Birch 459 East Pleasant Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202

"My wife has wanted to eat at Birch for awhile, and we were able to get reservations last night. We sat at the "Chef's Table" so she could watch the food preparation in action and we had the curated Tasting Menu. First off, everything on the tasting menu was outstanding. It was so good we probably could have eaten another round even though we were definitely full. The staff was extremely friendly. We talked with our server, the maitre d, and the chef himself! Kyle even took a photo with my wife who is a big fan of Bravo Top Chef & award winning chefs in general. It's really great to get a restaurant like this in Milwaukee. Just a must-visit spot for anyone who loves amazing food and atmosphere."

"Probably in my top 5 meals. I had the trout crudo starter, which tasted amazing and looked beautiful. I also had the walleye and they couldn’t have cooked it more perfectly. Drinks were creative, tasty and beautifully constructed."

"It’s hard running a gastro experience restaurant, even harder in Milwaukee. So let’s give credit for food that seems to touch the incredible at times. We ordered some starter dishes, the Ricotta & Squash-Filled Pasta, Carpaccio, and lamb skewers. Each was excellent albeit a touch on the salty side. The service as often the case started out great and went downhill. We sat right next to the server station. The gap between our first dish and second was over 35 minutes. There’s no shortage of staff and the place on a Friday wasn’t full, maybe 90 percent. The kitchen clearly got overwhelmed, a shame given the potential. Drink prices, , $17 for a smallish glass of Pinot Grigio. I’d go on a weekday."

"My wife and I extended our stay in Wisconsin with two nights in Milwaukee after a week in Madison in July 2023. Looking for a place to have dinner, I typed in best restaurant in Milwaukee, and Birch was on the list. I managed to get a very early seating that evening. I didn’t know much about Birch or Kyle before that day, but what we tasted that evening made me get up from our food and hustle over to make another reservation for the next dinner service because we had to eat there again before heading home. The location is pretty unassuming. The service was friendly, but there was a certain amount of tableside formality to it. I must mention this one experience we had as we were leaving after the first meal. The cooks were grilling on the sidewalk because their indoor grill broke down days previous. When I mentioned that I loved the grilled focaccia and I’d love to take some home the next day, they asked when I’d be there, and promised that they’d have some for me to take home. The next evening, sure enough, at the end of the dinner, they had a large focaccia wrapped and tied with string for me to take on the plane. That’s service taken beyond the ordinary. The food…the food was extraordinary. The much overused phrase, “farm to table”, suddenly made sense! Every single component shined through cleanly and precisely. There were many standouts, but if I could have just a couple of dishes again, they would be, Lynn's Cherries | Beets | Cucumber Radishes | Matt's Holy Basil Goat Cheese Dressing and Ricotta Cavatelli | Spring Onion | Apple Mint | Wisconsin Parmesan Cured Pork | Black Pepper maybe one more, Spaghetti Bower's Tomatoes | Candy Cane Peppers | Jerry's Garlic Basil Simple sounding dishes, but the most amazing ingredients and straightforward cooking made for a great meal. We’ve already made travel plans for the summer, and we’ll be back!"

"It just doesn’t get better than this honestly. This place deserves all the accolades it has received. Truly a great environment, the staff is top notch, the menu is unique and challenging and exciting. Loved every bite - hardest part honestly is figuring out what to actually order. Highly recommend the kitchen counter experience to watch the chefs work their culinary experience. It felt like we were the only ones there from the way they treated us, keeping an eye on every empty plate or glass, and looking for ways to make sure every dish is enjoyed at maximum (a chef gave us an extra plate of tortillas when they noticed I ran out halfway through my dish, for instance). Will definitely be going back for another meal in the future."