Over the top food and wine. Every dish was perfect! I recommend ordering as much as you can and share! Any pasta dish! Personal attention at the table is great! read more

I've never written a review before but how could I not after the unbelievable experience at Birdie's!! From the guy in the yellow hat welcoming us to Suze guiding us through the menu to Gabby being there whenever we needed a refill-- the service, food, wine, ambiance -- even the people standing in line -- amazing amazing amazing!!! Truly the most delicious meal I've ever had. Also really REALLY dog friendly - brought my pup a water bowl and everything. Just 11/10 can't recommend enough!! read more

The food is very average. I think they are trying to be more different and elevated but it just doesn't work for some reason. The service and the wine selection is amazing but the food, we won't be coming back. read more

Note the other posters comments about loud music. One post contained the word "abusive". I experienced this at Birdie's. It detracts from the experience. read more

Food & service were quite good. Instead of adding a surcharge/fee to the bill, please incorporate that into your menu prices so there is upfront and transparent pricing. It's unacceptable to try and fool diners into thinking your menu prices are lower than they really are. read more

By far the best restaurant and food in Austin. I almost don't want to write this because I don't want the best kept secret to get out. Go here and definitely get the ice cream. read more

The food here is incredible and the staff is very knowledgeable about the food/wine offerings. The orecchiette with the pork ragu was life changing read more

I've been to this place twice now, once at the very beginning when it had just opened and once more to take friends from out of town many months after. I gave them the benefit of doubt that they will work out the kinks, but unfortunately I have seen no improvements since opening. Imo, this restaurant has zero consideration for their patrons dining experience. I'm all for a counter service but I felt like they were just creating an artificial long line to 'hype' up the place. You're first introduced to a list of wine while you wait in line for about 30-45min (the counter even stopped taking orders so the kitchen can catch up..) I've never heard of that nonsense even for a food truck to get food out. And this is supposed to be $$$ fine dining. Afterwards, we waited for the food for 1.5 hr... the appetizers came quite late and we were already done with our wine by the time a little toast dish came out. Then the pastas came but not at the same time...which is awful if you're not planning to share the main course with your friends. The expeditor should learn how to ensure food gets coursed out for their patrons, especially if you expected us to wait at the counter already so your kitchen can catch up... you got some hangry and drunk customers to serve! When we complained to the staff,l that we still haven't seen all of our food, the guy was very defensive about it and did not want to apologize at first. I think he was the owner of Birdie's too! We felt unwelcome like we offended them that we couldn't wait 1.5hr to eat at their restaurant. I expect that kind of pretentious service in LA or NY but this is East Austin 12th st! Just down the street is Nixta which also offers counter service but they have got their sh*t together and I would much more prefer to eat there with friendlier staff and service! On the food side, the pastas were interesting and fresh but not worth the hype. Appetizers were small and depends on the day of the menu, it's hit or miss. We had the anchovy toast this time and it had too much butter over the fish so it was too greasy. Ratio was just off. Portions were small and each dish is on the pricey side. Lastly for dessert, cookie was good but hard to mess up a cookie. Soft serve is a bit bland and not milky and/or smooth enough. Overall, I would not recommend this place. There are some great restaurants in east side and this isn't one. I had high hope that this was going to be another good hangout spot but unfortunately I do not want to hang out outside of Birdie's in their ridiculous artificial line. It's a shame that they didn't put more focus on their customer dining experience and hope they see this post to improve their service. read more

BANKSY STRIKES AGAIN! At first I was so confused by this place. A line wraps around the building onto a busy street, while cars move in and out of the two parking spaces. Its quite an obnoxious place to stand. The line is at least an hour long and it has overpriced wine service but only for the front two couples. Once inside, you order at the front but everything is expensive like its full service. Finally you sit on some uncomfortable furniture and wait another hour for the food as well. It was like someone had taken all the worst aspects of dining at a restaurant and living in the USSR and put them together. Then it hit me! Its satire, and a brilliant art installation. Banksy nailed every aspect of dining I hate. The details were so enjoyable. It even included an angry front of house man that tried to force you to enjoy your awful dining experience with a piercing scowl. LOL! Thankfully Banksy accommodated with some amazing food, the fresh pasta was divine. 5/5 My brother says to try the rotating pastas! read more

