Butch’s Dry Dock

Visited Butch’s with friends for lunch. It was not my first time here. I ordered the salad special of the day which was mixed greens with a chocolate balsamic, strawberries and burrata cheese. The server advised that it came in full and half size but did not provide the price of each and she never asked which I preferred so I am not sure exactly which I received. The salad I received was very small, did not include a roll. It tasted only ok. When I received my bill I was amazed to learn the price was $ 13.00. Again not sure if it was the full or half size but it seemed to be the size of a dinner side salad. The only protein on it was a few drops of the cheese. I don’t have a problem paying $ 13.00 for a salad, but I expect not to be hungry when I have finished it and I expect some sort of protein. I won’t be ordering salad if I visit here again.

We were visiting Michigan for our ten year anniversary and were referred to Butch’s by our bed and breakfast Castle in the Country. We arrived early for our reservation and they already had our table available. Our server, Dustin, was spot on with his descriptions and recommendations for dinner. We started with the Spanish octopus, which had wonderful grilled flavor. I had the Michigan whitefish and my husband had the scallops. Both entrees were delicious and went well with our Sauvignon Blanc. We finished with the chocolate mousse and a 10 year Tawny port wine. The service was outstanding and the food was exceptional. I would highly recommend having dinner at Butch’s if you are in the area. I hope we make it back someday!

Went here for a first date in Holland with my now-​husband. The food was very good. The atmosphere was very nice, classy. The service on the other hand was sub-​par. The server and bartenders sort’ve seemed as though it was a chore to be there, unfortunately.

My wife and I had a really enjoyable dinner at Butch’s Dry Dock last night. I had the scallops (perfect) and she had the Michigan white fish (fantastic). From a Brie appetizer to the crème brûlée desert I don’t think it could have been any better. Our server was friendly, efficient and she was at the table at just the right times.
We are out of towners but will be back to enjoy more of Butch’s very soon.

I’ve always had very good food and service here. I had the Michigan white fish with carrots and snap peas on the new spring menu. Very good. Nice selection of beer and wine, too.

We absolutely LOVE Butch’s and he really hit it out of the park with the new menu. The food preparation is marvelous and really pairs so well with the essence of Butch’s which is the best place to buy wine anywhere on Lake Michigan. If you are in Holland, it’s a must go. We live in Saugatuck and we are fortunate to be so close by. Great retail wine selections of course, whites and roses chilled in the cooler section for those warm summer days. Don’t miss Butch’s, we love it and he is there working all the time which adds that special owners touch you don’t see anymore. ENJOY!

Went here with two really good friends for dinner. Overall the food was excellent and the pairing was perfect. I had the halibut lobster special and some pomme fries. The three dipping sauces with the fries seemed house made and were delicious. My halibut was perfectly prepared and had this creamy lobster sauce. We had wine, appetizers, different entrees and even dessert.
However the server lacked in any emotion what so over and seemed pushy to kick us out. She came over, didn’t introduce herself, and just went through a boring lackluster routine. What would you like? What kind of wine? What entrée? What dessert? Alright thanks see you guys bye. She seemed preoccupied and wanted to just push our order through without the lack of emotion. She rudely wanted to take our unfinished plates away. Are you finished with your wine? Uhh No. Its empty and needs to be refilled.
If you pay top dollar for good food I would expect the service to follow. $ 300 for 3 people and you are going to just push us off to the side and treat us like we are eating at iHop. No thanks. I expect more from butch’s and hold them to a higher level of service. Disappointing.

This is the third year we have gone to Butch’s for their New Year prix fixe menu. It’s a great deal with wonderful culinary surprises and, at times, confusing wine pairings. Let me start by saying that this year the food was outstanding. My partner and I tried nearly everything on the menu and there were no disappointments. In particular, the lobster bisque was spectacularly rich and complex in it palette. The meat selections were prepared perfectly and the quantities were abundant without being grotesque.
Unfortunately, all was not rainbows and butterflies. Service was spotty and uneven at best and the atmosphere where we were seated (in the back by the bar) was more reminiscent of an Applebee’s (complete with televisions showing football) rather than a fine dining establishment charging upscale prices for an upscale experience. Communication prior to dining was also frustrating with no information on the web site and several unreturned emails seeking information. The sommelier was trying to be helpful, he really was, bless his heart, but he was in a bit over his head.
The live music was a nice addition this year but the balance and sound quality was off at times, making it more if a distraction than an addition at various points during the evening.
Will we return? Certainly, but tonite may have dimmed the bloom on the rose a bit. Hopefully in the future we will remember to ask to be seated differently and things will regain their luster.

We meet friends from Grand Rapids at Butch’s Dry Dock 3 – 4 times a year and have never been disappointed with the meals or service.
Ted K

Great dinner tonight! My boyfriend and I shared a small butternut squash soup (deliciously creamy with a little sweetness), tonight’s special — oysters Rockefeller (oysters on a half shell with creamed spinach, breadcrumbs and hollandaise), and the wild mushroom bruschetta! It was all delicious and the perfect amount to share!

