Birdie's is a restaurant in Austin, Texas.The restaurant is among the most acclaimed in America and was named a Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit Magazine, Esquire and landed on the inaugural issue of the New York Times "The Restaurant List," in 2021. in In 2023 it was named Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year.Chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel was nominated for Best Chef Texas in 2024 by the James Beard Foundation and Arjav Ezekiel won the award for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service in 2025. The New York Times' Eric Asimov in 2024 called it "one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country".
History The restaurant was opened in 2021 by chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and sommelier Arjav Ezekiel, who are husband and wife.
Business and service models Birdie's is a counter-service restaurant and wine bar.
The restaurant's business and service models, which Austin Monthly calls a "new take", maintain a minimal front-of-house staff; it takes limited reservations, diners stand in line to place their initial orders and seat themselves. The model that was pioneered by Birdie's is often referenced as Fine Casual referencing the casual ordering format, but hospitality forward dining room and technique driven kitchen.
All workers are paid an hourly rate that does not assume tips; tips are pooled among all staff proportionately to the hours worked that week. The restaurant closes for two weeks in August and two weeks in late December/early January to provide staff paid time off. It offers paid family leave and health insurance.
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday. It sometimes closes to become a pop-up Italian restaurant called Aiello's, named after Malechek-Ezekiel's grandfather, who immigrated from Calabria.
Reception The restaurant was named to the New York Times 2021 Restaurant List. The Austin American-Statesman named it Austin's best new restaurant of 2021. Birdie's was also named a Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit and Esquire Magazine.
In 2023 Food & Wine's named Birdie's its Restaurant of the Year, calling it "the restaurant that everyone wants in their neighborhood". According to the New York Times' Eric Asimov, writing in 2024, it is "one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country".
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