What an awesome experience we had here at the Birchwood. From the service by Carissa, the delicious food by their chef and the amazing ambiance, we had such a great time. Our food was so delicious. I ordered the French onion soup which had a nice layer of hot melted cheese on top....delicious! For dinner, I ordered the stuffed broil dish including stuffed shrimp which was so tasty, stuffed baked clams and stuffed flounder. The stuffing was amazing and the dinner, delicious. My friend had the beef short ribs which he enjoyed as well. The wives had the kielbasa which was huge and the chicken dish (I forgot really what she had) and they both enjoyed them completely! What an amazing experience we had as you seem to step back in time inside their old tavern! The decorations keep you busy! read more

This place has gone way down hill. The waitress was very nice but completely overwhelmed. It took forever to get our appetizers. By the time they finally arrived we were starving. 2 in our party ordered margaritas & the mix was too sweet. The glass they were served in were so small you can drink it in 3 sips, as they were filled with too much ice & little to no alcohol or the tequila was watered down. I suggest beer or wine if you come here because they can't water that down. My cosmo was undrinkable. So sweet & again no alcohol or watered down. I sent it back & enjoyed my water with lemon instead. The salad they serve with the meal is bagged salad kit. The mixed vegetables they serve with your entree are frozen & tasteless. We were all looking forward to coming here & we all left disappointed. We have been coming here for over 20 years & it seems as though The Birchwood has lost its magic. After yesterday's experience we will not return for a very long time, possibly ever. read more

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We went during happy hour and had the most delicious burger and fries for $10.95. You can't get a good meal for that price at of fast food restaurant. The beers were cold. The food was delicious and the service was quick and server very friendly. We had a great time and plan to go back again soon. read more

I went there because Birchwood has been one of my family's place to go to , I went there to have an after a wake for my brother and had a buffet set up for 30 people . Well I got the bill at the end it was not I figured it to be . I paid it went home and looked it over . Then there is a 24% service charge after the tax . What should of been a 1100 came out to 1433 . Are you kidding me? Never told me about a service charge. Rediculous and I will never have a function there again. I paid cash not credit card or that would of been another 10% on top of on top of on top of . read more

Great Service, great food, reasonable prices and surrounded by Old Time baseball greats. Sounds like heaven to me. One of our favorite restaurants, well worth the drive. A true neighborhood gem!!! read more

My brother and I recently went to the Brunch with Santa 2025 at the Birchwood of Polish Town in Riverhead. We found their flyer in a local store and decided to try it. The prices were $19.95 for children and $34.95 for adults. Their menu was extensive featuring hot and cold food and a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit . There was also an egg benedict, waffle and omelet station and and assortment of fresh shrimp, clams and oysters, various cold salads [beets, artichokes etc.] When we walked in, we gave our name to the hostess, and were seated immediately. Our waitress came by and I ordered coffee and my brother wanted a glass of water. Since this is a buffet, the hot chafing dishes are well set up in that they are manned by the staff who serves you the food directly, there is no self service in this area. The other areas, the desserts, salad bar, seafood area are all self service. In terms of caveats, there is really not enough help. Someone came with the coffee pot but there is no milk, cream, sugar or substitutes on the table which required us looking for someone for these staples. We asked several times for refills and finally gave up. Our appointment to eat was late morning and there was also a Santa picture taking area which was crowded with people waiting to see Santa, parents waiting to take pictures of their kids with Santa and in this particular area there was a great deal of congestion making navigating with a plate of food problematic and dangerous, especially with all these small children running around Santa should have been situated somewhere else in that large room, not in a main thoroughfare. One last point, the bill for the two of us initially was $69.98, tax was $6.12 and the automatic gratuity was added automatically onto $69.98-24%] If you paid with a credit card, there was an additional $3.47. The check was generated with the credit card fee and the 22% automatic gratuity in place before they knew how we planned on paying. Many people would not even bother to scrutinize the bill and just hand over their credit card. The bill was almost $100 for the two of us. If you are going with a large family, cost comes into play in terms of making a decision if this is really worth it. We did enjoy it and there were things we liked to eat which we would not make at home. The lack of adequate help and the automatic gratuity added to the bill will make us reconsider in the future. read more

