Birch Tavern in Groveport prides itself on affordable food
The Birch Tavern, a sort of elder statesman in the Groveport area, has evolved its menu recently to include options for the healthy-dining set.
Yet, it maintains the same warm ambience the hometown crowd has come to enjoy, general manager Brenda Corbin said.
“It is a hometown atmosphere,” Corbin said of the venue. “A lot of the regular customers have been coming here for 30, 40 years. There are no strangers. If you walk in a stranger, you won't leave a stranger.”
New to the menu is lemony hummus ($6.99), served with naan, olives, carrots and celery.
“It's wonderful to share, so you can decide what you want to eat next,” she said.
The chicken teriyaki bowl ($8.99) is another recent addition, featuring sweet glazed chicken breast and pineapple on a bed of spring peas and carrots.
“We did not do any rice on the bottom of it for the people who are carb-conscious,” Corbin said.
Ron Wolcott was the latest in a long line of family members who owned he Birch, but he died in April 2020. His wife, Kamala Wolcott, is now the owner.
A salute to the military personnel who work at Rickenbacker International Airport, who frequent the Birch on the weekends, the tavern created the Fly Boy sandwich ($11.99), stacked with ham, turkey, gouda cheese and traditional garnishes — lettuce, tomato and onion — and a special sauce on grilled Italian bread.
“We kind of wanted to honor our servicemen and women,” she said. “They come in here all the time.”
All sandwiches come with potato chips or fresh-cut fries ($1.99 extra).
The “Groveport pig” ($9.99) offers a batter-fried slice of pork loin with traditional condiments, mayo included, on a toasted bun.
“It's very tender, moist,” Corbin said. “It's definitely two handfuls.”
The Birch is serving up quarterpound all-beef hot dogs, some with a twist.
A customer favorite is the fried bacon dog ($6.99), wrapped with hickorysmoked bacon, with an array of toppings available to diners. Many opt for the chili and cheese, an extra $1.
The West Virginia slaw dog ($7.99) gets a topping of sweet coleslaw, chili and onions.
“You definitely need a fork and knife for that,” she said.
As the staple of any solid tavern, the burgers are held in high esteem by the customers and staff, Corbin said.
The sunshine burger ($10.99) comes with a choice of bacon or ham, fried egg and cheddar cheese. The western ($10.99), meanwhile, is topped with jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, barbecue sauce and beer-battered onion rings.
They are served on brioche buns, supplied by local Auddino's Italian Bakery, toasted per order.
“They are good-sized,” Corbin said of the burgers. “I believe they are fairly priced. (Garnishes) are chopped up fresh daily.”