Birchrunville Store Cafe

There’s something about going to a place so off the beaten path and so rustic that you have to exit the front door of the restaurant and stroll across the wooden porch into the (still running) post office in order to use the restroom. These are things that tell you are dining (or in my case, my boyfriend has found) someplace special.
Birchrunville Store Café, set in pure rural bliss, is a little hidden gem. Wooden tables, lace trimmings, candles and antique pieces set off the cozy dining area. The service is first-​rate with servers/​staff who are enthusiastic, personable and knowledgable about the menu. Diners’ enjoyment is truly their top concern. The location was a surprise from my boyfriend for our pre-​Christmas celebration (Dec. 23) but I do know from hiim and others that reservations are typically made months out.
The culinary offerings are unique blends of French and Italian traditions but not to exaggerated to where it’s intimidating. The menu changes daily and likely would appeal to a wide spectrum of diners. Plus, all meat served in the restaurant is free range.
To start things off, my boyfriend ordered the duck confit and myself, the roasted pumpkin spinach salad. There were many possibilities for starters as the list of them were longer than the list of entrees. The pumpkin salad was beautifully presented with shaved pumpkin ribbons with a dressing that really made it pop. The shredded duck meat of the confit was flavorful.
Moving onto entrees, which we asked a few questions about to help in our decision making. my boyfriend went with the venison and myself, the pheasant. I’ve only had venison and pheasant once or twice in my life (never duck confit) so these dishes were an opportunity to stretch out and experiment. The venison came with a medley of squash and a mound of purple sweet potato which was visually striking. My pheasant was wrapped in something porky, bacon or something similar, with stuffings of (from what I can guess) garlic, dried cranberries and herbs which made for a juicy and complex dish.
As a BYOB, the wine list is of your own making. Since there’s no place to pop in and grab a bottle nearby, plan ahead. For us, my boyfriend brought a red and a white as well as the fixins for a G&T which they happily brought out rock glasses, ice and lime slices of us.
For dessert, on this particular occasion we ordered two — the cranberry orange upside cake and the warm butterscotch cake with dolce di lecce gelato. My boyfriend had been the restaurant before and highly recommended the butterscotch cake which, unlike 75% of the menu, does not get rotated out. Both desserts, made in-​house, were deep with flavor. Both cakes were presented in the form of a small bundt cake.
I definitely recommend BSC to anyone, near and far! An evening here is an experience well worth seeking out and enjoying. I promise you won’t be disappointed with the service, ambiance or quality of the cuisine.

Going for 5^th time tonight. Birchrunville is top shelf. Restaurants in Philly aren’t as good as this place. Wait staff is always courteous, pleasant and helpful. For the people who complain about them being pushy, you are wrong. If you want to spend 4 hours eating dinner, go somewhere else. That is a drawback of a small restaurant but I never felt like they were rushing us. Anyone who thinks this place is bad either doesn’t have tastebuds or is so pretentious they don’t even like themselves. Keep doing what your doing, Birchrunville bc it’s spectacular!!!

You need to call ahead a couple months to get a reservation on a Friday or Saturday night. It’s a tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere, only open Wednesday-​Saturday for dinner. We have dined here about 10 times and always had a wonderful meal. We specifically request Jen for our server because she is so sweet and attentive. Their menu changes each week, but there are a lot of repeat items, which we usually welcome to get some of our favorites like the grilled caesar salad. The menu is dominated by fresh ingredients to the time of year and there are always great specials that night too. It’s been awhile since we were there so it may have changed, but they were cash only before. Hit the atm before you get there!

