Life > November 8, 2007

By Lukia Kilossis | Staff writer

With its high, dark wooden ceilings and stone fireplaces, River Birch Lodge succeeds in creating a mountain atmosphere that has both a rustic and upscale feel.

Located about 10 minutes from campus on Robinhood Road, the restaurant’s warm ambience transports one from suburbia to a mountain retreat. In addition to its pleasing décor, River Birch’s extensive menu and professional service make this locally owned restaurant an excellent option for casual American cuisine.

When walking into the restaurant, diners are greeted by the warm smells of smoked barbeque. The alluring smell is complemented by the friendly service of both the hostess and the servers. After being seated promptly in the large open dining room, we were faced with the daunting task of deciding what to order, as the menu included so many appealing options. Offering everything from sandwiches and burgers to seafood, steaks and barbeque dishes, we had a difficult time narrowing down our choices.

I ordered the barbeque chicken ($12.95), a boneless chicken breast with a thin layer of the Lodge’s own barbeque sauce served with a choice of two sides. I chose a baked potato and sautéed fresh spinach. The chicken was cooked perfectly, moist with just the right amount of barbeque sauce, making it no problem for me to clean my plate. The only complaint about my meal was that the spinach was somewhat soggy, but the superb quality of the chicken and baked potato made up for that. If I were to order this entrée again, I would probably choose a different side, such as the vegetables.

My friend opted to order the other chicken entrée, the sagebrush chicken ($13.50), which was an oven-roasted half-chicken coated with sage pesto, also served with two sides. This dish was not as satisfying as my barbeque chicken, as the skin was a bit too crunchy and the sage was overpowering.

Another friend ordered the night’s special, sauteed scallops, which came with two sides. This delicious seafood entrée made me want to try some of the other fish options on the menu, such as the pan-seared tilapia ($16.40) and cedar planked salmon ($18.20, 8oz; $15.20, 6oz).

The last member of my party ordered the chicken Caesar salad ($9.95), which was one of the many salad options the menu had to offer. This generously portioned salad consisted of crisp romaine lettuce topped with chicken, red pepper croutons and parmesan. While some restaurants are stingy with meat on salads, this one served a good amount of chicken. However, the stale croutons prevented this Caesar salad from reaching perfection.

Obviously, our entrée choices only touched the surface of the restaurant’s many options. The menu also features some choices that would be great for lunch or a lighter dinner. They have a wide variety of sandwiches and wraps, such as the pulled pork sandwich ($8.85) and Robinhood chicken wrap ($10.35) that are served with either homemade chips or fruit. Additionally, the restaurant has a selection of homemade pizzas, ranging from your basic cheese ($8.25) to BBQ duck ($11.40).

Though we were too full to try desserts, River Birch features some favorite desserts from the owner’s other local restaurant, Midtown Café, which I know are amazing.

To the left of the dining room is a sophisticated bar serving eight draught beers, a variety of bottled domestic and imports, and a notable wine selection. Patio seating is available off the bar.

Overall, despite some minor complaints about the food, we were pleased by our experience at River Birch Lodge.

With such a vast menu, River Birch is a place that you must visit more than once. Comparable in service, ambience and food selection, it is a good alternative if you want to branch out from the traditional Village Tavern.

An added perk is that on Wednesdays, a 15 percent discount is available for university students. We just happened to be there on a Wednesday, and this discount topped off a great experience.