It seems that everywhere you turn these days in Paris, there’s another burger. I’ve had burgers at brasseries and bistros; burgers that were homemade and burgers that very obviously were cooked from frozen. Some of these burgers are worth writing home about; others are best forgotten.
The burgers at Birdy are promising, at first glance, if only because Birdy devotes itself entirely to burgers. It’s also located near quite a bit of Americana: it’s inside the old Real McCoy’s, an American grocery store, just steps from the American University in Paris and the American Library.
I’ll note right off the bat that this burger is not perfect. It is served wrapped in butcher paper which, while certainly nostalgic in a classic-Americana-road-food kind of way, is kind of unnecessary when eating in, rather than eating out, and also unfortunately causes some of the cheese to run off the burger (instead of staying on the bun, where it can be enjoyed).
The burgers themselves have quite a bit of personality. One can choose from among, for example, the Original (dubbed “an American classic”) with cheddar, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, and Birdy’s signature sauce; the Nola (“a A Louisiana Taste”) featuring a fried chicken base with blue cheese, caramelized onion, pickles, and American mustard; or even the Woodstock with a falafel base topped with tzatziki, pickled red cabbage, and house-made ketchup.
I can only vouch for the Mexicano (“the Spicy One”) with jalapeños, cheddar, pickled red onion, and spicy mayo. While far from “spicy” for an American palate, it’s flavorful and filling (and, thank God, not gloppy like burgers have started becoming here in Paris).
I really don’t want to undersell the burgers. They are truly fantastic. But I think what keeps me coming back are the fries.
The house-made seasoned fries are not the default fry option, so be sure to ask for them. While they may look like typical fries, these little potatoes are seasoned in the manner of curly fries, which this American had completely forgotten she missed. Now, I can’t get enough.
Birdy -Â 49 Avenue Bosquet 75007