The famous chef, author, & TV host @carlaphall has an eatery in DC!! Once I got wind of it, I decided to pull up!! It's that simple!! Spoiler alert...you might want to GET HERE as soon as possible!! Let's GO!! . Where I am: @bumblebirdsdc . Location Reviewed: 303 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. Washington D.C. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Lemonades ($4 each A Cherry Blossom, & Pink Strawberry Lemonades, & I got a sample of their sweet tea). Top tier, made with Love, STAMP!! STAMP!! Their Crispy Chicken Skins ($6 seasoned fried chicken skins). I don't think I want another potato chip after this!! Crispy, well seasoned deliciousness!! STAMP!! Their Pimento Cheese & Biscuit Crackers ($7). Don't sleep!! Those crackers weren't super hard, & that cheese was cheesin!! STAMP!! Their Biscuit & Lavender Honey ($8 a homemade biscuit with lavender honey). Floral, a loose honey, super tasty!! STAMP!! Their Sweet Potato Fries ($4). Crispy, sweet'ish, get them!! STAMP!! Their 3 Piece Tenders ($12 fried chicken breast tenders, house made chips, Bumble sauce, & pickles). The tenders were well fried, & huge, with that savory, & sweet sauce!! STAMP!! Their Hot Bird Biscuit Stack ($15 a fried chicken thigh with hot honey, & pickles in a house made biscuit). Thick, sweet, mildly spicy, & worth it!! STAMP!! Their Southern Church Biscuit ($15 a fried chicken thigh, pickles, fried chicken skin, & southern gravy on top of the biscuit). My favorite biscuit from them!! STAMP!! Their Sassy Honey Bird ($12 a fried chicken thigh with whipped hot honey butter, & Mama's sweet pickles). Classic, tasty, & crispy! STAMP!! Their OG Bumble ($15 with a fried chicken thigh, a black pepper ranch slaw, Havarti cheese, & pickles). Tangy, crispy, tasty!! STAMP!! Their Blueberry Shortcake ($6 with blueberry sauce, whipped cream, & vanilla ice cream). Sweet, creamy, fruity goodness!! STAMP!! Their Duck Camp Donuts ($7 donut balls with powdered sugar, & chocolate sauce). Fresh, warm, moist, & tasty!! . Customer Service: On Point. . Parking: Rough. . Recommendations: A must have spot!! GET WHAT I GOT!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly. 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews read more

See all

Came for lunch (12:30 pm) and my Chicken was precooked and cold. So cold the cheese didn't melt. Just lay atop my sando like a floating saucer. It was a very large peice of chicken thigh darkly coated and seasoned but still flavorless, like how? The bite was dismal. I expected so much more. I did try a friend's fries and they were delicious. I know fries are fries but they're good. Yet, the signature product isn't as tasty or delicious. The service was only at the front. The cashier handed me a hand held menu and hovered. No table support upstairs. There's no ADA accessibility either with limited seats downstairs. Good location but meh samiches. Parking can be difficult but its DC... read more

See all

Unfortunately a disappointment here the service was very good and friendly but the chicken was pretty bland. We both got the chicken on a biscuit the biscuit was good nice and flaky but unfortunately the chicken for both of us lacked flavor. Mainly it's one note it doesn't have enough spice to stick out. The gravy was rich and had flavor on one and the hot honey was good but the problem there was its on the bottom of the biscuit so you don't taste it as much as you should if it had been tossed with the chicken. We also got the peminto cheese with crackers it was ok. The pimento cheese needs more cheese when it's blended it doesn't have the right consistency it tastes out of balance with the other ingredients. It's unfortunate but hopefully some improvements can be made. read more

See all

This was disappointing. i was excited for a neighborhood chicken sandwich spot. this ain't it. I had an OG fried chicken sandwich. It was a soggy mess and half the chicken was empty gummy batter. The coleslaw and pickles were tasty, but that's no great consolation when the chicken is inedible. My companion had a grilled chicken BLT sandwich that was also a soggy mess and swimming in so much mayonnaise he had to use two napkins to wipe it off. I asked for an order of "biscuits." I got a single biscuit with no topping or butter for $8. When I asked if there was butter or jam, I learned that there was watery "lavender honey" that was extra. I was born and raised in the very deep rural South. I can recognize a biscuit at 20 paces. This ain't no biscuit. You'd do better at Popeye's. So. $55 for two inedible chicken sandwiches, a dry not biscuit, and lackluster house chips with a tiny plastic ramekin of "horseradish sauce." Pass. read more