It's honestly kinda crazy how this place has 4/5*, but no review fails to mention the dysfunctional and just silly line situation. It's really a shame, because the food is not really the problem, but waiting in line is just a no-go, especially at the price point. I rather have to put a reservation in a month in advance, honestly. read more

Clearly a home chef run restaurant, and a really bad one. One that is clueless about food, wine, presentation and service. You serve up some disgusting pasta on a plate. My last review omitted the awful food presented awfully bad. At least serve your culinary travesty in a pasta bowl, and try to dress up this pig of food to cover up how really bad it is. The awful beef tartare was served with a ridiculous burnt loaf of cracker thrown on top of an unsavory dish. My wife and I would pitch this sh** in the trash can if we made such a travesty at home. We challenge you to a cook off any day of the week, because we obviously are clueless. But then we would never try to make a $ about our incompetence. And don't need to. Learn what's good and how to serve it as well as what service is all about. read more

So glad Birdie's was on our list while in town! We had such a great experience. The kindest staff made the experience even better. The space was so cute and welcoming. The food was outstanding- the beef tartare and the oricchiette shouldn't be missed! We will be telling all of our Chicago friends to check it out when they're in Austin. Definitely a highlight of our trip! read more

Went on a Friday night and surprisingly didn't experience the wait everyone talks about but I'll say this, the food is really good. Everything we ate was flavorful and there definitely were no leftovers but here's the caveat, the portions are small even for a duo so recommend that you order more than 1 snack and small plate. The price is high for the amount of food you get however I'd still recommend giving this place a try at least once. I also like how you order your food at the front counter and find a seat. Also be aware that the minute steak is rare so if you don't want rare tell the person at the counter beforehand. Will return for sure. Fun place for a date night! read more

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Oh, The New York Times...always looking for love in all the wrong places. Birdie's had been on our radar, but we were so excited to see it included in the "50 interesting restaurants" list in the Times that we went last week to celebrate a small family victory. The first problem with this place is the same one that Nixta has of wanting to have its "super chill vibe" concept but peddling pricey food without delivering much else. Also like Nixta, the ordering apparatus in place here is idiotic: there is ONE person working a register who is also dealing with the drinks. She was very nice but she was also chatting everyone up, explaining dishes, giving wine samples, blah, blah, which is all you want when you are SEATED AT A TABLE. HOWEVER, you cannot be doing that when there is a queue out the door! Then once you're seated, you use a QR code to order more drinks, dessert, etc. Of course, that system isn't user-friendly and when we brought that to the attention of one of the outside attendants, she goes, "yeah, the internet is really bad out here." !!??!?!?!?!!? Great business model!!!! There are all these workers milling about--why not just do regular table service? Or at least expand the ordering area to be more efficient? If you want to keep it uber East Austin casual, then you need to match the pricing to your model. Wine was almost $15/glass. Food: the fried squash was OK, but a couple slices were underdone and the dish wasn't salted. We enjoyed the panisse, but it was nothing super special and ridiculously priced at $10 for four tiny pieces. Arugula salad was also fine, and we loved the mafaldine, but there was so much extra sauce on the plate and barely any pasta even though the whole dish cost $19. OK, so you don't want to dole out more of those nice mushrooms?--then add a bit more pasta to match the amount of sauce! It's not like you're making homemade mafaldine back there! We were thinking of ordering a couple more dishes but decided against it because 1) The ridiculously cumbersome QR system and 2) The value just wasn't there. We do have to say that we loved the desserts here. The soft serve vanilla was incredible as was the EVOO-orange sauce. Cookie was also delicious, but it was your standard upscale CCC that you could find at any respectable bakery --for far less money. Listen, we wish this place well: the food was OK, most of the staff was friendly, and the vibe is indeed relaxing and enjoyable. Techie millennials making decent money who are taking over Austin will love this place, seriously! It's just not for us and we have no plans to go again unless some friends insist. read more

