How Ellie Bird Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia got its name

Ellie BirdPhoto byYelp Screenshot

Ellie Bird Cafe, at 125 Founder’s Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046, opened its doors in April 2023 as a sister restaurant to the DC-based Rooster & Owl, which opened in 2019.

Yuan and Carey Tang decided on a casual, homey space deeply connected to their hometown of Falls Church.

Name and restaurant theme

The name of the family-friendly restaurant came from the name of the youngest daughter of the restaurant's owners. The couple also have a fondness for birds, as seen in the name of their other restaurant, Rooster & Owl. They also wanted to keep the theme of birds in the name of their latest restaurant.

Notice the bird at the end of the name in the photo below. There are birds on the building and on the walls inside the building. The casual, 70-seat dining room celebrates its namesake with booths under big bird cages.

Ellie BirdPhoto byDC Eater Screenshot

Ellie Bird's menu

Ellie Bird offers only dinner during the week and brunch on the weekend. The menu contains New American comfort foods and Asian twists. The restaurant celebrates several global cuisines crafted with plenty of seasonal ingredients. For example, the starter bread basket features a delightful assortment of pineapple buns, focaccia, and miso butter.

Ellie Bird's Chocolate CakePhoto byInstagram Screenshot

Save room for dessert because the chocolate cake is one of the most talked-about items on the menu. The decadent chocolate cake is filled with caramel ganache and frosted with spiced chai buttercream with vanilla ice cream.

Kids' menu

Customers love Ellie Bird because it is family-friendly. The “Little Birdies” menu for kids includes favorites of the Tangs’ two daughters: chicken tenders with a cornflake crust, penne pasta with butter and cheese, and a “Char-cute-rie” sampling of cheese, ham, vegetables, and fruit. The menu doubles as a coloring book.