New Butterfields Is Open In Northbrook

Ok, so the Butterfield's on Sanders / Dundee is open.

We've been waiting for this one for a while now as a breakfast option close to the office. We ordered breakfast take out:

1. Belgian Waffle with bacon pieces in it. - $6.95.
This was the round, real waffle. Small. The person who ordered it was NOT impressed with the value at all. Served w/ margarine.

2. I ordered the "Garden Scramble." Bunch of sauteed veggies, scrambled eggs, swiss cheese w/ hash browns, pancakes - 7.25.
Pancakes were like a cross between Jiffy, and Bisquick brand. Fluffy, thick, and had a tiny, tiny hint of a cornmeal-ish texture. I found them pretty bad. Few bites, and I threw them out. Again, served with margarine.

3. One person was very happy with the "New Mexico Skillet" for 8.25.
They do not eat pancakes, however, and ordered toast.

The pancakes were the main deal breaker here for me. Other deal breakers included the fact that the food was served with margarine, and not butter, and then the prices.

I'm sure the pancakes might be better for somebody else's tastes, but for now, Butterfield's is on my "wait a few months before returning list." I can drive down the street to Mkt Square, and be VERY pleased with breakfast fare for about 3 bucks less, AND get real butter.

P.s. although I know that packaging "to go" orders is a secondary training concern for a lot of restaurants, for our order of one belgian waffle, and one short stack, we were given a total of one 2oz kraft foodservice syrup portion. I do know that common sense has fleeted a lot of people, so all I can do is vent at this point. Not much you can do about teaching people to think for themselves.

And yes, again, for those of you who are thinking like me, and not really believing it:
The waffle and pancakes were served with margarine.

http://www.butterfieldsrestaurant.com/breakfast.asp

I'm not a fan of Butterfield's, and can't understand why they would be popular (other than the fact that people go there strictly because of the location). They are mediocre compared to Egg Harbor and numerous other breakfast restaurants in suburban Chicago.

This one is much closer (relatively) to other breakfast joints in our office hood. After today's experience, it looks like the extra gas to get to the other spots will be money well spent. Never been to a Butterfield's. Live and learn.

I had lunch there yesterday and thought it was excellent. Food was great and service was outstanding. I had a cheeseburger with fries and my friend had a panini.
I m happy they opened as there is really a glut of decent places in that area to eat. I will be a regular Im sure
BTW the owner/manager was walking around the whole time I was there asking people how their food and everything was..did you bother to let him know your concerns?

No. This was a takeout order. I doubt if the manager was notified about two syrup deserving orders only getting one serving of syrup would garner much attention. That's not about their method, it is more about common sense. My issue with their pancakes is a personal taste one. As I said, I'll bet that there are others who would prefer this type of pancake. As for margarine instead of butter, that's not my preference either, and I found it surprising, but if that's what they do, then that's what they do. I'll give them another go in a few months time, but for right now, my breakfast spot will still be the Market Square even though I'm only about three blocks from Butterfields, and about two miles from Mkt Square. I might give them a try for lunch soon since you say it was outstanding. I hope they do well, and I can find something on their menu that suits me. It would be nice to have a good breakfast place so close to the office. Unfortunately, when I'm looking for breakfast before work, I'm usually looking for good pancakes (which are really just a vehicle for real butter, and sweet syrup). At mkt square I can get a plain omelet, hash browns, and two pancakes (plus real butter) for 5.16 out the door (including a 1.00 tip) and they really take pride in their packaging "to go" orders. We get large orders from there all the time (breakfast AND lunch) - and they always package up silverware, butter, salt/pepper, syrup, jelly, butter napkins, soup spoons, bread and butter for soup, ketchup, TABASCO SAUCE FOR THE EGGS, EVEN!! and never miss anything. I must sound like I am the mgr over at mkt square, but really, I have no affiliation. To prove it, I will tell you this - their chili, mayo, and beef stroganoff are all disgusting. Lol - I have eaten there, and brought my own kraft mayo packets with me. - But anyway, enough of that. I don't want to make anyone think Butterfield's is horrible or anything, it just does not seem like a good breakfast spot for me. Lunch might be a different story. Thanks for the lunch recommendation.

