West Chester Dish

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I think she meant to say that there were more than 2 people in the party but that 2 people did not have to chip in to split the bill because it was their birthday the dinner was celebrating.

$400 bill?? Impossible..Joanne, I think you are off your rocker!!

RE: "Joanne - March 07, 2009"
Why would you expect anyone to believe that two people spent $400 at a moderately priced BYO like Butterfish? Anywone who has eaten there or has even just looked at their menu would know, that unless you are a Cow, that is impossible. Why did you make such a post?

WOW! Ate there yesterday for lunch and everything was fresh, tasty and homemade. The chicken salad with grapes and apples was amazing. It was about $10 per lunch so not badly priced. Will eat there again!

This was the first time that I had been to Butterfish. I read some of the reviews here, so I was prepared for the noise, which was loud. We had a very nice server and the food was good, but I thought on the expensive side. But it was a birthday dinner for 2 in the party. We were having a woderful time until just after we paid the $400.00 bill, they came to us and asked if we would leave. I have been to alot of places, and have never been treated so rudely. Will I ever go back to Butterfish.....NO NO NO and I thank them for turning a nice experience there into a horrible one.......

It's worth the trip just for the smoked fish. I thought the smoked trout was the best I've ever had. I had the butterfish trio and my husband had filet mignon. The butterfish was outstanding. I thought the other two fish selections (tuna and sea bass) were very good, however, my preference would be to have just butterfish for the entree. The wasabi mashed potatoes seemed out of place with the fish. Rice might have been a better choice. The filet was perfectly cooked. We will definitely be back.

I keep returning which says it all.

I was there tonight on a first date per a friends recommendation. The food was exquisite, starting with an open faced fried oyster appetizer. The flavors just burst in my mouth. For my main course, I had the Filet Mignon. Typically I wouldn't try a steak at a 'fish' restaurant but went with the servers recommendation. The Filet was cooked to a perfect medium, nice and pink. It melted in my mouth. Corking fee is only $3 per bottle...not alot to ask for a BYO. I can't wait to go back again!

Ate for the third time on New Years Eve. The smoked fish apppetizer was outstanding, as usual.
We ordered off the special New Years menu. My Rib Eye was very good but my wife who loves duck breast ordered the duck special, which was actually a smoked duck breast and tasted not at all like duck but ham. We wished the waitress had informed us about this different taste befor we ordered. Everything els was very good and we will return again.

Visited 12/12/08. Dinner for 2. Short and sweet.

Service - Very polite, attentive, and gave my wife and I space to enjoy the evening. Did not feel rushed. Food came out in a timely manner and sever was knowledgable.

Food - High quality meal. Only minor details kept it from being an excellent meal. For appetizers, my wife had the black bean hummus. Hummus was overly salty, but not enough to send back. I had the smoked fish duo of salmon and lemon pepper shrimp. Was suprised to see the shrimp were cocktail size. However, both choices tasted very good, especially the salmon. Would get it again in a heart beat. Generous portions for both apps. For dinner, my wife had the butterfish trio. The portions do not look big, but the meal was more than enough. Enjoyed the five spice butterfish the most of the 3. I had the smoked duck breast with short rib crepe. The duck was outstanding - asked for it medium and it was spot on. Thoroughly enjoyed the smoke flavor and the barbeque sauce it was served on. Short rib crepe was a bit lacking. Great idea, but the short rib filling was not well seasoned and the crepe tasteless. The side of sweet potato hash was flavorful. Did not get dessert, but enjoyed a very generous cup of coffee (they were huge!) Overall, we had a great time and would recommend the place to anyone. Will definitely return to try other entrees and apps.

Went to Butterfish for my wife's birthday last week. We were not overly impressed.

First impression: Nice inside. Like the art on the walls. Noisy where we sat too.

Service: OK. Place was empty when we were seated except for one other couple. The waitress sat us directly across from them. Come on, the ENTIRE restaurant was open!!

Food: Dessert was the best. Everything else was average and I mean average. Who knows, maybe because it was a Tuesday night?? The butterfish was good but dry. And the apple salad; the lettuce had brown edges!

Conclusion: We will not be attending Butterfish any time soon. There are better places than this in WC (for the money).

Love Butterfish. One of the best restaurants in Chester County. Brilliant apps...love the smoked trout!!
Eaten there 3 times and was impressed every time.

Ed,

Regarding your question about MLT's supposed slam job of Butterfish, I know factually that the critic's harsh accessment was not highly looked upon by those she reports to at the mag.
While the article was supposed to be honest and upfront, the viewpoint from Butterfish (and other advertisers) to MLT's publisher brought forth the question "Why should we pay advertising rates to be knocked down so low in print?"

While I won't comment on the restaurant in question, I will state that the reviewer, Dawn Warden usually does an admireable job in telling it like it is without coming across as overly harsh, or on the flip side, too pandering to those holding ad space.

