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Butter Chicken Factory
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
556 Parliament StToronto, ON M4K 1P6
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown
(416) 964-7583
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Butter Chicken Factory
Review Highlights
22 reviews in English
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Review from D B.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2011
Been there a few times now. The butter chicken is too tangy for my taste, but if you like a little sweetness you'll probably enjoy it. The tandoori chicken is very good. Definitely some of the best in town.
The flavors are different from other Indian restaurants. The service wasn't bad when I went but it was also pretty quiet. They also have a lunch tali for 10 bucks which I've been told is good. -
Review from Blake S.
Toronto, ON
3/30/2012
This was a mixed experience. The waiter was like a zombie. I want with my girl and we were alone in the restaurant, only accompanied by a fly at our table. The food was not great and the portions weren't great.
The food tasted fine but it took a long time to arrive considering we were alone in the restaurant at dinner time. I was not impressed and for the price of the dishes I think that better can be experienced eslewhere
Highly unrecommended. -
Review from Cori C.
Toronto, ON
4/24/2012
This place is only a few blocks up from our office. We placed a carry-out order for 5 orders at 12:20pm & they advised it would be an hour. After 75 minutes we called to check the status and we hung up on when asking if the driver had left yet. We called back hoping it was just an accident and were also requesting a discount because it was very inconvenient and messing up our office schedule. We were once again hung up on. Now when we call from any phone (office or personal cell phones) its going directly to voice mail. Its now 2:15pm, nearly 2 hours later and still no idea where our food is and we're considering it a loss. Their food has been good in the past. But now, the Butter Chicken Factory is dead to us.
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Review from Evelyn W.
9/27/2011
Mutter Paneer & Lamb Vindaloo.
It was delicious but not at all authentic.
We waited a long time for food, which is strange because the restaurant is small and the kitchen is large. I guess they do a lot of take-out and delivery.
If anyone can tell me a better Indian Place in/around Cabbagetown I'd love to know... otherwise I'll be back... like I said even though it's not good it's delicious. If that makes sense. -
Review from Sandy W.
Toronto, ON
9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
After eating here, more than 7 times, It really hurts to gives this such a low score. Unfortunetly, their bad service (see other comments) is turning into terrible service.
After a long wait, they will insist something is 'just coming out' of the kitchen then disappear for 10 minutes. And take out, don't get me started they don't even pretend to listen to spice levels or give reasonable pickup time estimates. If you order one thing mild and one thing spicey, they get it wrong almost every time.
Their food is pretty good and I really like the vegatable curry but the constantly 'lying' staff makes this a no-go restaurant. -
Review from Blair M.
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was pleasantly surprised by this place, they have been around for a while so figured it must be decent and came to find out that other then some very slow service the food and the place itself are very nice.
The Butter Chicken Factory is a small but cozy place and they have very good indian food for very reasonable prices.
I would recommend this place to any Indian food lover. -
Review from Christine E.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2011
Given their name, you'd think the butter chicken would be better? But I found it weird, with tough chicken and a bland tomato base sauce. I tried all their varieties of butter chicken and they were all one-note.
What I can definitely recommend is their palak paneer, which is heavenly. Creamy, flavourful spinach, delicately spiced, and heaped with generous portions of paneer cheese. The best palak paneer I've had in Toronto by a long shot!
I only ever went for takeaway but the staff at their little takeout window was always very friendly. -
Review from Vivek S.
1/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't often eat at "factories" but I thought I would give this place a shot. The Butter Chicken Factory (more of a restaurant really), is just south of Wellesley on the west side of Parliament street. This corner spot was formerly a Timothy's Tikka House, though I'm not sure what business a man named "Timothy" had with a Tikka House anyway. Good riddance.
BCF is fairly cosy inside, but pretty classy and clean. They managed our reservation for twelve by linking a large round table with a couple of four-tops. It worked, but any larger would be pushing it. The Bollywood pop in the background wasn't my favourite, but it beats the plinky-plunk piano music that usually fills joints like this. Beer options are the very typical Kingfisher and brewed-in-Canada-but-Indian Cheetah. They both suck. Don't bother.
As the sole brown diner in our group, I happily provided my menu consulting skills (for free). We calculated that eight dishes should suffice for our group of twelve, but our waiter suggested we try Dinners For Four (DFF); each gets you a selection of appetizers, five entrees, and your choice of rice or naan. It took a bit of haranguing (more than I would have liked, to be honest) to convince the staff that three DFFs (i.e., 12 dishes for 12 willing-to-share yelpers) was enough. Eventually we settled on two dinners for four with a promise to order more if hungry. (Seriously, it went down like this.)
The meal started off with some pretty decent apps. The pakoras were pretty good, and I really dug the potato samosas. A good traditional crust with a dusting of something salty, maybe garam masala. As for our mains we ordered two of their three offerings of butter chicken (boneless and bone-in), a goan fish curry, lamb vindaloo, malai kofta, daal tadka, aloo gobi, channa masala... holy moose it was a lot of food, and it came out fast. The standouts were the bone-in butter chicken (it's always better this way), the creamy malai kofta, and the flavourful lamb vindaloo. Though I could have handled everything a few notches spicier, there was a lot of flavour and nothing was too oily or rich.
