Bird in Hand

Lots of food options, and unique too, not basic or boring or TOO exotic either. Was debating a flavored matcha, but stuck with the basic and it was really tasty. The presentation wasn’t ‘gram worthy (today), and I prefer round mugs for cute coffee photos anyways, BUT who cares, it was delicious!

really nice little cafe here in baltimore. we were served fast and everything we ordered was brought right to our table. our coffees were served steaming hot and my oatmeal came out very hot as well. all of our food/drinks were quite yummy and i enjoyed the atmosphere of it being a bookstore and a cafe. we did think the books were a little overpriced, but that can be overlooked given the fact that it is a small business. we really enjoyed our trip here and i loved their banana chocolate latte with oat milk. i highly recommend.

Genuinely one of the best oat milk cappuccinos I've had. The Thread Roasters beans they use are from a local roaster and are so good. Love the atmosphere too, and there's nice spots to sit outdoors if it's not too cold

Really fantastic remote work or student work option for coffee as they have a nice atmosphere and plenty of space to work. Great coffee options as well with a few interesting twists like the vanilla mint matcha I tried. I didn’t try one but their pastry options looked fantastic.

Nice coffee shop with friendly staff. Kaleb makes very good latte with very latte art. There are lots of books to enjoy while relaxing to enjoy your beverage. The BLT sandwich was also very delicious!

Good food, good drinks and good books! Can get crowded when university is in session but still a great spot for a meeting or a snack. Love that they have seltzer on tap too!

Found this beautiful book café tucked into a cozy, modern corner of Baltimore that I have never seen before. Be sure to try their golden chai drink while it’s still available, as it is absolute bliss. 😚🤌 This fun place is just across from the Johns Hopkins Barnes & Noble, but gives you so much more than the more commercialized bookstores do—from great conversations, to books you might not find on the shelves of the store across from it, to the absolutely delicious food and drinks available, I highly recommend this one. The staff are so kind and professional, and it honestly feels like you’re talking to old friends, not just some bookstore, staff, when you talk to them. 😍 by far one of my favorite book cafés in the region!

I was sitting there whole day working.. so I had multiple meals. Caprece was very fresh, fresh pesto and tasty. Place can get crowded but it speaks to its popularity. There are standing spaces where one can plug in and work when standing.

I loved my last drink so much I decided to drive across town to get another. While here I discovered they have martinis as well. I did not partake in any but will be sure to do so in the future. Come in and get your best martini or espresso favorite.

Only had time for an iced latte but the food looks amazing. The latte was delicious and was ready super fast. The atmosphere was chill coffee house vibe in a college town. Loads of students just doing their thing. Opposite of starbucks hustle and bustle.

Loved the atmosphere and the bookstore coffee shop scenery!!! I'd definitely come back here just to read a book, sip some of their drinks, and do work here. They have several choices of food and drinks here. I got their strawberry mint matcha from their seasonal menu. The matcha tastes good with the strawberry syrup; however, I didn't really taste that mint flavor. The caramel latte was okay, nothing too special. There are outlets, especially towards the back and at the community table. Free WiFi password is posted on the walls. It is a little bit cold inside, but they also have plenty of outdoor seating options. They also provide free water, and the restroom is located in the back. They also do a punch out card reward where you can get the 10th drink free. After 5pm, they start serving alcoholic drinks. They also have a happy hour (5-7pm on select days) which is pretty worth it!!! I got the honey lavender gin matcha ($7), which has a strong alcoholic first taste but the matcha flavor was still apparent. The honey and lavender flavor... not so much. The raspberry lemonade vodka was very sweet so you don't taste the alcohol. When I came, they were doing popup with MishMish where they sold sweets like chai, mango sticky rice, and two others. They have a good selection of books, each category clearly labeled with some recs from the staff.

This coffeeshop/bookstore was such a cool find in town! Located near John's Hopkins University, Bird in Hand is a local shop with college town vibes. The staff was friendly and worked quickly. There were multiple shelves of books to browse while enjoying your coffee. We got two oat milk vanilla lattes which turned out perfect! It does get crowded especially as the weather gets colder but definitely a cool spot to stop by if you're visiting the area.

