Birch’s On the Lake

While waiting for our table at the Supper Club (upstairs), we bellied up to a hopping bar for fantastic Old Fashioned cocktails and live jazz on a winter Saturday night. The bartenders were attentive and knowledgeable, the bar was very busy, and the scene was lively and fun. After only a short wait, we were seated against the large windows facing the lake with the fireplace only a few feet away. The lively supper club atmosphere combined with the upscale woodsy vibe in a smaller space gives this restaurant a cozy, yet luxurious feel. It does have more of a suburban energy but it was a nice change from the hipster foodie haunts we frequent.
The food was very good, somewhere between foodie bistro and upscale steakhouse. But the view, the service, and the wide variety that spans the menu were all exceptional. The centerpiece of our meal was the evening special served with sides, like a proper supper club: a medium rare prime rib served, roasted asparagus and a baked potato, sides of au jus and horseradish sauce. Very good food. Excellent service. We shall return!

Great brew pub atmosphere. Ordered food at the bar & it was ready fast & more than one can eat! Very good. Live music set the tone but ended a bit too early. Plan to valet park because it is a popular pl

Great job with the renovated building, great atmosphere with two totally different styles upstairs dining vs. downstairs brewhouse. QUITE noisy so I wouldn’t go as a big group — you will never hear conversation beyond the person sitting next to you. Great wait staff. Food portions are TINY! Especially the walleye tacos — they should be on the appetizer menu and 2/3’s the price. I disagree with the fair pricing comments. The 4 – 5 other couples we’ve talked to that have been there in the last month are all saying the same thing. Food is excellent, though. Oh and the brewhouse menu could be expanded…

Bfast is great downstairs. Food is great, ok prices.
Dinner downstairs is ok. Food is good, it’s so darn loud you can’t talk to others across the table. Service is excellent!

Had a fantastic dinner! Their ribs are a Must have! It was a little over priced, but a good atmosphere. The basement with the brewery is more reasonable.

Easily one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. We visited on a Monday night and sat in the dining room upstairs. We had great service and enjoyed a variety of entrees at our table:
— Buckthorn Fried chicken: really tasty… It was done right and the honey Sriracha sauce really brought out the flavor.
— New York Strip: done medium, the flavor was fantastic.
— My wife enjoyed the wedge salad, which she enjoyed.
— The Mac and cheese our daughter enjoyed was great. Extremely rich; it was penne noodles with a creamy cheese better then found in most kids meals.
We’ll be back!

We had a great experience in the brew house and the dining room. Nice variety in the menu and we all enjoyed our meals and appetizers. The desserts were delicious! We look forward to some beautiful sunsets here.
It was a bit loud. Parking was a challenge. Recommend a reservation if you plan to dine upstairs.
Service was outstanding!

Good spot to have a beer — nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Been here a few times with friends and family– no complaints. If your looking for a bite to eat at the bar — recommend their egg and sausage burger = pretty damn good. Sounds like they have an ice bar– looking forward to check this out.

Fantastic food, beer and atmosphere

Made reservations for last night. At 6pm the place was packed but complimentary valet was very helpful. Staff were all very helpful and attentive. We really appreciated the feedback when asking for beer and main dish recommendations. Spot on. We will definitely go back!

First off, we were late. Like 20 minutes late. We called to tell them and they assured us it wasn’t a problem. Upon arrival, a guy told us we had an hour to eat because they need to turn over the table. Service failure by management. Strike.
Our waitress, rock solid. Home brewed beer, rock solid. Space, rock solid.
Food: crab dip, good but bread was rock hard. Walleye, great flavor but extremely overcooked. My wife needed a knife to cut through the breading. It was served with a tasty wild rice, corn concoction but it was lukewarm. Pork Belly tacos were tasty.
Overall, turned off by the bad host service and I’ll prepared food. I’d give it another try cause the food could be goos if prepared correctly.

Really enjoyed the old Billy’s lighthouse. Obviously under new ownership.
The walleye is exceptional, the service is outstanding, and the pricing is very fair.
Encourage a reservation as this has a real weight without one.
Unrelated ownership but a brewpub is downstairs for your casual enjoyment.

Went this weekend for a work related holiday dinner. Very quaint, attractive people and scenery. Great wine and food. Nice jazz trio in the background playing some of the classics including Sinatra, George Benson, and Billie Holliday. Plus a pretty cool brewery (totally different atmosphere more casual and hip) downstairs with specialty beers.
We would love to go back soon.