I'm just a half a mile away, so I'm hoping for a good lunch/brunch spot for a family. I think I'll give them a few more weeks to get the kinks worked out. I'll report back then.

I have to say that any place that serves margarine instead of butter is a restaurant I have no interest in patronizing. There are just too many restaurants and too little time to bother with fake food. I'll eat crap all day long, as long as it's genuine crap.

I was recently 'forced' to eat a meal at a Bob Evans Restaurant where, I learned, neither real butter nor maple syrup are available, so I'm a bit sensitive to this issue at the moment.

=R=

seebee wrote:No. This was a takeout order. I doubt if the manager was notified about two syrup deserving orders only getting one serving of syrup would garner much attention.

yes but it seems you were unhappy with more than the syrup issue.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I was recently 'forced' to eat a meal at a Bob Evans Restaurant where, I learned, neither real butter nor maple syrup are available...

What is the deal with some restaurants and margarine? On interstate road trips we sometimes stop at Bob Evanses despite their use of it, but it always piques my curiosity. (For us, it's obviously not a dealbreaker, but I still don't get it.) There has to be a rationale. Is it money? Is margarine cheaper than butter, and is it that much cheaper? Or is it some misguided "looking out for the health of our customers" rationale? Is it about storage (margarine "keeping" better, if it does)? Or is it based on the discovery by these restaurants of some (inexplicable) customer preference?

went back yesterday for lunch..had Kayana(Greek style eggs) along with a short stack of pancakes and everything was tasty. Pancakes were served with butter too.
I did ask someone about the margarine thing you mentioned just out of curiousity and the funny thing is they didnt even have any margarine on opening day ( I beleive thats when you were there?)because the shipment hadnt arrived yet. Apparently they do keep it in house but only for those who request it.

Head's Red BBQ wrote:. . . Pancakes were served with butter too . . .

Good to know, thanks.

=R=

Had lunch there on Wednesday with a few girlfriends. Realize it's brand new, but was definitely NOT impressed. Service not good: I ordered a mediterranean scramble, and even after repeating AND pointing to it on the menu, the waitress wrote down something like "betetarian" so she thought it was vegetarian. Oy.

It was served on a very large plate and the scramble did not cover more than 1/3 of the plate at most. I had the cheese grits (skip them) which were served in a cup so the plate was incredibly sorry looking. Didn't care for the pancakes, way too fake tasting for me, but the syrup appears to be real maple (at least according to the label on the bottle); it would have to say something like "pancake" syrup if it wasn't the real thing, right?

I'm walking distance from the restaurant and will probably end up there more frequently than I'd like due to proximity, but I'll wait a few more weeks before trying it again. For now, there's many other places I'll choose before Butterfields.

Head's Red BBQ wrote:went back yesterday for lunch..had Kayana(Greek style eggs) along with a short stack of pancakes and everything was tasty. Pancakes were served with butter too.
I did ask someone about the margarine thing you mentioned just out of curiousity and the funny thing is they didnt even have any margarine on opening day ( I beleive thats when you were there?)because the shipment hadnt arrived yet. Apparently they do keep it in house but only for those who request it.

I was there I think the day after or two days after opening date. It was definitely not opening day though. Glad that butter is avail, and margarine is not the norm. Another group from the office went yesterday and did not have a very good experience at all. There were multiple issues. One was brown water. Despite that, I will still go back in a month or so to give them another go. I want to like the place because it's so convenient for me. For the prices, this place should be hitting it out of the ballpark. I'm hoping that they will start doing so on a consistent basis. I know firsthand that newly opened places tend to have some issues before they start firing on all cylinders. I'm rooting for them, but it'll be a while before I go back and pay that much $ for something I can be happier with for a few bux less (for breakfast anyway.) Again, lunch might be a different story, but then again, when you're charging $9.25 for a turkey club and fries, it had better be REAL good, not just good. And if it's LESS than REAL good, then you'd better be prepared to take your criticisms. For all of the disappointments from my one visit, I do find myself defending the spot in my office. Most people do not even want to HEAR about this place for lunch after our breakfast debacle, but I try to tell them that the place is new, and we should give them another shot in a while.

sujormik wrote:
It was served on a very large plate and the scramble did not cover more than 1/3 of the plate at most. .

the scrambles are all 3 eggs..who eats 4 eggs at a sitting?

