Shy Bird - Kendall Square

Everything I've had has been excellent. They have some great drinks on the menu, and can make most anything. The menu changes seasonally according to availability of fresh ingredients. In the summer, we eat here every Wednesday evening, and we've never been disappointed. Weekends they have brunch until 4:00. The fruit bowl is super(see pic).

Great restaurant, food and service. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available. Many chicken options...(vegetarian options available too) I got the dinner for two which is a full chicken with house salad and fries. Everything was delicious but "house salad" was just seasoned lettuce!? My friends like the burger and chicken sandwich as well. Ambiance was really good. I would come back here again.

One of my favorite places in Kendall Square. Lots of good choices on the menu. Super friendly service. I don’t even eat chicken and I love this place. They were out of falafel on my last visit, but I’ll forgive them. I’m just that good of a person.

I had the 6-piece SB Dunk chicken pieces and the Seared Faroe Salmon and highly recommend them both. The chicken was tender and the crust from the batter tasted amazing—just a hint of heat and the sour note from the buttermilk brine was just right. And the Faeroe salmon? It’s one of the best salmon dishes I’ve ever had and I eat a lot of salmon. The lemon-herb sauce was very tasty, the “crust” on the salmon gave it a nice texture, and the farro risotto was done just right. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

This place was really tasty! The service was excellent. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the roasted chicken as it can sometimes be dry when served , but it was so tender and juicy … some of the best roasted chicken I’ve had! Our server was so kind and even did some art on our to go box. I could see this used as future potential marketing.

Our brunch at Shy bird was so refreshing. Great atmosphere, chill music in the background and impeccable service. My family and I were visiting the area from NY and loved how kind the staff was. Sean was a great host, really engaging with our kids. They said "Mr. Sean was the best". The food was well flavored and fresh. Best latte I've had in a long time. Next time we visit the Boston area we'll be sure to stop in. Thanks again for everything.

Great little cafe near Kendall Square. Came here for dinner and was not disappointed. The drinks were delicious and though the food was not spicy, everything was well made. The staff also did a good job with social distancing and it was extremely affordable for how much we ordered. Excited to come back again soon!

Great little corner spot. Open feeling atmosphere and quiet. I had the half bird and a side of greens. Chicken was succulent and the greens were fresh. Perfect lunch!

Shy Bird in Kendall Square serves up the best roasted chicken in town! Their spicy cucumber starter was refreshing and delicious. Service was excellent, making for a delightful dining experience. Perfect spot for flavorful dishes and top-notch service!

We were in town visiting MIT and stumbled into this place because we were short on time. The staff from the moment we walked in was on point. They let us know they could seat us right away if we could be finished by 8:30 - this gave us 1.5hrs which was plenty of time. Most of all I was surprised by the service from ‘Juniper’. She was exceptional and very personable. Would definitely go again. Smash burger was really good too.

Our family enjoyed a magnificent meal here last night. It was somewhat of a last minute decision and WOW one that we will not soon forget. From the ricotta w hot honey to the Sesame crusted tuna and crispy rice to the piri piri chicken - some of the best food that I’ve had on a night out in Boston in a long time. Right up there with Sarma for me. Thank you Shybird!

Love it. Really great blend of good food/coffee, fast, convenient, often has reservations. Equally great for happy hour or bringing the kids. The right amount of menu variety. Highly recommend all of their locations.

I work in Kendall and go to Shy Bird several times a week. I have never had anything but excellent experiences here, whether it be grabbing a cup of coffee, having breakfast, or getting cocktails with coworkers. The people who work here are friendly and attentive, and the food and coffee are always delicious. Also, I have Celiac disease and their Celiac-safe options are great--I always feel safe eating here. I can't recommend it enough!

Finally got around to trying the rotisserie chicken, and it's fully worth the trip. I already liked shy bird for the apps and cocktails, but the dry rub on the rotisserie chicken is excellent. The spicy birdbath sauce was my favorite. And our server was excellent

We stopped in for a quick lunch while in the area from our of town. Service was excellent- staff were friendly and attentive. The food was delicious! Their French fries were thinly cut and fried to the perfect crispy texture and the chicken was moist and flavorful.

Shy Bird was such an unexpected surprise. Food was incredible. Piri piri chicken may be the best tasting chicken I have ever had. But the best thing about this establishment is the authentic combination and of great food without pretense but with a great wine list and service that is on point. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Super customer service. I accidentally ordered to pick up, but meant to have my ordered delivered. I called the restaurant, my call was answered right away, they were friendly, cancelled my order and I reordered to have it delivered! The order then arrived promptly, and was delicious. Shy Bird is fantastic.

Came to Shy Bird for a business lunch and was blown away. I love peri peri chicken and had to order the half chicken for lunch. It was amazing! Super juicy and excellently spiced. It was definitely a big portion and I left super satisfied. The service was alright, nothing special. Our server was a bit nonchalant. The atmosphere was great with nice big windows that let in a lot of natural light.

I am so happy a place like this not just has vegetarian options but ones which are interesting and creative. I got a cabbage and delicata squash. Both were delicious, and used unique recipes. The portion sizes were great. Overall I liked it.

Although they are probably known for their chicken, we go for the smash burger.. it is pretty great.. The watermelon salad in the summer is also a favorite… and the sticky toffee pudding cake (on the days we are not low carb… which is most days). But what earned them 5 stars from me today is that I walked in recently with my 4-year-old (it was his birthday), and when he told them he had just turned four, they brought us all the desserts on the menu (after we had already paid the check). No fuss.. It absolutely made his day (and ours). Thank you!

