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Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Wicker ParkJoin us for a sit down, BYOB, four course meal featuring ingredients from Slagel Family Farm. Call us for details and reservations.
Damen (Blue)
Tue-Fri. 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"What is going on over here? Ten five star reviews in a row? For that sandwich place on Lincoln, you know the one by the Paulina brown line…" read more »
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You know how sometimes you have a restaurant on your "to try" list but you never get around to trying it? You forgot or put it off, then remember, but then forget again? That is how I was with Birchwood Kitchen. I have wanted to try it since it opened but I kept putting it off and forgetting. Finally (maybe a whole year later?) on the glowing recommendation of my sister, I made it in for lunch. Oh man- why did i put this off for so long? It was amazing.
So it is not just a sandwich shop. It is a coffee shop, brunch place and cafe that serves lunch and dinner all rolled into one. With fabulous sandwich creations, homemade patisseries and daily specials. Did I mention it is BYO and has non metered parking out front? Who knew?!
For my first, and certainly not last visit, my sister and I shared the split pea soup, turkey club and salumi sandwich with sides of garbanzo bean salad and pasta salad. The salumi sandwich was a daily special that came grilled with fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers. While the turkey club may sound pretty basic it was full of fresh ingredients and finished with a tomato jam which was a nice twist. The house made desserts stared me in the eye all meal. I gave into the temptation and finished the meal with one of the best lemon bars I have ever had.
Service was fabulous. Not the kind of thing you expect in a place where you order at a counter and the food is later delivered to you. The guy that helped us with upbeat, friendly and very excited to tell us all about the food and make recommendations. He even checked on us a few times and brought us some samples from the kitchen.
If you are still uncertain maybe this will sway your opinion: While we were dining, none other than Chicago Top Chef winner, Stephanie Izzard was eating lunch two tables away. Of all people she must be in the know about great neighborhood places right?
Cant wait to go back, not just for the star stalking, there are so many more items to try.
I'm so desperately in love with you Birchwood Kitchen. I've heard so many wonderful things about this beautiful restaurant. I loved it from "Hello" to "Have a good day!"
I meandered in on a Saturday for lunch with a couple of girlfriends, and we were all thrilled and impressed. I had the Caprese sandwich with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil.....I'm a sucker for roasted tomatoes. One of my friends had the sweet potato gratin, and another had the mushroom sandwich. I didn't find anything to be boring. I've been on a quest for a wonderful sandwich shop for quite some time now. I'm happy I found one!
Everything was fresh and delicious and the tomato bisque soup was lovely as well.
I can't wait to go back - I think about it all the time.
I am total sucker for a BYO. Sometimes I don't even care what food they serve as long as I can bring along some 3 buck chuck. All kidding aside, this is a great sandwich joint with a really nice outdoor seating area. I think this is an good place for a lighter (aka not gut busting greasy) dinner with friends.
I had the salmon burger and would highly suggest any of the burgers there. Everyone there was very kind and attentive. I haven't tried the brunch yet but may have to drag myself over one Sunday morning.
I've become a regular since discovering this place with a couple girlfriends over dinner. One of them had seen it open and wanted to check it out--- it was the find of the century. I'm in love.
We shared a bottle of wine (BYO) and chatted about all sorts of nonsense--- all over the best veggie sandwich I've ever tasted. The green salad was made with fresh fresh ingredients and (this might sound silly) but the best olive oil and salt and pepper ever.
Since that first visit I've been hooked--- its the first place that comes to mind for a weekend brunch or lunch and all the soups and sandwiches have been wonderful... even the carrot ginger which surprised me so much I might actually try cooked carrots again. The staff is friendly, the food is fresh and full of flavor and there are always adorable fresh flowers on the tables.
Birchwood is perfect.
I didn't quite know what to expect from a place called a "Birchwood Kitchen". "Kitchen and Deli" might better explain the casualness and affordable price point of Birchwood. We walked in and saw numbers on the table, a chalkboard menu, a deli case; but what to do? I prefer not having to ask how the ordering/seating process works when I visit a new place, but once I did, the super-friendly owner explained it all.