On second attempt, we made it to Bumblebirds restaurant. They were sold out the first time during the grand opening. This time was still crowded but we got in and found a table in the upper room overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. The restaurant was totally redecorated from Goodstuff Eatery, in the style of birds, bees, and good recipes. The birds were of the poultry variety. Looking at the menu, I thought Carla took the head off the chicken sandwich craze and let it run down the Hall of her imagination. I picked one one out I wouldn't find anywhere else, but we tried a few different ones and a dessert. The pictures don't show how delicious they were but their extra size is obvious. read more

See all

Recently opened on the Capitol Hill, it's a nice place to have a quick bite in this casual fast food restaurant. Tried an OG Bumble. Fried good and tasted good. The service was efficient and the burger was ready in a few minutes. I will come back to try other burgers! read more

Bumblebirds - Menu - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

As a huge Carla fan I was excited to try this pop up location. It's a fast casual spot highlighting chicken. Service was quick and efficient. We tried the blue and buffalo and the sassy honey. Both of which we felt the chicken was under seasoned and the toppings were just okay. The sweet potato fries were the highlight of the meal. We wanted to try the deviled eggs but were told that they never actually have them. We also tried the iced tea and lemonade bar and found the offerings overly sweet. Unfortunately this was a miss for us, but definitely and interesting concept. read more

Bumblebirds - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

A much-needed spot in an otherwise bland neighborhood. My colleague and I were trying to figure out dinner while working late on the Hill, and I'm really glad they put me onto this place. Definitely a hidden gem, especially for an area with limited good food options. Walked in and was greeted right away--always a plus. I went with the Queen Nanny sandwich and a side of slaw. The sandwich was really good, packed with flavor and just done right. The slaw though... wasn't it. No sauce, no real flavor--just very plain, like straight from the garden lol. I also found a random piece of bacon in it, which I'm pretty sure wasn't supposed to be there. Luckily I don't have any dietary restrictions, but that could've been a problem for someone else. While waiting, I tried the Buzzed Peachtree Tea and ended up ordering one. I already know I'll be back for that alone after work one day. Overall, great experience. I'd definitely recommend it and I'll be back. The decor was nice too--modern, simple, nothing over the top. read more

See all

I heard about it through Spill and I read the article so I was curious. We got the OG bumble and Sassy Honey Bird. Food tasted good but the sandwiches fall apart quite quickly since the bread is soft and the chicken isn't all in one piece. The sweet tea and cherry blossom lemonade were alright but we used unsweetened tea to tone down on the sweetness. My wife said the chicken could use more flavoring. The Sassy Honey Bird isn't spicy at all. I'm grateful it's not spicy at all because I don't handle spicy well. The ambience is lovely and staff are warm and friendly. My wife said she'd come back again if she were in the area but since she is just visiting, she won't be back anytime soon. read more

Bumblebirds - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Inside the original Good Stuff Eatery space near the U.S. Capitol is a Southern fried chicken spot by celebrity chef Carla Hall and the Sunnyside Restaurant Group. Walk inside and find two levels decorated with bright colors and bumble bees. The menu includes fried chicken or grilled chicken sandwiches, nuggets, cocktails, and more. Each comes with a slaw full of flavor yo balance the chicken. The OG Bumble is a good place to start. I personally enjoyed the Queen Nanny. The mango on it makes it pop. The cocktails are excellent as is the lemonades. My daughter loves the pink lemonade. read more

Bumblebirds - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Let's start with the good!!! The staff is great, they are super friendly and helpful. Everyone had a smile and made the experience that much more enjoyable. I really appreciate when I asked questions they knew the answer or when I needed an extra tray they quickly got it for me. The inside is nice, lots of upstairs seating if you don't find any downstairs or outside. The main draw back for sitting inside is the music is extremely loud. Don't plan on having a conversation while sitting inside. The bumblebird cocktail was absolutely amazing. I can highly recommend getting one of those. The bad: Food was kinda bust all around. The pimento cheese was the true let down. The "biscuits" the cheese comes with are basically soggy croutons. The chicken sandwiches are ok. They are definitely huge but just lacked the flavor I was hoping they were going to have. Overall it was a ok experience, not one I will be rushing back to though. read more

