Bird’s Nest Cafe is South LA’s hidden gem

Right on Vermont Avenue, near the hustle and bustle of USC traffic, Bird’s Nest Cafe is the neighborhood’s newest underrated gem. One would expect the cafe to be flooded with USC students and visitors, but it is surprisingly empty during lunchtime.

The layout of the cafe is clean, and quaint with modern, bird-related décor tying into the restaurant theme.

There’s a colorful wall painted with a white bird, with some outside seating in addition to the little tables inside.

The breakfast menu comes with a selection of different mouthwatering options. There are sunrise tacos as well as mini pancakes that come with mixed berries.

The lunch menu’s pineapple express & holy grail burgers are a must try. If it didn’t seem like mac and cheese on a burger would work, the holy grail makes it something people wish they thought of. The grilled pineapple on the pineapple express adds a sweet balance to the salty flavors of the burger. 

With every item served on top of newspaper-like transfer paper, the burgers also have fries and side salad options. They charge $4 extra for truffle fries. The iced green tea matcha latte is flavorful and has the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor.

The buffalo wings are jumbo sized. Even though they serve generously large portions, they can be very good leftovers. The only downside about the cafe is that the overall prices are steep. Despite the fact that the burger is delicious and filled with fresh ingredients such as jalapenos and truffle oil — $15 is a bit too high of a price. The smoothies are also $8.

Other than that, the owners are friendly and are very involved in the happiness of the customers. Bird’s Nest is the place to go — there’s an endless bout of pastries, meals and drinks to try. It’s definitely a spot to visit again and again.