Birds & Bubbles

I really, really wanted to enjoy my dinner here. We came here on a late spring evening when the temperatures were perfect for outdoor dining. In fact, it was more pleasant outside than inside considering it felt like there was no AC on in the restaurant.
The ambience at this restaurant is perfect. But the food was really average. And everything is REALLY pricy. And the portions were REALLY small. I live in Manhattan, and I’m no stranger to overpriced food, but if I’m going to overpay, I would HOPE the food is going to be delicious. Also, I can’t even say the service made up for the food. It seemed like one waiter was serving the entire outside patio. So in his defense, it wasn’t his fault that we had to call him over anytime we needed something. He did seem knowledgable about the menu and was very nice.
Also, do not come here excited for any of the food items you’ve seen pics of on Unilocal (I.e. the Mac and cheese, birthday cake in a cup), those were special items they served during opening week that aren’t on the real menu. Total let down!
All and all, the food was JUST okay. And if I’m going to pay ~80pp for two drinks and small portions, I better be blown away. I walked out of here VERY unsatisfied :(

This place is the worst. Premium restaurant prices for garbage food and small drinks. On top of that, the items that look good in the pictures on here aren’t even available anymore. Based on the crowd, you would think you’re in a Starbucks in the west village.
I should have known it was going to suck when we had a hard time finding the place before coming to find that it’s in a basement. We started off with a biscuit ($ 5 for 1 medium size biscuit), which was actually pretty good and the highlight of my meal, and 1 cornbread (also $ 5 and tiny), which was mediocre and bland. Don’t let the «s» on the end of biscuits on the menu on here fool you. I live in Manhattan and understand pricing, but this is outrageous for a shitty basement restaurant in the LES.
I had a hanger steak which was undercooked and came out at room temperature, so it must have been sitting out for a while. The potatoes that came on the side weren’t great, should have been cooked more, and lacked flavor. My girlfriend had the fried chicken which looked like chicken you would get anywhere else. I don’t particularly like that you can’t order a specific type of chicken (i.e. breast or drumsticks), instead you have to get «half a bird» or «a whole bird.» It’s a stupid concept, let people eat what they want. She also had potatoes which looked just like the ones that came with my dish but tasted better (go figure).
For desert we had some hipster take on birthday cake, which came out looking like saltines smothered with frosting that is way too sweet. The normal looking birthday cake in the jar is unavailable (as was the Mac and cheese). Needless to say it didn’t taste good.
My glass of wine had so much sediment in it I had to spit it back in the glass… disgusting. The champagne is mediocre at best, nothing special. My girlfriend had one of their specialty cocktails, which was too sweet and very small.
Clearly I would not recommend this place. There isn’t a shortage of great restaurants in New York, and there is simply no reason for a place this mediocre with $$$ prices to exist.

OMG. This place is amazing. The food is a la carte and honestly cooked to perfection. My friends and I ordered the half a fried chicken, shrimp &grits, collard greens, pineapple casserole and fried potato salad.
Let’s start with the fried chicken. It was absolutely amazing. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. The white meat wasn’t dry, and it also wasn’t greasy. They serve you the chicken in an ice bucket, which makes you feel a lot less like a savage as you eat.
The collard greens. What can I say about these heavenly collard greens? TRY THEM. That is all.
The shrimp and grits, was amazing. Also very well seasoned and the grits were just the right level of cheesy.
The fried potato salad… GET THIS AS WELL
The pineapple casserole was surprisingly good. I was skeptical of the idea of cheese and pineapple cooked together but it worked very well.
Last but not least the buttermilk biscuits in the bread basket. So the biscuits come in a basket with jalapeño corn bread and some other boring cousin of a dinner roll. Listen, ditch the corn bread and the roll and go straight for the biscuits. Red lobster, imma let you finish, but Birds and bubble has the best biscuits of all time!!!
The drinks are good but pricey. Try their soda! They make fruit sodas and the passion fruit was my favorite.
Ok so the dessert, my one qualm about this place. It was terrible. We ordered the banana pudding and birthday cake and it was awful. We were on such a high from dinner that it was honestly a cold bucket of water to the face when we had the dessert. We each took one bite and almost spit it out. I’m not sure what happened. But the food was so amazing I am willing to let it go and still give this place 5 stars.

This place was nice, gave you a calm and relaxing feel. To enter the location you walk down a staircase, which was different. Made you feel like it was a «hidden gem». The service was great and friendly, the food was okay. Probably will never go back because the food was room temperature with no distinctive seasoning. I got the impression it was going for the «farmer’s market cuisine» taste, fresh food with minimal seasoning.

This place should be called the Hidden Gem. The location is a walk down and you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it. They have a great patio in the back that I didn’t even get to enjoy it, as I ate inside. Great set up, loved the music. The fried chicken was excellent, the breast was nice and juicy, not dry at all! The Deviled Eggs were great, the service was great as well!

