Orchard

I rarely take the time to review a place. Only if I’m really in love do I write one. Orchard is one of those places. Why aren’t there neighborhood peeps pouring out of this spot?! If you want a homemade meal using organic veggies, delicious organic meats and cheese, orchard is your spot! I’ve had many breakfasts and dinners here (our fave is the $ 10 gourmet burger and beer Tuesdays) and have always loved every bite. For all the haters who think it takes too long, chill for a second and think about the one chef who is in the kitchen making our wholesome meal and appreciate your plate once it’s served.

My sister and I came here from brunch and it was NOT good. I pretty much eat anything if I’ve already paid for it, but my sister’s pancakes were truly rubbery. I ordered an egg dish that was fine, but the description was almost completely different than what I got. And it was pretty spicy which was also not said on the menu. I also got a croissant that was fine. But not good. Won’t be coming back.

Really delicious food, with a wide variety and decent prices. Their modern take on Russian cuisine mixed with new American makes for some great dishes.

While the food was decent and priced fairly, it took a seriously long time in a (literally) empty restaurant to get two egg dishes on a plate. We were the only people dining-​in at the time, so there’s really no excuse for a wait like this.
The woman working didn’t seem to care about much and was just roaming around the place confused. Didn’t refill our water or ask how our food was until handing us the bill.
Adding to the experience (in a not-​so-​positive way) the dining room feels like the back area for a children’s birthday party, sort of like a white-​walled Carvel entertaining room, in other words… somewhere you wouldn’t want to be unless you absolutely had to (for the kids to make a mess).
I’m not sure what they’re aiming for, but things need work in lots of areas. It’s all over the place.

Nice little spot that does it right. Lots of items to choose from on the menu, and location/​décor and great service makes for unique experience.

This place has a lot of things going for it: good size portions at reasonable prices, a nice and fairly spacious décor, and a large and diverse menu. The main drawback is really the food itself.
We came here during the holiday weekend, and it was so empty (and dark) that we thought it was closed at first. I ordered their fruit punch (non-​alcoholic), which was pretty good. Also tried their Bloody Mary, which was probably the worst Bloody Mary ever. It seriously tasted like badly mixed V8 and vodka.
We ordered the Siberian dumplings, the smoked mackerel salad, and a side of polenta to share. I liked the dumplings the best, which came in a rich broth and were filled with beef (you have to choose the filling). The mackerel salad was kind of awful. A bunch of iceberg lettuce topped with some dried up mackerel fillets that looked like they came from a can, some sundried tomatoes, and salad dressing that was so barely there, I’m not even positive there was any. The polenta «side» could have been a main on its own, it was HUGE and pretty tasty, although it’s hard to mess that up.
We might have ordered the wrong things, it’s hard to say. It’s also worth noting that there were two people working the entire restaurant, the server/​bartender/​host, and the cook, so maybe things are better when they aren’t using a skeleton staff. The service was quite slow, although I could see she was certainly trying.

Found these guys on Unilocal,without too many reviews, so we decided to check them out for brunch. The first thing you’ll notice is that they have a crazy extensive menu! The place was empty when we walked in on a Friday, but filled up with a big party shortly thereafter.
For drinks, I ordered the Bloody Mary, because the photo on the Unilocal page made it look amazing. Too bad it actually sucked. Nice as she was, our waitress/​host/​server just did not know how to make a good Bloody at all. No celery, nothing on the rim, no spice to it. It was pretty bad.
But onto the food!
I went with the Siberian dumplings. The menu is confusing because you get a bunch of options, but it doesn’t tell you to select one. I went with the «meat», which I had to ask the waitress to clarify (it was beef). They came in this nice broth and there was a bunch of them to an order. Thick skin soup dumplings, essentially. Very Eastern European.
Also had the smoke mackarel salad (it’s listed as smoked whitefish, but mackarel is an option), and it was just… a very sad excuse for a salad. It was just some haphazardly sliced iceberg pieces, a few sundried tomatoes, and a hint of dressing. Very disappointed with that one.
One thing I wasn’t disappointed with was the portion size of the sides. A side of polenta was actually a gigantic bowl. It was ok, but definitely have had better.
Hoping this place is better for dinner service, as it definitely has potential. One of the best things it has going for it are the prices. Everything was actually very affordable!

