Carla Hall's Fried Chicken Comeback
"Top Chef" star Carla Hall is opening Bumblebirds, a fried chicken and Southern cocktail spot, on Capitol Hill on March 14 Inside Celebrity Chef Carla Hall’s Fried Chicken Comeback in D.C.. It's inspired by her grandmother and Southern roots Inside Celebrity Chef Carla Hall’s Fried Chicken Comeback in D.C.. What's on the cocktail menu?
Carla Hall's Capitol Hill venture marks her return to restaurants after closing Carla Hall's Southern Kitchen in Brooklyn in 2017. Hall partnered with the Sunnyside Restaurant Group, a D.C.-based, family-run business, for this new project. The Bumblebirds menu features fried and grilled organic chicken served in biscuits or brioche, with gluten-free options available. Mixologist Andra "AJ" Johnson, formerly of Seranata, designed the Southern-inspired cocktail menu, including the signature Bumblebird cocktail. Hall's passions extend beyond the kitchen; she designed Bumblebirds' bright interior, showcasing her handcrafted paper yo-yo quilts. Hall is also showcasing her textile artwork in a restaurant setting for the first time. Before her culinary career, Hall earned a business degree from Howard University and worked as a CPA, later modeling in Europe. She later trained at L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland and launched a catering company called Alchemy Caterers in 2001. Hall gained fame on "Top Chef" and co-hosted ABC's "The Chew" for seven years, winning a Daytime Emmy in 2015. In 2025, she won another Daytime Emmy for her show "Chasing Flavor". Capitol Hill's dining scene is experiencing a refresh in 2026, with Bumblebirds taking over the former Good Stuff Eatery location. Other recent additions include Kha-Bar (Bengali flavors) and Roma Roma (pizza). The grand opening of Bumblebirds is on March 14, with the first 100 customers receiving a free sandwich or nuggets. The restaurant is located at 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
