donuts and fried chicken at birdies

We knew going into the trip that we weren’t going to have a ton of free time in LA, but I was determined to find a few good places to eat. What I didn’t know was that we’d end up with an amazing spot right by our hotel that we’d end up visiting multiple times that features two of my favorite things – donuts and fried chicken.

Birdies is located in the newly hip Downtown Los Angeles, or DTLA for short. You know, because everything is cooler as an acronym. We thought it might be closed as we walked up the first time. There was a closed place next door and the grate they pull down to close was hovering down just a touch – enough to make you wonder. But nope. They were open – and thank goodness. (Note if you come on Friday or Saturday they’re even open 24 hours!)

For our first visit, we were unable to make a decision. As I’ve mentioned on here before, I love donuts – and Birdies has too many tempting choices. Instead, we went with an assorted box a dozen. This proved wise as it meant one, we were able to try one of each donut and two, it gave us something to eat off of as we walked around the city. We finished the box at the end of the day just before dinner, which worked out perfectly.

The strawberry shortcake and Oreo donuts were rich treats. The most beautiful one was of course the blue/white donut with sprinkles and sparkle. I think my favorite though had to be the lemon thyme pistachio. Unique and flavorful, this was a standout for me.

For our second trip, I had to go savory. I went with Birdies Breakfast Sandwich, which was a scrambled egg with fried chicken tenders, applewood smoked bacon and Tillamook Cheddar with Birdies special sauce. For $8, this sandwich is a steal. So much food! I bought this on a day we were waiting outside all day (6am – 3pmish) to meet Tori Amos (a story for another day), so this was actually enough for dinner and lunch.

Both times, I had a cappuccino. I’ve talked about this before here but I’m pretty picky about cappuccinos. Most places are lazy and don’t pull the foam properly. Birdies does it right. It was a different worker each day and both times, it was a cup of frothy goodness.

For what we originally thought was a simple breakfast spot, we discovered this is anything but. Definitely a must visit if you’re in the area.

Birdies – 314 West Olympic Boulevard, LA
213.536.5720 or 213.536.5714