Bircher’s Grill provides enjoyable atmosphere

Bircher’s Grill is a new family-style restaurant on Main Street in downtown Lewiston. Their menu offers mostly American-style dishes along with surf-and-turf. The items discussed in this review are the Club sandwich, mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, bite-size steak and Cajun shrimp.

Upon entering, it’s hard to pinpoint its theme. There are winery signs, old car signs and modern canvases. Although it isn’t inherently unpleasant, it feels thrown-together and doesn’t provide an immersive experience.

Given the long rectangular shape of the space at Bircher’s, seating is open and does not offer much for privacy or opportunities to seat large parties. But almost all the seats have excellent TV views for a variety of games and events. During a recent visit, the music was fitting for the environment and provided a throwback feel.

Excellent customer service quickly overshadows any negative factors. The staff are quick and friendly and make visitors feel at home. Everything is clean, and tables are quickly cleared off after patrons leave.

For the chicken noodle soup. the flavor is incredible and strong, but the noodles fall short. During this visit, they were soggy and felt as though they had been reheated and sat for a while before being served. The soup was still enjoyable but it could have been fresher. The same goes for the mac and cheese. Although it’s good, it feels like the ingredients are not fresh — possibly made from boxed and bagged ingredients.

But Bircher’s shines when it comes to the sub sandwich. The number of ingredients and ratios all work well together. It is nicely grilled and not soggy at all. It comes with a basket of fries that are similar to flat jojos. Everything here has good flavor without being too salty in an attempt to overcompensate.

There are no complaints when it comes to the bite-size special. It comes with bite-size steak, Cajun shrimp, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and au jus. For this meal, the steak was cooked medium as ordered. It was tender, properly seasoned, and had an excellent flavor. Drenched in a buttery sauce with a hint of Cajun spice, the frozen shrimp do not disappoint. For the price, one would expect larger portions, but the quality makes up for it. The mashed potatoes and gravy come in the potato peel, which serves as the bowl. This is the perfect medium for its flavor profile and goes well with the main components of the dish.

Overall, the experience at Bircher’s is very enjoyable, but it doesn’t provide a lot to stand out from other similar establishments in the valley. For these reasons, Bircher’s Grill gets a 7/10.