Please note. this review is based off our experience in the main dining room, not the brew pub.
We were so excited to finally dine at Birches. We had a reservation, but were a bit early so grabbed a drink at the bar. We ordered a Moscow mule, one of our favorites. Unfortunately, it was the worst one I have ever had. The drink did not come in a copper mug as it should and I couldn’t taste the ginger beer which is key to that drink. Others in the group tasted it and agreed. Thankfully I selected a good local vodka which saved the drink.
For whatever reason, there is one bartender there that has been less than stellar both times. He had quite an attitude with me the first time, telling me he «never makes a mistake» when I couldn’t find my credit card. Last night he was very abrupt, not personal at all, which is what you expect from a Supper Club type of place. Oh well. The bar itself is beautiful.
For dinner, we got seated in the way back room where there are only four tables. This area really lacks the overall appeal the rest of the dining area has. I was fine with it though because it was quiet. However, the staff asked me to move twice so they could put extra chairs away. For this type of place and meal, I didn’t expect that.
Our appetizers were the best part of the meal. We had the walleye cakes and the crab hot dish. Both were delicious. Our server was very nice, but she oversold the main meal portion of the menu. My husband had the Seafood Boil which was a waste of money. He came home and ate because he was still very hungry and the flavor wasn’t anything that special. I had the Mixed Grill. For the money, it wasn’t what I expected. The sausage tasted fine, but nothing spectacular. There were two large shrimp which were fine, but again, nothing out of the ordinary. And the filet was just so-​so. I have had better. Lastly, the waitress completely forgot to bring my glass of wine. I waited 15 minutes for it and she only remembered when I had to tell her.
Why a 2 rating? For that price point I can get much better food with more flavor and at a greater value. To spend that much money on a so-​so meal isn’t ideal. We did head down to the brew pub after and loved it down there. I would go back there in a heartbeat and dine on the appetizers or a burger where my expectations will be lower.

Absolutely fantastic dinners on two separate occasions ! Hostess needs to get things figured out because we were forgotten at bar on both visits while waiting for our table. So very happy for the expansion and wish you much success!.

We went shortly after it opened to the brewpub for a few drinks. Beautiful deck & nice atmosphere, but for a brewery they had a limited selection & the only IPA on their menu was out for the entire night. We both had the Pilsner, which was good. Both bartenders on duty were slightly awkward and not overly helpful.
Since then the selection and service have both improved. This is a great standby for us and the food is wonderful.

Wife and I made plans to have dinner in the Supper Club last Friday. We loved the experience. Since they just opened, if you don’t plan ahead (ie make reservations) expect a little wait. You can hang out in the new brew house. Since we had reservations, we were seated right away. We started with 3 different types of oysters and their Lamb Tartar. Both were very well prepared and presented well. We also ordered our starter beverages (a Rye Manhattan for myself and a nice simple white wine for my wife). The Manhattan was made well (with the correct ice) and done in a timely manner. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience (watching the sunset over Long Lake) and the new items on the menu (as well as seeing some of our old favorites). We look forward to going back.

We came to have a cocktail in the Brew house and it was closed. The hostess said they had a cancellation and could seat us shortly. We waited over an hour and checked back. We were talking with the hostess and the owner interrupted and said if you don’t have a reservation you have no table. He was extremely RUDE and we felt very bad for the hostess being treated so disrespectful. We immediately left and will not return. If the owner treats his employees and guests this way I do not care to patronize this establishment!

Great food, top 10 burger I’ve had, do yourself a favor and add bacon.
I Was a little disappointed with the seating, we were one of the first in there with a early reservation and we were seated away from the great views that this restaurant showcases. It was a 85 degree day and they had he fireplace on, so the dining area was quite warm. Service was okay, seemed pushy or forced at times.
You can definitely tell this is a new restaurant on the operational side, the food is definitely worth going back.

I made reservations for my family of 3 for Friday night. We got there early and stopped in the brew house for a beer before dinner. There was an assortment of seats at the bar, some high tops, and communal tables. They served everything downstairs except their speciality cocktail menu. Service was very good.
We went upstairs (supper club) for dinner. The hostess started walking us towards our table, the décor was beautiful and the lake view is just exquisite. The hostess was taking us to the upper level side room, I asked if we could move be on the main level closer to the lake. She gave me a bs answer about not being able to because of their system and that they are all reserved (they were all tables or four and she was seating us at a table of four). There was barely anyone in the main dining room and two other families sitting in the side room (both with older kids), with our family the room was almost to full capacity. I then realized that this hostess was seating the families together like we were second class citizens or shaming us by putting us all in the church cry room.
They also didn’t have window treatments yet and the sun was beating down on half of our table. It was very uncomfortable. It was actually a pretty terrible start to our dinner. Luckily for Birch’s they have really really great food.
We got the smoked dry rub chicken wings, prime rib, and fried chicken. All prepared perfectly and the service was mostly attentive.
I am willing to give it another try because the food was so good. I’m hoping they get window treatments in and a new hostess by then.
As a final note, the other kids including mine were incredibly respectful and well behaved the entire meal, so if the hostess is reading this, many families can interact well in finer dining establishments. We make dinner reservations at 500 and 515, because we know your restaurant gets busy but we also deserve to have a good view and not be sitting in the glaring sun, especially when ¾ of your restaurant is empty.