08/01/23: Lunch break from work go-live. Wasn't very crowded seated immediately. Staff very accommodating and pleasant. Restaurant is definitely eclectic. Ordered shrimp salad. Pleasantly delicious. Reasonable priced. If in the area again would definitely return and try other items. read more

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My fiancée and I came in for a late lunch. The burgers and fries were excellent, at a more than fair price. We ordered two Żywiec on tap and I was very excited to introduce her to this polish beer. They were absolutely disgusting. The delicious crispness was replaced with slimey spoiled skunks. I ordered a pumpkin beer next, thinking it's september and it must be fresh. Even more dreadful. Please, please fix and clean your tap system. I love your restaurant and that's why I gave it 5 stars, if you could please correct this insane error, you would probably get people drinking 10x more beer. read more

This place used to be so much better. I was disappointed in the buffet choices but also the quality of the food. I don't think I'd eat here again. Sorry. read more

The Birchwood was such a surprise find in Riverhead! The restaurant is very cozy and has very fun decor. My partner and I weren't too hungry so we were thinking of ordering just the combo platter to share but our waitress warned us there would be a sharing fee so we ordered an extra pierogi appetizer to avoid the fee. Understandable, no complaints. The pierogis were delicious, fried to a great crisp and filled with cheesy goodness. Everything on the platter was very good and a very fair portion. Highly recommend! read more

The Birchwood - Combo platter - Polish Near Me - Riverhead, New York

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I was very disappointed when I visited recently. The staff seemed inexperienced and the food wasn't what I expected. The ambiance seems a bit dark and depressing. And no Spaetzel too? With German food? Hmm? read more

The place was so cute and menu looked great, but we were disappointed with the food. I ordered roulade which was very fatty, bacon was not cooked. Best part of the meal were the corn fritters and potato pancake appetizers. Staff was very pleasant, apologized for slow service, but seemed overwhelmed and confused. Maybe a bad night for the chef! read more

A Variety of different types food , from Italian, American and polish. Delicious food read more

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Service was great, from the moment we stepped in to the minute we got up to leave. Space was well prepared for covid restrictions also bright and clean. They have a very extensive menu but we opted for their specials... They had very unique dish that I've only had homemade... Meatballs in this rich thick ginger snap silesian sauce... It's a regional delicacy eaten in the Eastern parts of Germany (Silesia) that became part of Poland after 1945. Sadly this dish did not compare and I was sooo hoping it would :/. However everything else we tried was delicious, their pierogi's were phenomenal as well as the creamy creme brulee. We will definitely give this place another try and be back to try more things on their regular menu. read more

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Everything is delicious here ! Service and staff are so great . Everyone i bring here , always returns ! Highly recommend. read more

Excellent value and great food. The dining room has lots of charm. We go there several times a month. Very enjoyable and it is kid friendly read more

Through another social media page we found Birchwood of Riverhead restaurant for my son and daughter-in-law's brunch for 35 people the day after their wedding which was yesterday 10/6/24.We had the most amazing experience.!The place was over the top In every way, from the massive amount of brunch selections to the chocolate fountain and the desserts were all to die for!The people that ran it so professional (shout out to Hugo the waiter and Anna the waitress) all were so personable hard working and attentive. The venue was decorated like a mini wedding reception with beautiful white faux roses on the tables. I recommend everyone to go have lunch or brunch or dinner at this restaurant you won't regret it ! the place has been around for forever and the price were really really reasonable which you don't find very often.All of the guests were so impressed with this place. I cannot say enough great things about it. It is a hidden gem in Riverhead. If anyone is looking for a great brunch venue for a crowd check this place out. The food was plentiful and delicious. Please, please please give this place your business even if it's to go for dinner lunch or brunch or breakfast in the regular part of the restaurant... you will not be disappointed!!! One final note .. every guest who attended said the food was great and the service and bevies was amazing .. when does that ever happen ? THIS PLACE IS OUTSTANDING!!!!! 5 STARS all the way!!!! read more

