Birchwood Kitchen

I was trying to remember the name of this place after having moved to the suburbs. I was going to make the trip to get a couple quarts of their arugula and asiago pasta salad. Bummer! If I only had the recipe…

Free coffee thanks to foursquare.
Bottomless coffee.

Arrrgh! Just learned that Birchwood Kitchen has closed. I used to frequent the place when my son lived in Bucktown. According to the Chicago Tribune this morning it has been replaced by «Americano2211» a breakfast/​lunch place. Apparently they plan to open for dinner once they get a liquor license.
Unlikey I will get to the new place as my son is now a suburbanite. I wish the new place great success.

NOOOOOO!!!
it can’t be true… wake me up!!!

Nooooo!!! Why did this place close???
I hope this Unilocal review opens it back up!!! This place is SO SO SO CUTE and the food is soooo good that it needs to open up again!
I’m SO FORTUNATE to have stumbled upon this little hipster restaurant. Everything on the menu looked really good and very simply done. It was classic hipster, farm to table type of dining. I adored it and loved the patio so much.
Menu:
Croque Madame for the boy
Smoked salmon for the lady (me)
Avocado toast to share
He LOVED his croque. It was laced with a ton of mustard seed and he really enjoyed how savory and yet that tart mustard seed brought out so much of that salty flavor of the meat, cheese and egg.
I LOVED my smoked salmon. It was well salted and seasoned and definitely good with all of the other ingredients such as the beet and carrots and avocado.
Avocado toast was interesting and not so much worth the try, but I love avocado and you can’t go wrong. It had a kind of Asian twist to it almost with the nuts and the semi sauce that came with it. I enjoyed it a lot.
I want this place to come back! Please birch wood!

super awesome lunch/​brunch spot.
Came here for lunch with a friend and LOVED my beet and goat cheese sandwich. It was a little messy to eat, but just perfect. The lightly dressed salad that came on the side was awesome too.
My friend had a grilled cheese of some sort that she equally loved.
Super great service and a cute environment. Check it out!

Parking is tricky and the wait is long, but it is so worth it. The outdoor seating is gorgeous and the neighborhood is very hip. You can grab some coffee while you wait for the few tables they havr available, but I suggest just waiting so you can fill up on the amazing food.
Come here for your bougie brunch needs after your early morning run.

The ricotta pancakes were good, not great. My date for the breakfast torta and said there were some pieces of meat that were unchewable. He felt the flavors were expected and nothing to get excited about, but liked the dish overall. I got the croque Madame and it was good, but I agree with his interpretation, the flavors were expected. It was served sandwich style with the sunny-​side up eggs on top. The best part about the dish for me was the side salad that came with it. The vinaigrette was delicious and perfectly balanced. The pickled onions were a fun addition.
The atmosphere was casual and relaxed. The waiter took his time. We will back to try more dishes with hopes of finding something that wows us.

Great lunch place with unique sandwiches and well prepared food! Great service, cute atmosphere.
Bonus — BYOB and no meters on street parking.

Came here with my roommate and family. Consider yourself warned that on a Sunday morning, you will wait a very. very. very. long time. We waited two hours before we got seated and we were a party of 4! We got there at noon and finally got seated at 2 p.m. and then had to wait to get served. Thankfully, they were sensitive to our time crunch (we had an appointment at 2:30 that we kept pushing back for our food) and brought our food out fairly quickly.
Honestly if it weren’t for the wait I would have given this place 5 stars. However, the hosts maintained a great energy and were frequent in apologizing for the wait.
The food itself was great! We got the croque madame and the lox BLT and both were fabulous. They make a BEAUTIFUL egg and the greens were fresh and crisp. The bread was a bit tough, but despite the inconvenience (ya’ll need sharper knives!) the flavors all paired with each other perfectly. Both my roommate and parents enjoyed their food immensely.
The décor was adorable and comfortable. We were seated on the patio and it is pretty shaded for the most part, which helped us avoid squinting at our food.
I will have to try to come back on another day and hopefully I can upgrade my review haha