Head's Red BBQ wrote:

sujormik wrote:
It was served on a very large plate and the scramble did not cover more than 1/3 of the plate at most. .

the scrambles are all 3 eggs..who eats 4 eggs at a sitting?

This am, at work, we were having a discussion about the how "real" country breakfast places always double your egg order. If the menu says one egg, you will always get two. If you ask for two egs over easy, you will always get four. I've heard that a real farmers breakfast usually consists of a half dozen eggs, pancakes, snausages, grits etc. This is neither here nor there, but I can tell you that I can eat four eggs in one sitting. EASILY. I'd much rather have a bfast of four eggs and two pancakes than two eggs, hash browns, sausage and pancakes. That's just me tho.

seebee wrote:

Head's Red BBQ wrote:

sujormik wrote:
It was served on a very large plate and the scramble did not cover more than 1/3 of the plate at most. .

the scrambles are all 3 eggs..who eats 4 eggs at a sitting?

This am, at work, we were having a discussion about the how "real" country breakfast places always double your egg order. If the menu says one egg, you will always get two. If you ask for two egs over easy, you will always get four. I've heard that a real farmers breakfast usually consists of a half dozen eggs, pancakes, snausages, grits etc. This is neither here nor there, but I can tell you that I can eat four eggs in one sitting. EASILY. I'd much rather have a bfast of four eggs and two pancakes than two eggs, hash browns, sausage and pancakes. That's just me tho.

I have neither heard of nor partaken of any "country" restaurant that by default doubles your eggs(I suppose if you're a regular at name-your-small town diner...they might treat you "spatial"...and you could then wow out of towners with your pull). Personally, I'd be miffed if the two egg scramble I ordered magically doubled in size. And, it goes w/o saying, "a real farmer's breakfast" depends on the farmer. The farm family I'm closest to abhors eggs at brekkie...they do biscuits and gravy(homemade) and bacon plus cinnamon rolls(also homemade). I don't eat breakfast.

seebee wrote:

Head's Red BBQ wrote:

sujormik wrote:
It was served on a very large plate and the scramble did not cover more than 1/3 of the plate at most. .

the scrambles are all 3 eggs..who eats 4 eggs at a sitting?

This am, at work, we were having a discussion about the how "real" country breakfast places always double your egg order. If the menu says one egg, you will always get two. If you ask for two egs over easy, you will always get four. I've heard that a real farmers breakfast usually consists of a half dozen eggs, pancakes, snausages, grits etc. This is neither here nor there, but I can tell you that I can eat four eggs in one sitting. EASILY. I'd much rather have a bfast of four eggs and two pancakes than two eggs, hash browns, sausage and pancakes. That's just me tho.

maybe you are thinking about double yoke eggs..

i didnt say one COULDNT eat them..just didnt think many people did nor that many places served that as a typical egg dish
im all about better food and smaller portions but thats me...dont know of any place that just flat out gives you double of what you order.dont hink a place like that would stay in business too long if they did.maybe you are thinking about double yoke eggs..
anyway my comment was more toward the thought of someone ordering a 3 egg dish and then being disappointed that it didnt cover the plate end to end..

