Last month, Regent Street welcomed the new Butterbird, a fried chicken paradise created by the owners of The Harvey House.
Shaina Robbins Papach and Joe Papach’s first culinary creation, The Harvey House, is an upscale modern twist on the classic Wisconsin supper club housed in Madison’s historic train depot. The Harvey House is featured on the New York Times’ 2022 “The Restaurant List,” which highlights 50 of the United States’ most exciting restaurants.
Robbins Papach and Papach met like true restaurateurs while both working in New York City’s beloved Gramercy Tavern. When deciding where to start their family, they landed in Robbins Papach’s hometown, Madison. A native Madisonian who grew up in the Vilas Neighborhood, Robbins Papach has always loved Regent Street, she said.
Robbins Papach and Papach decided to restore the building Butterbird calls home just like they did with The Harvey House.
“We love an old building,” Robbins Papach said.
Walking through Butterbird’s doors, one is immediately hit with a feeling of nostalgia. Rich maroon stretches through the space complimented by subway tiling and exposed wood that calls back to the classic diners of the past. It’s what Robbins Papach and Papach do best — bring a modern flare to timeless culinary havens.
Servers and bussers float around in checkered uniforms, further setting the tone for the satisfyingly greasy fare about to hit the palate.
Since Butterbird opened, lines have stretched out of the door, but don’t let it fool you. The employees taking orders keep the line moving quickly all with a smile on their face and a positive can-do attitude, willing to help out in any way necessary.
Butterbird features a full bar with a wide selection of draft cocktails and beer. An added unique and fun twist appeared on the drinks menu: Jell-O shots. The watermelon margarita Jell-O shot’s packaging and branding perfectly matching the vibe of the restaurant.
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Once an order is placed, the kitchen does not mess around. The food comes out incredibly quickly and piping hot.
All of a sudden, my tasting partner and I had appetizers, mains and sides, and boy, were we ready to dig in.
The aroma was intoxicating.
The mac and cheese bites caught our attention first. Normally, I never go for a mac and cheese bite. I find them overdone, bland and basic — a heavy appetizer with too much breading that is almost always previously frozen.
But Butterbird’s mac and cheese bites surprised me. They were succulent and dreamy with the perfect amount of cheese. I could’ve used a little more seasoning in the cheese sauce though — maybe a little dried mustard?
Served with a dill ranch dipping sauce, the sauce provided an acidity to cut the richness of the fried mac. After a while though, the dill did overwhelm the palate.
Next, we dove into the broccoli salad. I don’t know what we were doing getting a salad at a place whose branding centers around butter and chicken, but it wowed me. Summery and tangy, the flavors were perfectly balanced with a pleasing texture from chopped-up crisp apples. This salad provided a needed fresh note to an otherwise heavy meal and was a standout.
The menu highlighted a Chicken in a Biscuit side which piqued our interest. Inspired by a hush puppy, it’s a fried ball of soft doughy chicken flavor whose concept was better than its execution. It was not our favorite.
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It was time for the star of the show. The main event of the evening. Cue a church choir. It was the Butterbird Classic chicken sandwich. Heavenly light shone down upon this sandwich. It was blessed.
With a crispy, cracker-like breading, this sandwich rose to the expectation of a chicken sandwich in a chicken restaurant. The meat was juicy, it was sensual and I was in love. The pickles on the sandwich tasted homemade like a creamy cucumber salad. The bun was of course buttered to fit the bill of a buttered bird. It was an all-in-all nostalgic bite.
Though this sandwich was very delicious, with the tried and true Regent Street McDonald’s directly next door, it may be difficult to justify Butterbird’s cost with a college student mindset.
The overall experience of Butterbird, however, was a sentimental one and an escape of the winter. With a summery cookout vibe squashing seasonal depression, it’s an excellent choice. Wander down Regent and give Butterbird a try.
