Fried chicken sandwich with claw intact sends social media into a food frenzy

Critics are crowing about "Claude the Claw," a show-stopping paean to poultry performing under the bright lights of Broadway. 

"When do you ever see a chicken sandwich with the entire leg attached to it?" Instagram influencer Jack Goldburg asked his 1.2 million followers (@jacksdiningroom) after visiting Birdbox, a takeout sandwich shop steps from Times Square, surrounded by New York City's Theater District. 

"It's like this hidden little sandwich shop run by a two-Michelin-star chef who's doing some crazy s---," he also said. 

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Birdbox opened in July. It's led by chef Chris Bleidorn and partner Aarti Shetty, the duo behind Michelin-rated San Francisco restaurant Birdsong.

Claude the Claw is the signature item at their East Coast fried chicken hot spot. It's a crave-worthy sandwich filled with an entire chicken quarter (thigh and drumstick) you might find in any supermarket meat aisle. 

But the Birdbox version still has the leg attached, all the way down to the foot. 

The primitive profile made Claude the Claw destined for viral stardom in the Instagram era. Sometimes food achieves fame because it looks good — not necessarily because it tastes good. 

"It's the craziest chicken sandwich I've ever had … It's cool with the leg sticking out."

Food lover @hungryconnie has 24,100 followers on Instagram. Yet her Birdbox testimony attracted 2.5 million views, far more than the 3,000, 4,000 or even 5,000 views for her other Instagram reels. 

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"The chicken arrived super crispy and flavorful," Hungry Connie crowed of her delivery order. 

Claude the Claw apparently passed the taste test, as well as the eye test. Visitors from far and wide are flocking to the Big Apple to stand in line before taking a bite out of the boffo Broadway bird, judging by posts, comments and more.

"It's a 10-and-a-half out of 10," San Diego native Jackson Estrin told Fox News Digital this week, moments after his first taste of Claude the Claw. 

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"It's the craziest chicken sandwich I've ever had in my life. It's different. It's cool with the leg sticking out."

Goldburg described the refined chef-driven method behind the one-legged madness.

There is a seven-day process, he said, behind each sandwich. 

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The chicken is brined in a salt bath, marinated in buttermilk curry for five days, then double-fried, splashed in spiced duck fat and served with two types of house-made mayonnaise.

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Birdbox claims the leg is not a gimmick but a sign of authenticity and its commitment to high-quality chicken. 

"The heads and feet of chickens that come from the industrial poultry complex are often so battered that they must be removed in order for the chickens to be sold 'whole,'" said the restaurant website.

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"Birdbox birds are sourced with their heads and feet intact. Whole, unashamedly. While possibly intimidating at first blush, Claude the Claw is our source of reassurance and an indicator of quality."

Goldburg said Birdbox "is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers."

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After just a few bites, he boasted that Claude the Claw "might be in my top 2" of his favorite chicken sandwiches of all time.