Very well could be double yolk eggs. I did not know that they could be harvested so regularly, tho. I have encountered the "double egg order" five or six times in my life in rural-ish areas. Most recently, the VIP'S down in Danville, Il. The Vip's chain is present in Illinois south of Chicago (I know there is one in Kankakee.) Not sure if they do it at the one in Kankakee, tho. At the one in Danville, if you order one egg, you will ALWAYS get either two eggs, or maybe one double yolk egg. If you order two eggs, you will always get either four eggs or two double yolk eggs... It very well might be double yolk eggs...I just did not think double yolk eggs were so abundant that every egg order at a place would be made with double yolk eggs.

1) Elly's on Milwaukee always serves double yolk eggs, my husband is blessed with great genetic cholesterol and he orders three over easy...yes, he eats 6 yolks. Along with the potatoes, pancakes AND an extra bagel. LOL

2) To clarify, the scrambler I ordered was egg-white only. It was still a fairly small portion compared to other local places I frequent often. I just think if you're not going to fill the plate, don't use an oversized plate!

when you say it was smaller compared to others though i dont understand..if the other places are serving 3 eggs omelet how can they be any "bigger"? 3 eggs are 3 eggs...maybe they are using smaller plates
Personally I dont see the difference in the end if you are getting what you ordered
I was eating in there the other day and some one at the table next to me ordered an eggwhite omelet and sent it back 3 times because it wasnt "burned'' enough..one reason Id rather eat in a restaurant than run one

seebee wrote:Very well could be double yolk eggs. I did not know that they could be harvested so regularly, tho. I have encountered the "double egg order" five or six times in my life in rural-ish areas. Most recently, the VIP'S down in Danville, Il. The Vip's chain is present in Illinois south of Chicago (I know there is one in Kankakee.) Not sure if they do it at the one in Kankakee, tho. At the one in Danville, if you order one egg, you will ALWAYS get either two eggs, or maybe one double yolk egg. If you order two eggs, you will always get either four eggs or two double yolk eggs... It very well might be double yolk eggs...I just did not think double yolk eggs were so abundant that every egg order at a place would be made with double yolk eggs.

there are more in the area than one woudl think that serve double yolks ..three place that I frequent come to mind...Sunny Side Up in Elk Grove..Teddys Diner in Elk grove..and as mentioned ..Ellys In Glenview

Late Saturday morning I had breakfast at Butterfield's in Northbrook, which is the newest outpost of this burgeoning, 4-unit chain. The space itself, in what used to be a McDonalds in the strip mall at Dundee and Sanders (sw corner), is clean, bright and nicely-finished with light wood tones throughout. It's also fairly loud -- as you'd expect with all the hard surfaces and high ceilings -- but not in an unpleasant way or one that's inappropriate for a breakfast/lunch place.

The menu is pretty vast but mainly focuses on eggs and other traditional breakfast offerings. Butterfield's is open until 3 pm everyday, so while there is also a focus on lunch, the menu we were given seemed more directed at the breakfast crowd.

The best thing we tried was the Belgian waffle with bacon, which was uniformly crispy on the outside, cooked through and topped with a generous portion of large, crispy pieces of bacon. Ham & Cheese lovers omelette was pretty flavorless and really dry. The picturesque hash browns that were served with the omelette were pretty much devoid of flavor too, even though they looked beautiful and had a nice texture. Instead of toast, I opted for 2 buttermilk pancakes with the omelette. They were odd in that they had a somewhat hard exterior which produced a thud when I tapped them with the side of my fork. I'm guessing this was due to their being made in advance, because they were also somewhat cold but I'm not really sure. Flavor-wise, they weren't bad, although the textural problems also continued 'inside the cake,' as they were a bit mealy and broke down way too easily under pressure of fork.

Syrup was not 100% maple but it wasn't the worst I've ever had. Butter was actually butter and it was served at room temperature in a ball in a small paper cup. It was salted and not possessing great flavor but it was ok. I'm spoiled because the butter served at Prairie Grass Cafe, our usual weekend breakfast restaurant, is unsalted Plugra, which is light years better. We also tried a side of the corned beef hash, which was, again, just okay. It tasted better than it looked, as it had a somewhat gray tone. I felt like we might have been served a mixture of several batches of hash because the green bell peppers in the hash (not a great addition to the recipe, IMO) varied from raw to soft and nearly beyond recogition. There was simply too much variation for it all to have been cooked together, once. The flavor was ok but there was nothing distinctive about it and the way it looked on the plate, it wouldn't have suprised me if had been entirely 'cooked' in a microwave. It appeared to have never seen the inside of a sautee pan or a hot griddle; nothing crispy at all about this cbh.

