Rebel With a Cause

As the JQ ascends yet higher on the unofficial official acesomeness scale, we've been getting familiar with the Quarter's latest leading lad. Completely independent and completely Brum-made, Rebel Chicken opens next Friday. Their cause? Chuffing good rotisserie chicken.

REBEL WHAT NOW?
For a brief time, and still on social media in some cases, the new restaurant and bar was known as Fowl Play. A minor legal hiccup later, they've rebranded and mean business. So much so that they employed the services of a charcoal sommelier. Know many charcoal sommeliers? Nor do we, but so critical is the flavour and finish that goes into the chickens from their time over Rebel's specially built char-pit that seven combinations were trialled by the kitchen team and The Oxford Charcoal Company's somme before the final mix was agreed. Your beaut bird will be browned-off by 70% Cuban charcoal and 30% sweet cherry wood logs (is there any other ratio?), but not before an overnight marinade and partial-steam to ensure max moisture. 

REBEL SIDES
Your only big chicken decision is whether to go quarter (£6), half (£10) or whole (£18) but sauce-wise, there's aioli, proper gravy, hot or BBQ and side-wise there's an apple juice marinated zingy slaw we're hearing all of the news about. Or go with the owner's top pick — what he's calling Brum's only proper caesar salad, which can be ordered as a sharer (£22) with a whole chicken, fresh anchovies, soft boiled eggs and all that deliciousness. The menu's been curated by the guy behind Northampton's The Smoke Pit, and he's giving nothing away when it comes to what goes into the kitchen's sauces and marinades.

REBEL SUN DOWNERS
If we had one on-going disagreement with this city, it's got to be the beer garden options. From midday, Rebel Chicken's big backyard's bathed in light. Lauding our sun worship, and probs for some sort of much more sensible commercial reason, there'll be an outdoor bar and reggae vibes, with live music and rum punchy sort of cocktail specials. On the regular bar menu, there are 16 bottled craft beers, ales and ciders including Vice magazine's official can — The Old Blue Last. There's a gin menu amongst the spirit selection, plus a small but expertly formed choice on vin.

REBEL FUTURE
The stripped back, two-floor interior's got room for 50 in addition to the bar. Not content with this and the humungulous garden, the team's also taken on the unit at the front of Rebel Chicken. Rebel Desi will be opening up later in the summer, majoring on the Indian subcontinent for food. But before we get ahead of ourselves, a few things to look out for at the mother-chicken-ship. With its three metre wide LCD outdoor screen, the team's looking after your World Cup viewing and they've got an alternative Sunday roast starting shortly. In the day and early eve families, dogs, prams and nans are actively encouraged. Come the weekend, there'll be DJs keeping things the right amount lively until the smaller hours, plus loads of drinksy and foodsy specials over the coming months

Soft launch weekend May 25 to May 27. Official launch weekend June 1 to June 3. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram