Popular chicken joint ‘Birds’ is nothing to caw about

Located in a hip little nook of Hollywood, Birds sits on a block of small, yet over populated eateries. Nestled between a newsstand and an Italian restaurant, this place is always packed with wannabe actors and film industry buffs. And with $7 valet parking, it's got to be good right?

    Upon entering Birds, you feel the warmth of the dim-lit setting with crimson painted walls, red velvet curtains draped along the black leather booths, and red candles lit on every table. There was classic rock music playing in the background, giving the restaurant a hip rock and roll appeal. As you look around at the pictures hung up all over the walls, you notice a common theme of birds in every photo. There are a few large portraits of Alfred Hitchcock with crows, from his 1963 film “The Birds.” The restaurant also has a large patio area that sits right on Franklin for those who like to dine in fresh air, or pollute their lungs with the smokers surrounding them.

    For those expecting Birds to be crowded on a Friday night at 8 p.m., it was surprisingly half empty. We were seated right away upon walking in and the waitress seamed excited that we had arrived. Our order was taken promptly and the food came rather fast. The prices were very reasonable and portions were plentiful. My friend and I split a half chicken all white with two sides and it was only $12.75.

    Birds has both a rotisserie chicken menu where you can choose the amount of chicken you want and how many sides to go with it and also a regular menu of wraps, salads, sandwiches and various other dishes. Any college student could afford to eat here. Street parking is next to impossible to find, especially on a weekend, so you are most likely going into Birds already having to drop $7 for parking.

    Unfortunately, the great timing didn't match up with the sub par quality of the food. For a place that is recognized and named after it's variety of chicken dishes, the rotisserie chicken we ordered was dryer then Dane Cook's comedy routine. However, they do offer a verity of side dishes with your chicken. The brown rice and macaroni and cheese, popular among Birds regulars, were both quite delicious. The bar, which was full of sports fanatics watching a game on the flat screens, seemed to be more packed then the tables of the restaurant.

    For a small fee, you can reserve the small back booth for special occasions, even though it only seats about 5 people. It hosts a human sized birdcage that restaurant goers can stand in and take photos. If you go here for a birthday party or with a large group of people I'd suggest getting one of the larger booths and bypassing the fee for the “special” yet minuscule birdcage seating area.

    Although the chicken was disappointing, I'd give Birds a second chance. Maybe the chickens were having an off night.




Birds Café-Bar
5925 Franklin Avenue
Hollywood
CA 90028
(323) 465 0175

Hours: 11:45 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Parking: $7