Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel is a highly acclaimed chef and co-owner, recognized by prestigious organizations such as TIME and the James Beard Foundation. She is also actively involved with the World Central Kitchen's Chef...
Birdie's is an award-winning restaurant and wine bar in East Austin, known for its simple, seasonal, and daily-changing menu with American, French, and Italian influences. It operates primarily as a counter-service establishment, offering a prix-fixe dinner menu. The ambiance is described as upscale yet comfortable, though parking can be challenging and patio acoustics may be loud.
Customers consistently praise Birdie's for its fantastic, creative, and delicious food, excellent presentation, and professional, attentive service. The extensive and unique wine selection is also highly regarded. While some reviews mention slow lines for walk-ins and potential issues with patio acoustics, the overall experience is often described as a highlight and worth the price, with many perceiving it as Michelin-star quality.
Additional Details
The restaurant is located at the corner of 12th and Harvey in East Austin. It is open Tuesday to Saturday for dine-in. The dinner menu is prix-fixe at $79 per person, with a rotating selection of dishes that change monthly.
Visiting early on a weeknight (e.g., 5 pm) may help avoid long lines for walk-ins. Reservations are limited, so walk-ins are common but can involve significant wait times.
Awards & Recognition
James Beard Finalist for Best Chef Texas • 2024
3
Food was okay but nothing special. Pretty bummed because it was a prix fixe menu of what should have been their greatest hits.
I felt like the panisse needed some sort of sauce since it was a bit dry by itself. The cantaloupe gazpacho tasted unusual. The balance of the beef tartare was off and the flavor of the meat is overshadowed by all of its other components. The steak was chewy and the sauce was way too sweet. The veggies accompanying it also needed more acidity as it was on the blander side.
I did like the pasta, the focaccia, and the cornbread, though simpler and more basic.
I’d like to believe that their true greatest hits lie every other night when they are on their regularly scheduled program. But since I also hated their queue system, it might be a while since I come back to find out.
Birdie’s is absolutely delicious and well worth the wait! They do have limited reservations on OpenTable, but otherwise they take walk-ins, but you can expect a line. When we didn’t have a reservation, we waited over an hour and a half, but the experience made the wait enjoyable. You can order wine or beer while you wait, and the vibrant atmosphere helps the time fly by. It’s a fixed menu where you get multiple appetizers, then choose one main and one dessert. We also went during one of their Italian-themed months, and some of my favorites were the mozzarella sticks, cacio e pepe, and the soft serve ice cream. You can also order a bottle of wine, and if you don’t finish it, they’ll reseal it so you can take the rest home. The staff have chill personalities but are very attentive and genuine. Can’t recommend enough. One of our favorite spots in Austin!
I lived in Austin for five years and I had a handful of favorite places. Sadly I went to birdies late in my tenure, a few months before I left the city. But I went every month after tried it initially. This place is special.
Special like the film making of Steven speilberg. Special like ET is to a generation. Special like Jurassic park. There’s something different about this place.
Whether it be the quality of the food, the walk up and order / pick your table aspect or the cool atmosphere. This places hits different.
Different like the fablemans you might say. That film wasn’t for everyone. And maybe birdies isn’t either. But it’s still speilberg. It still hits. These pastas are incredible.
Second time at Birdies for date night. Went super early at 5 pm on a week night right before the snow storm and they didn't have a line out the door like usually. First time I was there they had a la carte ordering. This time it was a set menu and set price so be wary of the menu costing you a pretty penny but honestly with the food and service it was worth it. Great portions, delicious warm food, great presentation, and excellent service. So def worth the price! Maybe bc it was a slow night for them but the staff was extra attentive, to a point where they were switching out plates faster than the entrees and items. Nicely done, wine 🍷 selection was extensive and expensive, worth it though if you are down to spend. Best part of the menu was the soup for me! So good I want to lick the bowl, We got the bread as extra, and paid the extra for the diff entrees so we could try both, less impressed by the entrees. On point for the dessert, both options were great. With the rotating menu I'm excited to come back and try something different next time. Keep up the good work Michelin all star team.
Food and service were absolutely amazing. Wonderful and unusual menu and wine selection. Enjoyed the prix fixe menu and a bottle of white, then red wines that paired very well. Loved the beet carpacio and the dessert, a soft serve vanilla ice cream with olive oil the most. Would be interested in a return visit to try some other things on the menu and scout the wine selections further. Finally, very reasonably priced for the quality and presentation.