See all

I'm a huge fan of Chef Carla so visiting this place and getting a feel of her personality in real time was AMAZING! The decor was bright, vibrant, and fun. Everything I can describe when seeing Chef Carla shine. Great concept and fun for those desiring a little at-home feel while they dine. No reservations but lots of seating on the top level. The staff were friendly but busy. A little too busy. There were two registers opened and the person I spoke with managed to get my order incorrect. After my boyfriend caught the error, they were apologetic and corrected it immediately. Then there was the wait time for food. The sandwiches came out first and were seated on the counter while the drinks were being prepared. I would only recommend here that drinks be ready to move with your food so that guests can enjoy the meal fresh and hot. I ordered the Smothered Church biscuit and my boyfriend ordered the OG Bumble. The error in our meal was that we were given a Blue Ribbon BLT instead of another item. Nonetheless, it was all good. My sandwich was simply okay. The item was described as smothered and I felt like that opportunity was missed with a smear of gravy on the top of the biscuit. I wouldn't mind if it was covered in gravy because the gravy was delicious and the biscuit was actually flaky on the outside and buttery soft on the inside so the gravy would have complimented its structure and helped me to dive into it a little more. The chicken was okay. I'm not a dark meat eater and wasn't aware that it would be dark meat so I removed most of the chicken and ate the biscuit. There was a pickle added but I didn't think that it served a purpose in this sandwich. My boyfriend's sandwich was a little better than mines but it could have used some more personality to take it over the top. The drinks were a star! We had the Sorrel & Strawberry margarita and the Bumblebird. Both great adult beverages. Overall, I can say that I've supported this spot and would probably give them another try as their drink were excellent (minus the overuse of crushed ice) read more

See all

The restaurant is so cute and has a bright southern feel in the middle of Capitol Hill. I love how the place didn't smell like fried chicken even though with the open concept you could see the team making the food which was great! I ordered the SASSY HONEY BIRD which came on a biscuit and the OG BUMBLE. I loved the honey butter on the sassy honey bird but I loved the flavors of the slaw on the OG bumble. The chicken was so juicy and flavorful, I look forward to coming back here! read more

See all

Bumblebirds has quickly become an amazing gem in DC! I love the OG bumble sandwich the BLT sandwich with grilled chicken. I love the chicken tenders, the slaw and the sweet potato fries. I have to recommend the strawberry margarita that has dry hibiscus with it and there's plenty of space in there to eat and it's just a beautiful high positive high vibe place overall check it out! Great service too. read more

Bumblebirds - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Bumblebirds is Carla Hall's new eatery, serving up Southern fried chicken sandwiches in the Capitol Hill 'hood. We anticipated long lines, so we made sure to get there early! Our group ordered: +the OG Bumble - topped with black pepper ranch slaw, havarti, and pickles +the Bloomin Shroomin - with bumble sauce and bread & butter pickles +the 12-piece Nugs that were served with kettle chips and slaw +a side of Crispy Chicken Skins (!) +an order of Duck Camp Donuts + Dips - powdered sugar and/or cinnamon sugar +and, an order of their Blueberry Shortcake Their cocktails sounded great, but we stuck with their housemade tea and lemonade, such as the Pink Strawberry and the Honey Rosemary! The space is bright and colorful, and I absolutely loved Hall's artwork! I'd love to check out their Southern Sharing Board and the Southern Biscuit Sandwiches on the next visit; there are also grilled chicken sandwich options as well! All the sandwiches were served on brioche buns, and there's GF options as well. Metered street parking can be found in the area! +chicken sandwiches +lemonade bar +desserts +metered parking read more

More of a 1 but I've tasted what it could have been. I went here for the opening and had a delicious original fried chicken sandwich with chips and lemonade, which I thought had creative flavors. I went back with some coworkers a few weeks later and it was barely edible. I was served a bone dry, rock hard biscuit with a dribble of bland gravy and miserable, wet "crust" on the chicken, which tasted like it had been fried in old oil. My colleagues had dry chicken and buns that fell apart. We tried very hard to be positive and no one could scrape together a redeeming quality for any of the food. Mine tasted bad and had the worst texture for both biscuits and fried chicken I can imagine, but at least no one got food poisoning. I know from my experience on the opening day that this could have been a delicious meal, but the quality control is clearly in the gutter. This place needs a major overhaul today. What a terrible loss to have traded the wonderful shakes from Good Stuff Eatery for this sad restaurant. read more

Bumblebirds - The worst chicken biscuit I have ever eaten in my life - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Congrats Carla on your opening! I was one of the first hundred to stand in line for a free sandwich lol and it was worth the wait. The chicken was so juicy and the breading was delicious. Also got the honey lavender lemonade which was delicious. Can't wait to return and try the full menu! read more

See all

The food is so delicious. Their chicken sandwiches are delicious including their chicken tenders with the bumble sauce. The bumble sauce is a better version of the chick fi a sauce, its amazing!!! Their biscuits are so good as well. High recommend it. Make sure you got all of your order correct before you leave including the right sauces. The ambiance of the space is great and space upstairs and outside. Enjoy! read more

