When I was craving good coffee and good vibes while in Baltimore, it was Bird In Hand that delivered on almost every occasion (pretty much all the time that I didn't switch things up by going to Blueprint, with their review coming later)! On top of being a solid coffeehouse, Bird doubles as a great local bookstore filled with plenty of good reads. But I was craving caffeine and their seasonal lattes and Vietnamese iced coffee proved to be sweet revelations! they also have a full espresso bar and even have a good selection of spirits for when you need to kick back and imbibe on a cocktail. For food I saw a lot of temptng options on the menu,which included breakfast options like avocado toast and egg & cheese sandwiches, and seasonal salads. But it was hard to turn down the spicy ham banh MI which delivered a savory salty burn in the right way! Toss in awesome service, and a water refill station that serves still and sparkling, and you have the perfect pick me up! read more

What an amazing day to have an amazing iced ginger tumeric latte made with oat milk. The relaxed hippie spot is calling you to endulge in a peaceful drink specially prepared by the friendliest people. Stop by and make a cool selection of your choice of drink whether hot or cold. You wont be disappointed unless your tastebuds are off read more

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Cutest little coffee shop! The employees were very friendly and our order came out promptly. The strawberry matcha was perfectly balanced and the iced coffee was just the right strength. The cinnamon roll was delicious! read more

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his was a "Vietnamese" iced coffee and it was so mid. This isn't even traditional besides I guess the condensed milk? It tastes just like a regular coffee and it was so weird to me as an avid viet coffee drinker. Don't get this one but get the others on the menu since they were better. I liked the shop too and the workers so this was unfortunate read more

Bird In Hand - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Loved the atmosphere and the bookstore coffee shop scenery!!! I'd definitely come back here just to read a book, sip some of their drinks, and do work here. They have several choices of food and drinks here. I got their strawberry mint matcha from their seasonal menu. The matcha tastes good with the strawberry syrup; however, I didn't really taste that mint flavor. The caramel latte was okay, nothing too special. There are outlets, especially towards the back and at the community table. Free WiFi password is posted on the walls. It is a little bit cold inside, but they also have plenty of outdoor seating options. They also provide free water, and the restroom is located in the back. They also do a punch out card reward where you can get the 10th drink free. After 5pm, they start serving alcoholic drinks. They also have a happy hour (5-7pm on select days) which is pretty worth it!!! I got the honey lavender gin matcha ($7), which has a strong alcoholic first taste but the matcha flavor was still apparent. The honey and lavender flavor... not so much. The raspberry lemonade vodka was very sweet so you don't taste the alcohol. When I came, they were doing popup with MishMish where they sold sweets like chai, mango sticky rice, and two others. They have a good selection of books, each category clearly labeled with some recs from the staff. read more

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Cute coffee shop with books inside. They had good pastries and breakfast sando. They have live music and evening events sometimes which is posted above their front counter. The service is friendly but was a little slow for to-go. Next to The Study Hotel with ample parking. If it was warmer I would have loved to eat outside they have a very cute patio out front. read more

A cozy little bookstore for book lovers and coffee enthusiasts Bird in Hand is the perfect spot to be productive. The shelves are stocked with a thoughtfully curated selection of books. They have both fiction and nonfiction with topics about cooking and food! The ambiance is warm and cozy, but fairly quiet even when it was quite packed. They also have Wi-Fi! read more

Bird In Hand - Cafe Latte - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I'd definitely return to this bookstore and cafe! Friendly staff and lots of seating along with a wide selection of books! The drinks and food were also delicious. Paid parking available on nearby streets. read more

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This coffeeshop/bookstore was such a cool find in town! Located near John's Hopkins University, Bird in Hand is a local shop with college town vibes. The staff was friendly and worked quickly. There were multiple shelves of books to browse while enjoying your coffee. We got two oat milk vanilla lattes which turned out perfect! It does get crowded especially as the weather gets colder but definitely a cool spot to stop by if you're visiting the area. read more