We really look forward to Butch’s when we’re in Holland. They offer a charming space, appealing menu, and good food. This visit my family tried scallops, lamb chops, and the burger. All were well presented and delicious. Service was prompt, though a large group nearby was taking our server’s full attention. He juggled these demands reasonably well.

Decent restaurant choice for the area. Instead out back in their patio deck — nice!

By both my definition and also Unilocal’s a 3 star rating is an overall good experience. I’d really like to give this place a 3 ½ star rating, but unfortunately I’m forced to round either up or down.
We had a good sized group of people (I think there were about 18 or 20 adults) and were planning on hitting another restaurant for a late lunch, but on the day we were going we were told it would be a 2 hour wait to be seated (oops, whoever planned our festivities didn’t think to make a reservation). A couple people in our group recommended Butch’s so it was decided this would be our lunch spot since they could accommodate the fairly large group on basically no notice.
I was starving but there was no way I was going to pay a lot for what I thought would be tiny portions so I just ordered a sandwich although not expecting much from it, a petite salad and a coke.
When my sandwich arrived I was disappointed when I saw it. The reason is it came on bread that was not toasted. Normally when I order a sandwich at other restaurants it comes on toasted bread. Yes, the bread was not toasted as I expected, but the good news is the bread was very tasty so therefore it didn’t need to be toasted. Actually in hindsight now I think the chef was smart not to toast it since that would have probably affected how flavorful it was. I can’t tell you what type of bread it was, but I can say it was definitely not any of the national brand white breads you’d find in your local grocery store. Another pleasant surprise was that the sandwich also had a lot of meat on it. Again, I was expecting to not get much bang for my buck being a nicer restaurant than I normally go to, but they surprised me. Also I’d requested it without tomatoes and sure enough it was made properly. I know that sounds silly since of course it should come the way I ordered it, but the reality is it doesn’t always happen. Another aspect I liked was there was something else in my sandwich that I really liked but I couldn’t identify what the flavor was that I found intriguing and good. My first thought was that there may have been some butter spread on it, but I don’t think that’s what it was. The point is though that whatever the chef put on it added flavor and value to it.
My petite salad that I paid a little extra for lived up to the billing and was certainly petite in size but it was only $ 1 so who cares. What made this petite salad special was the house dressing they put on it. I think they may have said it was made in house when I asked them, but I could be wrong on that point. What I can clearly remember though was that it was really good! I liked it so much that I inquired and was told they could sell me some so I bought some. It is much better than the bottled stuff from the grocery store shelves. Yes, it was a little pricey, but I don’t mind paying premium pricing if the food justifies it and it did.
Now, for the reason I rounded down to a 3 star review instead of rounding up to a 4 star review. The young lady that served us did an OK job, but nothing that made me sit up and take notice.
It was about 2:30 p.m. on a Saturday and the restaurant seemed pretty empty except for our group, but I’m not familiar with the layout of Butch’s so maybe there was another dining area out of sight that was also busy which could explain why our large party without a reservation may have caught the restaurant in general and our server in particular by surprise.
What I did notice that didn’t impress me was that after my coke was completely finished it took her at least 10 minutes to offer me a refill. I did see her once at the table refilling waters, but that was the only refills I noticed her doing, but who knows maybe I missed it other times when she was there. To try and be fair to my server I do realize it’s a fine line they have to walk in making sure their customers feel they are being catered to, but also being mindful of not hovering over them and being a pest. It’s for that reason that I’m not saying it was bad service. I’m just saying that for my personal preferences it could have been a little better.
Due to the pleasant surprises I enjoyed during this lunch I think I may consider returning some evening for a «real» meal. I think the chef earned his/​her wages that day. To make what was basically a cold cut turkey sandwich taste really good was an accomplishment so I’m interested in seeing what he/​she can do with a real meal.

We had a late lunch here on a lazy Tuesday afternoon. The setting is lovely, the staff pleasant. The food was delicious, and they have a huge beer and wine selection. This restaurant is a solid four stars.
So then why only three? Communication. Switching the included side salad to a Caesar («no problem!») Incurred the full cost of a separate side salad. Asking for the anchovies to be included incurred an additional $ 2.50 charge (and then they were sardines and not anchovies, which I actually prefer, but jsyk). The kicker surprise, however, was to find an uncorking fee of $ 3.00 for the beer! Each beer! That’s actually more than the beer itself cost! Look, a $ 6 beer isn’t unheard of, but just tell me up front it’s $ 6 not $ 3. All these little avoidable surprises ended up souring what was otherwise a delicious meal.

