I, Zeus, Will Smite You…
… With my butter stick. Fear me, mortals!
I don’t know the official story behind the name Butter & Zeus (besides what I read on their website), but I thought the name of the store had just the right amount of quirkiness for a chicken and waffle shop. Not to mention, it’s pretty funny trying to imagine the almighty Zeus whipping up a storm in the kitchen.
Butter & Zeus is my first and only experience thus far with chicken and waffles and I’ve been to the restaurant over a handful of times since then because I use to work around the area.
I first came across Butter & Zeus as a stand during the Night Market held at the Berryessa Flea Market about two summers ago. My friend had ordered a dessert waffle from them (if I remember correctly, it was s’mores), and even then I thought it was an interesting concept.
Fast forward a year later, a few friends and I decided to meet up at Butter & Zeus for lunch.
It was much closer than I expected, to my old workplace, but the parking lot gets packed during the lunch hour, since the mini plaza also has a Thai restaurant, Mexican restaurant, Breakfast cafe and a Carl’s Jr.
The restaurant is pretty small, but it has a good number of seats on the inside as well as two tables on the outside for when the weather is nice.
Their menu is listed on a gigantic chalkboard, with many savory waffle combinations as well as sweet waffle combinations. They have a few options for salads as well as other desserts.
They’re well known for their banana pudding. I had the chance to try it when they gave out samples that day and boy was that indulgent, but in a completely satisfying way. The banana pudding was light and airy, composed of vanilla wafers, whipped cream and ripe bananas without being overly sweet.
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| Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and YUM! |
For $6.99, you get a waffle with a generous amount of fried chicken. The waffle has always been a bit soggy for my taste (I tend to favor the crunchier exterior, fluffy insides of a Belgian waffle), but it works well as the “bread” for the chicken.
The bread thigh legs are juicy and succulent with a heavy rosemary flavor. If you’re not a fan of rosemary, I would steer away from the chicken choices at Butter & Zeus because I believe all their dredging or marinade contains rosemary.
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| That cheese... |
My friend ordered the Monte Cristo, which was a “deep fried waffle served with slow roasted ham and melted cheese, topped with strawberry preserves and powdered sugar.” She let me try a bit of her waffle and it tasted quite good, a nice blend of sweet and salty.
Also, on my other visits, I’ve tried their chicken and waffles with breast meat instead of thigh meat. Both are equally delicious, but if you want to be a hair healthier, breast meat is the way to go.
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| I can't see the fries. And that's okay. |
During my last visit, I tried their barbacoa pork fries: waffle fries topped with sweet and spicy barbacoa pork, cilantro lime dressing, sour cream and green onions.
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| Smile for your close up! |
They have good hours and are opened on the weekends as well. Being so close to Levi Stadium, it’s the perfect location if you just want to grab a quick bite before a game or a concert without worrying about a long wait.
Where are the best places to go in the Bay Area for Chicken & Waffles?
2213 Tasman Dr.
Santa Clara, CA 95054