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Solid coffee and espresso, but the egg and cheese is SO DRY and the staff seemed a bit cold

This review is solely based upon an event I attended here, not the actual bookstore itself. Bird in Hand is a really cute cafe, bookstore, which I plan to return to try the coffee and pastries I stopped for their Community Dinner event called Eat with Me. It was a community dinner party with Chef Char. You had a choice of a ticket with or without wine pairing. Me and my friend chose the ticket with wine pairing. The ticket included two glasses of wine. The menu was not printed online so we went in kinda blind on what was served. The first course was a roasted vegetable dish which consisted of broccoli, fingerling potatoes and pears with a Greek yogurt sauce. The second course was chicken thighs with risotto in a tomato sauce and the third course was a granola strudel with pears. There was also an arugula salad with grapefruit segments and parmesan cheese. I can be brutally honest, none of the courses were seasoned well. The first course was cold, the vegetables were wilted and did not mesh well. Was not expecting pears to be with my roasted vegetables. The second course was underwhelming as well. The food did not have any flavor and the dessert was not my favorite at all. I only ate the fruit out of the dessert. The chef did come out and let us know what each course was, however I felt that she really wasn't too personable with the guests. A few of the guests at the table were her friends so she only engaged with them, and of course they hyped her up, however the food was bland and underwhelming and the majority of the guests including myself did not finish their plates. If there is another community dinner, I hope it will be with a different chef in mind As I stated before my review is of the event, not the business as a whole. read more

Great coffee! Wonderful ambience and the food was excellent! Blueberry muffin was great too! Clean and plenty of staff so hardly any wait! Love all the books! read more

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Super cute bookstore by the Hopkins undergrad campus. Bird in Hand is also owned by the owners of Ivy Books in Roland Park. Bird is Hand is really a cafe/bar with books. It's a good combo of both. They have lot of tables for sitting and a water station. I do love their wall of staff recos and new books but it's not the biggest selection of books, but well curated for sure. I always find something I want to read here, I first saw Yellowface here and was reminded of The Virgin Suicides. The coffee is always solid and they have fun kombucha and sparking water selection, and they also have wine! A good place to stop by if you're in the area for a drink or a browse for a new read! read more

Bird In Hand - Staff picks - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My first visit, made this one of my favorite coffee shops in the city. The highlight was definitely the sandwiches. The bread was soft! The Jalapeño scone...jaw drop...no crumbs left on the plate. I love the vibe here because there's books everywhere and a spot in front to be some local goods. The only thing is, sometimes you walk into a coffee shop and get a little snide look from the workers. I definitely got that here. I wasn't greeted upon entering, which is fine, but the guy taking our order just didn't seem to want to answer my questions or to be there. Everyone else seemed great though! Overall that doesn't taint the experience because I'll def revisit. read more

Bird In Hand - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Really lovely cafe for great coffee and ambiance. The staff are attentive and it was wonderful to notice the care and attention they give to guests. This place tends to fill up fast but it seems like it's a revolving door so after a short wait, a spot will open up. Try to sit in the back, it gets really cold when the door swings open. read more

Cute cafe with nice atmosphere and pretty good coffee! But... you can't just be out of vanilla syrup, caramel syrup, and oat milk in the MORNING. I'd understand if there was a accident or external circumstance that led to this lack, but there was no explanation, and I ended up paying extra (not offered a refund) for an item that had to be substituted. read more

Absolutely first rate cappuccino--small china cup ...(must ask or you will get a large paper cup which dilutes the regular 2 shots of espresso)...supper strong, perfect for hitting the road--or not. Pleasant place all around, piece of cake, cookie, sandwich and sm bookstore...I love love love the self serve water station with both --still and sparkling water! Street parking tight but worth a walk around this interesting area which surrounds John's Hopkins. read more

