South End Buttery

I love the salmon bagel, but it is not always the same! (Sometimes is not fresh)
I like their coffee, i always get cappuccino and it is always hot (a positive point)
And the other thing i love, is the oatmeal terrine! Its sooo yummy for breakfast.
BUT you shouldn’t go here if you are in a rush, the service is really really slow like it takes 10 minutes to just order a ready sandwich or bread and pick a juice from the fridge and pay!

The salted caramel mocha and bacon chive scone were the perfect beginning to my long work day. YUM. Approved.

Nothing to get excited about. No better than crappy airport food. Would not recommend. There was 2 people in the shop and it took them 15 min to toast my bagel. Not a fan.

If this place grew their own lettuce, spent years aging their own cheese and imported their croutons from an upscale bakery on Mars, it still wouldn’t be worth $ 9.00 for a Caesar salad. It didn’t even have chicken in it!
The coffee here is great and most of the dancers from Boston Ballet snack here, so there’s always that if you’re a ballet fanatic who enjoys a cup of joe.
But seriously don’t over pay for sub par food sold to you by someone who doesn’t smile. Picco is right around the corner and way worth your hard earned cash.

Parking is not great and the food at this location is limited, but all in all its about the coffee.
That said, this place will always be the best in the south end.
I do recommend the Shawmut location of possible.

I frequent the café a lot but yesterday my friend and I decided to get lunch from the smaller take-​out place next door. Really great food and sweets but the service was extremely slow. One thing that really bothered me was that the girl behind the counter picked up a s’more bite with her bare hand (there is no wrapper or anything) and handed it to my friend. That is not okay in my book!

3 strikes and you’re out.
Strike 1. Out of food.
I love the South End buttery on Shawmut, so when we passed by this location around 1:00 on Saturday, I was super excited to give it a try. However, my excitement was tempered when I realized they had basically run out of food, six hours before closing time? They had what appeared to be remnants of a thanksgiving dinner– brussel sprouts, stuffing and salmon. I think they also maybe had some muffins.
Strike 2. Rude to the lady trying to pay.
Loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear: «NO No! Ughh I REALLY wish you hadn’t swiped yet. *SIGH* Now I’m going to have to re-​enter the WHOLE thing.»
Yeah dude. I’m sure she is super sorry about trying to give you money? I can see why you’re upset.
Meanwhile… I read the menu and realized they had quiche. Score! Food!
«Oh, we’re actually out of quiche.»
Bummer. No food.
Just as I was debating whether I could make a meal out of sprouts and stuffing…
Strike 3. Stop yelling at the customers, bro.
«CAN EVERYONE JUST FORM AN ORDERLY LINE? INSTEAD OF THIS MOB?»
Man. I’d love nothing more than to form a line. I bet the other customers would too. We are super into lines and order in Boston. (And as far as mobs go, it was pretty polite, with people trying to figure out where to stand not to jump the person who came in before them.)
Unfortunately, with our customer powers combined, we can’t make your store any bigger. Get one of those line guide things to snake people around if this is a problem. We had nowhere to stand.
I hadn’t communicated my growing frustration with my husband, but he must have been equally annoyed– I just looked at him with eyebrows raised and he headed for the door.
Chances of returning here, ever? Zero.

I live close by and is saddened by how bad things are here.
Coffee:
There’s only one person at this establishment who understands coffee (A– letting water run before you put the handle in so the stream of water is fresh, B– starts the water as soon as the handle is in, otherwise you burn the coffee C– stops it in time before the espresso gets diluted D-​makes sure to mix it with the milk right away, otherwise the espresso becomes sour E-​feels the milk pitcher underneath while steaming for the best temperature). Having this said, I never go in unless I see Michael working.
Food:
If you think I am paying those prices for meat that is not organic or humanly raised or local or antibiotics free you can think again. I wouldn’t mind paying those hefty dollars for responsible meat, but the way it is now there’s no way.
Hope they change their ways because in theory what they are offering is great!

I have been to this establishment 6 – 7 times hoping every time for a better experience. The service could not be worse. If you want good service, find a McDonalds. The prices on food have gone way up making the options less appealing for what you get.
The clientele that goes there are wives of wealthy husbands. Little regard for people in line before them and they push their way in.
The coffee is average and nothing stellar. The oatmeal is a smashing hit along with the breakfast burrito but for $ 10.00 it’s not much. The pastries are average. If you have been starving for a few weeks. There are plenty of other establishments in the Southend with better pastries that amuse the taste buds and appeal to the eye upon first contact.
One worker commented to another worker behind the counter that no one gives them tips. I instantly responded with «really» as tips come with service. Lack of service means no tips. The clue was right in front of her. My time, energy, and hope for this place is all gone. Time to spend good money elsewhere.

I LOVE the South End Buttery, and this mini, second location is so nice! Love the food. Love the drinks. Love the original Buttery’s mini me.

EXCELLENT COFFEE. I normally have to have a tiny bit of syrup in my coffee just to mask the bitterness of the aftertaste… This place has coffee so good that I didn’t *have* to have a shot of anything in the cold brewed coffee that I ordered! I highly recommend. I went two days in a row while on my vacation… maybe three…

Cute little neighborhood café and bakery. Brunch here is better than the café menu, but if you know what to order, you could easily become a regular.
I liked my salmon and cream cheese bagel, but I would avoid the oatmeal terrine and the frittata. They were both on the hard side. The gluten free banana walnut cake was delicious.

