The Butcher Station

On July 31, 2013 my daughter and I had dinner at The Butcher Station in Creekside Station, at 3107 Valley Avenue, Suite 106. I was able to park in front to the restaurant, which is located in a row of buildings parallel to Valley Avenue at the very back of the Creekside complex. You enter into the right end of the suite, and find a small bar against the back wall, to your right.

Next to it is a glass case to the left displaying steaks, sausages, etc. that you can buy to be prepared to your order, or take home for your larder. Further to your left in the back is a refrigerated case with assorted beverages, including fresh milk in glass bottles, craft beers and also cheeses. Seating for diners has five booths along the front wall and its two small windows, with three tables for four along the center of the room. There are a few sidewalk tables outside. We elected to sit at a booth at the far end, after being greeted by John, our server.

The Butcher Station is a small place, open Tuesday through Saturday. Lunch is served from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, dinner from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and Happy Hour is 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Reservations are recommended, and the phone is (540) 662-2433. The market services are available 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with custom butchering only up until 5:00 PM. The Web site is thebutcherstation.com.

The Lunch menu includes Appetizers, Soup and Salads, A La Carte Sides, Beverage Selections, Local Beef and Pork Selections, Other Great Sandwiches, and Station Plate Specials. The Happy Hour menu includes a Raw Bar with Oysters or Clams, raw or steamed (at half price), Steamed Shrimp, and Wings.

The Dinner Menu includes Entrées featuring Local Beef, as well as Seafood, Sides, Appetizers, Soup and Salads. The Web site has links for daily specials, and the food is sourced locally where possible.

We were the only diners at that time, although there were several patrons at the bar. John, our server, seated us at one of the booths and explained that their beef and pork is grown locally and are brought in by the entire side and butchered in house. Chicken is also local and pasture-raised.

I decided to order from the Happy Hour menu and asked about the oysters and clams from the raw bar. Clams were not available that evening. I wanted oysters, and was given a choice between Blue Points and Chincoteagues. I decided on Blue Points, to be preceded by a bowl of black bean soup. However, John came back and said that they were out of the Blue Points and I settled for Chincoteagues. The soup was not too spicy, and included a bit of bacon. The oysters were surprisingly large, suitably chilled, and were served with cocktail sauce.

My daughter ordered crab cakes, with a salad and scalloped potatoes as her sides, along with German non-alcoholic beer. She was quite pleased with her meal, but was disappointed that the chocolate cookie she wanted for dessert was not available.

Other dining patrons came in while we were eating, and several people chose to eat at the sidewalk tables. The food was good, with excellent choices. I consider the place as a keeper, and look forward to dining there again.

Nevertheless, it was disappointing to find that several of the items we ordered turned out to be not available. I also overheard heard the diners at a nearby table being advised that the kitchen was out of an item they had ordered; the server should have know that before accepting their order. Also, although John was attentive, he neglected to return my Discover card, and we had to ask for it.

Incidentally, this was not the first time that I had eaten at this location. My wife and I had dinner there once, about five years ago, on June 6, 2008. It was a similar operation called Butcher's Choice, with different management and more emphasis on its meat market operations. It became The Butcher Station in May, 2011, with different management.

Such Great Food...and now have beer and wine. I've been going back to this place since they opened last year. It's located in Creekside Station behind IJ Cann's. I love some of the creations they make with their locally sourced ingredients. I usually get the Cuban sandwich for lunch. Yeah, it's that good. Also their burgers are freshly ground from local beef... don't think you can get a better burger in Winchester.

Talking to the owners they appear to be making some changes... They serve beer and wine now though a limited selection. And they appear to be getting in more and more seafood and serving custom selections for dinner service. They'll even stay open later than their normal hours if you call ahead and tell them you are coming in for dinner... great service... the one time we did this, the food was even better than their lunch selections. I had an excellent risotto and my scallops were all kinds of yummy. Gotta do that again... Their prices are slightly on the higher side, but worth it in my view. Though I must say their 6 dollar lunch special is a great deal. Check 'em out!

I was really excited to go to The Butcher Station for lunch a few weeks ago. I understand that you have to pay a little extra for good quality food, and I'm not opposed to that.

I got the special, BBQ sandwich with chips and potato salad. The BBQ was really good, but I felt like there should have been a little more, considering the size of the bun. They gave me maybe two tablespoons of potato salad.

I also splurged and tried the basil lemonade for over two dollars. It was absolutely delicious, but I was denied a refill. Maybe I'm a cheapskate, but when I spend $2.50 on a non-alcoholic beverage, I'd like more than 12 ounces of it. The lady offered to get me some water instead and then only filled my cup halfway.

I guess I'd say that the quality of the food here is fantastic, and I understand that they're a new business and every penny counts--but I was left feeling a little bit short-changed.

When I eat out, especially in this economy, I like to leave feeling a little bit spoiled. I don't mind paying higher dollars for a sandwich, but when I do, I'd like it to reflect that price in quality AND quantity.