DO NOT GO HERE. Sitting in the restaurant as I write this which I have never done before. Horrible Service, Horrible wait for blah food. Told it would be 20 minutes for my dish it is now 45 and they are yet to make it as I can see the grill. Would ask for a refund but no service person to ask. read more

Still only one POS system which I still think takes too long, but they do offer wine and drinks while you stand in line. Food is still great. It's here to stay. read more

Cute restaurant. Cute Idea. Mediocre execution. Food: some was better than average, some not. The order at the counter idea: okay, we get it, it was fun. Maybe place a menu at the door so it could move faster; but, okay, you can control the crowd flow better by slowing down the order taking. The seating is somewhat uncomfortable, but, again, "hip" restaurants aren't known for being customer friendly. The food? The salad was really good and well presented. The "toasties" were, indeed, tasty. The fish? Nicely cooked with an excellent leek-sauce. The little steak? Mediocre at best with an adequate but pedestrian sauce. The wine pours are overpriced, but, then, what restaurant doesn't try to make a killing on its wine. The REALLY disappointing aspect? At the desk, they recite the fact that dishes are "appropriate for sharing." What they don't tell you is that you MUST share your dish. Well, not really, you don't HAVE to share your dish. What that means, however, is that, at least for two, you get one dish presented at a time. Oh, what's that mean? You ordered fish. I ordered steak? Guess what, you get to eat the fish dish by yourself. i get to eat my steak dish by myself. Well, I guess we could share with each other! We asked the server when our second dish was coming out and the response was: oh, our kitchen is very small, our plates are [wait for it] . . . . . "appropriate for sharing" and are presented one at a time. The restaurant should warn patrons up-front that the main dishes come out only one at a time. So, once again, the hipsters pay a price comparable to a traditional restaurant [maybe slightly less] for less service [although the service staff was pleasantly inattentive], less ambiance [cold wooden chairs and small metal tables], and less choice [would you like to choose from one fish dish or one steak dish]. Your choice. It's a cute experience [once] and the food is decent for the price. read more

I was greatly anticipating the opening of Birdie's! While the vibe and general aesthetic of the restaurant is really lovely, the entire concept of their service is unfortunately terrible. The high price and small portion size of all the menu items really should come with table service. You do order at your table for drinks but not food (????) the logic there is not good. You DO get waiters (who were all very nice) bringing you drinks, dropping off your food, and checking in on you - but you can't order food from them! WHY!! It was frustrating to have to get up and leave the table/conversation with friends to go stand in line to order our food. The vibe in the restaurant makes you feel like you should relax and enjoy yourself but the service does not reflect that. My husband and I have sank $300 into Birdie's over two dinner visits in the last week and I honestly feel like my money was wasted. Although the food itself is tasty, the timing of the food coming out is poor and such small portions. We would receive one dish before the others making it awkward for that person to eat alone while the rest waited for their dish. I would disagree that the food lends itself to sharing, considering the very small portion size - I've left hungry after both visits. We were so excited to have this addition to the East Side but I can't say Birdie's has lived up to the hype. They're new and getting their bearings but need to rethink the operation quite a bit here. read more

We decided to try something new and different last night, and couldn't have ever imagined the treat that was in store. The arrival was confusing because there was already a group of 4 women waiting and interacting with the host. Long story short, you wait outside with the offer of a glass of wine to start. Once you see space inside, you proceed to the counter to place your order for food and more wine. After enjoying a glass of wine outside, we went inside and were guided through all of the options by Natalie. Once seated, Sophie served us the most luscious steak tartare on the planet and a salad that was absolutely mind blowing thanks to the addition of a variety of locally grown herbs and a light vinaigrette dressing. The panisse were borderline heavenly, topped with Parmesan. We finished with two divine desserts and digestives. Upon our departure we were assisted by CJ, husband of the phenomenal chef. We have added this restaurant to our list of favorites. read more

A well prepared staff who all seem to love their jobs, and the food is even better, if that's at all possible. I don't add what I had, because my tastes are not yours. I do add come here if you like great food prepared with care and a staff that wants you to feel at home. Bon appétit! read more