Went with my best friend on Saturday afternoon for a late lunch around 2:45. We got the chicken Cesar wrap and the ranch fried chicken sandwhich. Both were incredibly tasty and flavorful. The service was fast and our waitress and the bartender were very kind. Will be coming back.

The herb roasted chicken was decent and juicy and also priced fairly. The smashed burger was cooked a bit too well and lacked a bit of flavor. Overall not bad

Good food with great atmosphere and at the great location, the squash dish was nice. The rosemary fries were amazing. Even the artichoke dip was good. Peri Peri Margarita was amazing.

Visited some friends in Boston who recommended Shy Bird, and it did not disappoint! The half roast chicken hit the spot, with a nice crisp side salad. We also got "SB Dunks" which were just chicken bites served with all their dips. My favourites were the "Spicy Bird Bath" and honey mustard dips.

Honestly, my salad was fine and our meals were solid but something not cool about being charged a 4% kitchen fee - $76 for four bowls and one small tea then being told, “No sorry we don’t give tea refills.” Seriously?

Great atmosphere and had a table immediately. Food was really good and recommended. Had inside and outside seating availability.

i went during the very busy lunch rush, but i was still seated pretty quickly. however, because of this, service was quite slow and i felt somewhat forgotten. my waitress was very friendly though. nice, modern interior with indoor and outdoor seating. food was very good too. fresh, flavourful, and fun! the salads and rosemary french fries are a must try.

Food was good! The best part was the hostess. I wish I had her name but she had some burnt-red frames on. She was so nice and welcoming to my family.

A nice place for brunch! Their brunch menu is mostly savory, with only a few sweet things under “starters”. We tried the fried chicken and egg sandwich, ranch fried chicken sandwich, bacon egg and cheese sandwich, and the piri piri chicken. Everything was tasty and we really liked the fried chicken and fries. The ranch fried chicken sandwich was actually rather spicy, which was fine but it wasn’t specified on the menu and I had to take some of the pepper relish off. Overall it was an enjoyable meal, but not necessarily something we would go back to have again.

Good brunch option at decent prices, 20-25 dollars pp. Chicken and waffles. The fried chicken didn't have the crunchiest coating but that was OK since inside wasn't too dry. They use liège waffles which has little sugar pearl inside giving the waffle some crunchy texture. Smoked salmon. sits on top of crunchy patty of hash browns. Nice texture.

I got the chipotle cheddar bacon smash burger with fries. The burger was excellent. The fries were cooked nice and crispy, but the seasoning they put on the fries was horrid. It was the dry herbs they used. They tasted like they had been sitting around going stale for years. I could literally taste mold in the seasoning. I would go back, but I would ask that they omit the ancient seasoning. The service was good.

Amazing and compassionate service. I love their breakfast menu more than their dinner menu on whole. But there are few must tries in the dinner menu as well - Rotisserie-piri-piri chicken is one of them. Lemon Aioli- 3/5 Waffle&chicken - 3.5/5 Chai Latte - 4/5

Cool spot for chicken and a beer. I would say their best dish is the chicken bites. The place is tastefully designed, looks more like a nice bar than a restaurant. The service is kind as well.

The breakfast plate was pretty good, the toast was crispy and ingredients were fresh. The B.L.T. and chocolate croissant were just okay, could be better. The atmosphere was very lovely though :)

We used to come here all the time! — they have decreased the quality of food recently, and even when ordering chicken bites it doesn’t come as fresh anymore. I hope they’re just going through a bad wave. The new manager is amazing and hope he’s able to revive the space. Drinks have been unreliable. Every time you order something that require more than opening a bottle, you will taste the difference.

This is a great place to grab sandwich type of meals all centering around fried chicken. As they don't serve Ḥalāl or Kosher options, I went with the vegetarian options. Fries were good and so was the Impossible Burger and Halloumi wrap. A bit tangy the wrap - could've eased on the pickles. Good place to grab a working lunch if you're in the Cambridge area during work hours.

3.5 stars. Got the double smash burger, standard fare burger. Fries are really strong on rosemary or whatever. I was able to finish all. Decently filling for dinner Food came fast. Came in with friends so we all got different things. They do a nice job with presentation but food itself is not that exciting taste wise. You get water in a glass bottle and some glasses to serve yourself.

Based on the reviews I was hesitant to go here, but my friends picked it and I still side with many of the reviews🤪 If you like your fresh food slightly unhealthy and your chicken fried, then this is the place for you; but it doesn’t float my boat😒 I was limited in what I wanted to eat here: non-dairy and non-fried 🫣

The vibes are great, the teapot you get with any hot tea was superb. But the chicken and waffles was an abomination!!! Just because you have something super salty with super sweet doesn’t mean that those flavor notes cancel each other out. The waffle was cloying, and the chicken was I would say very salty, saltier than a rotisserie chicken or sausage. I managed to finish the chicken, but I left one waffle. It cost ~19$ for the chicken and waffles. I haven’t tried the entire menu but I would stay away from combinations like this or other waffles in the menu. The earl grey tea was very nice though.

Place is great overall with nice service. They have limited options for GF so I got their salmon as an entrée/main dish. It was one of the most expensive in the menu $28 (except for the steak) and the portion was ridiculously small, specially for the price and comparing with the main dishes my friends got. Apart from the salmon there were few pieces of potatoes and slices of Brussels sprouts. I don't eat much and ended up hungry.