By Elina Urrutia |Staff Writer|

Bricks and Birch is a newly established restaurant in the heart of downtown Redlands, in the historic Fox Theatre building.

The shop features wood-fired pizza, salad, pastries, Stumptown Coffee and a variety of other goods made fresh each day.

The Stumptown Coffee was unlike anything I have ever tried.

It was poured into a glass from a tap, coming out frothy like a Guinness stout; the flavors were exquisite.

The shop offers many unique pizza combinations that are not available anywhere else.

I had the Thai Pie with the peanut sauce that was kind of spicy, but it had a nice kick to it, which made it great.

One of the best commodities Bricks and Birch has to offer is their meal selection.

“We can sub any cheese for vegan cheese and none of the soups have meat in them because Melanie, the owner, is a vegetarian,” said barista Jina Edwards.

The owners, Melanie and Dan, own a farm where they grow all their own oranges, grapefruit and as well as some of the vegetables that they make the soup with.

“Everything has like a vegetable base broth, we try to stay away from meats and chicken broths for soups, and for pizza we have a Gluten-free crust with vegan cheese that we make here,” said Edwards.

It consists of different fresh and natural options for just about any customer, including vegetarians and vegans.

“We sell scones, cookies, some kinds of cake and cheesecake. Usually, we try to have like two or three vegan and Gluten-free options,” added Edwards.

They are also considerate enough to provide dog treats for your special furry friends, who are more than welcome to enjoy their treat in the seating areas allocated outdoors.

“We used to come here a lot in the summer to study, but a bit less now because we are busy in school. I really like the pizza here, I usually get the mocha which is my favorite drink,” said Loma Linda student Shelby York.

“I’d say it’s student friendly, they have a lot of outlets and the Wi-Fi is great. I like how it looks inside, they play good music, and they have free WiFi which is a necessary thing,” continued York.

As a student myself, I know how important it is to have a calm atmosphere to study in, sufficient outlet space for phones, laptops, and of course free Wi-Fi, which Bricks and Birch provides.

“This place is cool, the atmosphere is relaxing I could see why students come here. I, myself, would come all the way to Redlands, a ten to fifteen minute drive from campus, to come and study or read,” said student Ernesto Rubalcaba.

The staff was friendly and attentive to their customers, which made the visit even more pleasurable.

Bricks and Birch is located at 101 Cajon St. Redlands, CA 92373.

It is open Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

It is a cool spot to gather with friends, grab a bite to eat, or study for exams.