Birdie's — Restaurant in Austin

It's bout'damn time...I was just about to say aloud. The cut-up crew was in full force in it's cut-up corner this Wednesday evening for a first time for everyone dinner at the very hot spot in East Austin, Birdie's. It's been a minute but we were all very excited to get into this place that does NOT take reservations, so come on a weekday early and they have spots available we were on the patio. Besides the abundance of flies it was lovely. Let's get the service out of the way. Typically you place your order thru the app/qr code on the table or when you walk in at the counter? We were randomly selected for table service so fine and good for us. The service is great. Lots of lovely people bringing food, clearing plates, pouring water. Everyone was attentive and polite. Ok the food, what we've all been hearing about the menu is literally 4 snacks or small plates, 4 or 5 starters or sharable plates, and 2 entrees...so we basically ordered one of everything...and an extra pasta dish. The snacks were good, the olives and cheese plate were the strongest but ordering great cheese and olives is not cooking?? The potatoes looked like they were going to knock our flip-flops off...but they were just ok. The fried polenta was solid but the saffron aoli was bland at best. Moving on to the sharables, We ordered the tartar, the salad with grilled grapefruit, and the pasta dish. The salad was absolutely delightful I love the beats and the grilled grapefruit and I'm really nice dressing on the bottom, The tartar was interesting it was flavourful and crunchy I'm not sure the flatbread gave any help to it it could have stood alone without it, But of course the pasta was the star for the table, not my personal favorite but it was absolutely delicious. It was light and zesty it seemed like it would be heavy but it was actually really wonderful full of lemon and citrus flavors and the sun gold tomatoes, brilliant. Are final plates where the steak with the smoked cabbage and the fish over the carrot puree. The fish was cooked perfectly and quite good but the care puree again was a miss it was bland and didn't really balance with the fish and the pieces of terragon that you did get to bite into we're a little overpowering at times instead of balancing out the dish that I thought it would. The steak was perfectly cooked and had pepper and a really great sauce no complaints there but the star the star of everything we ate for in my opinion was the smoked cabbage it was absolutely phenomenal studying brilliant it didn't taste like cabbage it tasted like you were eating slow pulled pork barbecue only this perfect crunch of a little bit of acidy that was absolutely amazing. Overall it was a delicious meal I can't wait to go back and see what they have in a month or 2. I know the accolades are well warranted as it's creative and fresh and fun can't wait to see what else they do. The best part of this meal was getting to be back with our crew Alexis Fallon love and myself all enjoying dinner talking about all the things we've done this year how quickly may has come and gone and how quickly the rest of the year will pass. Being with friends and the people you care about just makes the food better makes the meal better and makes the time better. My love thank you for sharing your friends with me thank, you for being my best friend. Can't wait to share more meals many adventures and all the fun times today tomorrow and far into the future. I look forward to the day where you say of course I do and I smile back and say of course I do too. Love you too the Moon and back and 5 steps...

If Franklin BBQ and Hestia had a baby this would be their misfit restaurant “baby”.

*Pro tip - sit at the counter if you can: birdie’s has one of the best open kitchens to watch in Austin. It is an amazing free “show” to add to your meal. *

UPDATE: I am officially obsessed with the low carb soups. In fall it was butternut. Now in late winter I am obsessed with the “cauliflower” soup. This is like browned butter made soup. You never grow tired of the flavor (or taste blind like when eating a bland fettuccine) because the chef has added just enough contrast in flavor. It is good until the last slurp. The texture of my favorite soups from Birdie’s are the velvety rich, yet airy and light “cream” soups. I dream of Birdie’s soups.

Update: I adore the woman running the counter - Suze. She is AMAZING at what she does. Give this woman her own t.v. show on how to handle people. Brava. Her floral arrangements are stunning, too. (Love you Suze!!). Now. Back to our original review.

Like Franklin’s there are no reservations. (Some other spots in town should take note - in more expensive but lesser quality places it has become common to require reservation deposits - it’s almost like a warning sign: we need to take your money before you come here = a promise you are only paying to be in that place vs be served good food). Like Franklin’s they have what they have until they sell out.

What they serve and how they serve it is where the high end dinning comes in.

I had one of the best soups I have ever had the Butternut squash soup is truly world class. It is one of the few dishes I have had in Austin that I would put against any other in the world. It was simple. It was perfect. It was good all the way to the last spoonful.

I didn’t care for the salad when I had it on its own - I found the arugula paired with the radish and tart apple to make for a slightly bitter experience.

BUT when I paired it with the steak tartar it elevated BOTH dishes.

I am low carb so I did not have the cracker or the wheat berries on my tartar - and removing elements from simple dishes can really mess with their textures and flavors. Pairing the salad with the tartar helped elevate both dishes, but the tartar probably does not need it if you can eat the carbs.

The dishes are interesting, fresh, and most importantly TASTY.

The service is simple and unobtrusive.

It may be counter service but it is still high end.

Easily worth the...

2.75 stars - I really wanted to love it all, but didn’t quite hit the mark. Beautiful vibe, kind staff, but for girl on a budget the food didn’t justify the $100 prix fixe price tag.

Birdie’s has a lot going for it — the ambiance is warm, the local flair is cute, and I always appreciate a small neighborhood dining spot. The staff were kind, responsive, and definitely added to the welcoming nighttime vibe.

That said, I’m still torn on the counter-ordering model paired with limited table service. With QR codes for follow-up orders and little interaction beyond food drop-off, tipping becomes a bit murky. It raises a valid question — are we tipping for service we haven’t gotten or for food quality that we haven’t tried? I personally feel that if there’s no full-service experience, gratuity should be built into pricing rather than putting customers in the awkward position of being asked to tip and guessing before sitting down and trying the food.

Now, to the food — with a prix fixe menu and a $100+ bill (before drinks), I expect every course to bring its A-game. Out of five courses, maybe two felt memorable. The deviled eggs were fantastic — I’d happily take a plate of 3 over a standard salad any day. And the mac n cheese was rich, flavorful, and well-executed — I’m pretty picky, and this one was a solid dish.

But some dishes fell flat. A salad of just lettuce and balsamic didn’t feel elevated enough to justify the price point. The vegetarian main — a chickpea-based dish — felt underdeveloped, especially in a city that typically celebrates creative, diet-friendly fare. In a prix fixe format, where there’s no choice, I think it’s fair to expect each dish to wow, even the non-meat option.

Birdie’s feels a bit caught between identities — is it your easy affordable neighborhood go-to, or a splurge-worthy spot that leaves you speechless?

Overall, Birdie’s creates a beautiful vibe and made the effort to celebrate a special occasion, which I appreciated. I’d definitely give them another shot with a different menu or a la carte experience. But for this visit, the food didn’t quite meet the price or the promise.

**Updated 4/21/25 to clarify statement on Price Cost pre-tax is $68, prix fixe, post tax cost is $75, post tax and tip, cost is $90. In the interest of clarification it was not $100, it was $90 after tax and tip,...