This is really closer to a 4...as it was all good, though I likely won't return. First the good... Birdies had a very cool vibe, lots of beautiful people, great music, fun aperitifs and sweet setting. And, the food was good. But here's why I won't be back. As you walk up, you stand in line to get in. Today it was 95 in the shade. Once inside, know that the space is small, and on this particularly night the AC couldn't keep up. Not a big deal, we ate in the lovely backyard, which has lots of fans. There were just 2 of us, so we sat at a tiny metal table...barely room for our dishes and drinks. The seats are flat benches. Not at all comfortable, so after an hour I'm hot, annoyed and ready to go. Portions were small and meant to be shared. No problem, I don't love huge portions, but the options were not particularly inventive. We had Shishito peppers, a light arugula salad and a small plate of black eyed peas with a few mini eggplants and peppers. That was the most interesting, creative and good. The most filling dish was Orecchiette pasta with sausage in a light white wine sauce. It was ok. Not a ton of flavor, and just a touch of sausage. You could call it simple, I thought it underwhelming. Price was $105 including 20% tip for 4 plates and 2 drinks. Not bad. Had we ordered a bottle of wine, it would be about $60-70 more. You order, pay and tip before you sit down. Saves time and a nice way to turn tables fast. Summary: Lovely cafe setting. Go for the casual vibe. read more

Birdie's - Pasta w/sausage - French Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This restaurant has great food, and great wines, and we had a lovely dinner in the outside seating area. However, it absolutely reeked of hot garbage. We arrived, ordered, and were seated quickly. We initially noticed the foul smell coming from the restaurant's dumpsters just on the other side of a wrought iron fence from the seating area. (The bulk of the seating at Birdie's is outside). But there weren't any tables farther away so we sat down hoping we'd just get used to it and stop noticing (nope). We had two different Chenin Blancs, both were delicious and perfect for a 95-degree day. We ordered the Eggplant, beets, and green beans for snacks. All were good with the beets being surprisingly so. Next, we had the Spaghetti with basil and pine nuts, which was clean-your-plate excellent. We ended with the minute steak and fingerlings. The tarragon aioli is pretty damn good on the steak, and the potatoes were perfect. The portions are very small, I think a bit too small for the prices being charged, ten bucks for 3 silver dollar-sized slices of eggplant was pretty ridiculous. The hot garbage stench, however, consistently wafted throughout the whole seating area and was very unpleasant. The funny thing is our whole party has lived in NYC before, and we are more than used to a little hot trash smell. This was really, really bad, to the point where although Birdie's food was lovely, I would not eat there again. read more

We heard how great this place was but was underwhelmed the first time we went. So we came back to try it again. Still underwhelmed. Expensive for what it is. Good but not great. read more

An Unbelievable Experience that clearly is deserving of the Restaurant of the Year. We've been multiple times, and while it does continue to get busier, it is well worth the wait! The food somehow feels both nostalgic and simple, while at the same time extremely elevated. This is a perfect example of the Austin Food Scene. Casual Restaurant with unbelievable food. read more

What a gem. Perhaps more aptly put... a diamond in the rough. While the service model won't appeal to everyone, there is no doubt the hearts and minds of the staff beats, fires, breathes, in complete synchronicity with a growing city that still thinks itself to be weird. That said, Austin stopped being weird a long time ago, but Birdie's gives you plenty of time to reflect on how the town has evolved from its singular, magnetic ability to draw in some of the world greatest musicians, to a broader swath of culturally talented artists seeking a canvas to paint their vision. Birdie's has composed a gorgeous opusculum of food and hospitality for the blue-blooded and blue-collared masses that have been inundating it over the past several years. In fact they level the social playing field in a way that may only work right where it is. For the uninitiated, you may find yourself wandering to the front of the counter for a glass of wine or aimlessly seeking a bar that doesn't exist to kill some time while you wait for your table. Don't do it. They will find you in the queue. Just get in line and you will soon be presented with a profound list of wine and local beer that would make any seasoned New Yorker blush. Order a Ballard Canyon Syrah when it's cold out, a 1912 vintage Madeira because you can, or a grower Champagne for when you'd rather not be outside at all. A pint of the excellent local brewery, Meanwhile, awaits, and the wait is well worth it. Almost hiding a seemingly-prescribed amount time to reflect on the aforementioned evolution of an increasingly talented and diverse metropolitan blueberry in the cherry-pie that is Texas. From the Michelin guide to the diners and dives, this place somehow embraces both ends of the spectrum with a deftness and grace very few could hope to achieve. Where seasoned veterans, and eager-to-learn hospitality professionals collide in what can only be described as "Uniquely Austin". From the pacing of courses, recommendations and explanations of each dish, the service is well oiled. From the plating, to the execution, the food is nearly impeccable without any pretension to contend with. Their overall vision is prosecuted in such a way that if you don't leave inspired, you may as well raise your fist angrily and begin yelling at the clouds. read more