At the behest of Avitania "I want sweet balls in my mouth!" B we ordered dessert. I got the ras malai (passable, but really thin), and the restaurant was kind enough to comp us some galub jamuns. Honestly: I've had better. These balls were small (tee hee) and a bit dry in the centre; not dripping with sweetness like they should be. But Hell, dessert wasn't anything that could derail a rock-solid dinner that left most of us stuffed to the gills. Group diners take note: 10 dishes feeds 12 and the damage worked out to only $30 per person.
An awesome addition to Cabbagetown.
Obligatory Title Pun: Make yourself KOFTA-ble at the BCF.
Menu Readability: Indian menus are usually way too long and unreadable. Theirs is well laid out.
Need to mention: The naan here is Off The Hook. It's crispy and thin and comes out untouchably hot. I really liked it.
What this place teaches me about myself: My people are not known for their beer-making skills. Sweet balls in syrup on the other hand...Listed in: Namaste!
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Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
I was a little wary of this place upon walking in, but by the time I left, stuffed to the gills and with a happy tummy, I knew I had to be back. Yes, the Butter Chicken is fabulous. How could it not be -- the place is called BUTTER CHICKEN FACTORY! However, although it's similarly rich to other butter chicken dishes you've tried, the version at Butter Chicken factory is more tomatoey and tangy. It's also a little more bland than other Butter Chickens I've tried. But the chicken is super tender, and you can get it in multiple ways: bone in or boneless, white meat or leg.
The biggest standout, though, was the Tandoori Chicken. Maybe they should call this place the Tandoori Chicken Factory, because it was one of the most juiciest, meatiest, and largest portions I've ever gotten at an Indian restaurant.
There were some things about Butter Chicken Factory that were a little off, though: there was a very VERY strong perfumey/incense smell that knocked me off my feet a little when I first walked in. To be honest, I almost wanted to walk about after that (but I'm glad I stayed). Also, my soda (pop, if you're Canadian!) didn't come with ice; they told us they didn't have any when we asked for some. That's a little weird. This obnoxious American needs her ice! ;D
But other than that, everything else was perfect. The people there were super friendly and nice, too. The menu has lots of options for combination meals to be split between parties of 2+, and apparently their lunchtime thalis can't be beat.
I'm definitely coming back!Listed in: ROTDs, Naan-tastic Voyage
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Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
2/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Avitania's claim on eating the best butter chicken was true. It was so true that skipping out on my weekly Pilates class made it a perfect excuse. Instead of squeezing and neutralizing my core, I exercised my belly's muscles and satiated my happy emotions by eating yummy Indian food.
My BCF highlights included and a must order for others:
- Tandoori Chicken
- Channa masala
- Lamb Vandaloo
- Aloo Gobi
- Naan
- Sweet dessert balls
My love for paneer remains unwavered and I just loved their crispy paneer appetizers. I think I had seconds of the creamy paneer curry.
The food wasn't as spicy as I expected it to be. However I do recall that we didn't specify to the kitchen that we wanted our food spicy, so they did us a favour by playing it safe.
My only disappointment: Butter Chicken Factory does not deliver in my area. -
Review from Eric L.
3/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of the best Indian restaurants I have been to. Not the best on a dish per dish comparison, but just a pleasant mix of friendly and quick service, quality and quantity of food, at great prices.
We were a gang of about 10 people and ordered about 12 different dishes with a bunch of rice, naan, along with some appetizers, drinks and dessert, and the bill was only 25$ each including tip. -
Review from Chris E.
Toronto, ON
5/4/2011
Yay!! Timothy's Tikka House closed...but has reopened as "The Butter Chicken Factory".
Not the greatest name, but the food is back! Same food as Timothy's, I swear...and that's just great!
They've increased their portion sizes, so prices appear to be steeper, but you get a bigger dish. This means, if ordering delivery, you might want to limit the number of dishes. I ordered my usual number and was shocked by the price...but once I saw the portion size, I understood the discrepancy.
I have not eaten "in" since the re-do, so can't speak to the decor. But I am just tickled to see that my favourite Indian cuisine is back, and just as good as ever.Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from sarah l.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food here is excellent and the service is abysmal. I wish the service was even slightly more tolerable, because the food was so good I would happily eat here again, and certainly warrants 4 or maybe even 5 stars, especially at the price point. I really enjoyed WHAT I ate but I did not enjoy eating here.
The good:
- The food is excellent and the portions are large-ish. The butter chicken is very, very good if a little bit too sweet and the Tikka Masala is also great, but Lahore's is better.
- The food is at a decent price point (2 meat mains, 2 Naans, rice = $39)
- Good location (for me!)
