Butterfly Sushi Bar & Thai

08/05/08

Horrible Service

by AMP1985 at Citysearch

So I went to this place for the first time yesterday. I was kinda excited for a new place to get fried rice and some crab rangoon. But when I received my order, they had given me Chicken Satay. Too late, I was already back at work. I called them, and they offered me a credit for fried rice...

So I ordered delivery today, and they charged me $3.00 for the extra sweet and sour sauce. Then they gave me a delivery time of 45 minutes to 1 hour when I'm only 5 minutes away!

Also, their phone kept hanging up on me and I mentioned (since I was the first call of the day) that they might be having problems from the storms last night... to which she replied, "No, YOU have the problem." NICE.

It should be here in a half hour. We'll see if it's even hot.

And the crab rangoon is nothing to write home about.

07/17/08

Casual River West storefront draws locals with winning sushi-Thai-B.Y.O.B. combo.

by Fred Schlatter at Citysearch

The Scene
One of several storefront restaurants along this somewhat lively stretch of Grand, Butterfly is a long, narrow room, dimly lit and whimsically decorated. Friendly sushi chefs man the sushi bar to the left, and a host leads guests to tightly spaced tables and booths along both walls. Undulating orange wainscoting and pendant lamps echo the gentle "butterfly" theme, but thumping electronica keeps the energy high.

The Food
Butterfly sports a decidedly diverse Asian menu. Start with familiar appetizers--many of them fried choices, like crab rangoon, Thai spring rolls or shumai. Thai salads featuring greens, seaweed and seafood also make refreshing starters. Those choosing the sushi route choose from creative maki like the Americano featuring lobster salad, tempura crumbs, fatty tuna and tobiko. Hot entrees span Japanese to Thai: familiar stir fries and noodle dishes appear next to teriyaki, and interesting options like Gingered Beef served with peppers and mushrooms over rice.

Photo by Joeff Davis

08/20/07

One of the worst dining experiences of my life

by leila13 at Citysearch

I was with a group of 6 and we had reservations. I walked in first and the restaurant was packed - you could barely move. Despite the fact that we had reservations, we were shoved in a corner where we could hardly get into our table and had servers and customers hitting our chairs constantly. Our waitress opened all four bottles of wine as soon as we put them on the table without asking us first if we wanted that. She was very inattentive and, in general clueless. After we had finished our meal, we stayed to finish the wine (since all bottles had been opened!) and a server came by and took one of our chairs, leaving a member of our party sitting on a lawn chair. About 15 minutes after our meal had finished, the hostess came by and asked us to leave so she could seat other people! We had only been there for about an hour and a half and we explained that we were trying to finish our wine that the server had so rudely opened. She apologized and said she did not mean to offend, but all in all, this was the WORST dining experience of my life. The food was decent, though I prefer Coast for BYO sushi place. Save yourself the frustration and go someplace that is more professional.

• Pros: decent food, BYO
• Cons: HORRIBLE service

01/23/07

Consistently great Asian food

by chicagoknowitall at Citysearch

What a great find! I'm reluctant to write a such a glowing review because I don't want my favorite neighborhood restaurant to be too busy for me to enjoy it. C'est la vie. I owe them the positive marks. I've had both the Thai selections, as well as the sushi, and I recommend both. The service is very attentive and fast. All ingredients are of high quality and the prices are outstanding. Big cities like Chicago can be overrun with Asian places that disregard quality. It's best to pick such restaurants based on the recommendations of trusted friends. Butterfly is truly a gem. Please temper your enthusiasm --- I still want to get a table.

• Pros: The currys; the quick and attentive staff; great prices
• Cons: bad music

01/13/07

Delightful Experience!

by pabrek at Citysearch

Since it was B.Y.O.B., we brought a favorite bottle of wine. The waitstaff was very nice and offered to open the bottle for us. The prices were reasonable, and the sushi was fresh. The atmosphere was urban chic and very appropriate for those approximately 23-40. The house music (European) was a little loud, but not oppressive. All in all, the experience was enjoyable... we would go again, and we suggest you go a first time! Enjoy!

• Pros: Edamame.
• Cons: Restroom violation.

01/07/07

Ok sushi, small space

by pbjtime at Citysearch

This place is ok, nothing great. The space is way too small and the decorations aren't anything special. It attracts a good young crowd, however it seems like many people who were dining the night I went were mainly interested in getting hammered due to the BYOB policy. Prices were very good, but the noise level far outweighs the good value. Don't bring a date here, but if your looking to go and get drunk with your friends and eat some sushi then go to Butterfly.

• Pros: price
• Cons: noise level, average sushi

10/09/06

If you have a big group: The Best Sushi & Service!

by convincer2742 at Citysearch

Our reservation jumped from 8 people to 14 people at the last minute. The staff was more than patient with me and was so helpful when I asked for tables away from the window. The place is quite narrow but we managed to sit comfortably. The fact that this place is BYOB and does not have a corking fee is also fantastic. I am a very harsh critic when it comes to sushi and I was more than pleased with the sushi's portions and freshness. This place packs it in so you may want to place your sushi orders right away so that you're not waiting too long. We ordered so much sushi...20+ rolls, appetizers, noodle dishes, soups and it still came out to less than $30 per person. We even had leftovers to take home! We were so lucky to get a server that was extremely kind and helpful. They even served an entire cheesecake on the house for our entire party. We were definately impressed and can't wait to come back again soon.

• Pros: Service, Prices, Variety of Sushi
• Cons: Parking gets annoying.

02/25/06

User review by byrdiblack

by byrdiblack at Citysearch

The thai food is great and cheap. Fast take out and wonderful thai fortune cookies. Definately grab some crab rangoon.

The sushi may seem expensive, but when you see the size and presentation of maki monos then you'll understand the value. The interior is decorated to fill the mold of most modern sushi restaurants-- ambience/techno music, dark candle lit, faux finished, clean lined, sleek and mod.

Personally, I feel more comfortable grabbing take out.