See all

I finally made it in to try this spot on a Sunday afternoon, and as a big fan of Carla Hall, I was excited to check it out. The "pop-in" spot is in a nice location with nice outdoor seating, though navigating the check-in was a bit confusing at first. Once I figured it out, the line moved, but the staff seemed a little frazzled and the wait for my food felt a bit long considering it wasn't too busy. The food was high-quality for the price. As for the OG Bumble sandwich, I was thrilled by the size and the use of a moist chicken thigh instead of the usual breast meat, though the seasoning could have been a bit bolder. I asked for salt packs but they didn't have any. The white meat tenders were also large and perfectly fried but needed some seasoning. They were out of both the homemade kettle chips and regular fries too, so the waiter kindly gave me a complementary order of sweet potato fries. While they were cooked perfectly, they were a bit under-salted for my taste, and I'm personally not a fan of sweet potato fries to begin with but I'm sure others would enjoy them. They also have a lemonade stand which I thought was a nice concept. The regular and rosemary versions were tasty, but I didn't like the pink lemonade at all. I didn't have any taste. My biggest issue was the lack of an ice machine, I thought it was odd to have to scoop ice out of a bucket by hand. But overall, it was a good meal with a few minor kinks to work out. I'd definitely stop by again if I were in the neighborhood, though it's not quite unique enough to justify a special trip. read more

I love watching Carla on television and I was so excited to try her new place in DC. The place is bright with a nice musical vibe. Carla was friendly and inviting. I ordered the home bird and sweet potato fries. It took 55 mins to get my order. I was really excited to try her food but was disappointed with both items. The fries were cold and as soon as I bit into the sandwich all the breading fell off the chicken and I was left with naked slimy chicken thighs, which didn't have flavor and kinda grossed me out. I ate some of the fries but everything else went into the trash can. I drive 45 mins to get there and I doubt I'll go back. Not worth my time. read more

Bumblebirds - Home bird - Chicken Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This wasn't it for me. I came around 630pm and there was no one inside. I ordered the Blue and Buffalo sandwich. NIOPE! Chicken was stringy and tasted old. The blue cheese overpowered the entire flavor combo of the sandwich. It felt weighty which is good for a chicken sandwich over $10. But I had to throw it away after three bites. I'm better off ordering from Roaming Rooster. read more

Amazing! This Carla Hall casual fast food spot is really good. It's so cute and I love the decor and setup. When you come in the place all the ordering is done downstairs and you can sit and eat upstairs. I ordered the Sassy Honey Bird and chose fried chicken instead of the flame grilled chicken or oyster mushroom. All their sandwiches have a choice of those 3. I will upload the menu as a picture. My sandwich had honey and pickles on it but was fried to perfection. It was so crunchy and the breading didn't just crumble off when you took a bite. I had the crispy chicken skins as a side and I dipped them in their Ranch dressing. I also ordered a cocktail which was the Elderflower Julep. My cocktail was delicious and it contained bourbon which is my favorite. The service was great and th her chef on duty was very hospitable and chatted us up and talked about the place to us. My cashier forgot to order something that we asked for but I'm not going to hold that against the place. I will be coming back to try the chicken tenders that she forgot. read more

See all

The staff here is very friendly. The ambiance is pretty good as well. Several reviews state that the sandwiches are chicken thighs and not breasts. I got the honey bird stack on a biscuit and it was a chicken breast. My wife got the queen nanny and it was a thigh. Perhaps the biscuit sandwiches are white meat and the brioche buns sandwiches are dark meat? Just a guess. If you like sweet (which I do) the honey bird stack is delicious! The honey is good. So is the chicken, pickles, and the biscuit. But take note, it is sweet. The drinks are fantastic, overall the food was good. I did get a side of Bumble Slaw and it was pretty generic and not very flavorful. I did however expect this based on previous comments. We also got the sweet potato fries which were tasty. The one common comment I see in previous reviews is regarding the temperature of the food. I must say that nothing we ordered was piping hot. It was warm enough for my personal taste but if you expect piping hot this is something that you might want to take into consideration. Overall I give it four stars. I would return again. read more

