Birdie's, the East Austin darling that's been gathering some of the city's most consistent culinary acclaim in recent years, is switching up how its menu is structured during the spring and summer seasons. Starting Wednesday, April 16, the restaurant will switch from an à la carte menu to a prix fixe menu that rotates every three weeks.
Subversively, the restaurant and wine bar is known for serving fine cuisine from a casual counter. That's not going anywhere, Chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel says, since it helps support the restaurant staff with benefits like health insurance, four weeks of paid time off, and more. However, instead of picking from a wider menu, diners will now receive a four-course menu for $68. (Vegetarian options will always be available upon request.)
That structure is still accessible for guests, considering the usual price of fine dining, but offers an exciting new option for restaurant devotees who want to see what the restaurant is capable of when chefs can focus on a few things in greater depth.
Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel has been changing the Birdie's menu daily. This change will slow the pace in the kitchen a bit.Photo courtesy of Birdie's
Malechek-Ezekiel explains that with fewer items on the menu, chefs will have both more time and more space to work in per dish . That's a big deal in the small kitchen at Birdie's, even allowing the team to use equipment they haven't previously had space for; the example she gives is a Japanese charcoal grill.
"Most of our guests understand that the reason we run out [of a daily menu item] is because we're not sitting on things in the freezer. It's fresh, it's cooked, and then that's it," says Malechek-Ezekiel. "I think what having a few less menu options allows us to do [is] weave in some new potential, like cooking techniques that we can't always do just because of how fast our kitchen's currently moving."
This departure from the restaurant's norm isn't new for the chefs, who have run three streamlined pop-ups out of the space: Bistro Remy for French dishes, Aiello's for Italian comfort food, and Jibbob for Korean cuisine by executive sous chef Heejae Galluccio.
As always at Birdie's, food and wine go hand-in-hand. Beverage director, co-owner, and 2025 James Beard Award finalist Arjav Ezekiel has paired suggested wines with each dish, following his usual priorities in choosing small-production, low-intervention winemakers. The restaurant is also adding champagne offerings by the glass, as well as two exclusive collaborations with Outward Wines and Raj Parr: a rosé and a signature white, respectively.
Wine lovers who rely on the existing "Gems" list to find fine wines will still be able to peruse that menu, and 25 more nonalcoholic offerings round out the beverage program.
Arjav Ezekiel is making sure the beverages keep pace with the food menu changes.Photo by Eva Kolenko
"What makes Birdie's special has always been the intersection of fine and casual," said Ezekiel in a press release. "This new experience leans ever so slightly toward the fine side of that equation, but we're preserving the counter-service model and the 'come as you are' ambiance that defines us. It's about sustainability through innovation — creating a format where Tracy can fully express her culinary voice while maintaining a business model that is anchored in taking care of our team."
Through it all — new proteins, a kid's menu inspired by the owners' own toddler, and perhaps nighttime reservations as things progress — Malechek-Ezekiel assures fans that the soul of Birdie's will stay the same. Even some dishes, like the soft serve or the beef tartare that could hardly be improved upon, will still be menu staples. The hours will also remain intact.
"We were really busy last week," she says. "So many of our guests were like, 'We wanted to be here for this week of à la carte. But then also, we're excited to come back next week and see what you're cooking up next.' So I think there's a really fun, exciting buzz around it. We do have so many amazing guests who are regulars. I think it's just going to be a fun growth moment for all of us. We're still true to who we are, but we're just evolving."
