Review: Bluebird Cafe

Today's choice off the breakfast menu is Bluebird Cafe in Norwood.

My wife had an eye exam this morning wherein they dilated her eyes. She took one step into the brightly lit world outside the eye doctor’s office and realized that she was not prepared to go into work until her eyes adjusted. I typically have Wednesday mornings off anyway so I thought we would have brunch together while she recuperated. I decided to hit Bluebird Cafe after reading good reviews on Urban Spoon and by local bloggers. I was very glad I did because the food was definitely above par.  I was glad I went into that sleepy little cafe and will definitely be keeping it in mind as a sure bet on future excursions.

Restaurant:

The Bluebird Café is a sleepy little diner on Montgomery Road. I hear it used to be called Cafe on the Pike, but I never entered that place. The restaurant was cozy and quaint. The service staff was friendly and helpful. There were jukeboxes in every booth and rows of seating. The crowd was slow at first but it picked up around lunch time. I thought the place would be great if you were in need of good food on a weekday and didn’t want many interruptions. I thought it might be a nice little place to read a book or study so long as you were out by noon.  Their menu was standard with omelets, pancakes and French toast. 

The verdict:

I got the western Omelet with French Toast. The wife got the biscuits and gravy with the hash browns. The food was really good.  MY wife loved the hash browns. They had a crisp, light taste unlike some hash browns you get at a diner where they seem loaded with grease.

The biscuits and gravy were also tasty. The gravy was peppery and the biscuits were fluffy like good dumplings. There was a richness to the dish that reminded me of chicken and dumplings, but it was all breakfast. The omelet was very good. It was cooked well with all the ingredients cooked inside. The French Toast was also a very pleasant surprise. It had a very good batter and was covered in cinnamon instead of powdered sugar. It was nice and crisp on the edges and each bite was wonderful.

Ratings:

Service:               3
Ambiance:          3
Food:                   4

Coffee:                 3

Overall Experience:

I give the whole experience 3.5 out of 5 broken eggs:

The food was excellent. When I walk into a place like the Bluebird I usually lower my expectations and expect breakfast food cooked by someone who either doesn’t know how or doesn’t care, (pretty much every IHOP, Perkins, and Frisches seem that way to me.) This place is the rare exception that offers a good meal that was standard but not cookie cutter and seemed to be cooked with care.

For more information on the location:

Bluebird Restaurant
4629 Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45212

(513) 351-2427