I'd definitely return to this bookstore and cafe! Friendly staff and lots of seating along with a wide selection of books! The drinks and food were also delicious. Paid parking available on nearby streets.

A cozy little bookstore for book lovers and coffee enthusiasts Bird in Hand is the perfect spot to be productive. The shelves are stocked with a thoughtfully curated selection of books. They have both fiction and nonfiction with topics about cooking and food! The ambiance is warm and cozy, but fairly quiet even when it was quite packed. They also have Wi-Fi!

Really lovely cafe for great coffee and ambiance. The staff are attentive and it was wonderful to notice the care and attention they give to guests. This place tends to fill up fast but it seems like it's a revolving door so after a short wait, a spot will open up. Try to sit in the back, it gets really cold when the door swings open.

Super cute bookstore by the Hopkins undergrad campus. Bird in Hand is also owned by the owners of Ivy Books in Roland Park. Bird is Hand is really a cafe/bar with books. It's a good combo of both. They have lot of tables for sitting and a water station. I do love their wall of staff recos and new books but it's not the biggest selection of books, but well curated for sure. I always find something I want to read here, I first saw Yellowface here and was reminded of The Virgin Suicides. The coffee is always solid and they have fun kombucha and sparking water selection, and they also have wine! A good place to stop by if you're in the area for a drink or a browse for a new read!

Great coffee! Wonderful ambience and the food was excellent! Blueberry muffin was great too! Clean and plenty of staff so hardly any wait! Love all the books!

My first visit, made this one of my favorite coffee shops in the city. The highlight was definitely the sandwiches. The bread was soft! The Jalapeño scone...jaw drop...no crumbs left on the plate. I love the vibe here because there's books everywhere and a spot in front to be some local goods. The only thing is, sometimes you walk into a coffee shop and get a little snide look from the workers. I definitely got that here. I wasn't greeted upon entering, which is fine, but the guy taking our order just didn't seem to want to answer my questions or to be there. Everyone else seemed great though! Overall that doesn't taint the experience because I'll def revisit.

Decent cafe next to Hopkins campus. Came here around midday on a weekday with some friends and seating was sparse. This seems to be a popular study spot for Hopkins students. The inside was well-decorated with lots of books and seating. Service was quick and kind. Food and drinks were eh. My friend tried the apple cider matcha and did not like it. Another friend got an iced caramel latte and the milk was curdling in the drink. I had a turkey grilled cheese which was $11 and pretty thin and unimpressive (my friend got a ham grilled cheese and thought the same thing). The bird's club sandwich looked like much more bang for your buck though. Would recommend that instead. Overall: meh busy college student cafe in Baltimore with hit or miss food and drinks but a nice ambience.

My 3-star rating is only because I didn't enjoy my iced chai tea. I'm a huge lover of chai tea, so I feel like my review might not reflect everyone's experience. I also have a sweet tooth, so I would have preferred it to be sweeter, but it wasn't (again, not a big deal). However, I think this shop is so unique and cute, and if I were a university student, I would 100% spend my time here. The staff was incredibly nice and accommodating, especially since it was my first time there. They helped and assisted me with my drink selection. I would definitely come back to try something different on the menu because I feel like my current review doesn't do this place justice. This shop probably has really tasty drinks I just need to try something else!

Cute cafe, every time I go the place is completely full. Good matcha and I definitely plan to try more sandwiches!

Average coffee, great vibes. I stopped in here after a meeting at Hopkins. There was great service, lots of Hopkins undergraduates talking or studying or using their computers. My coffee was nice, slightly watery, mild coffee taste, not bitter. It was nice.

This cute bookstore cafe in Charles Village had quick service, plenty of seating and was a great atmosphere for working or catching up with friends. I got the seasonal iced horchata latte and it was very enjoyable. They do have a large variety of seasonal specials and flavors so I will definitely be back to try more.

This place is not for families. Mainly sugared drinks. Busy atmosphere. Good menu needs major improvement.

Very cute! Love the many many book options! I didn't drink the coffee but my partner in food & travel loved it.. refills are $1 if you are dining in, always love that. I had the village fog (the Charles village take on the "London fog") which I liked because they didn't use a syrup to sweeten it, they used honey. I also ended up getting the chai later on. Very good. I liked this more than the village fog. This was spiced well, and sweetened to perfection. Will be going back.