In today's web-based world where so many fancy themselves as critics, she's all-pro and the real deal.

I can't speak for Dawn but I'll wager she probably would agree that her smarm and bleak commentary might have been too thorny that particular time around.

Hope this helps, Ed...

Anyone know why Main Line Today Mag. decided to dump on Butterfish in their October 2007 issue? I love Butterfish, everyone I know who has eaten there loves it. It is really unusual for a suburban publication to give a really bad review. It's not good for their advertising department. What's the story>

For a good article on butterfish.....
http://radaronline.com/features/2008/02/escolar...

Great place for good food and friendly people. I give them an A++++

After reading some prior reviews, both pro and con we decided to try Butterfish. Some reviews commented on a lack of a pleasant greeting and some commented on the noise factor of the building itself.

We were greeted in a very friendly manner and promptly seated at a nice table that was properly set. We noted that every thing was clean and tidy.

The server was very cordial and helpful in outlining the menu and the night's specials. One particular thing that we enjoyed was that the server did not "hover over us".

The smoked fish apetizer was fantastic, one order is enough for two persons. It was elegantly served and showed considerable creativity with a terrific blending of the flavors of the fish along with capers, sauce and peppers. It short it was terrific.

My wife ordered the trout with crawfish. The flavors were also very interesting albiet with a bit too much cajun sauce. That is more of a personal opinion rather than a negative opinion.

I had the signature dish of butterfish. Suffice it to say it was one of the best pieces of fish that I have eaten. Again with the intersting blends of ginger etc it made for a very enjoyable meal.

In short, we will go back again and will tell our foodie friends of the great meal.

Well done!

I have been to Butterfish at least four times now. Each time I have had a great experience! The menu is outstanding and I have tried something new each time. They have a smoked fish appetizer that is just delicious! The staff is warm and friendly and very accommodating. Even the walls are inviting and fun, covered with paintings from a local artist. And it's BYOB!! I would definately reccomend it for a romantic dinner or an enjoyable night with friends or family!!

I went to Butterfish for dinner and loved it. It was hard deciding which entree to choose as they all looked excellent. I decided to go with the butterfish which was recommended by our server and I loved it. It was an excellent dish for a fish I had never tried before. I loved every bite.

Our server was excellent, although I forget her name...(old age already?). She guided us through the entire menu giving not just one suggestion but many for all different eaters. She was very friendly and even funny. It made for a very entertaining and enjoyable evening.

I would definitely reccomend Butterfish. Past reviewers are correct that the noise level is a little up there, and you definitely need a reservation on the weekends (we tried to go last weekend but were unable to get a time that we wanted). Overall, it was a great meal and we will be back.

great smoked fish choices

ambiance needs some help

very loud - only with one other table in restaurant

music choice very off

I took a friend to lunch here the other day. Not very crowded, good service, excellent food. My only criticism is that it's a little noisey. Even without a crowd. They should put up soft stuff to soak up the sound.

I would recommend it.

The crab stuffed scallops at the Restaurant Festival were delicious. I'm looking forward to going there soon. If it is anything like Spence Cafe, I'm sure it will be great.

I had lunch today at Butterfish. For my first visit I decided to try the entree salad, "Hot Smoked" Salmon on baby arugula with roasted pepper, grilled asparagus, toasted pine nuts and cucumber dill dressing. The salad was very good although I did not remember seeing any pine nuts and the arugula had small spots on it leading me to think it may have passed it's prime. Still overall it was very tasty, beautifully presented and the service was very good. I will definitely be back and plan on taking a friend with me next visit. Oh yeah, and you have to love the plentiful free parking!

We just had dinner last weekend at Butterfish and it was outstanding. The service was great. Kate, our server, couldn’t have been nicer and, from start to finish, the food was incredible. The smoked fish platter, especially the shrimp, was like nothing we had ever tasted and I had The Butterfish, which melted in your mouth! The atmosphere is comfortable and casual, we loved all of the original art on the walls. We will definitely be going back again.

Okay I can't stop going to Butterfish! I have been there for lunch and dinner both and if they had breakfast I would be there for that too!

I go there for lunch the most and have tried almost everything on the menu but it the tuna fish that keeps me coming back. Combined with just the right amount of mayo, and served mixed with chopped roasted red peppers and sweet pickles this is a DO NOT MISS! The bread--I can't even tell you how amazing the multi grain bread is.

When going for dinner, we had a wonderful time. The place transforms from a fun cool casual lunch spot, to a white table clothed, cool intimate dining spot. the lamb ribs were awesome! the sweet potato casserole was a slice of heaven and my friend got the crab cakes and i got the filet and we split the dishes...all I can say is wow. The crab cake was AWESOME (being married to a man from Baltimore I would know) and the filet, cooked to perfection.