I would have been happier watching $ 50 burn, or even wiping with five $ 10 bills and risk getting an infection. It’s a concept restaurant. If you think food is just food, then knock yourself out here. Unrefined palettes rejoice!
The fried chicken (supposedly, «their specialty») was beyond lackluster. The skin was thin and not crispy. Chicken fingers from a snack stand at a ballpark would have been tastier. The grits were not very grainy — more like mashed potatoes, but not completely terrible in taste. The potato salad was actually the best thing we ordered. Although, it wasn’t really a potato salad… home fries maybe tossed in a light sauce?
To drink, we ordered the homemade juice with a splash of bubbly (recommended). They added that splash of bubbly to a $ 6 drink and charged us $ 14/​glass. Outrageous. Please note, I live in NYC. I’m used to these prices. But I’m also used to quality being associated with these prices.
The server kept asking us if everything was ok… which was nice, but she did it in a way that made me question myself. As though, she was aware of the mind and wallet rape that was taking place.
The space is dark, narrow and not welcoming. Which worked for the old raves they used to have in that space.
I will never get my $ 50 back. But, I hope I can prevent any one else from wasting a dime here. But hey, if your Aunt Ruth is in town from Minnesota with her three wealthy friends that all have sinus infections so they can’t taste anything… send ‘em to Birds & Bubbles!

We went here for Mother’s Day and it was a big disappointment. The restaurant is dark and narrow. They couldn’t open the window as construction is going on in the patio.
The service was fine and the drinks were small and expensive but OK. The food was a disaster. I had the Christmas casserole which was small and dry. I think it was made yesterday and reheated. The shrimp and grits which was a signature dish was not worth the price. I read about this place in several publications so I was looking forward to the day. Never again, because there are too many great restaurants in NYC to try this one more time.

My fiancé and I have been meaning to try this place for awhile. He LOVES fried chicken and I love a good meal! I had tried to go here over a year ago but it was closed for a private party. Well I finally got back here. We ordered half a bird of fried chicken, the crispy potato salad, and 2 biscuits. The fried chicken was good but we’ve had better. The crispy potato salad is why I rated this place 4 stars. It was delicious and such a unique dish! You must try it. The biscuits were fine but the sugary-​butter spread they came with melted in my mouth! There are better places for fried chicken but the sides were amazing!

B & B has been on my list for a while and I finally got to go this weekend. I ordered a very tasty cocktail waiting for my friend and was able to transfer the tab to my table. Love that. We ended up ordering the half bird, the kale salad and biscuits which were really yummy. The perfect amount for two people and the final bill was not bad at all. They refilled our water constantly but what strong me as odd was the I was not asked if I wanted another cocktail under they were clearing our plates. My glass empty through dinner just waiting to be filled with more bourbon. Considering alchohol is part of the restaurant theme, I found this to be a miss. The desert menu looked great but I couldn’t eat another bite.

Three of us had a dinner today and was blown away by every dish and the attentive service by the welcoming staff.
The Seasonal slaw was a perfect burst of sweet and sour flavors that complimented the crispy, juicy chicken very well.
The Crispy potato salad was heavenly and I don’t even like potato dishes that much usually!
The Collard greens were hearty and had unique subtle spices that made the dish very special.
The Dessert sampler was the great way to get full experience. Love the little pop corns on mud pie, the torched marshmallows on banana pudding.
To summarize the experience, all the dishes were very creative, fun and tasty.
Very excited to go back soon to try out some more!

Fried chicken by itself has been in the spotlights for years, and deservingly so. But when you add champagne to the meal? WHOA.
Birds & Bubbles is a posh upscale restaurant tucked neatly away on Forsyth St. With exposed brick walls and lavish banquette seat, it’s a trendy NYC approach to a classic southern dish. The chicken was great, faintly sweet and crusty; however, it could have been juicer. But heirloom grits and collard greens made up for it as side dishes.
As a rookie in the champagne, I’m thankful for our pleasant server who took the time to explain the drinks. Plus, he was hilarious.