The Birchwood is a icon, with its great food, fast Service and atmosphere that is truly different than most. This place has stood the test of time, because of the staff working had making sure everyone has a smile on there face is remarkable. So remember this because it can get busy at times.. Thanks - Rick R read more

Drove out to Riverhead on a whim. Great service, fantastic people there!! Got a gluten free veggie vegan pasta that was awesome. The rest of my party got french dip that was also great per them. Sorry so short, but busy enjoying myself and the food and the people!!! But especially the service by... Terry I was told , world class terrific. read more

The Birchwood - Bar - Polish Near Me - Riverhead, New York

My friends and I were visiting from the city and we were desperate to find food especially since we were walking and it was hot. It was the Monday after 4th of July so many places were closed and by some miracle we found this place. I'm Polish so my standards are pretty high but it was great! We got this platter was like 6lbs of food which was more than enough food for 5 people. The service was super nice. The speciality cocktails were not good and I wouldn't recommend. The ribs in the platter were dry. So for those reasons one star off. read more

The Birchwood - Polish puu puu platter - Polish Near Me - Riverhead, New York

Food is par EXCELLENCE!!!!! Service is impeccable!!! Ambience is quite inviting!!! Highly recommend this rather charming place!!! read more

A staple of Polish Town, decorated with a bunch of things making its ambiance that's one of uniqueness in riverhead. Although it may appear deceiving from the outside, as in my opinion it kind of looks like an over the top restaurant from the outside, but then completely different to what comes to mind when you head inside. Then the food, for most of the time, is rather good. Anyone who goes here should get the ACTUAL Eastern European/Polish foods that are on the menu, instead of most of their other options, as they excel in that category. Particularly the Pierogies and the Golumpki are amazing. Though me saying this doesn't mean that all the other food they have is bad, it's good, but subpar in comparison to their specialties. Then the service for the most part has always been well, with the food coming out in reasonable time and the staff always being friendly and attentive though some of the tables I've sat at have been slightly wobbly, or unsecured. Overall a good restaurant, and I recommend to those who like Eastern European/Polish Food. read more

Food is always good, especially the polish reuben and periogies, very accommodating too Prices aren't bad, service was great! read more

The pierogi here are amazing. I'm not sure I would bother with anything else... but then why would one ever bother with any other food when pierogi are an option? Duh. I highly recommend eating them, with a generous amount of sour cream, whilst reading about the fascinating life of Casimir Pulaski on Wikipedia. read more

The Birchwood - Polish Near Me - Riverhead, New York

TLDR:The food is okay. The service is horrible. I went there for Father's Day brunch and our waitress was basically non-existent. She never came back to refill our coffee and we had to keep asking other servers for the drinks we ordered that she never brought. We even got the check with drinks on it that we never received. The food wasn't at all worth the price and the gratuity being automatically added was a bit insulting for how terrible the service was. The second time we went for dinner and made a reservation first. There was a crowd standing by the door and no one came by for at least 10 minutes. When a server finally showed up she seated two tables without a reservation and then when we said something about having a reservation she questioned when we made it and said "oh sorry I didn't know you had a reservation." She never asked or even acknowledged we were there so of course she wouldn't know. Most of the food came out lukewarm. The bread was stale and I'd kinda rather not get bread at all than be served stale bread but whatever. The waitress again was basically non-existent. She'd ask how everything was and literally walk away before we could answer. She forgot to come back with our drinks twice and a side once. It was bizarre how poor the service was. The woman seemed nice enough but I've never had a server ask if we needed anything and walk away before we could answer. And as a personal pet peeve of mine - I asked and they said they carried coke products but what I received definitely wasn't coke. And they charge for soda refills which is pretty ridiculous, especially since they use brand X soda. read more