Great little hidden place that we didn’t even know existed till recently.
Pros: food was super tasty and food portion sizes. Went in the winter time and had the duo bird and I believe a lamb dish. Both had great seasoning and flavor (just a bit salty on the side dish). Dessert was really good too, got an extra one to go for our sitter.
Cons: we couldn’t find parking but this was our fault, pretty sure we wound up parking with the servers. Place is super tiny which can also be a pro if u like that atmosphere.
Next time we’d share and entrée and go for two apps and two desserts.
Also we got lucky and were able to get a reservation on a Friday night by calling and asking about any last minute cancellations the day before. any folks are on month long wait lists, I wouldn’t do that. That level of anticipation just sets it up for failure.
Definitely would go back again! Also great wait staff, very clean and all other patrons there were very amicable too. Overall great experience:

A bit disappointed in our experience at Birchrunville last night. When I reserved a month a half ago, I was very specific about our table request. One of our group is hard of hearing and I requested the four top near the hostess station. The person on the phone understood and even gave me the table number. When we arrived last night, we were led to a table in the middle of the room. When I mentioned my request, I was told «We tried but it didn’t work out.» How could this be when I was the first that requested the table? In a few minutes, I saw two people being seated at this table for four. Were they more frequent diners than us? Btw, there were at least two empty tables thought the seating. Why were two people given our four top? Did we not get the table because, for the first time in our many visits, I didn’t repeat my request when they called to confirm. This is the first time this has happened to us (although I am always stymied when I get the confirmation call and they say «Yes, you have the table so far. No one else has requested it. What? I requested it first. Why would someone else’s request override mine?). The food and service was good, as usual. This, however, soured our most recent visit to this charming restaurant. A Lucy spotting on the way out helped some.

Charming ambiance, excellent and eclectic menu, and BYOB. What more could you want?
Located in rural Chester County, this place is a hidden gem. I started with Korean beef on buns. Spicy and sweet, with a few greens for balance. Then on to the paella. Served over risotto, the variety of fresh seafood was delightful. My wife enjoyed stuffed figs followed by a pairing of a lamb loin and chop in a wonderful crust.
Finished with a rich espresso cocoa tart and coffee.
Brought a Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 — smooth and very subtle. Perfect with the lamb.

I’ve had the opportunity to dine here several times since my original visit and each time it has been better than the visit before. I’ve never once been asked to vacate my table to make room for waiting guests. I guess they just like me, what else can I say?

We just had the most amazing meal at Birchrunville, PA. It is a small, quaint French restaurant, with seating for 44, in an old store well off the beaten path. Everything was outstanding. Service was great and presentation of each course was excellent. The duck entrée was the best duck I have had. And, the crème brûlée was as good as it can be. Before we left we made reservations in October because wild boar will be back on the Fall menu (a favorite of our companions). There are only two seating so each night so reservations can be a couple of months out. You won’t be disappointed.

After being a consistent patron of this restaurant for years (eating there at least six times a year for a decade, holding private work events here, referring countless other patrons to this restaurant), my wife and I missed a reservation without calling the restaurant because she was pregnant and we had to rush to the ER. Thankfully, we had future reservations a few weeks later for my parents 40^th wedding anniversary.
Well, on the Tuesday before my parents’ anniversary dinner which was on Thursday, I received a call from the hostess informing me that we were no longer welcome at Birchrunville and that they had cancelled our Thursday reservations. When I said this must be a mistake, that they surely couldn’t mean that with how frequently we had been there and how much money we had spent or referred to them over the years… she told me that because we had missed a reservation without calling a few weeks prior that we were no longer welcome in the restaurant.
We always thought the food was very good, not great, but very good. The service was always adequate to good. The chef used to bring my kids into the kitchen and let them watch him prepare food and try some desserts… then Dr Jekyll came out I guess and we were excommunicated from the Birchrunville restaurant.
Oh well. We have found many new restaurants that are as good or better, cost less, and we don’t have to worry about temperamental chefs or dismissive, malcontent hostesses. Word of warning– don’t miss a reservation or you’ll never eat there again. I guess Francis doesn’t care about who helped him succeed and how much money he made from us and our referrals– bad business model. Anyway, dozens of our friends will never eat there again… good luck Francis!

