Submitted by Connor Plant
From its modest exterior, The Butter House breakfast restaurant may look like your average neighborhood breakfast joint, but after indulging in one of their most popular dishes, I know it’s anything but.
After my strenuous and way-too-early 8 a.m. class on Mondays, I often need a good hearty breakfast to power my brain for the rest of my school-day agenda. I decided to google “good breakfasts near me” while I was on California State University Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) campus, and one of the first spots that popped up was The Butter House at 1760 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside. After reading a couple of positive reviews and seeing a few promising photos, I turned my curiosity and rumbling stomach into determination and gave The Butter House a shot.
With most things in life, first impressions are everything and the Butter House delivered in a big way.
There were two things in particular that stood out to me right as I walked through the door. The first being an incredibly personable and friendly hostess that promptly sat me at my table. Good service is so important when it comes to a restaurant experience that it shouldn’t ever go unnoticed. And secondly, the wave of incredible and near tangible pungent aromas that pleasantly met my face as I took my first step inside. My expectations were soaring through the roof.
Just as the hostess was, my server was equally as polite. He handed me a water and a menu and told me to let him know if I had any questions. As I do in most local restaurants, I like to ask what their most popular item on the menu is. Without hesitation, my server Pedro quickly responded with: “Marciana’s breakfast fried rice.” While I was biasedly scanning the rest of the menu, I knew in the back of my mind I was going to order what my server recommended.
I want to give a shout out and honorable mention to the fried chicken and waffles though. A gentleman sitting next to me ordered it and my jaw just about dropped to the floor when it arrived. Crispy fried chicken and fluffy golden brown waffles with a chorizo gravy; like c’mon.
But back to the main attraction, Marciana’s breakfast fried rice. After Pedro suggested it, I noticed it was the top item under the house specialty section. Butter fried rice with bacon, sausage and choice of ham or spam with soy sauce, bell peppers, garlic, white and green onions, topped with two eggs is how it reads on the menu. It sounded rich, indulgent, different and delicious, all while being priced at a reasonable $15. The price wasn’t the cheapest, but not the most pricey either so if it was filling and to my satisfaction, it would be worth every penny.
As I sat there at about 9:45 a.m. I began to notice the restaurant was already close to being full. This is a good sign for it being a Monday morning since they had close to 50 tables in the restaurant. Before I even knew it, I noticed Pedro was already walking over with my food which seemed to be within roughly five minutes of me placing the order. When my food had arrived, there was an insurmountable amount of steam and smells wafting from the plate and the presentation looked as good as it smelled.
I knew I was in for a treat.
I’ll start from the top. As per my choice, I decided to get my eggs cooked over-easy because I’m a big fan of a runny yolk completely smothering the rest of the breakfast. The butter fried rice absorbed the runny yolk more perfectly than I could have imagined. Each piece of ham, bacon, bell pepper, onion and sausage were cut with precision being identical in size. This made for a perfect bite, every single time.
The bacon was cooked with so many smokey flavors while being perfectly crispy. It reminded me of a backyard barbeque that all dad’s dream of. The crispiness of the bacon complimented the softness of the rice and egg in a way that crossed textural boundaries. The bell pepper and onion balanced out the strong and confident flavors of the well seasoned sausage and ham.
Each ingredient in this breakfast was compiled and created an eclectic masterpiece of flavor and textures. And I now know why it is the most popular item on the menu. (P.S the golden flakey heavenly goodness pictured in the back is their version of hash browns called hash cakes, and yes, they were also incredible)
The Butter House opened its doors in August of 2019, months before COVID-19 shut down operations for many hole-in-the-wall local restaurants. Luckily through community, perseverance and great tasting food, The Butter House survived the pandemic and is now one of Monterey county’s best new breakfast spots. I highly recommend this place if you’re a student in need of a tasty and affordable meal not too far from campus, or a local in search of your new favorite go-to breakfast joint.
Don’t let the modest exterior fool you- The Butter House is filled with rich culture, tasty food and will have you leaving grinning ear to ear!