I love fried chicken. And champagne. So when this place opened, it was a hallelujah moment for me. I talked about it for months and we (me + best friend, also a fried chicken aficionado) were so excited to go. Finally, last Sunday was THE DAY.
The brunch menu was good, but really, all I wanted was a big bucket of fried chicken, which was not offered at brunch. I would have also been really happy with fried chicken on a waffle, but alas, that was also not an option. The closest you could get was «Birdies in a Blanket,» which our server described as super sweet, like a piece of fried chicken wrapped in a funnel cake. I’m not a big fan of sweets, so I opted for the Chicken Tender Basket and my friend ordered the Chicken & Egg Biscuit.
The chicken was pretty meh. When I think about chicken tenders, I think about big, juicy tenders — these were really sad, tiny pieces. Some were completely inedible and even the bigger pieces were more fried than chicken and the flavor was really just… salt. D liked the Chicken & Egg Biscuit, but was still pretty hungry after, because there wasn’t much chicken on the sandwich either. We also ordered the Banana Bread (excellent) and Buttermilk Biscuit. The latter was good, but the table next to ours ordered one as well and it was rock hard and not edible.
Saving grace was a nice by-​the-​glass champagne list, which our server was really knowledgeable about. He even brought some off-​menu tastings for us to try and they were all really nice. That said, your restaurant is still called Birds & Bubbles and you’re only delivering on half of that value offer.
Would maybe try again for dinner, but I can’t imagine the chicken is THAT much better served at a different time of day. Will probably just opt to pick up some really delicious fried chicken and a bottle of champagne.

Not all that unfortunately.
I really wish this place was good. It has all the trappings of a great restaurant but the host staff was really snooty, the wait staff was not very knowledgable and the food wasn’t better than what I usually get at any other fried chicken place.

I understand all the mixed reviews on here. We’re gonna be doing a lot of back and forth good/​bad:
While the place is charming, the heater seemed to be broken (we heard the table next to us also complaining) and we sat next to a drafty hallway.
While our server Sam was super accommodating and always cordial, he seemed to steer us away from ordering the best thing on the brunch menu (Waffle Fried Chicken bucket), and didn’t warn me that the Christmas Casserole would be extremely tiny.
While the food was delicious (but then again, how can you go wrong with fried chicken), the portions were tiny and overpriced.
Case in point, the aforementioned Christmas Casserole. Said to be a biscuit, layered with egg, cheese, and sausage, my heart dropped when it was delivered in front of me. No side salad, just a casserole dish the size of my phone. This alone was $ 13!!!
Meanwhile, the Waffle Fried Chicken Bucket was definitely the star item of the table with 4 decently sized pieces of chicken, covered in what tasted like freshly fried donut. This was $ 14.
Back on the overpriced side, coffee was $ 4 for a cup, and $ 5 for a latte. This is ridiculous even for NY.
My friends around the table ordered the egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches, and were still hungry after we finished. Never a good sign when it comes to brunch, which i usually want to be hunger-​satisfying in the nap-​inducing kinda way.
Definitely would not come back. Brunch is sacred in NYC: Birds&Bubbles takes their brunch-​diners for granted with super small portions that leave you wanting.

Dined here twice in the past two months. Would dine here every month if my waistline allowed me to.
Cute date spot as the music is at the perfect level to still hold a conversation but also a great place to catch up with friends and break bread together.
Must haves aside from the finger licking good fried chicken are the deviled eggs, crispy potato salad, pineapple casserole and the banana pudding. Oh and ask for the hot honey. So so good. Do it. I wish I could do it all over again right now.

A hidden gem! Absolutely LOVED it!
Hidden in the basement level of Forsyth Street (between Chinatown & Bowery), this tiny restaurant has been undoubtedly the best gastronomic surprise I’ve had in quite some time.
We visited Birds & Bubbles for brunch and were blown away by everything we ordered! We started with banana nut bread (new dish on the menu) which was unbelievable (great sweet & salty mix with the bacon bits), and followed with a homemade pop tart, which was very tasty.
As a main I had the Birdies in a Blanket and absolutely loved it: a re-​imagined version of chicken and waffles in which the fried chicken itself is waffle-​fried and covered in powdered sugar and cinnamon! A real treat!
My wife and buddies had the Chicken & Egg Biscuit (which were great!) and the Christmas Casserole (which was very good).
And… of course, we ordered rosé champagne! There’s no Birds & Bubbles without bubbles!
Overall, GREAT GREAT food, reasonable prices (even champagne was reasonable), friendly staff, fast service and no waiting time (even without a reservation).

Really need some work.
It’s Friday night and the place is almost dead… So, that says something. I’m a huge fan of southern food so I want to try every southern food restaurants in the city.
The bubbles I tried weren’t my fav, and I didn’t see a variety of liquor for cocktails– though I’m sure they have a full bar to make what you wanted…
The fried chicken is tender! A big BUT: they do not have mayo or ketchup! Is it normal? They do offer one thing— chilly honey! Lol… Not my fav combination with fried chicken though.
Devils eggs aren’t the best either. And shrimps and grits are just ok too… Even the service. People who were not serving us actually looked friendlier for some reasons.
Now I understand the ratings foe the previous reviewers. It’s overall meh…