I have to say how disappointed I was. We have been going there for years and never had a bad experience until last night. The staff was out right RUDE! It was shocking.
The food was good but not great. The service was horrible. We were rushed to place our order. We tried to order our appetizers first and then look over the menu for our dinner order but were told The Chef is French and he has to have the entire order placed at the same time! We then asked if two of the ladies could split a salad and we were informed yet again ‘The Chef is French’ and does not split orders. The waitress ended up bringing second plate to the table.
When we were seated we informed the waitress we would like to split the check. The waitress made no objections so we assumed that was fine. Well were we wrong. We waited 10 — 15 minutes for the check. We reminded the waitress we asked for the check to be split and she informed us that they do not split checks — they have no way to do that. Then the Hostess told us ‘Ladies it is time for you to leave — your two hours are up and someone is waiting for the table’. She then went over to the table next to us and complained stating well we have two seating and you only get two hours for your dinner. Well if we didn’t have to wait for our check we would have been out of there. Plus the 8:30pm reservation wasn’t even waiting for the table. Only two of the six in the party had arrived.
I will not be going there again nor will I recommend it to my friends.

Our opinion — «a little past it’s prime…»
So we eagerly awaited our saturday night reservation for the Birchrunville Café for over two months… We went with friends, and after reading the wonderful reviews we were bubbling over with anticipation of a really great dining experience!!! Well, not so much… we thought it was average at best… We could see how many people could easily be swayed by the «old country store» atmosphere, complete with an incredibly «well-​fed cat» on the front porch… that part’s certainly cute, but the food; eh, just ok…
And they certainly write up a nice menu, buoyed by adding what some might consider more exotic ingredients, like truffles, venison, bison, boar, etc… But let’s face it, aside from a quaint storefront, it’s what you do with those ingredients that truly matter… and, in our humble opinion, they aren’t doing anything very special with them… but wait, the reviews & prices would seem to indicate they are… so what’s up???
Well, the service was great… the hostess and waitstaff were very friendly and helpful, but again, the food was a let down… tastes were bland, textures were soggy… the food just plain lacked life… We couldn’t help but think «we weren’t eating in the same restaurant that all those folks who wrote those incredible reviews were eating in…»
Like many people, we read a quick handful of reviews that looked gleaming, but after our disappointing experience we took the time to go back and more closely read the reviews on several sites… What we found were mostly people talking about the country store ambience, not the food… but many reviews by loyal customers who had been going there for over a decade, all saying the same thing; this place used to be great, but now both menu and effort is a little past it’s prime…
So we’d have to agree… If this place was once great, i truly wish we could have experienced it then… Today it’s a quaint old country storefront with great service, serving very average food, and unfortunately, at prices significantly above average for this quality of preparation… If their prices were average, we’d have probably given 3 stars… but the menu’s totally ala carte, with soups, salads and appetizers mostly in the $ 11 — $ 14 dollar range… entrees in the $ 34 -$ 36 dollar range, and desserts running around $ 10 — $ 11… So we had soup, salad, a couple shared appetizers, our entrees, and dessert… and with a 20% gratuity for the great service, it ran us about $ 90 per person /​$ 180 per couple… keep in mind, it’s byob, so this didn’t include wine… So, again, this is just our humble opinion… and like they always say in all those financial ads; «past performance does not guarantee future results… your own experience may differ…»

I’ve had the pleasure of eating here three times and I plan on dining here in the near future… that is, if I can get my hands on a reservation. This place has such a cozy and quaint feel to it and the wooden décor and candlelit tables create a dining at ‘your best friend’s place’ feel; you’ll have to go to see for yourself. Every time I’ve been, it always seems as if every single patron is thoroughly enjoying their dinner, and who doesn’t love to be around that?
If you’re into delicious gamey dishes, this place is for you. The most memorable dish I had here was the alligator soup, and although I can’t remember the other dishes I’ve had (it’s been a few years), I’ve always left this place extremely satisfied and happy. A major plus is that it’s a BYOB. Also, it’s cash only so make sure to bring enough since the dishes aren’t cheap! Despite the prices, I would gladly come again for a special occasion!

