Bluebird Café

The Bluebird Café has the fans of the Facebook group Hidden Los Angeles all abuzz. And hidden is the operative word for this scrumptious little joint, but it is sooo worth the effort!

Located on National Boulevard in Culver City, between Washington and Jefferson, you are seemingly entering a construction zone or a movie set after the big explosion, but continue on. The Metro Expo line is coming through this area, and the heavy equipment is laying the path. I parked on Hayden, just past the Bluebird. As a side note, there are several architecturally interesting buildings on that block, but I won’t digress. I’ll give them a closer look next time I visit the Café.

The Bluebird had a torta special during my visit. I selected the roasted pork version, with bountiful swipes of guacamole and refried beans on the insides of the toasted bread, then the pork, lettuce, tomatoes and grated cheese, with a side salad of baby greens and balsamic dressing (which I ate while strategizing the sandwich!). Oh yeah, it came with a free cupcake even without the Hidden LA mention. All for $8.50 plus tax.

They have a nice patio with picnic tables, citrus trees and jazz playing, also hidden from the street. You hardly notice the construction noises once inside. The torta, wider than a CD for scale, was delish! I had to cut it in quarters, as you see in the picture, to even pick it up. I was so full, the red velvet cupcake came home with me. That says something for those of you who know me and my appetite! I'm thrilled to report it surpassed expectations, as I've been letdown by the plethora of red velvet offerings lately that don't meet the standards of my youth. This one, with the cream cheese/buttercream icing, is the best I've had in a very long time, and it didn't involve a cake walk or church raffle.

They are currently open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fly on over there soon, as I assume they won’t be a secret for long.

Click here to go to their Web site.