Vegetarian's Review of Butch's Place

Breakfast is my favorite meal and when a friend suggested Butch's Place, I decided to check it out. With a name like "Butch's Place", I was initially skeptical. I imagined a smokey diner (yeah, yeah, dinor) with greasy meat-loaded options. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.

First, we noted a small sign in the window stating it was a non-smoking establishment. Of course, that delighted us. We entered the diner and found it was clean, bright, and inviting. There was a small row of seats at the counter for the individual patron. The vast majority of Butch's Place had plenty of seating and the room was split into two sections. Although the restaurant was full, the volume of the crowd was not unreasonable with the exception of one man speaking in A REALLY LOUD VOICE about shooting things down and tearing down sheet metal. Honestly, the rest of us do not care.

As the waitress seated us, she asked if we wanted coffee or another beverage. Immediately, she brought hot coffee to our table. A nice bonus was finding Splenda at the table. Although most of breakfast choices had meat, the dishes could easily be prepared without it. I selected the Cajun eggs with poached eggs, onions, peppers, hash browns, wheat toast, and no ham. My husband ordered two eggs over easy with hash browns and rye toast. After we ordered, the waitress asked if we were vegetarians. When eating out in this city, waitstaff rarely inquire about our eating habits. The one exception was Cafe 38 and they were unbelievably accommodating. I told her that we are vegetarians. She said her daughter never liked to eat meat and when she turned sixteen, she allowed her daughter to become a vegetarian. We discussed how preparing meals for vegetarians is a lot simpler than most believe. I appreciated her understanding towards our eating habits rather than the usual accusations and questioning I typically receive when I tell folks that I opt not to eat meat.

She brought the food out within five to ten minutes. Everything was hot and the portions were quite large. The cook poached the eggs perfectly: runny but not so much that I feared an encounter with salmonella. The green peppers and onions were cooked just enough so they were not too crispy (burnt beyond recognition) or too soggy (where the grease could lubricate my entire digestive system). The potatoes were slightly dry and bland but if I mixed them with the eggs, they tasted fine. I would suggest cooking the potatoes with the onions and peppers to give them more flavor. Perhaps a little bit of fresh or crushed garlic and spices would give the dish even more of a kick. Overall, priced at $14.00 our breakfast was a good deal for the portions and quality.

On a side note, no eggs Benedict could be found on the menu. Since moving here, I have been on a mission to find eggs Benedict. The only restaurant which serves it is Eat N Park and it was literally one of the most disgusting meals I have ever eaten. Of course as my husband pointed out, I should have known. Fake orange cheese IS NOT a substitute for hollandaise sauce. So alas, I will continue my journey to find edible eggs Benedict's. Bonus to anyone who serves polenta eggs Benedict like Ruth's in Salt Lake City. Yummmmmm.

Butch's Place, 3330 West 26th Street, Erie, PA 16506