Starbird brings its signature chicken to Palo Alto

A decade after launching on El Camino Real in Sunnyvale, the Starbird group of premium fast-casual chicken restaurants has opened its first Palo Alto location — also on El Camino Real.

Starbird’s concept was developed by the innovators at Culinary Edge, who started experimenting with chicken after deciding there were too many burger players in the marketplace. The result was a fresh, antibiotic-free bird that’s marinated in a signature brine before being fried in rice bran oil, which co-founder Aaron Noveshen says gives it a lighter taste and better crunch.

The signature Starbird 2.0 sandwich is topped with rainbow slaw and avocado. Other sandwiches include the Seoul Star, with a Korean sauce, sweet soy glaze and veggies, and the Nashville HotBird, with a Greek yogurt ranch dressing and dill pickles.