The Birk

If you love blues music, then you probably already know what a rare gem this place is. The list of entertainers in this rather out-​of-​the-​way place is a who’s who of blues, like Nikki Hill, Guitar Shorty, Curtis Salgado, Danielle Nicole, and many, many more. The restaurant and bar are eclectically decorated, the hospitality is ridiculously awesome, the menu is small but everything on it stands out. There is lodging for like, no money hardly, in the renovated 100-​year-​old dance hall above the place, not fancy but soulful. The owners knock themselves out year after year to keep this place alive, and their efforts really show. HIGHLY recommended weekend getaway for music lovers!

When are they open? When are they not? The only place within miles and you just never know. The menu — not much. I know the music is the draw — but a decent menu and more consistent hours would bring in folks yearning for a place to go.

Take the top off your jeep, tell your gf to put on the blue eyeshadow, head West on Hwy 26, take a right when you get to logger-​land, slow down for the curves, and be polite to the guys in the hickory shirts and caulk boots, who hold their pants up with ‘spenders. When the Nehalem River Valley starts to work it’s magic on you and your odometer reads 1989, you’re at Oregon’s real-​deal roadhouse. Shoot for a Friday or a Saturday afternoon, plan on staying through the evening and save space in your belly for a smokehouse burger. You will not regret it, my friend.
Mike (Sam Elliot envies his mustache) and Wendy (sweet smile and sweeter disposition) run a special place in a special place. It’s never gonna get crowded in this valley; The Birk is never gonna get closer to civilization; and, the t-​shirts tell the truth: «It’s not that far.»
We’ve been traveling through this valley for a long time. When we rode Harleys, during that period of lifestyle experimentation, we stopped here when we got the chance; refueling with those special burgers and a beer. During those years we ran the H2C – prior to realizing that the party at the beach was never going to make it worth the pain of that third leg; nor would the sea air get that special van smell out of our noses for at least a week – we would stop a block away for pancakes in the early morning hours. During the past 10+ years, the proprietors have evolved this place from an old country store to a very special restaurant, bar, BnB, and music venue, without losing any of the charm or character and, in my opinion, while maintaining the same slow strolling pace of life that this part of the world is good at.
If the sun’s shining, the deck out back is huge and friendly. If it’s raining, which it occasionally will do in this part of the state, I hear, then the inside seating is just as plentiful and the hosts always have a minute to sit down and talk story, if invited.
So, yeah, I recommend it. ;)