Yummy coffee, good amount of seating and space inside. Really cute coffee shop and book store. Lots of options and room to spread out. Also has pastries as well.

Bird in Hand seems to have repaired the weird inconsistencies in service detailed in the earlier review, and is still home to a great bookstore. We've started returning to Bird in Hand more often and have recently received consistently great service.

I love the ambiance of this place. It's on the corner nice and tucked. The flavor options are unique. I got an iced rosemary honey latte and it was delicious. The cafe houses a bookstore as well with a plethora of cool books, also the music selection here is top tier. Definitely a place to get work done and relish in the moment.

I'd say this is a cute spot. The food was not impressive, I'd skip. The coffees on the other hand, I do recommend. I'd give this spot an overall 3.5 because of the vibe and friendly staff. Check out more food spots on Instagram /Tik Tok: @thefoodhigh

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!!!!!!! I have gone here 5 times on my trip and it hits every single time. The iced matcha latte is amazing (i get it with oat milk) And so is the avocado toast. You can watch them make everything fresh and all the workers are so nice. The ambiance is amazing with all the books. i cannot recommend enough!!!!!

Eh, this was overpriced, poor customer service, with average food/drinks and a small milk/non dairy selection for a coffee shop. I came here with 2 friends on a Saturday late morning. Our experience was poor, I think this place gets by through serving college kids who don't have many options. But you, Yelp reader, do! The coffees are pretty expensive - I think my 8oz latte was almost $5. That's sort of ok - it is by the JHU campus so I know there may be a premium for price. The main issue is this is a coffee shop and they only had skim, whole, or oat milk? Really? You have 3 milks...? Not sure I've ever heard of that. Customer service could use a bit of help. I ordered a scone for which I was not offered for it to be warmed up, that seems like a no brainer. Plus, It was just ok. They took our names for the coffee and then never called us. We were not sitting far from the counter. So we checked back after what seemed like too long and our hot coffee was sitting there. So why take our names? The shop itself is cute with lots of cool books and gifts. It was full of lots of students so it's obviously popular for that crowd, but if you actually like coffee and bakery, I'd skip this.

the vibes were wonderful and the coffee was good! they have live performances like music & poetry reading. great for studying (especially for those at johns hopkins) or just to chill. will visit again!

This is such a a cute place. It's like a little library inside. There's plenty of seating inside and outside. The staff was quick to make the drink. I got the iced lavender latte which was the perfect sweetness.

Lived up the street and it quickly became my go to spot for coffee. Staff is extremely friendly and run a clean and efficient operation. Only gripe I have with bird in hand is there lack of outlets, often struggled to charge my laptop here. The atmosphere is awesome with Hopkins kids working away and a nice selection of books. If you're in Charles village check this spot!

Every Christmas my family gets excited to visit Bird and Hand! The vibes are wonderful, the barista are very kind and personable, and they also recommend a book that I got for Christmas. All together the Bird in Hand is a must visit in Baltimore

Excellent coffee!! Good atmosphere, nice people and everything is perfect. Best cafe I've met

Convenient coffee shop and bookstore combined on Johns Hopkins campus. I came to get some work done and I was pretty early so I was able to find a spot, but the seating areas are a little small. I ordered an iced maple latte and a chocolate croissant. They don't have vanilla which I thought was odd, it's usually a popular syrup in most coffee shops. Regardless the latte was good and my croissant was great. If you're dining in they bring your drink to your seat which was convenient, especially if you have stuff and don't want to leave it on the table to go grab your drink. They also have a great variety of books to purchase. From non-fiction to cookbooks it's fun to look around. Overall it was good and if you're lucky to get a seat, a good place to study or finish up some work.

This cafe was around the corner from the hotel where I stayed this week. The espressso drinks exceeded expectations. Flat white, cortado, espresso shot were all delicious and true to the drink. Of course the espresso was the star of the show, the foundation for the milk drinks. On its own, the espresso was complex, chocolaty, just the right amount of brightness. The milk in the flat white and cortado was perfectly steamed to provide texture and sweetness without crossing over into scalded. Each day I had an egg and cheddar on a different bread. The egg was cooked well, the sandwich flavorful and hearty.