Decent cafe next to Hopkins campus. Came here around midday on a weekday with some friends and seating was sparse. This seems to be a popular study spot for Hopkins students. The inside was well-decorated with lots of books and seating. Service was quick and kind. Food and drinks were eh. My friend tried the apple cider matcha and did not like it. Another friend got an iced caramel latte and the milk was curdling in the drink. I had a turkey grilled cheese which was $11 and pretty thin and unimpressive (my friend got a ham grilled cheese and thought the same thing). The bird's club sandwich looked like much more bang for your buck though. Would recommend that instead. Overall: meh busy college student cafe in Baltimore with hit or miss food and drinks but a nice ambience. read more

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My 3-star rating is only because I didn't enjoy my iced chai tea. I'm a huge lover of chai tea, so I feel like my review might not reflect everyone's experience. I also have a sweet tooth, so I would have preferred it to be sweeter, but it wasn't (again, not a big deal). However, I think this shop is so unique and cute, and if I were a university student, I would 100% spend my time here. The staff was incredibly nice and accommodating, especially since it was my first time there. They helped and assisted me with my drink selection. I would definitely come back to try something different on the menu because I feel like my current review doesn't do this place justice. This shop probably has really tasty drinks I just need to try something else! read more

Such a lovely shop. Great food and coffees, etc. Also, a beautiful gift shop. Very cool ambience throughout.

Sadly, I keep trying to have a good experience but am often disappointed here. I've worked in coffee for ten years and just had two shocking moments in one visit that have probably, permanently, pushed me away. Not only would the staff not grind my coffee because it wasn't their own (something I've never heard in six years of cafe work), and no one was behind me, but after setting down the "cortado" we ordered, the barista picked it back up, poured some of the drink out, put the lid back on and served us. On top of it all the attitude of these employees is wildly bad, no hospitality. So, I took my business down the block where they happily ground my coffee, asked about it and me, and they ultimately got my business. Lesson learned. read more

Only had time for an iced latte but the food looks amazing. The latte was delicious and was ready super fast. The atmosphere was chill coffee house vibe in a college town. Loads of students just doing their thing. Opposite of starbucks hustle and bustle. read more

Cute cafe, every time I go the place is completely full. Good matcha and I definitely plan to try more sandwiches!

Average coffee, great vibes. I stopped in here after a meeting at Hopkins. There was great service, lots of Hopkins undergraduates talking or studying or using their computers. My coffee was nice, slightly watery, mild coffee taste, not bitter. It was nice. read more

I love the ambiance of this place. It's on the corner nice and tucked. The flavor options are unique. I got an iced rosemary honey latte and it was delicious. The cafe houses a bookstore as well with a plethora of cool books, also the music selection here is top tier. Definitely a place to get work done and relish in the moment. read more

Bird In Hand - Rosemary Honey Iced Latte - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I'd say this is a cute spot. The food was not impressive, I'd skip. The coffees on the other hand, I do recommend. I'd give this spot an overall 3.5 because of the vibe and friendly staff. Check out more food spots on Instagram /Tik Tok: @thefoodhigh read more

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This cute bookstore cafe in Charles Village had quick service, plenty of seating and was a great atmosphere for working or catching up with friends. I got the seasonal iced horchata latte and it was very enjoyable. They do have a large variety of seasonal specials and flavors so I will definitely be back to try more. read more

Bird In Hand - Iced Horchata Latte - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Very cute! Love the many many book options! I didn't drink the coffee but my partner in food & travel loved it.. refills are $1 if you are dining in, always love that. I had the village fog (the Charles village take on the "London fog") which I liked because they didn't use a syrup to sweeten it, they used honey. I also ended up getting the chai later on. Very good. I liked this more than the village fog. This was spiced well, and sweetened to perfection. Will be going back. read more

Yummy coffee, good amount of seating and space inside. Really cute coffee shop and book store. Lots of options and room to spread out. Also has pastries as well. read more