The fresh-squeezed lemonade was a delight if you're not BYOB'ing it. The art touches on exposed brick was nice, but the real birch trees is where it's at! Bring more! The servers that brought our orders to the table were always friendly and never did the drop and run. I started with the lentil and spinach soup of the day, which was comforting.
My lovely dining partner's Grilled Gruyere cheese sandwich sounded amazing, but I had to go for a burger and got the Southwest Turkey Burger with pickled red onions and homemade chips. The turkey burger was so moist I almost didn't think it was turkey. So many people do dry turkey burgers, this one was amazingly juicy!
Kudos to Birchwood for embracing local sustainable ingredients, making them taste amazing, and serving them at a price anyone can afford. Check their website for Farm-to-Table nights (the next one is Dec. 7).
I had a long overdue lunch date with an old friend, and Birchwood Kitchen was her suggestion. She said it was an "organic sandwich shop," which left me wondering what that meant..good, it means good!
Our tete-a-tete was set for 2:00 pm on a Thursday so we were past the lunch rush, which I'm assuming this place gets. I walked in and was greeted by a very nice lady in a white paper hat, who invited me to pick any seat I wanted, and brought me a menu to peruse while I waited for my date to arrive. The smells coming from the kitchen were absolutely heavenly, and I was afraid I'd wind up ordering one of everything.
I knew I wanted a hot sandwich and maybe a cup of soup to go with it, and I was given a very generous taste of the spicy sweet potato soup (yum!) to accompany my grilled Gruyere and ham sandwich.
My date brought wine but I like to have a nonalcoholic side beverage to go with it, so I ordered the homemade lemonade. I can't rave enough about that lemonade; it was so clear it looked like lemon-flavored water, but has a wonderfully fresh taste and isn't too sweet. If they sold that stuff by the jug I'd be there every week for my fix. My friend had the lamb french dip (i think that's what it was) which looked delicious, and I'll definitely have to try next time. Her first visit was for a birthday dinner for a friend, and she said the burgers are to die for. I believe that means a dinner visit is in order.
We sat there for at least 3 hours talking, drinking, eating, and at no point did we get evil glares to hurry up and leave. Granted, we were the only patrons in the joint, but, I still appreciated the lack of "hurry up and go." Birchwood Kitchen offers fresh delicious food in a warm setting, all overseen by a super-friendly staff. I can't wait for my next visit.
I've been to Birchwood a few times now. One that included their Wednesday burger special (2 for 1) and the other during brunch. For my first visit, I had the salmon burger, and it was really good...it wasn't overcooked or dry, but just right. The second time I was there for brunch and chose from their specials menu. Everything is fresh, local and organic (I think) - and you can taste this in the food. The coffee was awesome and everyone that works there is professional and nice, but not in a way where they are trying too hard. They're just cool and love what they do and believe in their food - this comes out in how they interact with you.
I want to go to here right...now.
Love Birchwood. It's my default weeknight place. It's a great, casual neighborhood cafe. Boyfriend and I can share a sandwich, soup/salad, and dessert for around $20. Everything I've ever had has been delicious and fresh. Staff is ridiculously nice.
Other highlights include BYOB and excellent, quiet, intimate patio dining.
This place is right down the street and is exactly what is needed in the neighborhood.
The food is really good. I have only been for lunch (or sandwich take out) and the food is just delicious. It's not cheap but not super expensive either.
They are super nice - almost in a Stepford wives sort of way. Joking of course.
They make butterscotch oatmeal cookies too. There is nothing better in the world than butterscotch and everyone seems to have forgotten this fact.
It's just a great little place. Nothing supernatural but solid food and fresh ingredients and clearly made with care. I do not work here.
Take one rainy, Friday afternoon, couple it with two old friends catching up, add in some good food and what do you have? Birchwood Kitchen. A perfect way to wile away an afternoon.
As I parked my car out front (free street parking- is that even possible anymore? But there really were no signs) and dodged the raindrops to the door- I wondered why I had not been to Birchwood Kitchen before. The space is quite nice with exposed brick walls lined with birchwood (clever, eh?) with seating along the left wall and in in the front windows and the counter that you order at to the right side.