The servers are always polite, and normally attentive. I have never had a bad meal here and like I said I am a regular. Definitely a must visit! Enjoy!

Excellent food. In the beginning the service was spotty but I'm sure that was just growing pains. I could make a meal of their small plates. Too bad they don't have a bar. This place is worth a try if you like eating early.

I had dinner here last night and emerged very pleased. With the exception of a seemingly disengaged appearing hostess, the service and hospitality rendered by our server was on point. The kitchen should be proud of their cooking skills.

I had a great salad/app of tempura-style squid that was dressed just enough so that the crust didn't soften, and a well made signature dish of sauteed butterfish with ginger beurre blanc and macadamia nuts etc. I liked the structure and flavor pairings in this dish but have decided that I can live without butterfish or escolar - it's not a very flavorful fish (which probably explains it popularity along with ugh, tilapia and other "not-fishy" fishes) and it's texture is too soft for me -almost as soft as Chilean sea bass.

An assortment of 3 smoked fishes with horseradish sauce, conichons and toasted bread was great, but a perfectly cooked order of tempura soft shell crab was made weird by a drizzling of something that tasted like the caramelized juices that ooze from a baking sweet potato. (My wife liked it though!)

All in all, I think the place is great and I would gladly go back. Oh, I almost forgot.

I also tried the Colorado style lamb ribs. Wow! Now that's what I'm talking about when I say the kitchen should be proud of their cooking skills- those ribs were butchered perfectly and cooked just up to the point before the meat begins to fall away from the bone. They had great color and the sauce was slamming. I swear on my knife kit, that I'll remember those ribs for a long time.

Nice job Butterfish!

I have been to Butterfish 3 times-- twice for Sunday brunch and once for lunch. I had my sister's baby shower there and it was perfect! The food was outstanding and the staff was great. Great food for a great price. I would recommend this place to anyone!

Butterfish is flat out awesome. The food is delicious and the atmosphere very cool. A great place to bring a large group of friends and a few bottles of wine. It's hard to choose from all the great entrees. Also the Sunday brunch is great too. Thumbs up to this place.

I've been to Butterfish several times and have been impressed by the high quality food and service each time. The menu is always changing and the chef presents the food beautifully. I would reccomend the soft shell tempura crab and crab cakes, both are excellent. I don't know what everyone is talking about with a loud ambiance, every time I am there during the week it is very quiet.

I've been to Butterfish two times for Brunch with my wife. The food is great but the service is sub-par as it is at many West Chester Restaurants which is no excuse. The smoked trout with bagel, cream cheese capers, onions and cucumber was divine as were the muffins. The smoked salmon, dill and goat cheese omlette was good but the eggs were dry. I asked the server if the omlette came with potatoes and he said no. I ordered a side dish and the omlette came out with potatoes and he bought the side dish too and charged me for it. Bad mistake. I'd go back to Butterfish again just for the food but what's wrong with the servers in West Chester?

It's noisy but it's a GREAT place with excellent food and it's BYO (who doesn't love that?).

We've dined at Butterfish several times and never had a bad meal or a bad "reaction." The smoked fish sampler melts in your mouth. The service is attentive. You don't have to fight for parking. And what's with the comment about sitting near the kitchen? The kitchen IS IN THE BASEMENT!

I had the title dish on my first try there and had absolutely no side effects at all! Some food adventures are shaky at best, but you'll never know unless you try it. I still reccommend the butterfish!

Jen-your friend might have had a "normal" reaction to the butterfish, aka escolar or EX LAX fish. I was served this fish once and got violently ill and had no idea what it was from b/c like you my friend who tried some was fine, but apparently some of the oils in butterfish aren't properly broken down and can't be digested in humans, so larger quanities (6 or more ounces) can produce a laxative affect and oily dishcharge(it sounds like the side affects from those fat free chips!). I personally will never touch this fish again and find it scary that there's a restaurant featuring it, but it's not a 100% sure thing that this will happen if you eat the fish, but I'm not going to take the risk!

Food was okay. Atmosphere was nice until we sat down. We were seated near the kitchen but it felt like we were sitting IN the kitchen. A worker was cleaning silverware right behind us and dropping them loudly into the tray. The place was full of people and loud already which is to be expected but that kind of added noise was very distracting and annoying. My appetizer was great. I had the polenta. But my chicken dinner was only so-so. My friend had the oysters for an ap and the butterfish for an entree. She enjoyed both but I came to learn the next day that she got violently ill that night. I felt fine. Our server was nice and pleasant but when she told him it was my birthday, he just said ok and brought us the dessert menu and we were charged for our selection. All-in-all I'd have to say I was disappointed with my experience here. Next time I go to West Chester, I will be trying out some of the other places and not going back to Butterfish.

oh, so, so, SO good