I'm so happy books stores and cafes exist. I can work remotely, sip a classic cappuccino, and get lost in some good reads. I was making my way around town and I stopped it and walked into a good vibe. The staff has really created a warm and inviting space that's great for both casual stop bys and coffee dates. Can't wait to check out a few of their upcoming events. Bird in Hand will be my go to spot for now on

This place has a cute bookstore ambience, and the coffee is top notch. The hours are a little funky, but that is no big deal. The one star is only for the rude staff. There are a couple of folks working here that made me feel pretty unwelcome.

Cute coffee shop that has like a library theme/vibe! They also have free sparkling water on tap which is kinda great, mostly JHU students, and the occasional odd old man that steals your chair.

The cutest coffee shop I've seen in a long while! So hip and cool with great social distancing requirements in place. 1 customer inside, ordering at a time. You can then use hand sanitizer to browse the book selection. I loved the mix of book options! I'm a reader. Everything from Self help to Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris to murder mystery. Oh and the best part the coffee and teas....yum! Delicious! My gf added maple syrup to her coffee and loved it. I had an oat milk Chai Latte, beats Starbucks on their best day!

The barista was helpful while I was deciding on the drink and in the end, I decided to get a pour over! They have different blends here (courtesy of Thread Coffee Roasters) and I chose the "Comsa" blend, which is a medium roast with "Bittersweet chocolate and Smooth" tasting notes. I personally really enjoy a nice medium/dark pour over. I definitely could taste the chocolate notes and it was a very wonderful blend during the chilly and rainy afternoon. Definitely warmed me up like hot chocolate would. The pour over is also not extremely expensive! It was $4 for a sizable cup.

this is a cute cafe by jhu homewood campus (and the closest one I think) so it is extremely crowded. it's pretty hard to find a table inside and it feels like a competition to get one when someone else leaves. the matcha lattes (my usual go-to order) aren't the best and the drinks are pretty overpriced for the portion size. i think it's a nice place to chat or study (if you can manage to get a table) but other than that, the drinks aren't too memorable.

I don't get why people like this. Food is okay at best. Staff was fine for the most part, just the guy serving ice cream was in a bad mood or something. A decent amount of options for the food. I didn't want to go, but went with a group and would not go back.

Bird in Hand is a great little business - coffeeshop, cafe, bookstore. It's small, but it's kind of wonderful. A little seating outside, a little seating inside, a cafe with food, full coffeeshop menu, and a small, but well curated bookstore. I walked around for a few minutes with a friend and pretty quickly found a book that sounds amazing and interesting and that I had never heard of before. I had to have it. It's that kind of bookstore - the kind of bookstore where you'll find something you didn't even know you were looking for. Definitely check it out if you're in the area! Support your local, independent bookstores!

This place *could* be great. I love that they are a bookstore--such a rare thing to find nowadays brick and mortar style . But the coffee I got was cold (I ordered hot), and the grilled cheese on raisin toast was instead multi grain bread with cheese inside that was clearly just microwaved. Meh.

Went here to get an after work coffee. Their hours that extend later into the day make it a prime location. The staff was very nice and welcoming. I loved the interior of the shop with the book section. Beware, there still is no indoor dining, if that is an issue. The outside provided a nice place to drink my coffee with a few tables and benches. I ordered a hot americano with oat milk. The americano was very weak and it seemed like too much water had been used. It was hard to discern the espresso taste. I guess this could've been a hiccup in the system. While the interior seemed clean at first glance, I noticed a few huge flies. I know flies happen when the door keeps getting opened, but these were huge. They definitely turned me off quite a bit.

Bird in Hand, is in many ways, the ideal coffeeshop - it's quaint, well appointed with floor to ceiling bookshelves, there's great food, and, as other reviewers have pointed out, there's sparkling water on tap! However, beneath this appealing surface there are several caveats. 1) Because of how great it is, and how close to the Hopkins main campus, it is incredibly popular. By which I mean busy, by which I mean getting a table is a RARE THING. I have been 3 times and twice had to turn away for lack of space. 2) The price is somewhat exorbitant. Not that Artifact Coffee or Woodbury are any different, but it's not a place to go if you on a tight budget. 3) The sparkling water on tap was out the day I went. That being said, they make mean expresso and an excellent breakfast sandwich with some interesting hot sauce to accompany it, good soup, and a great location to get some work done. I'll be back, if I can get a table!