You have to do a double-​take to find the entrance to this place. Or rather you’d better be looking downward. This restaurant is located below side-​walk level! You’ll notice some discrete steps that go down to the front of the restaurant (see photo). Once you go inside, it’s a very nice décor. Some intimate indoor seating, but a lovely hidden courtyard in the back with a perfect New York feel. Brick buildings and rusted metal staircases and supports around the periphery, but with a clear view of the sky. Very idyllic.
I came here for Sunday brunch and it was modestly full. The menu is decent, but they were unfortunately out of the baked French toast already. Boo! In any case, we ordered some of the other items:
1. Empanadas: I’m not sure what exactly was in here, but this was probably my favorite dish out of the items we ordered. Some meat, creamy sauce, and lemon chards. A great little appetizer.
2. Chicken with biscuit: The chicken tasted the same as the chicken tenders basket, but just with plain biscuits to sandwich it. Small side salad.
3. Sugar biscuit: This was just OK. A bit tough and not that tasty. There were blueberries inside I think, but I couldn’t taste them.
4. Chicken tenders basket: It was crispy, but the chicken really wasn’t very juicy. Pretty generic fried chicken.
5. Birdies in a blanket: I had high expectations for this dish, but this did not meet that criteria. It certainly was unique. They had almost a pancake-​like breading that enveloped the fried chicken, but in the end it tasted like heavily breaded fried chicken. It’s non-​edible without maple syrup, which is not a good thing.
Maybe everything we ordered was fried, and that was the problem? I just felt like everything tasted the same…

VERY good. I was a little nervous going in because Unilocal reviews are only so so to date but every other review I have read has been very good.
Overall we all loved our meal. The waiter suggested to keep it family style which was exactly what we were looking for. We ordered a lot of food but there wasn’t much we wouldn’t get again.
Appetizers:
Deviled Eggs — Something so simple was elevated with a crispy Sriracha flake.
⁵⁄₅
Ramp Tart:
Stuffed with cheese and ramps.
⁵⁄₅
2^nd Course:
We decided to skip the salad and instead ordered shrimp and grits to split. This was the best dish of the night. The shrimp was amazingly seasoned both salty and spicy. The grits was perfectly smooth and thick. There was a gravy that came on the plate that truly made the dish go from a very good dish to a dish that was as good as any I have had in any restaurant.
Main Course:
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Bread Basket — The roll was very good, the biscuit was good but could have been better and the corn bread was the biggest disappointment of the night. It was dry and tasteless. The basket came with a honey butter that was VERY good.
Onion Soufflé — A little sweet but good.
Fava Bean Gratin — A nice twist on the classic green bean casserole.
Crispy Potato Salad — I liked this but wasn’t as in love with it as I thought I would be.
Pineapple Casserole — Good but nothing special
The chicken was perfectly seasoned and although some pieces could have been a little crispier the overall taste was delicious. To date this is the best fried chicken I have had in NYC and lets be honest you are most likely coming here for the fried chicken but please don’t forget the shrimp and grits.

A few things to say about B&B, included a couple of constructive comments:
I have been there on a Saturday lunch (realizing that on a Saturday, for lunch, you can only have Brunch, lunch almost doesn’t exist in this City) and the basement, especially on a sunny day, was not a bright start. Nobody’s fault, just a feeling. For dinner not a problem, it’s dark anyway. Just the lunch… I like more bright rooms.
Reception was pretty funny, we were told to wait a couple of minutes so they could set the table for us, but after a few minutes the same guy asked us if we had a reservation. We were the only two waiting at the Bar, but didn’t recognize us I guess :)
The dining room is not big, and tables are very small and very close to each other. Sitting on the wall side might be tricky. Don’t bring heavy coats or big bags!
My fault, I was a bit disappointed not to find the fried chicken party in the menu. I just didn’t check the menu before making the reservation, I thought that they always had the fried chicken, on every menu. Actually they have four versions of it: chicken tender basket (which I DID order and I DID happily finish on my own, hungry me), the chicken & egg biscuit, the birdies in a blanket and the chopped chicken salad.
I understand that the big fried chicken is only for dinner.
We both ordered the basket, I cannot imagine sharing it. It was a wise choice.
They just brought 1 spicy mustard little cup to share. No way. One basket, one dipping sauce. If I need to share it, at least bring me a bigger cup please! So I asked for another one and they brought it immediately (and didn’t charge for it, of course)
The crispy potatoes were delicious too, a must order.
The cocktails were very nice too, perfect start.
Little complaint on the champagne. No half bottles on the list. No problem to drink a whole bottle in two, but if we order a cocktail, for brunch, we might need just a small champagne bottle afterwards. So the only choice is the by the glass champagne. Which is ok, I would just also like to have a small bottle option, possibly at Brunch too.
Hapy to say that the initial disappointment for not seeing the big fried chicken on the menu, quickly disappeared, bite after bite of the delicious tenders and potatoes.
See you again B&B!
PS. I know they are open till late with a smaller menu always available. the fried tenders basket and the crispy potatoes are there, Yeah!