The service was excellent at the Birchwood! The waitstaff were so friendly and accommodating as we waited for our friends to arrive. We also enjoyed the food quite a bit! The French Onion Soup was about the best I've ever had! I also had the As far as the ambiance, while it was fairly quiet when we arrived, I found the restaurant to be very warm and welcoming! Definitely worth a return trip!! read more

Bon G. and I were in Riverhead for a Dr's appt and decided to eat in the area. Checking Yelp, We chose The Birchwood to try Polish food. Located in the Polish town area we found it and parked. The place looks like its been there a long time and is most inviting. Upon entering you can see the deco has been there a long time but its inviting. Our server was friendly and helped us with the menu. Not being familiar with Polish food we tried the Combo Dinner with Stuffed Cabbage, Kielbasa, potato pancakes and Perogies. A very good sampling.... Also got the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich...Excellent! Place started filling up around mid lunch time and was humming...We will return! read more

We came here for my uncle's surprise 80th birthday party. It was buffet style and they think the food was in line with typical buffet food. The room was large and clean and everything was set up very nicely. The staff was there when you needed them but wasn't overbearing. It was a beer and wine open bar but cash liquor bar for the event and the bartender was super nice and friendly. I would go back and try the restaurant portion because I'm just really not a buffet person so it's kind of hard for me to review food that I know is made in large batches and you can't expect the same quality as opposed to when you're ordering a single plate. read more

I really enjoyed coming here. I came in for dinner one night with my parents, and the food brought me right back to my grandma's table. Old school, well-made Polish food isn't the easiest to come by, but The Birchwood definitely fit the bill. The staff members were all super sweet and accommodating during our whole dinner and I would definitely come back. Only downside for me is the atmosphere. I love a place with an cozy, feel, but I definitely think a little updating could go a really long way. read more

We have only dined her for lunch an catered events for the last 4 years. Food always good. Tonight we had diner with friends and all four of us were very pleased. Two of us had lobster stuffed Atlantic Salmon over linguini, all I can say is YUM really good with a clear broth. The dish was great and savory. My wife had Chicken fajitas, excellent everything cooked perfectly, she said better than any Mexican restaurant ! One person had pot roast. If there were a design on the plate he would have eaten them. Very pleased. Service was good, wait staff knew the menu and offered valuable in site to each dish. We all had side salad, good. Ambiance is home town casual with tin walls covered with photos and memorabilia of years of history about Riverhead. This was way better than their lunch menu which is good but not as good as tonight's diner. read more

The food is decent and service is reliable. A few things that really take the score down: 1) there is a substitution charge that at times doesn't make sense. $2+ extra to sub waffle fries for french fries, up-charge to sub cole slaw for french fries etc..... 2) the price for soda, iced tea, coffee is not cheap. they charge the same price for refills including coffee and iced tea. this nickel and dime mentality will discourage me from going back. read more

2.5 stars. Lobster Bisque was ok, they canNOT be famous for it. Especially on Long Island! Impossible! Pierogis were nicely fried but that was about it. Would not ever make the trip that far out for that! Very, very, disappointing. Almost certain their potato pancakes are Trader Joes frozen pancakes. Again, VERY disappointed. I would NEVER recommend this place for Polish food. You're better off going to Copiague for authentic Polish eats. read more

As someone of Eastern European decent, I know my Polish cuisine. Their kielbasa, sauerkraut and pierogies were on point, BUT really overpriced. When we went on a Sunday afternoon, the service was okay and there weren't that many people dining. The atmosphere of the restaurant left a lot to be desired though. The old musky smell and ambiance reminded me of being at a great grandparents house that hasn't been dusted in ages. Overall it was an okay experience but I'm not sure if I'd go back. read more

