Date: 4-23-09
In all the years I've lived in Los Angeles and gone out to drinks in the area of Beechwood Canyon, I never realized that Birds served dinner. It always struck me as a bar. I had only been there late at night for drinks. What a pleasant surprise to find out what had lurked behind the neighborhood bar exterior was actually a tasty restaurant!
The name Birds comes from the central focus of the menu- chicken. There are a number of pictures of chicken and chicken related art to remind you of this. There is a variety of menu items but there is a central part of the menu where you can select chicken combinations (half, quarter chicken; white, dark meat) and the number of sides that you want. The sides include mashed potatoes, cole slaw, steamed vegetables, black beans, barbecue beans. You get one free sauce (and can get additional sauces at fifty cents apiece) and a piece of lavash bread. The sauces include zesty barbecue, ranch, chipotle mayo, and a delicious artichoke aioli. The chicken was well cooked and tasty- lightly seasoned and roasted. Emily and I both enjoyed the chicken and the baked beans. The steamed vegetables looked nice but it was almost all broccoli, so if you don't like broccoli (it's not my favorite), beware.
We began our meal with the chicken fingers. The breading was crispy and delicious. They appeared to be baked and were not greasy at all. The sauces, a barbecue and an aioli of some sort, complemented the chicken well. Ben got the ribs and he enjoyed them. Zack got the Chinese Chicken Salad. He said it was good but a little too "peanut-y".
The table next to us got the appetizer sampler- chicken fingers, onion rings, and poppers. I almost reached out and grabbed one of the onion rings. They looked so good. I'm pretty sure they were amazing because the man ate all of his onion rings before even starting on the chicken fingers! The onion rings come in a tall stack on a pole like a game of horseshoes. You can order them by the foot or half foot.
A nice feature of this restaurant is that it is nestled among a row of restaurants along Santa Monica Boulevard, in the middle of which is The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. If you catch a show at this little theater, you have many dinner options. We chose Birds that night because we had plans to see The All Jew Review at the theater. The show was alright, but I think the show in birds was better. The hostess kept dropping things or bumping into people. Very odd.
All in all, the chicken was delicious. Roasted chicken isn't always the most exciting thing to read on a menu, but when it's perfectly cooked, there's nothing better than a nice roasted chicken. When accompanied by delicious sides and sauces such as at Birds, you're in for a real treat!
5925 Franklin Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
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