I really loved this place! Great Covid protocol - one group allowed in at a time and you can place your order from outside and wait. I know everything was made fresh because I ordered a parfait with syrup on the side and it came out wonderful and delicious. My sisters got the egg and cheese on ciabatta and gave rave reviews as well. The lattes were really great and they had unique and tasty flavorings, I recommend the honey or the lavender. Be sure to check out the bookshop inside if you can, it is really fantastic. Cool selection of Baltimore books as well! Make this a stop if you're visiting the area or heading to Hopkins.

Right across JHU. Chill spot to enjoy a hot steaming cup of joe. Decent foodstuffs. Ample indoor & outdoor seating, you're surrounded by books, and if you're lucky, depending on the baristas, you may hear some good shit on the speakers (metal, punk, new wave, etc).

Bird In Hand has a cool ambience, friendly staff, good service, and outdoor seating (great for the pandemic!), but I was unimpressed by my drink ($4 chai latte). At the shop, there is a table set up inside right in front of the door where you can order, but only one person is permitted inside at a time. After you order, you can wait outside, and someone will bring your food/drink right to you. The inside of the store itself looks really neat -- it's also a bookstore, and has shelves upon shelves of cool looking books. I'm sure it would be a really cool place to hang or study not during the pandemic. Everyone I interacted was very friendly, and the seating outside was spaced really nicely. There are tables, high tables, and chairs. I'm giving 3 stars mainly because I wasn't a big fan of my drink, and my friends didn't really love theirs either. The chai tasted very milky, like it was mostly milk, and the taste of spices or tea did not come through very strongly. I'm not a tea/coffee expert or anything, but I would say I prefer a Starbucks chai latte to the one I had. I didn't try the pastries, but they did look solid.

This little cafe and book store combo is cute and comfy - with delicious food! My first trip there I only had tea and a scone to go - both were quality so I returned for a quick breakfast. We ordered tea (many options), a ham, cheddar, and egg breakfast sandwich, and a bowl of cold noodles. The food was very good. A great add - they have both sparkling and still water taps with small pitchers and glasses for you to take to your table. The place was a mixture of people there for a quick breakfast, having coffee meetings, and a few folks studying. It seemed cozy and welcoming enough that it would be ok to post up there for a bit of time to do some work. The reason for only 4 stars, purely price. Our sandwich, noodles, and 1 cup of tea was over $20. It is quality, so I'll be back - but there are a few other options that can save you a few dollars in the end.

I keep coming back to Bird in Hand because of the bookstore vibes, long hours compared to other nearby cafes, and location near campus -- but it isn't the first place I'd recommend to a cafe lover. You won't be able to get much work done here as the cafe is very small: Seating is limited both inside and outside and it can get very loud. There is also an insect problem where dead bees and flies are trapped between some of the merchandise and windows. My favorite drinks were the Golden Milk, which is no longer offered in person although it remains on the website, and the Ginger Cardamom Lemonade. The Matcha Latte has grown on me and is probably what I purchase here the most; I've tried a few other drinks but found the pour over coffee quite bitter and the tea weak -- definitely not worth their high prices.

This was my second visit. The first was with two friends for lunch and I ordered the vegan wrap, which was delicious, but this time, I went solo for a to-go breakfast. I noticed that the breakfast menu only had one vegan option: oatmeal, which I wasn't particularly excited about, so I asked the cashier what he'd recommend as a hearty breakfast for a vegan. He offered to veganize the breakfast platter, subbing the eggs for tofu and adding steamed veggies to replace the meat. And voila! He surprised me with a scrumptious and filling breakfast platter with toast/jam, tofu, steamed veggies, and potatoes. It was all perfectly delicious and filling! Great staff, lovely bookstore. Highly recommend visiting!

The place was small, tight and crowded. I'm not communal. I need space. The menu is very limited

Love love love the ambience! Love that it's a bookstore and coffee shop, and it's the perfect amount of hipster-y. The chai latte was good but not the best chai latte I've ever had. Would definitely return to study and try their food.