West Chester Restaurants Yum!
ButterfishNEW!
A great addition to West Chester’s BYOB restaurant scene. This cozy new spot is perfect for those of you who are looking for a intimate place for date nights or gathering with friends. The food is fresh and fun with lots of tempting seafood choices. It’s hard to decide which is more diverse; the selection in-house smoked fishes or the amazing interior artwork. Hmmmm…
WC Dish recommends: Smoked trout, baked mac and cheese, Butterfish entree
See what other’s have to say about Butterfish Restaurant below on wcdish.com.
27 Reviews So Far Newest First
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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).
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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…
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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>
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For a good article on butterfish…..
http://radaronline.com/features/2008/02/escolar_hawaiian_butterfish_anal_leakage_01.php -
Great place for good food and friendly people. I give them an A++++
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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!
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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!!
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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.
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great smoked fish choices
ambiance needs some help
very loud - only with one other table in restaurant
music choice very off
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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?
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It’s noisy but it’s a GREAT place with excellent food and it’s BYO (who doesn’t love that?).
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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oh, so, so, SO good
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