Specials are written on large chalk boards in the front but if you are like me and can't remember what you want from the chalkboard by the time you walk over to the cash register, take one of the to-go menus- it helps.
They ask if you have picked out a table yet (all the tables have numbers on them) and after you tell them where you are seating you place your order and then sit and wait until it is brought out to you. Not a long wait might I add!
I ordered comfort food all the way around as I was tired of my feet being wet in my good shoes and my hair looking like a disaster given all the rain as of late. Split pea soup with big chunks of ham and a grilled cheese on baguette with tomatoes and bacon (there was a pork theme here for sure). My friend had the soup and their garden salad. We also ordered a couple of their "diet colas" some kind of pure cane sugar drinks that, while it wasn't my stand by of Diet Coke, it was good in a different sort of way.
The food was delicious (and huge, I might add) A half of sandwich had that been an option would have been plenty. And the salad so big that only half got eaten there as well. And hold on to your seat- the potato chips that they serve along side in their own little "tower" are worth the trip alone! Lunch for two cost around $28. They also do brunch and know that it's BYOB.
A great find- even my friend who hangs in the area often never heard of it so while I hate to give my new favorite place away- take it from me. Go sit- have a sandwich and some soup. And you'll be raving about it too!
I live almost next door to Birchwood. My boyfriend complains about it every time I suggest going because he thinks everything is about $2 more expensive than it should be. On one hand, it is about $2 more than I think I should be spending on a burger or a sandwich. On the other hand, it's par for course considering the yuppifying creep into wicker park. While I never WANT to pay a bit more for a great sandwich, that's what the $2 are buying you. Everything at Birchwood feels and tastes fresh and fancy. I always get the burger - but they only start serving them at 5pm. I asked the owner once, he said it had to do with how small the kitchen is. Whatever, it's worth the wait. The green salad is fresh and tasty and big enough. The soups are always fresh tasting and delicious.
Also, as other reviews have mentioned, the owner, a 40?50?something man has this odd charisma that makes interacting with him an unusually positive experience. The other staff are also unusually nice and patient. A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I went up to order and happened to get to the cashier right before a huge group of people got up to pay. Nevertheless, the cashier, without a hint of an attitude, answered boyfriend's endless questions about if x dish had y ingredient.
The atmosphere is really clean and friendly. They play good music but not too loud. I'd recommend Birchwood to anyone, so long as they weren't feeling cheap.
YUMMY!!
This place rocks! Delicious sandwiches, salads, soups made from thoughtfully sourced produce and meats. Did i mention BYOB!
I went for lunch on a saturday. I like that they try to keep costs down by not having a waitstaff. I had the speck. yummy! la quercia speck! my fav! i want to eat here everyday. My friend had the lamb dip, also amazing.
I would like to come back and try their brunch as I saw other diners plates and it look yummy as well.
They scored bonus points for playing Air.
Can I give this place 10 stars?
Seriously, can I?
Went back for their nightly burgers this past friday.
I got the southwest Turkey Burger, the boy got the Bacon Cheeseburger.
oh did I mention they let me swap out the coleslaw side for their fruid salad? WIN WIN!
We also got one of each of the soups.
The black bean was hearty, filling, and delicious.
The hungarian mushroom was creamy, fresh and I swear to god, reminded me of my mom's hungarian chicken paperkash and I was in heaven.
The service here is ridiculously nice. And not in a fake way, in a they genuinely care about whether or not you enjoy their food kinda way.
Not only is the food amazing, the presentation is that of a much more expensive restaurant.
And the burgers?
OH MY GOD.
My turkey burger was dripping. It was SO JUICY.
The boy's burger was monstrously huge and thick and perfectly pink in the middle.
I'm throwing down the gauntlet.
These burgers rival Kumas.
Yeah I said it.
And on a friday night at 7:45, we sat down immediately.
WHERE ELSE DOES THIS HAPPEN? NO WHERE!
So come quick before everyone finds out about this gem. Or perhaps they never will and I'll just come back again and again. :)
Ok. This place hit all my points.
-BYOB
-Gorgeous back patio
-Completely not crowded at prime Saturday…
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Loved it! And I love that it's in my neighborhood.
