Birch's - Long Lake

I 'm so glad Birch 's showed up in a Yelp search for dinner and drinks last night. It ended up being exactly what we were looking for, with delicious food and f... read more I 'm so glad Birch 's showed up in a Yelp search for dinner and drinks last night. It ended up being exactly what we were looking for, with delicious food and fun drinks at reasonable prices. After much deliberation (and six oysters), we decided to get several small plates to share, instead of individual entrees. We started with the wedge salad, which was beautiful and delicious. I was a bit skeptical of the celery at first, but once I cut everything up, it made perfect sense in each bite. The dressing was light and crisp, which was a pleasant surprise, considering most wedges are served with creamy blue cheese. We then split the confit wings, the pork belly, Korean fish tacos and Brussels sprouts. I 'll go dish by dish: The confit wings were really tasty, though not my favorite. The chicken was just a tiny bit over cooked for my taste, but the flavors were good. I did like the ranch dressing it was served with, as well. The pork belly was AMAZING. Each bite just melted in my mouth, and the bok choy and shrimp chips added interesting flavor and textural elements to the dish. The sauce was fantastic. The fish tacos were good they were very much not what I was expecting from a fish taco, but the flavors were there. I ended up soaking some of my fish in the sauce from the pork belly. Yum! The Brussels sprouts were also amaaaazing I would eat a whole side of those on my own. We ended the meal with the creme brulee and flourless chocolate cake, which were equally delicious. The cocktails were just a touch expensive, but the $5 house wine was a nice alternative. All in all, I will absolutely be back, if I have the opportunity. The food was fantastic, and they put up with us hanging out and talking long after our meal ended. A great option in the area!

The restaurant was beautiful. A very cozy dining room. The food was excellent and the servers were very nice and helpful. I had the pizza which was fantastic. T... read more The restaurant was beautiful. A very cozy dining room. The food was excellent and the servers were very nice and helpful. I had the pizza which was fantastic. The only criticism I would have would be that given the size of the dining room, the noise was a bit much when it got busy. There is nothing that can be done about that so I would say the overall experience was a great one.

A cozy spot in downtown Long Lake with a small bar, a dozen or so small tables and a few tables outside. We had a 7:30 reservation on a Thursday night and were... read more A cozy spot in downtown Long Lake with a small bar, a dozen or so small tables and a few tables outside. We had a 7:30 reservation on a Thursday night and were seated right away. It was only half full and our waitress stopped by promptly to answer questions about the menu. We ordered the lump crab/heirloom tomato/avocado appetizer (quite bland) and decided to share the wedge salad (plenty for two) which was crispy and had large meaty bacon chunks (more like pancetta). We also ordered the famous fried chicken, the house specialty. The salad came out first then the appetizer showed up midway through the salad but the mixed up order didn 't phase us. The chicken arrive and it was a ton of food 4 large pieces of deeply fried chicken (1 large breast, thigh, drumstick and wing), a generous serving of house made french fries a teeny tiny cup of coleslaw and an herbed bicuit with a tiny cup of honey. At this point I was wishing we hadn 't eaten the bread and appetizer! The chicken was deeply fried, crispy and sort of on the salty side. The first few bites were tasty but it seemed pretty salty too. After eating a couple of pieces and some fries I had to stop as it is a pretty heavy meal and a bit spendy $18 for the chicken meal. Glad I tried it but probably wouldn 't get it again.

The food is fantastic, the location is ideal, and the staff is wonderful! It's definitely the best restaurant in the western suburbs. Make sure to save some spa... read more The food is fantastic, the location is ideal, and the staff is wonderful! It's definitely the best restaurant in the western suburbs. Make sure to save some space for dessert! Everyone I know is looking forward to their new, larger location by the lake.

Always enjoyable. Always something new to try, but hard to get away from the favorites. Waygu burger is the only burger I get medium anywhere. Love the creative... read more Always enjoyable. Always something new to try, but hard to get away from the favorites. Waygu burger is the only burger I get medium anywhere. Love the creative flatbread. Hard not to order the truffled shrimp casserole every time.