Stephen L.
Yelp
Very nice gastropub kind of restaurant in Grand Rapids offering high quality meat-centric foods in an elevated setting.
Wagyu Sirloin from Snake River Farms ($30.75) - While the steak was generally pretty good, I do have a few points for improvement. First off, I had asked for it to be cooked medium, but it was more like medium-well. As a result, the steak was a bit tougher than I would've hoped for, especially given it was wagyu sirloin. The red wine reduction was pretty good with a rather light flavor, allowing for the steak to sort of speak for itself. The crispy onion flakes were a nice addition to the plate, as were the green beans. The potato gratin was good, but I think it could've been improved with a bit more crispiness to the potatoes.
Ricotta Agnolotti ($24.25) - This was delicious. The agnolottti pasta is kind of like a ravioli cut in half and stuffed with ricotta cheese. The asparagus helped the dish feel light and healthy. The guanciale (bits of salt-cured meat) also helped to complete the dish. The pasta was topped with garlic breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese, thereby finishing off this yummy dish.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp ($10.50) - A crowd favorite, this is like a perfect dessert, with the fresh strawberries and rhubarb to go with the almond streusel bits for some tasty crunchiness, topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was definitely on the sweet side, but that was partly just because of the strawberries.
We also got a mocktail for only $4. They can customize them however you'd like, and we asked for a "sweet and fruity" one, which was exactly that - a tasty and good value drink.
The restaurant itself has a really nice environment that is both casual and somewhat classy. There is a pretty big bar area, along with plenty of other table seating. The indoor area is decorated with a dark colored theme, making it feel warm and cozy. It is lively but still a comfortable volume for normal conversation. In addition to the indoor area, there is also a very nice semi-outdoor patio area in the back, which has walls around it but is open on the top.
This place seems to be one of the most popular restaurants in town and we had to wait for about an hour for a weekend lunch after putting our names down on the waitlist. Once we sat down, the service speed was pretty quick though. And our waitress was friendly with just the right amount of attentiveness.
Overall, while I did have a couple minor points for improvement on the steak (which was still good), the food here as a whole was delicious. Plus, with the nice environment and good service, Butcher's Union is certainly a great option for a nice lunch or dinner in Grand Rapids.