Bird In Hand - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Eh, this was overpriced, poor customer service, with average food/drinks and a small milk/non dairy selection for a coffee shop. I came here with 2 friends on a Saturday late morning. Our experience was poor, I think this place gets by through serving college kids who don't have many options. But you, Yelp reader, do! The coffees are pretty expensive - I think my 8oz latte was almost $5. That's sort of ok - it is by the JHU campus so I know there may be a premium for price. The main issue is this is a coffee shop and they only had skim, whole, or oat milk? Really? You have 3 milks...? Not sure I've ever heard of that. Customer service could use a bit of help. I ordered a scone for which I was not offered for it to be warmed up, that seems like a no brainer. Plus, It was just ok. They took our names for the coffee and then never called us. We were not sitting far from the counter. So we checked back after what seemed like too long and our hot coffee was sitting there. So why take our names? The shop itself is cute with lots of cool books and gifts. It was full of lots of students so it's obviously popular for that crowd, but if you actually like coffee and bakery, I'd skip this. read more

Bird In Hand - Gifts - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This place is not for families. Mainly sugared drinks. Busy atmosphere. Good menu needs major improvement.

Great vibe for morning coffee. Great atmosphere to sit and relax. Coffee drinks are well made by professionals who know what they're doing.

Bird in Hand seems to have repaired the weird inconsistencies in service detailed in the earlier review, and is still home to a great bookstore. We've started returning to Bird in Hand more often and have recently received consistently great service. read more

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!!!!!!! I have gone here 5 times on my trip and it hits every single time. The iced matcha latte is amazing (i get it with oat milk) And so is the avocado toast. You can watch them make everything fresh and all the workers are so nice. The ambiance is amazing with all the books. i cannot recommend enough!!!!! read more

Bird In Hand - avocado toast - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This is such a a cute place. It's like a little library inside. There's plenty of seating inside and outside. The staff was quick to make the drink. I got the iced lavender latte which was the perfect sweetness. read more

Bird In Hand - Lavender latte - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I absolutely love this place. Great atmosphere for writing, working, or for meeting a friend/colleague. Decent prices, too. Plus, I love taking a break and browsing the poetry books. read more

the vibes were wonderful and the coffee was good! they have live performances like music & poetry reading. great for studying (especially for those at johns hopkins) or just to chill. will visit again! read more

Bird In Hand - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Convenient coffee shop and bookstore combined on Johns Hopkins campus. I came to get some work done and I was pretty early so I was able to find a spot, but the seating areas are a little small. I ordered an iced maple latte and a chocolate croissant. They don't have vanilla which I thought was odd, it's usually a popular syrup in most coffee shops. Regardless the latte was good and my croissant was great. If you're dining in they bring your drink to your seat which was convenient, especially if you have stuff and don't want to leave it on the table to go grab your drink. They also have a great variety of books to purchase. From non-fiction to cookbooks it's fun to look around. Overall it was good and if you're lucky to get a seat, a good place to study or finish up some work. read more

Bird In Hand - Chocolate croissant and iced maple latte with oat milk - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I'm so happy books stores and cafes exist. I can work remotely, sip a classic cappuccino, and get lost in some good reads. I was making my way around town and I stopped it and walked into a good vibe. The staff has really created a warm and inviting space that's great for both casual stop bys and coffee dates. Can't wait to check out a few of their upcoming events. Bird in Hand will be my go to spot for now on read more

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The barista was helpful while I was deciding on the drink and in the end, I decided to get a pour over! They have different blends here (courtesy of Thread Coffee Roasters) and I chose the "Comsa" blend, which is a medium roast with "Bittersweet chocolate and Smooth" tasting notes. I personally really enjoy a nice medium/dark pour over. I definitely could taste the chocolate notes and it was a very wonderful blend during the chilly and rainy afternoon. Definitely warmed me up like hot chocolate would. The pour over is also not extremely expensive! It was $4 for a sizable cup. read more

Bird In Hand - "Comsa" pour over - Bookstores Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland