A Familiar Fried Chicken Doughnut Sandwich Arrives at U Street’s Service Bar

The next fried chicken sandwich to take up a monthlong residency on U Street NW calls back to a time before Buttercream Bakeshop was a must-visit for Cinnascones and the Salt Line was an essential destination for New England-style seafood plates.

Pastry maven Tiffany MacIsaac and chef Kyle Bailey, respective owners in the Shaw bakery and the riverside spot in Navy Yard, collaborated on the second entry in the “FRIED” chicken sandwich series for guest chefs at Service Bar. Starting tonight, customers at the inventive cocktail bar at 928 U Street NW can buy a sweet-and-salty sandwich that builds on a fan favorite the married couple used to serve when they worked at Birch & Barley and (now-closed) Golden Brown Delicious.

“The Top That” ($13) has buttermilk fried chicken seasoned with cayenne and fenugreek, bacon, and maple chicken jus on yeast doughnut buns topped with buttered pecans. The new sandwich is available until March 5, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Safe Shores, an organization that advocates for children and adolescents affected by violence and trauma.

Rey Lopez/For Service Bar

Longtime observers of the D.C. restaurant scene will recognize ingredients from “the Top That” as the same that made the “Luther” a brunch sensation at Birch & Barley and GBD, eventually spawning imitators.

Service Bar introduced the “FRIED” series in December by making a version of chef Kevin Tien’s Sichuan spiced hot chicken sandwiches from Hot Lola’s. Fans of that sandwich can find it at its home base in Ballston. The series began as a way to shine a spotlight on local talent in the wake of fried chicken mania ignited by the Popeye’s chicken sandwich.

• A U Street Pop-Up Will Show Off Fried Chicken Sandwiches From Across the DMV [EDC]
• GBD to Unleash the Luther, Campari Doughnuts [EDC]
• A Sandwich a Day: The Fried Chicken Luther at ChurchKey in Washington, D.C. [Serious Eats]