Why: Birch Street Uptown Lounge is located in downtown Camas. The lounge has a vintage vibe, which perfectly suits the 1928 building. The lounge provides an afternoon and evening respite to enjoy a craft cocktail or other alcoholic beverage with light food options. The lounge offers live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
What I tried: My dining companion and I tried the Uptown macaroni and cheese with bacon, the meat and cheese plate, the olives melange and the chocolate sundae. To drink we settled on hot toddies made with whiskey.
The meat and cheese plate was an agreeable combination: two types of salami, ham, smoked gouda, smoked cheddar, white sharp cheddar, Swiss, apple slices, seedless grapes, warm baguette, sweet-hot mustard and strawberry jam.
The olives were good as far as olives go. We were hoping for more variety in the cup-sized serving. The menu noted there would be five different kinds, but it appeared there were two types in a sweet, wine-vinegar brine.
Birch Street Uptown Lounge
Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight daily.
Where: 311 N.E. Birch St., Camas.
Contact: 360-210-7219; birchstreetuptownlounge.com
Health score: Birch Street Uptown Lounge received a score of zero on May 23. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
The macaroni and cheese arrived at the table bubbly hot with browned edges. The cheese sauce tasted somewhat ordinary, but the bacon and the broiled cheese bumped it up a couple notches.
The chocolate sundae was big enough to share, with three scoops of vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup and garnished with fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries.
We enjoyed the expertly crafted hot toddies.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Pulled pork sliders, brie fondue, artichoke and spinach dip, a hummus plate that consists of hummus topped with sun-dried tomatoes, warm flatbread, cucumber slices, carrots, and tomatoes, skewers (antipasto and caprese), mixed nuts, roasted almonds, and warm chocolate lava cake are the other menu offerings to enjoy with a craft cocktail, wine, or brew.
Atmosphere: The space has expanded since my last visit, which was several years ago. It has essentially doubled in size. The added space blends seamlessly with Uptown Lounge’s original handsome, dark-wood walls and Victorian charm.
Other observations: This lounge remains one of my favorite places in Clark County. All the elements of this establishment combine to create a one-of-a-kind experience that harkens from a different era. It’s not specifically about the food or the drink at this place (though they offer some fantastic craft cocktails), but rather the experience as a whole. Music begins at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cost: Food items are $6 to $18. Alcoholic beverages are comparable to other establishments.