The Birchwood - Polish Near Me - Riverhead, New York

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We were out east on a Sunday wine tasting with our friends. I tell my buddy from Nassau county, how about some Polish beer and homemade kielbasa? Where do you get that on the north fork? We're going to The Birchwood of Polish Town. Walking in, the restaurant is fashioned after a TGIF with its vintage signs and long wooden bar. We chose to sit at a table away from the bar. Looking at the menu, its a love fest of polish flavors. My wife starts telling me, we should order combos, sides, etc. Ease up woman! I know there's going to be kielbasa in my future, everything else can take a backseat. I ordered a combo platter with potato pancakes and stuffed cabbage. The kielbasa was on point. No grizzle or funky items, it was smokey and had a great flavor. I love stuffed cabbage, they stuffed it with some live right there! Another home run hit, if your jonesin' for authentic stuffed cabbage, its being made at The Birchwood of Polish Town. They ran out of Polish beer, something I would have liked to try but that's ok. I had a local Long Island beer which isn't a bad thing. The Birchwood of Polish Town, you have a great place and look forward to returning read more

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Love this place! Food is amazing and well priced! Service was great! And ambiance is comfy and cozy. It is an older establishment, and people have to remember that. Special are such a good deal for what you receive. Sunday brunch is starting soon and I cannot wait to go back. What a quaint restaurant tucked away in Polish town! These types of restaurants are fading fast, so I will be visiting very soon again. read more

I had heard so much about the polish food I couldn't wait. Well guess this place sold years ago and well try as they might the Polish German American menu isn't working. They need to stick to just one and own it, perfect those dishes that represent. Their are all types of food on the menu but nothing stands out which is too bad it really could be a destination. Cute building and inside all old and cute service was good and the servers are attentive. Too bad polish food was not up to par, too bad I had heard it was good. Well maybe the owners will realize and narrow down their expertise and do it well! read more

The Birchwood - Polish Near Me - Riverhead, New York

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The owner was very personable. Our waitress angela was less then that. As my fiance ordered a beer the cold glass had lipstick marks on it as he poured his beer. When I told her it was dirty with lip prints on it she took the glass with the half fresh poured beer from the bottle and gave a new glass without a new beer. As we were eating and somewhat digesting she was reaching for the plate asking if we were done when we had food a lot of food on our plates . She charged us 5.00 a lemonade and 5.00 for a second... we had to ask for everything and when asked if we could ammend she didn't want to ask if she could. She was not friendly until she saw me writing this on yelp... little too late the food was not bad, the French fries were hot the pickle was good the chicken sandwich was dry and hard to chew read more

The Roladin were burnt and tasted stale. Our waitress Amanda gave fantasic service a bright spot jn a otherwise underwhelming $100 dining experience. They need a new chef and need to focus on a smaller menu of traditiinal polish foods that they cook fresh today. read more

I'm not sure about all these ratings here, this place is clearly the cornerstone Polish Restaurant in what is deemed Polish Town in a section of Riverhead. Polish food has some similarities to German food. Five stars for what it is.. authentic Polish Pub / Restaurant, with extra nice waiters, a relaxed vibe, and a fun dining experience. Just watching other peoples orders had me turning my head or looking way too long. Loved the old pub feel. I should say service was great, two people assisted, and the kitchen takes a good while, but to rush it would be silly, there is a bar with plenty of tap beer.. so order early and expect to finish a drink or two while they are making great food. If you don't have time, this is not a presto dining experience. They had a Polish pu pu platter, OMG.... at a neighboring table, they set it down on a pizza style raised platter and its ridiculous. Huge pub onion rings, homemade perogies, kielbasa, ribs, kraut, maybe more couldn't see all. What I tried was a polish Reuben, and combo platter of homemade coleslaw, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, kraut, apple sauce, a flavorful tomato spinach soup came with it.. . The neighbors had lots to wrap, so did we.. seems part of how people order there, expect to wrap. Stopped in for a light lunch which became "that's dinner". lol They recommended amazing flavored Polish beer on tap. While leaving we turned our head on the way out seeing a way over the top looking, decadent layered carrot cake. You could definitely stop just for dessert. read more

Good buffet, but Polish and Italian... really?? Fixed pricing can add up, +tax, +% for credit card, +24% fixed tip... for a buffet???? Stick with the regular dinners, good service and fresh tasty food. read more