Both my wife and I were very disappointed. We ordered the okra, watermelon soup, the pasta, the snapper and the sausage with frites. The fries and okra were very good. The soup was ok. The pasta was so tough that it was difficult to chew. The snapper was bland. I liked the sausage but it was nothing special. After all the hype we expected more. There are any number of restaurants better than Birfies in our opinion read more

Not sure where to start here... I don't typically write reviews but felt compelled to for this establishment. The staff was very nice and food came out quickly. My wife and I are all about trying new places and there are so many amazing restaurants in Austin. Unfortunately this is not one I'd recommend. To say it frankly it was one of the worst meals I've ever had while dining out. Had the 6 course set menu and it was mainly cold options and all very poor quality. For the high price there was not one quality course. We ended up leaving and going to another restaurant as it was that bad. Hoping it was just an off night for them. In addition we ordered a bottle of Pinot and it was more like a sparkling rose. NOT WORTH THE HYPE! read more

When we arrived the person behind the counter seemed either preoccupied or not interested in our questions. We ordered and had to add a tip (or not) as per their business model. Tipping is traditionally something that occurs after a meal and is based on service. Tipping before the meal is more like a bribe. I fully anticipated having to wait a while for the food since it's made from scratch, but we were there for about 1 hour 45 minutes and never received our main dish. The "snacks" and small plates came out sporadically and with a lot of time in between. The manager came to tell us that the gnocchi would be out to us in "2 minutes" after having been there about 1 hour 30 minutes. A few minutes later a couple who arrived after us got their (or my) gnocchi. Maybe 10 minutes later we spoke with the manager, who seemed unapologetic, and told us our gnocchi was "being fired up." Not sure what that meant, but I asked for my money back on the gnocchi that never came. I gave her the following feedback, and rather than apologize, I felt as though she was covertly telling me that I was wrong: 1- I don't appreciate seeing one of the servers almost continuously scratch her ear/scalp then without washing her hands, handle the plates of food. 2- the chefs (it's an open kitchen) were tasting the food, not washing their hands, then using their hands to sprinkle in salt or cheese. Have we learned nothing from COVID? 3- When a party comes in after me and orders almost the same dishes, but gets served before me, the restaurant needs to figure our a better system. The food we ate was very good, but the portions are tiny, and the prices are steep. We won't be going back. read more

Hands down one of the freshest and most exciting restaurants in Austin. They have an amazing wine list which is easily navigated with the help of their friendly and knowledgeable staff. Be prepared for short wait as they take your entire order upon arrival. read more

No reservations and walk-ins only so expect to wait in line. They do take drinks order while you wait though. Overall a great experience and totally walked out with a full belly. read more

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I was excited to go here with my friends after seeing the article of this being a place to try. Sadly it wasn't what I expected. The wait to even enter the restaurant was about an hour and the food took a while to arrive as well. My friends and I were not satisfied with the portion size either after ordering both appetizers and small plates. The flavor of the food also did not shine through as expected. We were all intrigued by the concept but were let down a little bit at the final product. We also considered the food to be quite pricey for what it was. read more

