Butterfly — Restaurant in Culver City

TINY portions, flavorless, and over-priced restaurant. The "vibe" doesn't make it worth it

We went at 5pm on a Saturday and were really disappointed.. When we arrived there was no host to check us in so we waited, then another party arrived behind us, and then a third. It wasn't until there were about 8 people waiting that they sent a host over to seat everyone. We were sat and a busser came and served us water immediately, but it took about 10 minutes for our server to come greet us. He wasn't particularly friendly and seemed rushed despite the restaurant being about half full. We were also disappointed by most of the food as the portion for everything was SO SMALL:

• Salt Air Margarita - TINY and just not good, has a bad odor to it • Spicy Cucumber Margarita - my husband liked this • Classic Margarita - the best of their margaritas, but we both agreed their drinks are so small • Chips and Salsa - fine, worth the $5 • Guacamole - $22, tiny portion, and not fresh, we asked for it without red onions and were told they couldn't be removed because the guacamole was batch made, no idea why they're charging $22 for not fresh guacamole • Ceviche Citricos - an absolute joke, there were only 7 tiny pieces of fish in the entire dish, and I mean TINY pieces, the dish was 90% citrus fruit, jicama, red onion, and sprouts, and 10% fish, the most disappointing ceviche I've ever had • Baja Fish Taco, Carnitas Taco, Poll Taco - all the tacos were fine, probably the only thing I'd recommend on the entire menu

Overall, we won't be...

Food was great, but service was worst I've ever seen. Or in our case, not seen.

Server rarely came to our table. It's not a large venue so it was easy to see him just standing at the bar. Wasn't getting or waiting for drinks. Wasn't cleaning. Just stood there with his sunglasses on.

One member of our party came slightly later than the other 4. They arrived 15 minutes before happy hour ended. 5 minutes after happy hour ended, our server finally came over and checked on us. Was shocked to see our new guest despite us telling him about a late arriving guest and when he would be arriving.

Food was really good, but I can't help thinking that it would have been better if we didn't have to flag our waiter down after every 15-20 minutes that he hadn't been to our table and ask about it. Every time he would walk back to the kitchen and walk right back out with it. How long has it just been sitting there?

After another long wait for dessert, we didn't bother with our waiter who was once again just standing at the bar. We were able to get the attention of a man who seemed like a manager. He walked back and immediately came out with our desserts.

Had to rely on another server to bring our check and take our payment.

Service can vary wildly based upon who you get, so your experience will likely not be the same. It appeared to just be this one guy. Every other server seemed very attentive to their tables. But you should know it's a place that puts up with this kind of service for at...

Okay Culver City, who let Butterfly Café be this cute AND this delicious? This place is like if Pinterest and your favorite brunch dream had a baby, then fed it avocado toast and told it to live its truth. First of all, let's talk breakfast--because this place doesn't just serve it, they elevate it. I ordered the breakfast sandwich thinking I'd be polite, classy, moderate. Next thing I know, I'm holding a tower of eggs, melty cheese, crispy bacon, and fresh greens between two thick slices of brioche that probably do Pilates. It was giving gourmet... with a side of "I need a nap." Then there's the French toast, which came out looking like it was styled by Vogue and sprinkled by angels. Perfectly golden, not too soggy, not too dry--just right, like a brunch Goldilocks. Topped with fresh fruit and a drizzle of syrup so pretty I almost didn't eat it. (Almost.) And don't even get me started on the veggie omelet--because I came here to be healthy-ish, and somehow still left full like I ate three cheat meals. Fluffy eggs, sautéed veggies, cheese that melted like it had feelings for me. I was emotionally attached by bite three. Coffee? Strong enough to bring you back to life but smooth enough that it won't judge you for last night's decisions. Service? Sweet as syrup. Vibes? Straight butterfly garden meets laid-back LA café scene. Butterfly Café is that brunch spot. Come hungry, come humble, and come ready to stare at your plate like it's the main character...