Stopped in here after a trip to The Other Half brewery, primarily because Orchard is BYOB friendly and we had a couple of growlers. Turned out to be a gem and we were really happy with the food and service!
We split the avocado chips and pickled greens, and the Siberian (meat) dumplings. I really liked the dumplings but others in our party thought they were a little on the bland side. At any rate everything was clearly fresh and well prepared.
For entrees I had the short rib and sampled some of the duck ragu pasta. I loved the rib, polenta and accompanying greens. I’m not generally a fan of whole wheat pastas but that dish was pretty great too. The only thing we were disappointed by was the side of risotto, it was served way too hot, and was grainy and felt like it needed more seasoning of some sort.
Anyway we were quite happy and I’ll definitely be back.

I have had breakfast/​brunch at Orchard twice. Both times I was amazed at how tasty and unexpected the food and flavors were. Today I had the hash cabbage and two eggs. The purple cabbage was tangy and zingy, a good balance against the the perfectly cooked eggs and satisfyingly crisped potatoes. My dad enjoyed the smoked salmon sandwich with crème fraîche and greens.
Orchard also has some wonderful artists showing – today the work was by an excellent ceramicist, Sabrina Magnus. The interior of Orchard is appealing and light despite having one window at the front – and it is a treasure box of unexpected flavors and visuals. Recommend highly – nothing else like it in the neighborhood!

My first time here, finally!
I had the smoked mekerel salad, my husband had siberian dumplings and we had a side of polenta. We shared everything and all was perfect and delicious.
The side of polenta could have been a main dish. A place definitely to try!

So glad this place opened literally across the street from me. It is so cute inside and everyone is really friendly. Most of the food is truly excellent and seasonal. There’s been nothing that I *didn’t* like, though the portions are small and a little pricey — I would simply be happy to have more :) This is an excellent option with many varied menu choices if you’re in the area though!

We had dinner at Orchard midweek. Only one other couple was in the restaurant. Unfortunately service here is very, very bad. The one waiter has 0 personality and never greeted us or asked if we had questions about the menu. It took him about 10 minutes after we were seated to come and take our order. Again, there was only one other couple in the place! When the food finally came out about 20 minutes later, it was pretty good. However, the lack of service means we will not return.

A calm, pleasant, pretty oasis on Columbia street. The food is yummy and nurturing, the staff is sweet. Must visit! I feel lucky that it’s so close to my own home. Great place to read a book, drink soup, sip wine or coffee or green juice. May it never close!

I had a great chance to visit this area. A friend of mine invited me to Orchard for dinner, he told me that this restaurant offers organic food. It was hard to believe without trying. A waitress, who took care of us, gave an advise to try whole trout and short rib. And it was wonderful. The fish was without bones and so crispy outside and juicy inside. Instead of main dish we ordered a couple appetizers, artichoke dip and shrimp to start. Everything was delicious. I tried Old Apple Tree cocktail and to be honest I wasn’t expected it could be so good. I’m really exiting with this place. The special atmosphere, good music and nice stuff made my night. Thank you guys for your great job. I’ll definitely be back and take my friends with me.

We came here for dinner 2 weeks ago. I was excited that this was a farm to table restaurant. Everything looked good and I couldn’t decide on the cocktail but the friendly server suggested the Haymakers’ Punch. I had 2! It was amazing!
Next was the Kale salad. Grilled. We also ended up ordering 2 as well! What a delicious flavor. Crunchy and a bit smoky. I am craving one now just thinking about it! We then shared the fish salad — tasty although with the fish already being fatty there was no need for so much dressing on the salad. A bit too greasy. We finished with a burger which was also very good. No room for dessert but the waitress kept on mentioning the risotto dish so we will have to go back! Overall great food and amazing service and ambience.

What a great find! Food is so fresh and flavorful, very interesting menu, original, off the beaten path, but deliciously simple. And tea is served in fine porcelain cups. How special is that! We loved it and will definitely come back.