It really feels like a neighborhood joint. Nothing pretentious. You order at the counter and the staff will bring out the food to your table.
I ordered the special of the day which unfortunately I don't remember the name but i remember really enjoying it. My friends got the burgers which were also really good and each sandwich comes with chips. I'll definitely be back to check out the breakfast/brunch menu.
Let's hope this place sticks around til next spring- their outdoor seating was delightful. A great place to enjoy an inexpensive meal.
I was coming out my new favorite Waxing Salon (holler Stephanie @ Just Waxing Salon) when faced with a difficult lunch decision:
a) the best falafel in the world (yeah, I said it..the world) at Sultan's Market
b) the new Birchwood Kitchen I've read so much about
While it saddened me to give up the falafel I opted to try something new. Afterall, I didn't get to 1500+ reviews by sticking with the old faves all the time!
I was greeted by the friendliest waitress I've come across in a long time when ordering from the counter. All the sandwiches sounded delicious, but the fall weather was chillin my bones so I was in the mood for a bowl of tasty soup. The Soup of the Day was the Hungarian Mushroom Soup. A bowl of that and a coffee to wake myself up.
Best soup ever! This hungarian soup of the day deserves to be on the permanent menu because I'm going to want it again and again. And next time I'll be getitng one of those sandwiches to go with it!
Now that I"ve tried Birchwood Kitchen the decision between them and Sultan's Market will be even more difficult next time..
Yay, delicious! Went here earlier today because I was craving a yummy gourmet sandwich and contemplating the fact that I haven't really had one since I moved to Chicago. Yes, I've had Goddess and Grocer and the like but I mean a really innovative sandwich that makes you go wow! Well, I think I'm one step closer to finding the perfect place! I was unsure about which sandwich to get, the club or the speck, and enlisted the nice man behind the counter to help me. He proceeded to tell me a really cute story about which sandwich would be his "island sandwich" (to eat every day while stranded) and which one would be his "last meal" sandwich. Well, I went with the "island sandwich" which just so happened to be the club and was not disappointed. I especially liked the roasted tomato jam...yum and a bit different.
I can't wait to go back and try the speck and others on the board...I just hope that they switch up often or add more because I have a feeling I'm going to run through that list rather quickly.
Fan Flipping Tastic!
For just under 10 bucks I got a great veggie and cheese sandwich, homemade chips, and a phenomenal gazpacho.
The guy at the counter (I think he might have maybe been the owner) went above and beyond in customer service and gave off some really positive vibes... ew, I just said vibes. Anyway, he was awesome and deserves mad props. If I lived or worked closer, I'd be back a lot more often. the only thing that I wasn't a giant fan of was that they were caramelizing onions towards the end of the night and the onions fumes seeped out of the kitchen and into my eyes and hair... but that's nitpicking. This place is totally worth having red eyes and stinky hair for.
OH SH*T! I forgot one of the most important things... BYO mfing B! Totally 5 sexy stars.
I've eaten lunch here 4 times and every time the food has been spot on and the service warm and speedy. They're really nice people! Oh, and in the summer the back patio is amazing.
If you can manage to get here at 15 o'clock on Monterday in the middle of Marvtember, you're going to enjoy an incredibly good meal served by really nice people. Seriously, BK, you make great food. Stay open so's working folks can get to Wicker Park to try it. I stalked Birchwood Kitchen for a couple of months. I worked on the Near West Side and there was no way I was making it to Wicker Park before closing time [I wanna say that the 8 pm thing is new; didn't it used to be 7 pm?]. My friend, who works in Wicker Park, would tempt me with tales of incredible sandwiches from Birchwood Kitchen...eaten leisurely during her lunch time.
I'd had enough.
One Saturday, I woke up early enough (8-10 hours of sleeptime please) to get over to Wicker Park to try the food. The owner (?) greeted me and offered up some suggestions as to what I should get. I was running late for a 3 pm meeting and I was planning on taking CTA (mistake, I know) to get there, so I decided to forgo the whole experience and order a sandwich to go. Once I looked at the sandwich, though, I decided to stay.
