South End Buttery

When you think of brunch places in Boston, one of the staples and "it" places is South End Buttery.  So when a friend who was thinking of moving to Boston came to town, we wanted to show her all the city has to offer and figured the South End was a must-see.  The Buttery seemed like a great place for brunch.  Scoring a reservation for 7 on a Saturday morning was even better!

We arrived on a rainy Saturday morning and were seated straight away.  What is deceiving is that you actually have to walk through the small cafe in the front to the restaurant area in the back.  However, the line of people leading to the back is a big tip-off on which way to go!  Thank goodness for our reservation!

Coffee

After a round of coffees were ordered, our group was chatting, catching up and looking over the menu. I quickly spotted the Buttery Bakery Basket and placed the order immediately.  With a mixture of muffins, scones, breakfast bread and butter and jam it was the perfect thing to start off brunch.  The variety of light and fluffy pastries accented with some berries was a great compliment to the morning coffee to help us settle in for the rest of brunch.

Buttery Bread Basket

Muffin with soft butter

With so many delicious looking things on the menu, it was a good thing we had a bunch of people - different orders, different things to sample!  Nick went with the breakfast scone to start because he really wanted to see what clotted cream was all about.  After a bit of research, clotted cream is a richer, nuttier spread than butter.  In addition he got the chocolate chip banana pancakes served with whipped cream and maple syrup.  The pancakes were rich but still light, so it could handle the additions.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Two others at our table got the Huevos Rancheros, which had cage-free eggs, quesadilla, black beans, guacamole, sour cream and a tomatillo salsa.  This was such a fun mixture of items definitely on the more savory side of breakfast.  The guacamole was tasty and flavorful, and mixed well with the beans and eggs.  The quesadilla on the plate was not really necessary with all the other food but provided a good base for the rest of it!

Huevos Rancheros

Other dishes included the smoked salmon and eggs.  I loved the salmon served as a side rather than as an addition to a bagel.  The side of greens provided a nice freshness to each bite.

Smoked Salmon and Eggs

The herbed goat cheese omelet was a nice dish but could have used a bit more...something.  There did not seem to be enough goat cheese in the omelet, but maybe that is because I LOVE goat cheese and crave that tang when I order a dish that has it.

Spring Herb and Goat Cheese Omelet

Finally we had the Buttery Breakfast, which is a classic breakfast served with 2 eggs any style, bacon, and pancakes (no toast here!).  This plate is great to satisfy people like me who can't decide between savory or sweet.  This works out especially well when you have some friends willing to share the their home fries!

Buttery Breakfast

While checking out the menu initially I spotted a drink called the Root Beer Float and decided I would definitely need to try it with my meal.  An alcoholic version of my favorite classic dessert - how could I pass it up?!  With a root beer vodka base all topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream this was such a great adult version of the traditional.

Root Beer Float

The Buttery has a great variety of brunch items that range from the more traditional to some with twists.  The delicious pastries alone would be enough to make me head back.  With lines that can get long, I would recommend a reservation or enjoying the to-go option!

Overall, the Buttery provided a great, welcoming place to catch up with friends over delicious food.