Welcome to our first episode of Chefs in Transit, where we take you around the city exclusively using CapMetro service to explore local restaurants you need to visit around Austin, all accessible by CapMetro Bus or Rail. We’ll also spotlight the chefs and founders of each restaurant to learn what inspires their unique vision, cooking style, and passion for culinary arts.
Our host, foodie friend, and Food Network’s own Ali Khan will ride along with each chef using CapMetro to grab a bite to eat at their restaurant. “For the last decade, I’ve been an Austinite. And I’m here to celebrate the Austin food scene and its unique character. There are so many restaurants here representing days gone by that are well worth your time and attention. This city is also a draw for culinary talent and new ideas, so I intend to put the spotlight there, too.” – Ali Khan, Host
Birdie’s
For CapMetro Bus access to Birdie’s (2944 E 12th St Unit A), your best option is Route 5 (Woodrow/East 12th), which runs directly along 12th Street. Easily get to Birdie’s using CapMetro:
Route Details:
• Use Route 5 (High-frequency route connecting East Austin to Downtown, UT, and Central Market).
• Schedule: Operates every 15 to 30 minutes.
Nearest Bus Stops:
• Eastbound: Stop ID 1098 (12th/Harvey)
• Westbound: Stop ID 4200 (12th/Oak Grove)
In this episode, we’ll be taking the Red Line with Chef Tracy Malechik-Ezekial, founder of Birdie’s in East Austin. Chef Tracy and her husband, Arjav Ezekiel, opened Birdie’s in July 2021 with a deliberate rethinking of what a modern restaurant should be. Birdie’s offers seasonal American cuisine with Italian and French influences —food Chef Tracy describes as “what you want to eat with wine.” The wine list, curated by her husband, leans natural and changes with the season, just like their menu. Birdie’s offers a prix fixe menu with 6 courses for $79 and an ENTIRE menu change every 4 weeks. One of their signature dishes is soft serve usually topped with fresh pressed olive oil with the flavor changing every month.
Chef Tracy grew up in Houston, but her pursuit of culinary arts led her around the US cooking at some of the most respected kitchens in New York and Chicago. Chef Tracy is a huge proponent of public transit as she used it every day while living in New York, giving her a peaceful place to get so much done on her daily commutes like studying, working, and dreaming up new recipes. After receiving her Hotel and Restaurant Management degree from the University of Houston, she moved to downtown Manhattan to study at the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. While working in New York’s fine dining scene, she met her husband, Arjav. They both dreamed of opening a restaurant together, and the couple decided to return to Texas with the goal of finding a warm, casual, and neighborhood-driven area to open a restaurant that would soon be named Birdie’s.
Since opening in 2021, Birdie’s, Chef Tracy, and Arjav have received many awards and recognitions including:
- Bon Appétit: 50 Best New Restaurants of (2022)
- Esquire: Best New Restaurants in America (2022)
- Food and Wine Magazine: Restaurant of the Year (2023)
- Star Chefs: Rising Star Game Changers (2023)
- The Infatuation: 11 Best Restaurants in the Country (2024)
- JBF: Best Chef Texas Finalist (2024)
- Robb Report’s: 100 Greatest Restaurants of the 21st Century (2025)
- JBF: Outstanding Professional Beverage (2025)
- Time 100 Next (2025)
Birdie’s isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a neighborhood institution that honors the community, treats its workers with dignity, and continues to earn national acclaim. It’s a rare dining establishment in the area that feels both deeply local and widely celebrated!
Take a trip to Birdie’s on CapMetro Route 5 or the Red Line. Check out their menu and everything else they have to offer at birdiesaustin.com and IG: @birdiesaustin.