I ordered the Speck. Prosciutto. Truffle oil. Do you need to know anything else? It was served, lovingly, on a plate with chips. I ordered a Black Cherry (I think) soda to wash it all down. The sandwich was incredible. It's a sandwich. What's the big deal, right? The big deal is good portions, great ingredients and obvious pride in an excellent product. I sat in the front window and watched the urban summer scene unfold before me. With every bite I thought, "This was worth the wait. This is was being late to meet my friends. This is worth it all. Wow. I can't wait to come back." http://I.can't.wait.
P.S. Yeah, I was late. But, I kept deflecting. "You're late." "OMG! I ate at THE best sandwich place." "You're late." "There was prosciutto AND truffle oil TOGETHER. ON THE SAME SANDWICH!!" "Why are you always late?" "The CTA." "Ok. Let's drink."
I went to this place with Filly the other morning for brunch, And i have to say that I'm a fan. Oh shit, it already says that next to the star counter thing. I am half tempted to bump it to 5 stars so it doesn't look like yelp is stealing my thunder. But this place isn't quite there yet. I will have to go back, and believe me I will.
Can you find the run on sentence in the last paragraph?
I got the palenta with a side of bacon. The bacon was awesome but the palenta was a little on the dry side but the salsa they served with it was a perfect pairing of sweet and savory? Did I use that right? Are my reviews evolving out of the shudder to look at stage? If you answered no to all of that you are probably right.
The service was great, they had a really nice outdoor patio and they were actually playing some kick ass music inside. The desserts looked really good as well and I will definitely test my blood sugar next time i go.
I grabbed some sandwiches to go on a hungover Sunday afternoon, but I definitely want to come back to sit down. The place is really cute and everyone who works there is super nice - like incredible nice, as in "Am I in the South nice". But the real reason to go - yummy sandwiches. I have the mushroom and my husband had the gruyere with ham (I would have preferred it sans ham, but that's just me). They were a bit soggy, but that was because of the fact that they were both hot sandwiches and had to survive a cold 15 min walk home. The oatmeal butterscotch cookie rocked, too.
4 stars for concept and service.
3 stars for food.
2 stars for prices.
The place is really cute, and I love that the ingredients were very fresh and local. Even after being open a few months, the service was extremely friendly and helpful. They even brought out a free sample cup of soup for our table because they heard us mention it sounded good. Even though you order at the counter, you can see that the food is prepared with the care that a full service sit down place would use, if not more.
The menu itself is mostly sandwiches, with burgers on special. There's also a few soups, salads and side items. In my group the only item people mentioned being distinctly good was the salmon burger. Everything else didn't draw raves or complaints, including my lentil salad. The prices were what killed me. I paid $9.50 for what is really just a nice sized spinach salad, with a sprinkle of goat cheese, a few lentils, and about 2 slices of bacon cut up in it. Seems kind of steep. I might go back and give brunch a try, but I'm not in a huge rush.
Love this perfect neighborhood shop. The indoor seating is cozy, the garden seating is serene and refreshing. And the food is delicious!
Have been here 3 times, lunch brunch and dinner. All spectacular!
Dinner: We went for burger night. He had a nice beef/cheddar/bacon classic combination. Meat is high quality. Comes with home made kettle chips. I had a lovely turkey burger with arugula -- yummy!
Brunch: Group of 4 of us sat in the garden on a lovely fall saturday. all around the table was deliciousness! country ham, biscuits and eggs -- the biscuit was soft and warm, ham was salty and sweet. bacon bread pudding was creative and tasty. and i had the quiche with a side of mushroom soup -- perfect way to start a lazy weekend.
Lunch: dropped by for a late lunch. had a savory tuna melt -- quality tuna mixed with chives, red onions and of course CHEESE! haven't had any of the sides -- need to come by here all the time!
There needs to be many more birchwoods for the city to enjoy! Don't forget BYOB!
The back patio reminds me of the porch in the city you always wanted.
Best thing about it? If you look close, you'll see fresh herbs and veggies growing all around you. Hence, fresh ingredients on their menu. There's nothing like fresh basil from the back porch on your sandwich... (I didn't confirm this with the owners, so don't go quoting me). Regardless, their ingredients are the freshest.
