Oven Bird

March 17, 2023

Where to start with Oven Bird? This little coffee shop and breakfast joint don't get enough recognition. With homemade pastries made daily, delicious drinks, and friendly staff, I don't know what else you could ask for.

Unfortunately, on this visit, I did not try any of the coffee. It is the season of Lent, and being a mediocre Catholic (always trying to be better), I have given that up for the next 20 days and counting. However, the buzz of the crowd around me and the clattering of empty coffee cups gave me the impression that it was good. Despite my lack of affinity for coffee, I would love to try something here.

All that being said, I started off with a hot mint tea ($3.25). Served in the cutest little one-person teapot, it was a fun little start to my visit. I like my tea on the sweeter side, so I helped myself to their personalization station, which was stocked full of simple syrup and creamer (including some milk alternatives).

On to the food: I helped myself to their French Toast ($15). The order came with two THICC (yes, two Cs!) slices of white bread dipped in orange vanilla custard and topped with fresh whipped cream, powdered sugar, and butter syrup.

First Bite: The outside was crisp and crunchy, and the inside was amazingly not wet. Which I wholeheartedly expected because of how thick the bread was. The orange vanilla custard brought such an interesting citrus twist to what could be a tired dish. The whipped cream caused what I can only describe as a cooling effect that brought harmony to the dish as a whole. The syrup was an afterthought to everything (which is a first for me; I absolutely love syrup). It offered a hint of sweetness, but everything was so good that I don't think I would've noticed if there wasn't any.

My two small "gripes": I did have a small wait for my french toast, just over fifteen minutes. but I would wait again for this. Lastly, I had some trouble connecting to the wifi, but that may have been on my end. This is me getting very nit-picky; I truly enjoyed my experience.

The service was amazing; the employee who helped me, Sam, was such a nice guy, and we had a fun conversation.

Oven Bird is a great place for a good breakfast and a staff full of smiles. If you find yourself hungry and in need of breakfast on South Congress, Oven Bird is the place for you. I can't wait to come back to try their coffee and eat all their pastries.

Oven Bird (9/10).