birchwood cafe

you can findbirchwoodcafe on a rather quiet and unassuming street in south minneapolis, but don’t let that fool you — they are heavy hitters when it comes to great cuisine in the twin cities. they are known for their love and use of local food in all they do — their outlook on this can be summed up by the zen meal prayer they have quoted on their walls — “innumerable measures bring us this food, we should know how it comes to us.” we headed over there around 1pm, knowing it would be prime-brunch-time, especially with the nice weather. we pulled up and were excited to see that they had outside seating

it is either the unassuming location or the long lines that i always hear of  but i am not sure why i haven’t been tobirchwoodcafe till now. i finally made it tobirchwoodcafe and i can confirm both the rumors about the unassuming location and long lines are true.birchwoodcafe is located in a quaint street of buzzing south minneapolis and the lines do extend past the sidewalk even after 1:00 pm in the afternoon.

great menu, great pie, great service, great price...what else needs to be said!. we read aboutbirchwoodcafe's famous coconut cream pie. what reviewers do not tell you is that this specific pie is not available daily. i have called a few times over the past months to confirm the pie was available. tonight was the first time the answer was yes. they had an entire pie remaining as of 6pm. we quickly made the thirty-minute drive to find plenty of parking on the street and a busy, yet not over flowing, cafe in the middle of a residential area. the design is modern with a comfortable feel. two lines form as you enter. one line for take out (salads and desserts) and one line to be seated. we were seated with a friendly smile immediately. next to the main room hidden behind a large sliding barn door is a banquet room that was in use. the large order backed up the kitchen. the result for us was a complementary piece of coconut cream pie. the room has excellent acoustics and we had a comfortable conversation without needing to speak louder than normal, nor did we hear the conversations around us. our server was exceptional. if you have the opportunity to be seated in margaret's section, you must. she was informative, friendly, concerned about us and professional. we started the meal with bird seed bread and the corn bacon soup. excellent. our two entrees were the savory waffle (waffle, bacon, egg, corn with jams and sauces) and agnolotti (chicken, egg, goat cheese and kale). while the pie was the reason we made the effort to dine here, the menu and food is the reason we will be back. i was also impressed with the staff constantly in motion delivering food, clearing tables and tending to their guests. the final comment is about the cost. we enjoyed two entrees for $28. this is one of the best values in the minneapolis area. each bite was packed with layers of flavor.


-----20 sep, 2014-----

great menu, great pie, great service, great price...what else needs to be said!. we read aboutbirchwoodcafe's famous coconut cream pie. what reviewers do not tell you is that this specific pie is not available daily. i have called a few times over the past months to confirm the pie was available. tonight was the first time they answer was yes. they had an entire pie remaining as of 6pm. we quickly made the thirty-minute drive to find plenty of parking on the street and a busy, yet not over flowing, cafe in the middle of a residential area. the design is modern with a comfortable feel. two lines form as you enter. one line for take out (salads and desserts) and one line to be seated. we were seated with a friendly smile immediately. next to the main room hidden behind a large sliding barn door is a banquet room that was in use. the large order backed up the kitchen. the result for us was a complementary piece of coconut cream pie. the room has excellent acoustics and we had a comfortable conversation without needing to speak louder than normal, nor did we hear the conversations around us. our server was exceptional. if you have the opportunity to be seated in margaret's section, you must. she was informative, friendly, concerned about us and professional. we started the meal with bird seed bread and the corn bacon soup. excellent. our two entrees were the savory waffle (waffle, bacon, egg, corn with jams and sauces) and agnolotti (chicken, egg, goat cheese and kale). while the pie was the reason we made the effort to dine here, the menu and food is the reason we will be back. i was also impressed with the staff constantly in motion delivering food, clearing tables and tending to their guests. the final comment is about the cost. we enjoyed two entrees for $28. this is one of the best values in the minneapolis area. each bite was packed with layers of flavor.

all three of us were charmed by thebirchwoodcafe. we ordered first and then found a table amongst families of various ages who were enjoying a sunday evening together. the tables were those chrome and laminate mix from the mid-twentieth century with colorful and funky chairs. the coziness came from the laid back approach to ordering and the art work on the walls. we each ordered a coffee drink that was nicely prepared by kind baristas; this also added to the sense of the comfort we felt. photo of coffee drink

not a happy return.birchwoodis very popular with my friends, and it has a great atmosphere for relaxed, sit-down dining. my own experience, however, is that the take-out service is rather poor. (former post deleted for being too long and whiny)

awesome, local food! the go.... awesome, local food!
the good-natured folks at thebirchwoodalways have some new, local, and super tasty! their turkey burgers are always good, as well as their saturday night pizza deal, their pastries, and not to mention the breakfast waffle!

great food but great noise. the organic, local&vegetarian friendly menu is great, as is the matching atmosphere. then the cons begin...the location is less than desirable. the seating is poor. parking is difficult to find. the waitresses take their time&aren't particularly friendly. the coffee is gosh awful. there is one bathroom which isn't enough for the crowded restaurant. this leads to the tight seating&invariably, children everywhere. families seem to frequent birchwood, which can be just fine unless the kids are obnoxious and run around with zero guidance..which they do. if it's warm enough to snag a table outside, however, do so and it will dramatically improve the experience. late morning/early afternoon is a good time to get a nice, quiet outdoor seat. the chai tea and delectable chocolate raspberry torte make for a nice afternoon snack on a sunny day. despite the consistent amount of children atbirchwoodduring dinner hours, the dinner menu is quite good and can pull me in now and again. the black bean quinoa burger is one of the best i've ever had and my mother swears by the carrot cake. all in all, the quality of the food, from light apps to dinner to dessert, is great but the space could definitely expand to accommodate the crowdsbirchwoodregularly generates.

i'd heard that minneapolis has a lot of great places to eat, and if my experience atbirchwoodcafe recently is any indication, that is a very true statement.birchwoodcafe is a one-of-a-kind place located in the seward area, a quaint residential area no

bland and expensive food.. thebirchwoodcafe has a good location, and nice wait staff, but the food is expensive and bland. i ordered the veggie burger. it wasn't cooked all the way through and was flavorless. the accompanying salad was a pile of leaves. i was very disappointed in this lunch.