Potential...again, not realized
Butter Bakery Cafe is a fair wage model casual coffee and dining spot in Mpls, with the 'tip' built into the pricing so no separate tip line at the register.
Order at the counter, food brought to your table.
First visit, so what are unique or interesting items on the breakfast/lunch menus? What stood out was the beet/carrot burger served on a whole grain bun with cheese, tomato, sprouts, and whole grain mustard. John opted for something more up his alley--the breakfast burrito. We perused the bakery case....but thought the frosted sugar cookie was ridiculously overpriced; other, larger items were more in line at about $5 each. You can also buy Hope Creamery Butter there...$6.
Quite a bit of seating was available--unlike the other
The Peace Coffee cold press was smooth, if a little light on flavor. The burger arrived open-faced and looking quite attractive...the server then brought a basket of chip 'choices'---all Rachel's. John's burrito filled a plate and was topped with black bean 'chili' and a smattering of grated cheese.
The beet/carrot 'burger' was delish. Be prepared--the texture of the 'burger' is not as firm as either a beef burger or even a veggie burger made from black beans or grains. But the flavor was delightful, the tomato was big and juicy, and the bun, while slightly overpowering, was close enough to be a good balance. Didn't notice that the mustard was missing until later [John: The beet/carrot burger was creatively delicious but quite small for $9].
John didn't fare quite so well. The 'chili' was cold (a common complaint if you reads Butter's online reviews), the potato chunks inside were waaaayyyy too big (another oft-noted problem); the potatoes weren't completed cooked, and all the egg was at one end. The 'toasted' tortilla was great on the outside...soggy city on the inside [John: Linda must have eaten the only 'great' bite. Overall the torilla was half dry and half soggy].
Having looked at lots of their reviews, they seem to have some lingering uncorrected issues. The cashier was fine---she was able to take our order the first time...others have said they've experienced the 'electronic zombie' cashier---unable to actually take in and process information spoken by a living being. But then the whole service thing fell apart. Tons of employees standing around...not much happening.
We were the only ones waiting for food...and it took about 15 minutes for our 2 items. Like so many places, no one came to check to see if we were okay with our order. That's probably a sign that they don't want to hear any bad news.
Typical 21st century employee 'issues'...one of the counter staff snuck around the corner to text so she couldn't be seen by the others. A guy with a clipboard (maybe an owner?) came around to get himself some coffee or water a few times...didn't interact with any of the patrons. No one said thanks for our biz when we left.
And, what is it about these places...do they all think the food code doesn't apply to them????? Here, the typical crazy use of gloves. A woman in the kitchen was cutting up food---with a glove on the hand holding the knife and her bare hand on the food. The guy making the food...yeah, bare hands all the way, baby. The hand washing sink was outside the main kitchen...we didn't see any employees approach it during our hour there...incredible.
So, a really good beet/carrot burger. But nothing else to recommend the place (we appreciate their fair wage approach)--uncomfortable chairs, disinterested service, cold food, lack of adherence to the food code...all says they don't care (and their reviews spell these things out pretty clearly). So, why should a customer care to go there? [John: I do appreciate the fair wage approach but I'm also appreciative of businesses that make me feel welcome and which deliver quality. If this was a traditional 'leave the tip on the table' place the tip would have been $0.00]
2 stars (1 for the beet/carrot burger alone)
We may start a new review policy that anywhere with obvious food code violations gets 1 star, no matter how well the rest of the place performs...because who wants food borne illness to be your memory of a dining experience?
Obligatory Restroom Photo
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