Songbird Takeaway. Your taste buds will sing a song to Sonbird, but your wallet will fall out of the nest. An 8.2 / 10 taste bacon breakfast sandwich costs $13 base, nets out to over $15 with tax and tip. The secret ingredient that'll immediately hit your taste buds is the honey. Trying it at home, they only need to add a little to make a big impact on the taste. All the ingredients, from the bread to the cheese, are top-notch, but a price point of around $8 would make much more sense to me.
The atmosphere is bright and hip. Light colors cover the walls, and giant windows allow ample light. Everything about Songbird sings, from the paintings on the outside to the pep in the servers. I ordered online, and the food was ready when I got there on a Monday morning. I imagine you would expect to wait for a busy brunch day. Finding parking might also be a challenge. I couldn't really find a spot even with no crowd because street parking requires a permit. Note: you have to go around the east side of the building to
Songbird Experience Summary
Songbird came highly recommended by the good people on Reddit who said I missed it on my list of best breakfast places.
I had takeout several years ago during Covid but hadn't been since AllAroundSTL's inception. So, I packed my backpack and headed over on a Monday morning after getting my allergy shots down the road.
But before I get to the food, I need to let you know that I barely slept the night before. One of my sons was sick, and the other decided to wake up at 5:45 am. That combo put me on maybe six hours of sleep.
I could barely find a parking spot. The combination of needing help comprehending the park sign instructions and lacking a dedicated lot had me driving around the block for three or four minutes. But I managed to find a spot close enough.
Walking up to the front, I appreciated the murals and writing outside the building. I followed the signs around to the east side of the building with a formal entrance. It felt like walking down a long alley to a beautiful breakfast getaway.
Once inside, they had my pre-ordered sandwich ready to go. The super-friendly server let me sit at the bar even though I pre-ordered.
I sat down, took out my laptop, and started eating.
Songbird makes a damn good breakfast sandwich. The eggs, cheese, bacon, and honey all act in tandem on a light sourdough to create a master-crafted breakfast sandwich experience. That perfection comes with a relatively hefty price tag at $13.
The exact notes I took at the time were:
Probably the best breakfast sandwich I've had, the non-taylor ham category. The upper limit on overall taste. Maxes out at like 8.2 / 10. But the $ to-taste value isn't there in my book. The $15.54 all-in for a sandwich this size is high. I could eat two and still be hungry. You can get three bacon, egg, and cheese meals from McDonalds for the same price.
Worth trying once, but it's too expensive for anyone to be a "regular," and I probably won't come back.
At that exact moment, the waitress noticed me typing and came over to ask what I was doing.
Me: I run a food blog.
Her: Oh, awesome. What do you think, would you come back?
Me: No.
Awkward pause.
Her: Oh, why?
Me: Oh, I'm sorry. It's delicious, just too expensive.
Her: You come here for the experience and atmosphere.
Me: My reviews incorporate price to food value… And.. I
Her: Blank stare.
…
I'm pretty sure the answer to the original question should have just been "Yes" and move on. But my not fully functional brain went into honest mode instead of socially acceptable mode.
So come to Songbird to see if the price to value hits for you, but make sure you slept the night before and just say yes if anyone asks if you'll come back.
The Food At Songbird
I've had the Songbird breakfast sandwich a couple of times now. It's the best non-Taylor Ham breakfast sandwich I've ever had. The cheese is creamy and smooth. The egg is perfectly overly medium. The bacon's crispiness mixes with the sweetness of the honey to add an overall unique experience.
All of that, and the sandwich still feels light and refreshing. A modern marvel of sandwich craftsmanship that rivals the genius down the street at Union Loafers. A rocking 8.2/10 for me, worth bringing your family from out of town.
It's also fun to eat because the medium runny egg just gets everywhere. It's a two-napkin affair, so don't bring a date you want to impress or a business partner to close a deal. Come ready to get some egg on your face. It's part of the fun.
But, and here's the big but, it's expensive. The sandwich is not big. With only one egg and a couple of pieces of bacon, $13 is steep. I could probably eat two without blinking an eye.
$13 buys you 3-4 biscuit sandwiches from McDonalds. I'm not saying it's the same product, but that's your trade-off.
The price point makes it nearly impossible to be a regular, but certainly a good spot for a big breakfast with the significant other or celebration.
Songbird Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
I love everything about the atmosphere at Songbird. It's fun without being too hip for a dad like me. It's super bright and fun without being overly spirited. The large open seating area looks out a giant front-facing window and an open bar in the back.
I sat at the bar and ate my sandwich in bliss. The total inside seating had room for maybe 20 people, with additional seating outside. The bartender tended to my limited needs for a glass of water, but I tried to leave him alone because…
I ordered my sandwich online on the way over, and they had it ready by the time I got there. They made an exception by letting me eat at the bar because they weren't busy.
Parking At Songbird
For some reason, I had a hard time finding parking when I visited on a Monday morning. There's only street parking in Forest Park Southeast, and much of it requires a permit. I spent five minutes driving around before finding a spot across the street.
Songbird Receipt