This was our first visit to Holland. We came to Butch’s since it was recommended by a few others. I’m also a big wine guy, so the idea of drinking a nice bottle for only $ 10 over retail instead of double or triple retail seemed like a cool concept.
When we arrived, they’d written «Happy Anniversary» on our table, which was a nice touch (they asked if we were celebrating anything special when I made the reservation).
The wine selection was pretty nice, but mostly featured newer vintages not ready for drinking (I was looking for a Cab or Cab blend). I managed to find a 2007 Col Solare for $ 60 (+$ 10 corkage), which was a great buy! Unfortunately, finding this great deal was one of the only highlights of the evening.
Service: I asked our waitress to decant the bottle for us. She did, but instead of leaving the sediment in the bottle, she shook it into the decanter. Kind of defeats the point of decanting, doesn’t it? I’d give this a pass at many restaurants, but if you’re going to tout your wine list, staff should be trained in the basics of wine service. Unfortunately, things got much worse from there.
We started with a shared plate of fried zucchini, which arrived quickly. After that, it took 30+ minutes for us to get our salads. We then waited another 30+ minutes for our filets. When they arrived, my wife’s (ordered medium-​well) was very well done and mine (medium) was medium-​well. It took 5+ minutes before our waitress came to check on us so we could tell her. She promised to get us new ones right away. «Right away» turned out to be 20 minutes. One of the managers (Aaron) brought them out this time and was mildly apologetic. I should note that we’ve ordered steak at many high end steakhouses over the years and have only sent a steak back once or twice. We’re not difficult diners, but this experience wasn’t good.
We should have known better since by this point we were in a hurry to catch a show, but we decided to order dessert anyway. Twenty more minutes passed before it arrived. Yikes!
Food: I could excuse the poor service if the food was excellent. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The filets were high quality steak, but could have used a bit more seasoning. The new potatoes, broccoli, and cheese sauce (?) served with them were incredibly uninspired and bland. I can easily do a better job at home.
The desserts were excellent, but by this point we were late for our show and had to shovel them down, so we didn’t really get to enjoy them like we would have liked.
Our reservation was at 5:30 and we didn’t get out the door until almost 8:00! Total bill came to $ 230. I expect much better at that price. Very disappointing and we won’t be back next time we’re in the area.

My wife and I ate dinner here for our anniversary. We made reservations online which I highly recommend doing.
My wife had the roasted corn soup for starters and I had the salad special which was a mix of kale and other greens along with avocado and grapefruit. Both were tasty appetizers.
For our entrées, my wife had the seared lamb and I had the pork belly which was another special item that evening. The lamb was cooked perfectly and so was my pork belly which had a nice crispy outside.
I would recommend this restaurant if you want a little more of a fine dining experience in downtown Holland.
My only negative comment would be the price, however they do have items like a burger that seemed reasonable for a fancy restaurant ($ 13).

Overall, solidly decent food. But the appetizers are definitely small for the price.
Flat bread — Not quite what I expected. The sausage isn’t in big, juicy chunks as I was expecting. Instead, it was mixed in with the tomato sauce. The amount of sauce wasn’t very generous and nor were the slices of mozzarella.
Goat Cheese Plate — Small portion of cheese and small portion of jam. The bread it is served with looks like cheap wheat bread with the crusts cut off.
BBQ Pulled Pork — My friend enjoyed the this sandwich! She seemed to the think the sauce and the coleslaw was good and liked the fries as well.
Chicken Tacos — My husband enjoyed these very much. The bite I had I thought was fine, but nothing special. I also thought the fries were just fine.
Burger — My burger was probably my favorite of everything and was nicely seasoned. However, the chips it came with looked and tasted as if they just came from a bag.
Wow. This review sounds like quite a downer. Honestly, the quality was absolutely fine! I just thought it was a little pricey and would’ve expected something a little more special. I’m sure I’ll go back because of the nice location and and atmosphere.

Butch’s gets 5 stars for Holland, Michigan cuisine, and here’s why: Butch’s was my introduction to good food and drink while I was at Hope College. The bartenders always took good care of us, and the food was consistently superb. One weekend I came in twice just for the gorgonzola mashed potatoes. Don’t be turned off by the price — your taste buds deserve dinner at Butch’s.

Enjoyable dinner. Dinner companions from the North of England said the bangars needed more sage chunkier onions and some red wine or lea perrins. They also were too thin and hot in the middle and cold on the outside. Nice mashed potatoes but a little buttery. My filet was good but needed to be hotter. Caesar salad was very good. Nice addition of anchovies and cheese. Good service and nice atmosphere.

My wife and I made a reservation here on our trip to Holland as the menu seemed to stand out from other restaurants in the area. We were seated at a great table right next to the window which gave us a nice view of downtown Holland. The service was excellent and our server made some helpful recommendations. Our entrees were fantastic — almond crusted chicken for my wife and ribeye for me. I ordered my ribeye medium but it came out just a touch overcooked — not much pink in the center. However, it was still very juicy and flavorful. The shittake mushrooms served on top of the steak were perfect as was the sauce. My wife loved her chicken and said it had great flavor and texture.
Desserts were excellent as well. Wy wife had a chocolate mousse tort and I had the butterscotch crème pudding. Both were light and flavorful.
Great beer selection with lots of Michigan (and other) brews to choose from. I’m not a wine person, but they have an extensive selection.
If you are in Holland and are looking for more of a fine dining experience, Butch’s is the place to go. We will be back!