The Birchwood Inn

In my opinion, this is one of the best restaurants in southern NH. It’s a real gift for those of us close enough to drive there. Everything I’ve tried has been wonderful, especially the schnitzel. Highly recommend!

We met friends here and the setting was pleasant, with a relaxed atmosphere and a corner view of the sunset and a church. I’d been looking forward to the Pork Schnitzel since my favorite spot for it, The Mile Away, had closed. The food tasted very good in general, and the desserts were tasty, though smaller than portions elsewhere for the same price. There were problems, though. Our appetizer arrived missing ingredients, and they kindly made a new one. My schnitzel was undercooked in places, so I ate only the cooked portion; my husband noticed the same issue and didn’t eat his, partly because we’d already raised the appetizer problem and didn’t want to wait again. The classic pork schnitzel should be thin, but this was a thick, somewhat greasy piece. This is the second time I’ve found undercooked food here. The first time it was fish, and after I told them, I waited a good 15 minutes. They still charge full price when these problems inconvenience customers. Serving undercooked food is dangerous, and customers shouldn’t be the ones to catch it. They need quality checks that catch both doneness problems and missing ingredients before food reaches the table. The staff were gracious and polite until after we paid. Then a hostess told us someone else was waiting for our table and that each seating gets two hours. We left feeling embarrassed and apologetic, as if we’d been kicked out after spending good money on a meal that wasn’t fully satisfactory. Nobody had told us about the two-hour limit when we made the reservation. Since the place is small and seating more people can be tricky, they should tell customers about that expectation in advance instead of making it an unpleasant surprise at the end. That’s why I gave three stars, and I can’t recommend the place.

Dinner was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and we’ll definitely return. Our table was in a lovely room with Rufus porter murals, the menu had a good range of choices, and the meals were beautifully presented. The cocktails were delicious too.

A cozy, special restaurant with an award-winning menu. We love the Schnitzel, and the burgers were the best. The bar makes all kinds of great drinks, and the bartender is amazing.