brined for over 24 hours, to thoroughly infuse the flavors. And the hot sauce for the hot chicken takes three days to make. Flavor runs on a different clock. There's no rush. Time moves slowly. Thank goodness for that.
The new backyard Brick & Bones is located in Rowlett's iconic, century-old Oliver house — fondly dubbed the "blue house" by locals. Built in the early 1920s, the Oliver house had, at one time, the only deep well in Rowlett. The owners, Dee and Maggie Oliver, not only allowed neighbors to use their water supply and fill up their tanks, but also provided water for the local school. The town, now a rapidly growing city, started right here.
Is there a more interesting place to eat fried chicken in North Texas? I don't think so.
Under chef Alex Lines, Brick & Bones Backyard expanded its menu to include slow-cooked rotisserie chicken brined for 48 hours; the Backyard salad with grilled chicken, mixed greens, Oaxaca cheese, fire-roasted corn and pickled red onions infused with Agave tequila, Mexican oregano, and lime; and the massive chicken la familia spread, a gastronomic highlight reel, perfect for a family of five.
Everything is just so good: the fried chicken, the rotisserie, the sides, the drinks, the service, you name it. And to be able to enjoy a meal, made by people who really, really care, in this historic farmhouse is an utter pleasure.
Brick & Bones Backyard is located at 3410 Main Street and is open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight. A beer garden is slated for late autumn 2024 and will have an outdoor bar, stage and more parking.
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