Hidden gem! This place is pretty new with an evolving menu. They take pride in fresh, locally sourced produce in a comfortable dining setting. We had pretty much half the menu with a party of 6 people. Started with a bottle of red wine (domaine faillenc Saint Marie Corbieres) — a pretty bold, full body dry wine. Then had mussels in black bean sauce — reminiscent of an Asian dish that uses the same flavor, fried goat cheese, polenta with kimchi and brussel sprouts, fried kale, gnocchi, and roast beef sandwich. For main, we had a super flavorful beef short rib, fall off the bone chicken, grilled whole trout, and lamb. THAT lamb! OMG. Perfect medium rare with a sauce that adds nice acidity and brightness to the dish. Finished the meal with ice cream from van leeuwen and a loaf with homemade jam and ice cream. This place makes superb jam. Overall great spot!

I’ve been eying this restaurant for weeks now and tempted by the smoked mackerel advertised on the mini tripod sign outside the front door, I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.
Unfortunately, no outdoor seating so I had to leave the pooch at home but I sauntered back and ordered the broccoli salad and the smoked mackerel. Both came out in appetizer or tapas portions, which seems a bit pricey until you take the first bite.
The broccoli salad was mixed with generous portions of almond, cherry tomatoes, and figs and brushed lightly with farmer cheese and toasted barley. It was fantastic. The broccoli was roasted and lightly chilled.
The smoked mackerel was amazing. Each bite of smokey goodness was on a small piece of toasted baguette with healthy sprigs of watercress, small leaves of basil and pretty cheese shavings and citrus. Every bite was a taste of heaven.
I also ordered the fermented rye drink ($ 3)and then it hit me. This restaurant reminds me of the community supported kitchens in Berkeley, California, that I loved, with its homemade sodas and farm cooked meals in human portions. While I’m used to halving meals at the same cost and saving leftovers for the next day, I’ve always said I’m willing to pay a little more for smaller portions of creative cooking and Orchard Café nails it.
I’ll be back to try the rest of the menu.

Tried this new addition to the neighborhood this evening with my daughter and enjoyed a really delicious meal. The soup of the day was a chilled roasted cauliflower soup that was really fresh and very flavorful, with hints of Dijon mustard and a very pleasant tartness.
For dinner I really enjoyed the short ribs with garlic polenta, cranberry beans and horse radish. The meat, although slightly on the dry side, was very flavorful and did come apart easily. All of the flavors worked together very nicely. The polenta was particularly delicious.
My daughter enjoyed the mussels with a lemongrass, garlic and ginger broth served with crustinis. I tried some and the broth was wonderful!
They don’t have a liquor license yet. Our server Viktoria (more about Viktoria later) said that they should have that squared away sometime in August.
Lastly, we shared and much enjoyed the profiteroles with a house made jam that was outstanding!
Ah, back to our server Viktoria. She was awesome! She knew the menu inside out and was able to guide us through all of the various selections with energy and enthusiasm. She was very attentive through the night and made a delicious meal that much more enjoyable by virtue of her attentiveness, knowledgeability and positivity.
Orchard seems to focus on fresh and seasonal, locally sourced organic produce and it showed in the food. The freshness was very apparent and refreshing.
I hope to see the Orchard blossom and I’ll certainly be back to peruse more of their intriguing offerings! Great addition to the ‘hood!

Came here w my bf yday for date night after hearing great things about it – and all of it was true! I love the restaurant décor and later, had the opportunity to meet w the owners and was informed their daughter, who is an artist, created them.
To start off, their menu changes all the time and its written on the wall with chalk. They also list the ingredients in the food, which is a great idea because most restaurants only list them on the menu and by the time u get the food u totally forget what ure even eating.
We had the PEI mussels, broccoli salad with figs and feta cheese, pickle platter (my fav!!! It has a variety of items like beets, apples, etc.), marbled potatoes, the chicken (forgot the fancy name) and the short ribs (forgot the fancy name as well). All of it was amazing and everything was organic!!! We had the honor of meeting the chef and he explained that he goes to the farmers market to shop for these ingredients. Lovely!
We were told that its BYOB or alcohol for the time being. They also serve brunch, which i’m going to go back for! There is plenty of parking around the neighborhood. They also sell pickled items in mason jars and jams!!!
Awesome place! Cant wait to try more items from their upcoming menus!