I am starting to become concerned that Bostonian’s either a) have low standards for coffee and bakery shops or b) they have no idea what good coffee and bakery goods should be.
I tried the Buttery while vacationing last year and upon moving here earlier this year (big mistake on the latter). I do not know what has changed. It was not a «go to» place as much as it is a convenient place since the south end food establishments lack a decent cup of coffee or a decent coffee shop that knows the pour and brew methods of espresso. If you’re only willing to pay your baristas $ 8/​hr to terribly froth or over steam milk (two big DO NOTS in the espresso world); maybe providing them a little more guidance on how to (like not having only a manger make espresso drinks) or even increasing their wage may bring a little life into your staff.
so in desperate need of a caffeine kick since i was out of beans for home espresso brew, i stopped by here as its en route to work. being the hippie i am, i always carry my mason jar around and asked if the guy only fill it halfway with milk (because they did not know what a cortado was). So what did I get? A cup full of foam and barely any milk to cut the espresso. i should have known what i would get since he did not know what a cortado was. i decided on a pastry for the road, a croissant which was fine, nothing to jump up and down about.
the customer service could be worked on; generally not bad but they seem never to pay attention to the situation at hand or are trying to help too many people at once.
Has anyone else noticed that they recycle Formaggio Kitchen’s thanksgiving menus? Just a side note. I loathe the unoriginal, further hate businesses even more when they ride the back of others. Especially when they begin to carry products months after another business down the street does. Boring folks. Why not try on improving the business you have and not recreate another?

The other location is WAY better– and if I have time I go there instead. I get the concept — this is more of a quick to-​go stop for coffees, pastries etc — but they don’t even have a toaster or oven to heat things up — why would they offer an egg and cheese on a roll and serve it cold??.
I come here quite a bit to grab a quick coffee or cappuccino — hot or iced — always good. I’ve also grabbed soup and salads from the prepared section — also good.
Staff is hit or miss– some are super nice and friendly, others are cold and seem like they don’t want to be there /​my presence is an inconvenience.
Also, I think they could have done a lot better with the space — the set up/​layout inside is very odd — there is no good place for a line to form and there are seats/​counter in front of the milk/​sugar station which only one person can access at a time.
Prices are also really high. In this area there are just a lot of better options…

Really nice hostess & waitresses but rude counter people.
Saturday brunch was good, interesting take on eggs benedict with manchego on a biscuit. The hollandaise was fresh, but could’ve used a little somethin… maybe lemon? My friend’s potatoe’s were awesome, all nice and crunchy, next time I need to order those. A little on the expensive side as other’s have mentioned.
When I was leaving, I stopped at the coffee/​cupcake counter and the employees were not very nice about what line we were supposed to be forming, after we’d been waiting on the «wrong side» and they acted like they were bothered by having to take our order. I hate that! at least try to fake a smile!

high end, boutique sandwich and sweet shop.
unique offerings, but expect to pay for the privilege.
FOOD: my salted caramel ice cream sandwich,
made with 2 macaroons, was take out from a freezer.
It was also a whopping $ 7.50…and not meant to share.
PRICES: NO PRICES on items in refridgerator,
which is your 1^st clue that their prices are HIGH.
STAFF: Although quick to greet us, they were cold,
in that they had no follow up to «Hello.»
I prattled on about their wares. They replied… nothing.
THE DEAL: a small store to sample the local culinary artists.

I’ve been here three times now and have yet to be disappointed! I went this past weekend with my future sister-​in-​law. We had a reservation for 8pm, ended up being seated at 8:15pm. I was late getting there because there is NO PARKING anywhere (which is the reason for the loss of a star). I know they can’t really help this, but it’s a huge bummer. I ended up using another restaurant’s valet… which was more than I had hoped to spend on parking.
Anyway, onto the good stuff. Food here is amazing. I had the Buttery Meatloaf (which I’ve had every time) and it’s awesome. I don’t even like meatloaf but for some reason I’m drawn to this! My companion ordered the mussels and raved about them. We also had yummy cocktails – mine was prosecco with some other liqueur in it – amazing! We also split the chocolate mousse desert, which was great as well.
After we ended the meal and had left the restaurant… the host chased after us (almost a block down the street) because my sister-​in-​law left her scarf in the booth. Now that’s customer service! :)

Decent spot for a coffee drink and pastry. You’ll also find an assortment of drinks and light food. I’ve heard the dinners to-​go are good but haven’t tried them yet. It doesn’t appear that the dinner are made in house there because I’ve see the SE Buttery delivery/​catering van out front a bunch.
I wish this place had tables and chairs. I also wish they served breakfast sandwiches and desserts. I had high hopes based on their place on Shawmut. Don’t be fooled like I was and expect the same.
Overall, this place is a decent addition to our area.

My friend and I were walking back from a Swedish Fair when we noticed the slogan on the Buttery’s door, and thought it was clever: Stay Calm and Carry Out. We also hoped they were a British themed tea shop, but I think they just had tea and weren’t specifically British. They had an interesting assortment of prepared foods you could buy. A lot of teas and coffees. We ended up getting an iced chai latte that was somewhat disappointing. It had no spicy flavor at all and tasted like regular tea. We also tried the butterscotch scone (they had a lot of unique scone flavors) and it wasn’t that great either. It felt dry and crumbled as we tried to eat it. I did see some other tea flavors that I would love to try– maybe if I’m in the area again. Somewhat pricy for what we got but that’s what you expect in the Back Bay.

a takeaway outpost of this south end staple has opened at a well walked but food-​underserved stretch of Clarendon, with colors and styling at home on a chichi London borough high street. from the deli, a selection of antipasti, grilled meats, sammies and goodies from the Buttery’s gleaming new bakery on Shawmut which i gotta say am now big on (esp. pumpkin bread).