You cannot beat the Birchrunville Café for quality of food or ambience. Excellent every time I’ve been.

Having lived in Birchrunville for a long time, we have had the privilege of eating many, many times with friends and family at Francis’ fantastic BYOB restaurant. The atmosphere is charming, the food delightful, and the service people are the best. The only negative is because this restaurant is no longer a local area secret, it may take you a month or more to get a reservation… but then that must tell you how good this place is. It is five stars for sure and if there were more stars I would check them off too.

Hidden gem in Chester county!
We’ve been three times with 2 other couples and what an amazing dinner every time! The servers are extremely nice and attentive.

(2) — Sadly after waiting (3) months for our Reservation, we were notified on the day of our Reservation that it was cancelled due to a «Chef Emergency». While we completely understand these things happen, we were surprised that they didn’t offer an alternate date –or– even some type of compensation (i.e. free dessert, etc.)?! Instead all they said was — «You’ll have to wait ANOTHER (3) months!!!» Well, after (2+) years of eating here I think we’ll go somewhere else… This was the 3^rd Strike for us anyway — Strike 1 = Cash Only; Strike 2 = Not on OpenTable; & Strike 3 = Lack of Customer Service– (See above…

Been a while since we’ve been here– and as usual it took us quite a while (months) to make the reservation at this popular BYOB.
The Current incarnation of Birchrunville is a improvement from my last visit in 2008 or so.
A simplified menu, executed well, and good service made for a good experience. A bit pricey, but the dishes were tasty and presented nicely. The ambience is very country French — casual upscale.
Our apps — beef cheeks over pappardelle, and truffle lasagna were quite good. The rack of lamb and veal porterhouse were outstanding– cooked perfectly medium
Rare.
Deserts– chocolate covered peanut butter cheesecake and a blood orange sorbet with fresh berries and a splash of vodka were both spot on.
Tab for four (Sans wine of course) was $ 270 with tip. If it wasn’t for the long wait for reservations I’d do it more often…

Great food, brilliant technique and plating.
BYOB and a check /​cash (no credit cards)