Cute and delicious!
lowdown:
— Sunday at 11:45am for 4 people — waited approximately 30 minutes. At least they provide water while you wait
— very cute outdoor garden area. Felt peaceful and intimate.
— croque madam — a little different from how I“ve had it before. It felt like a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with 2 eggs on top. I’m used to the sandwich being additionally battered up and friend. Less guilty but if I’m ordering croque madam I’m asking for the whole 9 greasy yards
— GLBT — open faced smoked salmon sandwich. delicious! It tasted really fresh, simple, and sophisticated
— ricotta pancakes — ooo yeah my favorite dish. They were somehow smooth and creamy but a tiny bit fluffy so it never seemed to doughy/​cakey or rich/​heavy. I would order again!
Our waiter was also great. My friend ordered the white bean and potato salad and mentioned to him that she thought there would be more potato. He offered to take it off the bill but after she declined (she was just being honest!) he came out with a bowl full of potatoes. Now that’s how you earn tip, ladies and gent!

Clean, lovely, fresh food.
Had the market scramble with a side of bacon, which was awesome! Goat cheese is my bff. Everything here looks lovingly prepared and is (mostly) light, not grease-​soaked and overly processed, like a lot of traditional American breakfasts.
Only negative ding for Birchwood is that their service is crawling. Put more servers on the floor, please!

Love the décor and ambience here! The paintings on the wall made it colorful and trendy. Perfect for a nice brunch date :)
We came around 3pm on a Sunday, and there was about a half hour wait. The hostess and waitress were friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, they had run out of the top three items on the brunch menu by then but we did come in late considering they were closing at 4pm. If I get a chance to come again, I would love to try the braised artichokes with italian sausage & and the shrimp and grits.
What we ordered:
— croque madame: this seems to be what everyone came here for so we had to try. It was flavorful and good, but the mustard seeds were a little overwhelming for me so it wasn’t my favorite. The spinach vinaigrette salad that comes with it is fresh and a good pairing though.
— breakfast sandwich with bacon: this was more of a burger sandwich, and the bread was soft albeit a bit greasy. Overall, full of protein and a good choice for someone with a hearty appetite. This comes with the spinach vinaigrette salad as well.
— soup of the day (garlicky potato): TBH, I was excited to try their tomato soup but unfortunately that wasn’t a choice that day. The garlicky potato soup was okay, but just didn’t have all the flavor I was looking for in a soup.
I would love to come back and try their dinner items or even some of the sweet brunch items (since we only ordered off the savory category). It seems like a busy place especially during prime brunch/​lunch time so expect a wait, but it’s worth a try!

I love Birchwood Kitchen so so so much!!!
I’ve gone for brunch twice and lunch once. Both times were absolutely amazing and always wonderful. I’ve had the pot roast sandwich, french toast, shrimp and grits, ricotta pancakes, and corned beef hash throughout my three visits.
The ricotta pancakes were seriously the best pancakes that I’ve ever had in my entire life. I wanted so much more!!! The corned beef hash was a special for St Patty’s Day Weekend and it was phenomenal.
Honestly, everything that I’ve had here has just been wonderful. I always leave the place wanting more!!!
They used to do a thing where you ordered at the counter and they brought the food out to you but now they just do regular service. I really don’t care which way they do it.
Be prepared to wait! I came with my mom promptly at 9AM so we were able to snag a seat but within minutes the place had filled up!

The food: 4.5÷5. I went here for the first time about a year and a half ago, when I tried some greasy chorizo eggs benedict and thought I’d never come back. Randomly, I stopped by again and got Croque Madame per my friends recommendation. I’m glad I gave Birchwood Kitchen another try, because now I’m hooked. Their Croque Madame is probably one of the best in the city, and BYOB makes it even better. I only wish they had a greater selection of traditional brunch food such as eggs benedicts and omelets.
The service: ⁵⁄₅. The last time we went, the wait was about 45 minutes, but they had heat lamps on their patio, so we didn’t have to be all cramped inside. Our waitress was very friendly and accommodated my request in regard to food.
Overall: I’ll definitely recommend.