Their sandwiches are simple, but packed with flavor. Portions are large. Service is genuine and helpful.
I also love their prepared salads of the day... fruit, pasta, potato... all lovely. And they have sumptuous fresh juices- apple, lemonade, orange.
The sandwich snob in me says thumbs up.
This place is good. It's not great, but it is good. The sandwiches can be a little expensive ($8 for a ham and cheese), and the kitchen is slow, but it is a cute place and the owner is very friendly. I will say they have a fantastic chocolate chip cookie. I don't mind going here if one of my friends is dying to go, but i don't crave it like some other things.
They have a nice patio as well. It is worth a try. Just don't go in with great expectations.
Fresh, inventive sandwiches and sides in a cute little place with over-the-top friendly service. They use local, seasonal ingredients and seem to change the menu often. Very happy this place is right around the corner from me!
The man at the counter was unbelievably friendly and helpful in his suggestions for my carry-out order. I decided on the mustard potato salad as a side, and when I realized they had a watermelon, feta and mint salad I asked if I could switch. Without missing a beat, he wrapped up both for me and said it was on the house. The watermelon salad was amazing (I definitely recommend), while the potato salad was a little bland. As for the sandwich: I had the grilled gruyere with caramelized onion and baked ham. It was delicious, and perfectly grilled.
I'm looking forward to trying brunch there as well as sampling a few of the other sandwiches for comparison. It's also BYOB!
It makes me want to live in wicker park
Just got back from my first meal... and I'm already a fan (I became on on Facebook!).
A friend told me to check this place out and I'm so glad that I did.
The atmosphere was incredible and cozy, outdoor patio and seating area was fantastic.
The food ... unreal. I got a chipotle turkey burger and subbed a side salad for the chips.
Ok, the side salad was seriously one of the best side salads I've ever had. Nice iceberg lettuce, great greens, beets... and the vinaigrette was near perfect.
The buger was one of the biggest things I've ever seen (that's what she said)... it was loaded and incredibly flavorful. The meat was quality and the portion size was just right.
Added bonus about this place is the fact that it's BYOB... I highly recommend taking an adventure to the liquor store (Cerveza Fria) right down the street.
Price was incredibly reasonable... I got out of there for under $10 and had a GREAT meal.
Best part of the whole experience was the service. Employees were friendly and offered up some great suggestions.
Definitely recommend it!
This sandwich was pretty massive. Roasted beef, aged cheddar, garlic-roasted tomatoes, spinach, dijon, aioli, on sour dough bread. Eat some of that mcdonalds big mac song. Alright... Well maybe it doesn't flow as nicely, but I wish I was eating it right now. Go there and try something new, seriously.
This place actually gets 3.5/4 stars.
VERY cute place. Cozy and quaint. Perfect 'date' spot or if you just want to relax and get to know someone or catch up w/ a friend.
Went there for brunch last Sunday. Being the morning after Halloween, I was afraid it would be crowded. NOPE. Walked in...NO wait. Granted...I got there at around 9am! *don't ask why I was awake so early.*
The owner and employess are EXTREMELY nice and friendly.
You pay at the counter and they bring the order to you, but service is still great.
I had the Butternut Hash. It was pretty good. I'm typically not a fan of butternut squash.
Would love to go back for Burger Night. I have a friend who loves turkey burgers and I'm sure would like the atmosphere of the place.
One downside--it took about 20+ minutes to get my hot chocolate. I don't know if they were melting the chocolate or what. :-/ And in the end, I didn't end up drinking it. It wasn't the best hot chocolate.
Overall, Birchwood rocked. I'd go back. :)
Wow! Tried the lamb, speck, grilled mozarella and all were great. I just love their combination of enticing ingredients. I wasn't a big fan of the herb jus nor was the container dip friendly, but I still enjoyed the sandwich. My friend, Cliff ordered a gruyere with ham, and was thinking to myself, what a boring order. I drove you all the way from Evanston and you ordered such an unoriginal, uninspired item?!! But let me tell you, that was probably the best grilled gruyere I have ever had! Cliff also said the espresso was excellent and as good as some of the ones he had in Italy.