One other food note: even though we didn't order it, they do squeeze their own orange juice in-house and from the boxes placed near the large juicer, it appeared to be made from 100% valencia oranges.

Service was pleasant and thorough. Price for the 2 entrees, the extra side of cbh, 2 beverages, tax and 20% tip was $27, so it's definitely a bargain by north-suburban standards.

Overall, Butterfield's was nothing to write home about. Nothing was outstanding or compelling but nothing was offensively bad, either. It's safe, middle-of-the-road fare that's not going to knock your socks off, either way. I can't say I'd ever willingly go back but if I was with someone who wanted to go, I'd probably tag along. In the end, it made me pine for my usual Saturday morning breakfast at Prairie Grass Cafe. I ended up scratching that itch by going there for dinner last night.

=R=

I tried it out for lunch today. It was a pretty good lunch. I had a Popeye scramble. It was three eggs with spinach, bacon, mushrooms, and jack cheese. The ingredients were fresh and plentiful. It came with wheat toast and butter, and a fresh fruit cup. The fruit cup was a pleasant surprise. It had a real variety of fruits: strawberries, honeydew, watermelon, grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe. My son had the chicken finger kid's meal. It came with four rather large pieces of chicken. They were typical chicken fingers. Moist chicken and good breading. The fries were nice and crispy. We were there at around 12:30. The place was busy, but not slammed. The service was good. I thought the room was spacious and not too loud. Lunch for the two of us including tax and tip was $22.

Considering the convenience (we biked there) I'll definitely go back. I'll have to try some lunch options next time.

Well I have to say I was very Impress, I was at butterfields Thrusday for lunch the girl game up to are table introduce her name Gina and welcome us to butterfields
, She then told us about there fresh queezed juice and gave us a sample it was wonderful she sold us we all had a glass. I ordered the King of clubs it was big the turkey was real turkey it was great and I had there home made chips with sandwish great, my girl friend ordered there pancakes they were nice and fluffy and serviced with real butter I had a taste of them and I loved them. I thought the food was wonderful are service was great and fast and I like that Management walked around said hi and asked how everything was. We needed a new restuarant arounded us I only wish they were open for dinner. I would definitely go back. 5 stars for butterfield's

Head's Red BBQ wrote:

seebee wrote:Very well could be double yolk eggs. I did not know that they could be harvested so regularly, tho. I have encountered the "double egg order" five or six times in my life in rural-ish areas. Most recently, the VIP'S down in Danville, Il. The Vip's chain is present in Illinois south of Chicago (I know there is one in Kankakee.) Not sure if they do it at the one in Kankakee, tho. At the one in Danville, if you order one egg, you will ALWAYS get either two eggs, or maybe one double yolk egg. If you order two eggs, you will always get either four eggs or two double yolk eggs... It very well might be double yolk eggs...I just did not think double yolk eggs were so abundant that every egg order at a place would be made with double yolk eggs.

there are more in the area than one woudl think that serve double yolks ..three place that I frequent come to mind...Sunny Side Up in Elk Grove..Teddys Diner in Elk grove..and as mentioned ..Ellys In Glenview

Hi. I'm back in Danville, and have gone to the aforemention VIP'S twice for B-fast. These are not double-yolk eggs. If you order two eggs over easy, the waitress will ask you, "Two eggs meaning FOUR eggs?" (if you look like an out of towner.) these are not double yolk eggs. The yolks on these (both times I've gone this week) are VERY seperate, and the size of a large egg (and a decent sized large egg at that.) Two eggs here equals four eggs. Not two double yolk eggs.