Waited a month to try Bumblebirds just to see whether they'd have any interesting takes on a chicken sandwich beyond what's offered at fast food places. I had the THE QUEEN NANNY (Mango & Fennel Green, Cabbage, Island Slaw), chicken skins and the Sorrel Strawberry Marg to go. I got my meal quickly and decided to grab a seat and try everything while it was hot. Sadly, it was not a win. So much so, I felt compelled to write a review with the hope the feedback helps improve things. Marg: Was not well balanced at all. Was generally overwhelmingly sour with no real strawberry or hibiscus (sorrel) flavors. Chicken Skins: I was excited to see cracklins and immediately added them to my order. Hen Quarter used to have some great ones so this was what I was hoping for. I took a bite (fried really well) and was disappointed to find out they were completely unseasoned (not even salt!). I was tempted to ask for a dipping sauce but instead just closed the container after one bite. Sandwich: As I mentioned above I had the THE QUEEN NANNY (Mango & Fennel Green, Cabbage, Island Slaw) and felt like it was sloppily put together. Firstly the bottom bun was mushy with the excess vinegar from the slaw on the sandwich. Since picking up the sandwich was out, I decided to taste the slaw with my fork and was disappointed again. Slaw was tossed in vinegar w/ little to no salt and pepper and the mango lacked any sweetness. Chicken breast was fried well enough but was also unseasoned. I yet again hoped there would be some sort of spread to bring it all together but alas, no such luck. Since I was 0/3 for a little over $30 I packed it up and made plans on how I was going to doctor everything when I got home. I added what I needed to get the sandwich to taste and paired the reheated chicken skins with a bbq sauce to enjoy my $6 investment. I enjoy supporting celebrity chef efforts and hope that this place markedly improves in the coming weeks. For the time being I sorely miss GoodStuff! read more

today was the ribbon ceremony for top chef and tv personality carla hall's newest project BumbleBird DC a southern inspired kitchen! Carla was there and literally met everyone and served the food as well! you had a choice of the chicken sandwich or chicken nuggets with housemade kettle chips and your choice of lemonade or sweet tea varietals, while i did not personally eat the chicken my friend said "the crunch on this bird is insane, so juicy and moist and i didnt get the chicken ick" they also said the bun was warm and rich and toasty and the slaw and pickles had a nice crunch and provided a pop of acidity that really helped to balance the bird out, loved the kettle chips and the honey mustard dipping sauce, the strawberry lemonade was light and refreshing and I am definitely coming back to try the desserts and see what else is going to be on the menu, the space officially opens on march 20th! read more

The chicken sandwich looked delicious but, I was highly disappointed because I did not know they were using CHICKEN THIGHS ( my mistake for assuming it was chicken breast) I must say the flavor of the crispy batter was good and the skin that was attached to the thigh was very crispy! I also ordered sweet potato fries and they were descent. read more

Bumblebirds seems to be riding heavily on Carla Hall's name, because without that connection, I do not think it would draw nearly as much business. They nailed the Southern charm with a great atmosphere and friendly staff, but they missed badly on the Southern flavor. My Blue Ribbon BLT looked promising, but the most noticeable taste came from the Duke's Mayo. The chicken was moist and fried well, but the meat itself lacked seasoning and flavor. The sweet tea was also disappointing, tasting more like brown water than sweet tea. Southern big mamas and aunties would not be impressed. Charming service can help, but flavor is what keeps people coming back. read more

This place sucks. The workers were weird and I didn't like the vibe. The food was horrendous and looked like the chicken was was still alive. I will never come near here again and Good Stuff needs to be back immediatly #1 ragebait read more

Had the BLT sandwich, and it tasted like the salt was poured on it. Reached out to the restaurant with no luck. Absolutely disgusting.

Yet another disappointment from Carla Hall! You have to season your chicken girl! Is it golden brown, Yes, is it moist, Yes! But it is tasteless, and I had the Mango Slaw on it. It was so hot (spicy) I had to scrape it off. There was no Mango, just hot peppers, no sweet and spicy, just heat. And it was not cheap, I will not return. read more

Sorry but chicken sandwiches should be served piping hot. Not lukewarm. Maybe the bugs aren't worked out yet but for $20...

I got my son to take my grandson and I to Bumblebirds on March 22, 2026 for a belated birthday dinner! I've been a huge fan of Carla Hall and wanted to support her new venture! There is not one good thing I can say about the experience!! We had a fairly long wait for the food and when it did come up the food was cold so we had to request that they redo the order. So the order was redone but the food was such a huge disappointment it was like eating cardboard absolutely flavorless!! I could have gone elsewhere for my birthday but it was close to home and I was so excited to support Ms. Hall of course my son won't let me live it down lol! All I can say is do better! read more

I know it's opening weekend, but I literally waited over 30 mins for two cold biscuits to go. At least the strawberry margarita was decent.