By Hannah Katz
The Saturday morning was cold and rainy, and the line was out the door. Walking up to the doors of Buttermilk in downtown Geneva, someone in my party rhetorically asked if it would even be worth it to wait in such a long line. We ultimately decided to crowd in the space with all the other hungry customers, and it was not a decision that any member of the dining party regretted.
Buttermilk has all the menu items of a typical breakfast joint, but they have other items that go above and beyond expectations. The food is delicious, the portion size in comparison to the price is astonishing, and the ambiance of the cozy brunch spot altogether make Buttermilk a winner.
The atmosphere of Buttermilk can best be described as modern rustic. With its exposed lightbulbs and white washed wood, walking into the restaurant, diners feel at home. After a 30-minute wait (which was a breeze compared to the 45 minutes we were told by the waitress) we were seated in a large booth by a window overlooking a side street, with the lovely view of the river in the distance. It was a small building and it was quite warm inside, but that only added to the homey, grandma’s house type atmosphere.
The service was incredibly friendly, the waitress didn’t check up on us too much or too little. Thanks to my slight caffeine addiction, I ordered coffee as my drink of choice. To my surprise, they brought me my very own pot of coffee that they left on the table so that I could refill my own coffee cup as I needed, and the coffee wasn’t watery or bitter like I was expecting. Rather, it was smooth and reminded me of something they would give you at a cafe in Paris.
My party had trouble deciding what to get, thanks to the expansive menu as well as our indecisive nature. This didn’t bother the waitress however; she was patient with us, and explained any questions we had. We ended up ordering a stuffed breakfast biscuit, chocolate chip pancakes, an egg white omelette, and lemon blueberry pancakes.
The food came out fast and was piping hot, and the portions were huge. No one in my party even finished half of their food. Everyone’s favorite part of the meal was the breakfast potatoes that came on the side with our food, which were fried and flavorful without being greasy. The pancakes were fluffy and the egg white omelette was cooked to perfection. The stuffed breakfast biscuits were overflowing with food and were just as tasty as they were unhealthy.
The meal cashed in at just over $40, a steal for the quality of the food and the amount being carried out in styrofoam boxes, sure to be enjoyed later. Buttermilk is a great brunch spot for every occasion, from a casual breakfast with family, to a fun brunch with friends, and it is a place that is sure to make a splash in Geneva’s surprisingly large breakfast scene.
Rating: 4.5/5