I’ve been hearing about tiny Birchrunville Store Café (a cumbersome, but historically accurate name) since I moved to Philly, and we were excited to finally have the chance to visit, especially because it was for a good friend’s 65^th birthday party.
Located in Chester Co.‘s Birchrunville (literally a one stop sign stop) in a 100+ year-​old country store (on the National Register of Historic Places), BSC feels like it is in the middle-​of-​nowhere, but it’s actually a quick 15-​minute drive southwest of Phoenixville. That is, if your GPS doesn’t deposit you in a completely different middle-​of-​nowhere! My GPS trick: enter the intersection of School House Lane & Hollow Road, which will take you to within a couple hundred feet of the café.
Once there, parking is easy, either behind BSC or across the street. Then enter a bygone era… walking past an rusting old gas pump, up the wooden porch steps (with a slight detour to see what must be the world’s smallest, still-​operating post office, which is also where the bathroom is located!), and finally into a charming, casual, country-​style dining room that seats perhaps 30. Already crowded at 7PM, making reservations several weeks in advance is apparently a must. Clearly a BYOB, every nook and cranny is overflowing with thousands of wine corks, and the front display windows feature a few memories from parties past (Petrus, Haut Brion, Lafite… BSC’s patrons seem to know their wines).
We ordered a la carte, as the tasting menu is only offered on the 1^st Tuesday of each month, otherwise they are open only Wed-​Sat evenings, and we each had 2 appetizers, 1 entrée and 1 dessert (but I’ve included pictures of some of the other dishes that I only tried a bite or two of).
APPETIZERS:
1) Smoked salmon, avocado, jumbo lump crabmeat napoleon with Japanese seaweed salad (special) – my favorite dish of the evening, not terribly unusual or exotic, just top-​quality ingredients well prepared
2) Chilled Holland peppers gazpacho, with jumbo lump crab – refreshing on a hot day, loads of flavor
3) French goat cheese soufflé, baby greens and sun-​dried tomato vinaigrette – very goat cheesey
4) Figs stuffed with Roquefort, bacon
~ 2005 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-​du-​Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes – probably my favorite of the two CdPs
~ 2010 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-​du-​Pape Blanc
~ 1997 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune – always a treat
~ 2001 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc – very odd nose, but otherwise fine
~ 2001 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Estate Bottled Santa Cruz Mountains – Just love this wine, any vintage! Still fresh.
ENTREES:
5) Black angus beef porterhouse steak, bok choy, roast garlic and Bordelaise reduction – a bit of a messy presentation, it was a nice steak, but not a steakhouse-​level steak
6) Chilean sea bass, with rock shrimp and Thai basil risotto, Cabernet Sauvignon glaze – only tried the fish, which was perfectly cooked
~ 1982 Château Montrose – did not impress upon opening, in fact no one wanted to drink it, but with time it exploded with into an ’82 and ended up my WOTN (wine of the night)
~ 1989 Château Canon – in a perfect place, very drinkable
~ 1990 Château Rausan-​Ségla – nice, a bit more fruit than the Canon
DESSERTS:
7) Warm Butterscotch Cake, dolce di lecce gelato – nice, but nothing special
8) Blueberry croissant bread pudding (special)
~ 1988 Château Lafaurie-​Peyraguey (the better of the two Lafauries)
~ 1989 Château Lafaurie-​Peyraguey
I thought the desserts were the weakest part of the dinner, but that’s a common problem at most BYOBs. However, we had originally planned to dine on the open-​air back porch, but with temps in the mid-​90s, Chef Francis kindly suggested we sit inside at a comfortable table looking through the cork-​stuffed front display window. But once it cooled down, we repaired to the porch again for dessert and Sauternes, which became the highlight of the evening (sparkler in the birthday boy’s dessert and all!). The restaurant’s 3 small, well-​behaved dogs also played their part in the entertainment.
Overall, it was a pleasant, relaxed meal, although none of the dishes really knocked my socks off. Good, but not great. One of our companions, who regularly dines at BSC, disagreed and feels they are only a notch below some of Philly’s best (like Bibou), but I can’t be quite so effusive in my praise. I would definitely return, but the wines and company were really the stars of the evening in my mind. 4 stars.
Service was good, although not particularly attentive. Good wine glasses. Cash only, $ 80/​person (counting a 25% tip).
Sláinte!

Recently had a private event at Birchrunville Store Café and it was fabulous! Not only was the food delicious but the staff and service was excellent and Chef Francis was very nice to work with in order to create a custom menu and finalize the details of the event.
The late spring evening drive was perfect, passing picturesque churches, horse farms and mansions.
Our menu consisted of :
Hors d’œuvre — Escargot, Tuna tartare, Duck confit and Pancetta wrapped shrimp
First Course — Truffled Goat Cheese Soufflé
Second Course — California Bass w/​wild asparagus and basil emulsion
Third Course — Rabbit Lasagna, Bitetto olive, chanterelles, baby leeks
Fourth Course — Napoleon of Sweetbreads and Foie Gras
Fifth Course — Buffalo w/​Cabernet sauvignon risotto, walnuts, mushroom fries
Dessert — Caramelized chocolate-​strawberry ganache; Lemon Dacquoise with almond meringue; Citrus Champagne sorbet
We paired some great wines including:
2006 Beringer Chardonnay Sbragia
2006 Saintsbury Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir
2000 Château Prieure Lichine
2006 Kracher Beerenauslese Cuvée
If you haven’t been to this authentic French-​Italian mecca, perhaps a pilgrimage is due. Remember to grab a few bottles from your cellar and make sure you have a reservation.
I believe the first Tuesday of every month they do a tasting menu only (normally they are not open on Tuesdays). Call them for details.
If you are passionate about food & wine and the menu above peeked your interest and you are interested in attending similar events in the future with similarly minded people, send me a note.
Cheers
Percy