Birchwood Bakery & Kitchen — Restaurant in Franklin

I wish that, like other reviewers, I had great things to say about my one experience here, but unfortunately, in order to be honest, I don't.

My husband and I chose this location based on their website. We arrived to find that the sandwiches and salads were actually all pre-made and sitting in refrigerated cases, not made to order. The slot for the salad I wanted was empty, so I asked at the counter and was told if it's empty, I had to pick something else, they weren't able to make the salad for me. I wound up having to pick a pre-made sandwich, plus an iced tea. My husband also had to choose from pre-made sandwiches. The ordering process at the counter seemed to be much more complicated and time-consuming than it had to be, the person who helped us seemed pretty unsure of what to do. It took a longer time than I would have expected (since the sandwiches were already assembled) for them to get to us, and when they did, mine was inedible. It was a "Caprese" on basil focaccia, but unfortunately it was almost completely without flavor, the cheese was melted to a rubbery consistency, and the bread on the bottom was so soaked through that I couldn't even pick up the sandwich. My husband's sandwich also lacked any flavor, and was overheated and soggy. We wound up spending over $35.00 on 2 sandwiches and 1 drink, and we left after only taking 1 bite because the food was awful. Went down the street to Wendy's because we were still so hungry, and got a decent salad for 1/4 the price.

Birchwood is a cute, trendy-looking place, but the staff was not welcoming or helpful, the food was pre-made and sitting around in cases, and it was not worth the price.

Great service and good food would have been totally worth it. Unfortunately, we...

I'm from Providence, so I'm not in the area often, but I've come down to Franklin twice this week for a lunch visit! The salads are beautifully thought out, usually mainly seasonal produce (without advertising that they use seasonal produce too, which I think is cool because it shows that it's more of a standard than a perk here) and the portions on all of their items are more than generous.

I come here whenever I get brain fog from not eating enough whole foods lol, and it picks me right up. I've noticed a lot of reviews regarding price, so I wanted to note that things are priced super similarly to our cafes down in PVD, but with bigger portions and fresher ingredients!

One thing about me is that I LOVE a London Fog, and have tried one from anywhere that will attempt to make one. That being said, the male barista behind the counter makes the BEST and most consistent London Fog I have ever had. I haven't caught his name yet but his craft is the main reason I make the 40 minute drive! This afternoon (02.19.25) I saw him make a stunning cocktail as well, so I'm absolutely pocketing that for a later visit.

There's a small parking lot in the back, and clearly marked street parking in the front. The lot gets a bit bad in the winter, but it seems to be a shared lot between the cafe, the nearby college, and (after a quick conversation with a resident) also the rental units down the street. So it may not be their lot to sand/plow! That being said, any/all parking is a warm welcome from what I'm used to...

Their cinnamon rolls have more in common with a cold, dry, plain bagel. Overly tough and bready, not much cinnamon, and the staff didn't even offer to reheat it. Their cinnamon rolls are the definition of lazy. By the standards of their cinnamon rolls, I could burn some homemade ones and call my business a bakery. I hear their sandwiches are better, so maybe they should stop calling themselves a bakery and just settle for sandwich shop.

Updated to add: This review is based not off of personal preference, but off of the objective fact that a bakery put out a gas station convenience store level of quality cinnamon roll. Cinnamon rolls are known for being soft, moist, having a gooey cinnamon sauce in between the swirl, and being served warm. This business sold it cold, tough, dry, and with minimal cinnamon--basically gas station quality, like the ones you get in a little plastic wrapper. Yes the review is harsh, but it was earned fair and square. Calling the business out for that is not intended as an insult to the staff or their personal work ethic, but as a reflection of at least one customer experience. Adding to the one-star experience is the owner's lack of grace in accepting honestly earned criticism of a single aspect of their business.

On a more positive note, I hear their smoothies are much better.

Peace,...