Wow....what a gem. Incredible wine list, creative and delicious food. Atmosphere is 100% Austin--chill outdoor space, funky and intimate interior. Music selection is A+ for my Gen-X tastes. Cannot wait to come back! read more

During the first week they opened, I came here twice! That's just how good it is. So first off let me tell you what a gem this place is, a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Vibe is chill, comfortable and warm, perfect for a dinner date or to bring friends from out of town. Excellently curated wine list, that is constantly updated. You'll find great interesting wines to try, not just a boring old house Cab. And now the food, WOW. The menu is seasonally inspired, so it changes often. Cuisine can be described as French influenced. I've had the blistered shishitos w tonnato dip. My god that dip, I poured it on everything lol. Also the panisse is killer. Beef tartare is sooooo good (I think about it often). Got a bunch of other things and unfortunately devoured them before I remembered to take pictures. And finally: dessert. The funny thing is I usually don't have sweets (more of a savory gal) but OHMAHGOD the chocolate chip cookie and soft serve w olive oil was amazing. Definitely save room for it because it's worth it. 10/10 would recommend Birdie's. Come here. Be a regular. read more

Birdie's - Chocolate chip cookie and soft serve w olive oil. Amazing dessert! - French Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is my second time to Biridie's and it is so worth the hype (and the line- prepare to wait but you will be offered a beverage if desired). Both times the service was amazing, the food was top knotch, and the atmosphere is great. I especially love sitting on the patio. My friends and I decided to go for their special Italian week and it was delish. I highly recommend this restaurant and believe it's going to be one of the Austin classics for years to come. read more

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The food is good but seriously priced and the ambience, decor and furnishing is lacking. The service model is laughable. You really feel sorry for the wait staff because they have to keep explaining it to you and reminding you and apologizing for it. What's pathetic is that clearly the owner / manager thinks they are being real clever and smart with this one LOL but it's such an idiotic idea. Who ever though this was a good idea??? Order drinks first time up front. Then dinner list Re enter line. Buy new drinks and dessert is ok to order at table. You must actually experience the absurdity in person to understand how stupid it truly is and have a good laugh watching the staff and manager run around in the chaos while diners get frustrated. A couple of the wait staff looked like children who were a little over zealous and wouldn't leave us alone. One with long black hair - I swear I thought she might come sit on my lap and join us instead of give us privacy. The whole thing was a bizarre event. Keep Austin Real Freaking Weird at this place LOL read more

I joined a few friends at Birdie's on their back patio after previously dining inside on their soft opening. In terms of ambiance, both are nice but the patio was special (granted it's Fall in Austin). Over the two visits I think we sampled everything on the menu and everything was superb. Wine pairings have been very unique as well. Love this new spot in town. read more

Okay I love this place and the fact that they are down the street from me. It is quick service and they don't accept reservations but they always seem to have a table available. Every time I come I see dogs and kids so it's really family friendly. They have great wine and cocktails. They are definitely on the pricey side and the portions are small but really delicious. I didn't like the pasta with anchovies in it, it was a little too fishy for my taste but I loved everything else! read more

Visiting from out of town, and our son and his girlfriend mention a new place, Birdie's. We are also open for new experiences. The food was served as several shared courses, we were able to share almost all of the menu. We had 6 adults eating. All the food was great, presented well, and we discussed the flavors, textures, etc. We ate outdoors and it was very pleasant. We'll be back. read more

Food was was tasty. Wait to be seated was interminable. We waited to give our choices, order our wine and pay--all up front. Fine... except that there was one menu being passed around to the long, long line. Why? We were told it is because the kitchen is small. Ok. For the prices we paid, a sit-down, be-waited-on restaurant sounds great! This patio seating alternative is fine at half the price but jeez, not okay here. I expect the dining experience to be one of mutual respect--not a get-over-yourself, high-expectations-chump. read more

This place is a gem! Food and drinks are all excellent, and staff were friendly. We had the shishitos, squash blossom, panisse, tartar, both pastas, and both desserts and you really can't go wrong. Personal favorites were the squash blossom, sausage pasta, and soft serve. Highly recommend, and will be going back. read more