Service was very upbeat and friendly too.
So currently, Birchwood is my favorite sandwich shop in Chicago.
This place is super cute, and they seem conscious and try to do everything right with local (and fancy) ingredients, but i'm not sure it's worth the higher-than-average prices.
The back patio was lovely, very clean and well shaded. I had the iced tea--which was delicious, not too strong and just sweet enough--and a panini-style vegetarian sandwich with sourdough from the local Red Hen Bakery, mozzarella, mushrooms, and a tomato-ish sauce. It was tasty, but it wasn't huge, and it was $7.25. Same with my friend's heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese. It was tasty, if a bit salty, but came on a little plate and cost somewhere around $6. But, as my friend said, how many tomatoes can one eat in a sitting anyway?
I would probably go back. But, next time I will go in expecting to pay a lot and eat a little.
Birchwood opened early summer and I first checked it out about 2 weeks after they opened. Ordered at the counter and stroll out to the herb filled, ivy-lined patio to wait for our sandwiches...I had brought a few anchor steams to accompany sandwiches on the patio and after figuring out that their wine key didn't have an opener on it (gasp!) Ernesto was brought out from behind the line to demonstrate his incredible gift of opening beers with a mega chef's knife. Accommodating and entertaining, to say the least.
Started by the fromagier from Pastorale and friends, all the sandwiches I've had thus far are fantastic. As of August just added burgers to their menu (Tuesday-Saturday) and the turkey burger with chipotle may is fantastic. Plus if you go on a Wednesday in August, burgers are buy one get one... DEAL! BYO and get a sandwich free? Come on. I know there's a recession on but let's be honest, you can't resist.
If you don't have friends with a backyard patio, here's your stand-in. (sidenote: add some new friends to your stable. See "not having friends with a boat" for similar advice).
I thought Birchwood might make me want to take an ax to some timber, wipe my brow and stare up at the canopy of trees shading a hard day's work. I thought of pioneering, of covered wagons and beans on the fire. More West than Midwest. And the good news is the patio might as well be in Frisco, Colorado. It's drenched in sun and flanked snuggly by some mighty fine Chicago architecture. Stained glass type shit.
It's a quiet oasis on North Ave. Imagine.
We ordered with fervor, hungry and hot. The staff was entirely edible themselves, really. From the man behind the counter, who we later saw in street clothes and exchanged a few beats, to the food runner with her impressive tats (I try not to stare, but gorge) and upbeat answer to "Wasn't there supposed to be ham on this?" being "Right on. Hand it over."
I got the fennel salami sandwich with roasted tomatoes and red peppers and fresh mozz. Toasted and melty it was crisp and slightly cool, woody and smooth. Each bite was different. These folks are using great, local, fresh ingredients. And I'm big on all three, especially lately. If I'm putting it in my (ever-expanding) body, I want the best. Or the best I can afford. Shouldn't we all?
Companions on this chuckwagon journey got ham and gruyere and the club. So it's all sandwiches (and some great sides), but they have quiche and a phenomenal breakfast menu too.
Oh, and a Dyson Airblade. I had never used one before. I'm out of my cave now.
Brunch at Birchwood Kitchen has me begging for more.
As part of my Birthday Week, I organized a small group to meet on Sunday for brunch before we headed to the Wicker Park Street fest. The wait for a table was about 25 minutes. To speed it along, we ordered our meal at the counter so that the food came within minutes of sitting down. Genius.
My mouth waters when I think of the Croque Madame. It was divine. I didn't really want to share with Denton but since he paid, I figured it was only fair. His quiche, the special, was very good but it really didn't compare to mine. I skipped the scones although I was tempted because they go so well with English Breakfast tea.
The outdoor space is pretty and BYOB. How can you not like that? Since it's a short walk from my home, I plan on becoming a regular.
A friend brought me here and I was cery pleased. I had the prosciutto with celery cream and an apple and fennel cole slaw. The sandwich and the salad were both excellent. There were several other items I wanted to try including the lamb french dip. I will be back. Monday the 2nd of Oct I am looking forward to attending the farmer dinner they are hosting. The only down side is that it is BYOB and I didnt know ahead of time and would have liked a good bloody mary with my brunch.