It takes a lot for a sandwich place to earn a fourth star from me, but Birchwood had it from the first bite. On my first visit, I did the soup and half-​sandwich. The soup — black bean — was some of the best black bean soup I’d ever had. Then the Spanish tuna sandwich (which is made mayo-​less) was full of flavor and different textures. Great tuna, great toppings, great bread. And the generous portion of side salad was appreciated too!
I returned a few weeks later and got the broccoli sandwich. Who are you trying to fool here? This was a grilled cheese with broccoli, and it was awesome. Yum yum yum. It’s too bad I don’t live in the neighborhood anymore, because I’d be there all the time.

Ordered a quick coffee and brioche to stay on a Tuesday morning. Coffee was excellent but seemed a bit pricey for a drip coffee. Although I was able to take a cup to go so that was nice. Brioche was superb but I needed more bread to eat with the cheese so I used my spoon to eat the rest. It was creamy and balanced well with the sweet jam.
The place was cute and quiet. The service was excellent. I’d love to stop by again for brunch!

This is one of the hippest sandwich shops I’ve ever been to. Well done, Birchwood *fist bump*
I stopped in for lunch with a co-​worker and had such a hard time deciding what to order! Everything sounded so awesome (and it probably is, which is why I’ll be back). Their sandwiches are super creative and take the concept to a whole new level. These are basically fancy sandwiches.
The sandwich I ordered isn’t on their online menu (but it was on the menu in the restaurant). It entailed ham, brie, pears, and a cranberry jam on whole grain bread if I remember correctly. The combo was intriguing, and I’m glad I got it because the combo of flavors were on point. A fresh side salad accompanied this delectable meal on bread.
Pro tip: They do not have any sort of fountain drinks. Everything is bottled. I highly suggest their natural cola though!

Charming!
Delightful eats!
Delightful atmosphere!
My lamb and carrot caponata sandwich was fantastic, and dear god, what are you dressing those greens with, Birchwood? It’s intoxicating, that vinaigrette.
Bonus points for salting and peppering those same beautifully-​dressed greens, too… it’s the little things.

I met up with some friends for a late lunch at Birchwood and was definitely impressed with the food and service. I don’t believe the wait was too long but I arrived later than my other friends so I’m not sure how long they had to wait for a table (suckers! just kidding).
I ordered the croque vert which basically is a grilled cheese sandwich with gruyère cheese and veggies topped with over easy eggs and a side of tossed greens. If you love cheese like I do, you’ll definitely be a fan of this dish. The runniness of the eggs added a nice texture to the crunchy, grilled sandwich and the slight tang of the greens complimented the sandwich well. I am a huge carnivore and it is so rare for me to order a meatless dish. Let me tell you, this croque vert was so yummy I didn’t even mind that it was a vegetarian dish! I also had a soy latte and it was pretty good. I believe they use Metropolis beans and they also offer free coffee outside for those waiting for a table. Pretty neat if I say so myself!
Our server was funny, helpful, and incredibly sweet. We have one friend who is a picky eater and he was being a bit of a diva that day. He didn’t like any of the choices and asked if he could make up his own dish since he only liked bits and pieces of each option. Thank goodness our server and Birchwood were so accommodating and they brought him what he wanted… which happened to be toast, their in-​house smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and a side of fruit. Of all things, this is what you order?! If you’re going to be difficult, at least be a little more creative than that, right? haha
Anywho, I thought our server was going to kill us when we asked for separate checks at the end of our meal. Yikes! Next time we’ll make sure to leave him behind so he doesn’t cramp our style! All in all, I had a great time. Birchwood has great food, service, and a nice laid back atmosphere.