The Buttery - Malvern — Restaurant in Malvern

This is not the Malvern Buttery I knew and loved!! The buttery opened my senior year of high school so my friends and I just started driving, I spent hours at a time here studying and catching up with them throughout college. It felt like a cozy, bright little house, always calm but filled with families and little kids and laughter! I also loved the whole set up where you got the board and served yourself. I was so excited to take my boyfriend here. I've been telling him about the $4 toast and spread bar, and the little bowls of yogurt, eggs, salad, or oatmeal you could add to your plate. Now there's none of that. I know it's a bakery, but I loved this place for the bowls of healthier options that were smaller portions. I feel like no other cafes have anything like that. I don't eat a lot of baked goods but don't want to spend money or have a full 'meal', so their offerings really filled that gap.

We drove all the way there only to find it cramped, overcrowded, and there was no where to sit so we just had to leave. I'm not sure how they still have a business if there's only a couple tables and bar stools? I watched other groups walk out when they saw there was no seating too. Coming here used to be an experience, now all they seem to care about is these large bulk orders and to-go stuff. There's a massive fridge taking up space and the kitchen expanded so far forward into the space it's basically the entire floor plan. Highly unwelcoming, uncomfortable, and a stressful experience as opposed to the communal tables and family style foods of before.

We took some food to go and went elsewhere to sit and have coffee. I'm really picky about pastries and don't eat a lot of sugar or greasy foods, so I didn't like anything we got, but I feel like it's not fair for me to comment. Also, I feel like spending $32 on a couple items (4) is worth it if you can enjoy the space and get some work done or sit with a friend, but not worth it for take out.

The coffee was never amazing, but I think it's better than any chain, and I'd take it alongside the good food. I recall the flourless chocolate cake or tart being amazing, it still looked good! We had dinner plans, or else I would've tried one of the salads, definitely need to try the miso hummus too. I'll probably grab one to go cause they looked incredible. Meat looked perfectly cooked and the flavors sound fresh and interesting. I wish the hummus was available like how the servings used to be, not in a massive format, because I'm traveling and can't take bulk things with me! So frustrating!!

I will say, I think there used to be a massive table in the middle with no seating? And the couches were not super effective at maximizing space. So I totally support the decision to rearrange the layout. But not to this extent.

Overall super...

I don’t typically write reviews but I feel like I need to share something my son has done, for which I’m unsure if he should be celebrated or punished. It’s kind of a ‘Joan of Arc’ situation. Yeah, she saved France; on the other hand, definitely a witch. I’ll explain.

A couple of days ago he ordered a ‘surprise bag’ from a local bakery ‘The Malvern Buttery’ via the ‘Too Good To Go’ app which contained something like 47 cakes, a sandwich, a bowl of oatmeal, and some croissants for which he paid like 35¢ and a stick of bubblegum. (Also a cronut, which I’ll describe later.). Then he went to Georgia and left half of it with me.

The cakes are cinderblock sized cakes which have been compressed into a 2”x3” brick, each containing the annual sugar cane production of a small Caribbean island.

The croissant is something even my European wife would respect. Anyone who has had an authentic croissant in Europe understands that true croissants are only baked in the Croissan region of France. Everything else is just a sparkling dinner roll. But these rogues evidently had the gall to steal the technology and fill it with marzipan containing another metric ton of glucose coma inducing delicious insanity.

Finally, the Cronut. This isn’t just any run-of-the-mill-snake-oil-selling-traveling-evangelist cronut. This is God’s Cronut. It’s like Jesus has returned to this earth and opted to become a baker rather than a carpenter this time around. I can see the ICE raids now with all the other Buttery employees saying, “No, no! It’s a different pronunciation!”. Anyway, I’m not sure how our savior can keep those fantastic abs in his new chosen profession.

But the worst part was the fact that it was all sold through the ‘Too Good to Go’ app, which, for those unfamiliar, is a way for restaurants to sell their leftovers at the end of the day at a discount and have less waste. However, the Buttery seems to be sending a different message. This entire avalanche of wonton taste bud desire is more of a ‘Captain America’-like proclamation of “I can do this all day!”, and apparently they can.

I, however, cannot. I am using my remaining moments before the post-sugar crash to warn you…and to place the remaining cakes into the freezer until the world is ready for them to be released.

Toodles.

Note: I have just been informed that the ‘Cronut’ is actually called a Kouign Amann (sp?), which sounds like something summoned via a ceremony involving a pastry chef wearing a Breton-stripe t-shirt and a goat-head mask. Anyway, buy one...

I LOVE the buttery. I first discovered this place back in 2015/2016. Waiting for the septa train I was in dire need of an afternoon pick me up. At the time the septa station had an old coffee shop that didn’t serve espresso and closed before lunch.. anywho, I had an hour to kill so I walked up king street in search of anything, I would have settled for Starbucks. Instead, I found heaven. Not only did malvern buttery offer a delicious menu of baked goods (unfortunately all they had left at 4pm was a few cookies) but also had a talented barista serving quality espresso. Ive been hooked ever since, i tell anyone and everyone about the place and have to literally talk myself out of going daily. I’m sure I’ve tried everything on their regular menu and always get excited for their seasonal or limited items. (Bring back the fried chicken sando) I give it a full 5 stars, however I have to say my only criticism is that due to covid they completely changed their cozy couch cafe setup to a more cafeteria style grab and go with limited seating inside. The hours are also shorter which makes me sad that one day someone may be waiting for the 5pm train to center city craving an espresso and won’t get to experience the buttery. And lastly, they’re always so so busy which I am happy about but can be very overwhelming when you’re in line trying to choose from the dozens of items. Staff is always polite and helpful but you still can’t help but feel rushed or like y holding up the entire town lined up behind you.

I am so happy to see the success and evolution the last 8+ years and hope one day every town on the mainline gets a buttery. We can really use this kind of establishment in Downingtown! But for now I will gladly make the trip...