I went here for Saturday brunch, and would consider it a good find. I tried, courtesy of Yelp, the Croque Madame and it was delicious. It's not light, but all ingredients taste fresh and satisfying. I also ordered the blueberry scone, which was pretty perfect; it was not too rich and the blueberry flavor really shines.
There is also a nice outdoor courtyard - its entrance is a little hidden at the back of the store. The environment is quaint and laid-back, lively during busy weekends. The people working at Birchwood Kitchen are friendly too, which adds a warm, local feel to the place.
One thing I would change, though, would be the self-serve policy. Customers basically choose a table and get in line to order and pay. You pick up your own utensils and condiments. A server will bring a sandwich, but for the most part, you get what you need yourself. I like to be pampered when I go out to eat :) Nevertheless, try out Birchwood Kitchen!
In a word: Delightful.
In a lot of words: Wow, so unexpected and so...lovely! Met some friends here for a late afternoon, weekday lunch, and was just so...utterly pleased with everything. Not a miscue in sight. Pure unencumbered satisfaction.
Counter service: Just pick what you'd like, order, then they'll bring it out (if its not busy, I assume on more bustling days, you'd retrieve it). The casual exchange of counter service...I enjoy. A menu consisting almost entirely of sandwiches, ample dessert selection, darling little side dishes, in a chic, cute little cafe setting.
We put in our orders for a round of coffees (OMG, Metropolis, speed up my little heart!), bottled natural sodas (I'd go with the fruit flavors, the Diet Cola tastes strangely lacking in chemicals, and thus NOTHING like Diet Coke), and took a seat at one of the bench tables along the wall.
I selected a "hot" sandwich, the grilled gruyere + ham ($2 upcharge, well worh it!). It came out piping hot, oozing cheese, and piled high with ham. Perfection, with a side of house chips. Truly hit the spot.
For 3 bottles 'o soda, 3 coffees, 3 sandwiches, a lemon tart and a sinfully soft chocolate chip cookie the entire bill was $36. And, bonus: BYOB. PLUS: Brunch. AND: a patio opening soon.
Summation: An affordable, stylish, BYOB brunch/sandwich shop with ample seating and a patio.
AKA: The mothership.
And...why haven't you been here yet!? GO.
Parking: quite easy on North Ave (no meters!), but rush hour parking zone in effect on both sides of the street beginning at 4pm. Side streets are OK.
So, after a weekend of gluttony with red meat, I was delighted to meet my friends for lunch at Birchwood Kitchen, where sandwiches rule the menu. I was going to opt for their Grilled Mozzarella sandwich. But, then I saw their lamb French dip sandwich with herbed jus and pickled onions. Meat boycott, bye bye.
Oh, was this sandwich worth falling off the meat wagon. I wasn't sure about the pickled onions, but they worked well with lamb. It was a good sized sandwich and tasty to boot! I only had a couple of the house chips. They were crunchy and tasted, well, like potato chips.
I'll be more than happy to return and try their BYOB brunch on the soon to be opened patio.
Service was phenomenal. Very friendly, knowledgeable fella behind the counter. Massive selection of sandwiches, salads, desserts. Presentation of most everything was deli style, and the cases looked clean and fresh. The baked goods were piled tantalizingly...my favorite way to see cookies, etc. In mountains!
I had the mushroom quiche, and was pleased the server didn't mention the zucchini, because I wouldn't have ordered it. However, it was sliced so thin, I didn't get any of that mushy, seedy sensation that I find unappetizing. The salad had thinly shaved pickled beets and pickled red onion...so exciting and delightful!
My fella ordered the bleu cheese roast beef panini with dijon. The server warned that it is a VERY strong tasting sandwich. This was much appreciated, since the big guy prefers strong flavor. Caramelized onion boosted "strong" to "massive". Intense! Delicious.
Lovely interior dining, and a quaint patio in back. There was a private party out there when I visited, but look forward to returning to eat outside.
BYOB!!
FREE Homemade Potato Chips &…
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free 12oz cafe' con leche
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