- Dining room was very clean, linen napkins, inoffensive decor, etc... it's sort of clean-bland
The bad:
- It was impossible to get our waters refilled; I almost got up and took a pitcher off the counter
- It took forever (and 2 asks) to get the bill
- We thought we would make it easy on them and just split evenly on two cards but that was an impossible task for them to execute. It literally involved a scrap paper and a calculator and two employees.
- We went to the takeout window to pay with credit card and the guy was MANUALLY TYPING our card numbers in. WTFITS? (what the f@%! is that s#!t, for the acronymally challenged)
- It took longer for us to pay than to eat
- They have taped off the window on the door into the kitchen. That just makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. What don't you want me to see going on back there? I already smell that your chefs aren't wearing deodorant when I walk past to get to the restrooms. I'm fine with it - it adds... authenticity?
- The restrooms were clean but had no soap or toilet paper - Mike S. also commented that there was no soap in the mens room. Is there soap in the kitchen? I'm just not going to think about it. The food was still good.
- I told them their restrooms has no soap or toilet paper and the guy smiled and nodded. And then didn't refill the supply or bring the bill.
Overall, I will definitely eat here again. I will probably call ahead, get take out, only pay with cash and not think about them not having soap in either of their restrooms. -
Review from Jag G.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2012
THE WORST. By FAR the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my life. And I am not exaggerating. I was even warned by a friend, but I decided to check it out for myself. BIG MISTAKE!
The service was horrible, but that's not the worst part. The worst part was the food. I ordered the lamb seekh kebab, steamed rice, and the vegetable daahl. Nothing I ordered was made to order. Every item had either been sitting there for hours, or they kept it in the fridge and re-heated for my order. They just take their time bringing it out to make it look like they just made it. The second the food arrived, I could tell that it wasn't fresh. I would of sent it all back, but I figured that if they had the gall to bring this shit out to me, they wouldn't hesitate to just bring out another piece of stale food. If the food actually tasted good, I would of not been as disappointed. But that was not the case.
After only a few bites, I ordered a coffee to get the horrible taste out of my mouth. When I asked for milk or cream for my coffee, the guy suggested that I drink it black, because of my "sore throat". My what!?!? Then he repeats, "you have a sore throat, you should drink it black."
Who the f*ck are you, my mom!?
I might have a coarse voice, but that doesn't mean I have a sore throat.
I was downright angry by this point. After all the shitty service and garbage food, the guy is trying to tell me how to have my coffee. I honestly was thinking about walking out right then and there.
By far the worst dining experience ever!
Btw, any good review on this page was made either by one of their employees or a friend of the restaurant. Because there is no way in hell this place would get anything over one star.
THE WORST.
Also, I only gave it one star because they don't allow you to give zero stars. My actual rating is ZERO. -
Review from Evan J.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
Just fantastic! This has to be the best Indian food in the city hands!
The creaminess of the butter chicken, the tangy Tikka Masala, the pull of the warm naan bread. A-MAZ-ING!!!!!!!
Always consistent, I'm never disappointed with this place. I will agree the service needs to improve, but it is well worth it. -
Review from Vivian S.
Toronto, ON
6/17/2011
I ordered delivery from BCF after reading favorable reviews from this site.
The butter chicken (breast) was delicately spiced, with sweet, rich sauce.
The rice pullao with peas was very flavourful.
The eggplant bharta had interesting blend of flavour; lots of tomatoes and onions. Eggplant is not a favourite of mine but this dish was quite enjoyable.
My favorite Indian restaurant is still Babur at Queen St. but it would be worthwhile to try other dishes at BCF.
Skip the greasy samosas though.
Low marks though for delivery service. I was told that delivery will take 1 hour but we ended up waiting for 2 hours. -
Review from Michael N.
Toronto, ON
3/22/2011
Definitely a good place - well-prepared, satisfying food, and the prices, while a bit high, are appropriate for the level of quality. What prevents me from giving this place a higher rating is that it doesn't really stand out from other Indian places - it's solid, but not more than that. The service was spotty as well - slower than molasses than January, to put it mildly. My friend and I were the only 2 people in the joint, and it took 15 min. for us to be served, and almost an hour for the food. They also were really unprepared; we went early for a Saturday night (6pm), and no one was there, but by 8pm the place was packed, and they only had one server. The server also was very insistent than we pay with cash, because he needed change. Whoops.
Overall, I'd probably go back there, but I think the place only does well because Rashnaa's is going downhill, and they're far away from Queen St. or other areas with better Indian places. -
Review from Sophie D.
Toronto, ON
3/18/2011
We've dined in once and ordered delivery from here twice, and every single time has been a disaster because of their poor organisation. We waited forty minutes for a dish while dining in the first time we tried it. Tonight, we ordered delivery through http://just-eat.ca. I ordered at 8.30pm and was told the food would arrive at 9.20pm. It is now almost TEN pm, an hour and a half later, and we are still waiting for our dinner to show up. We called to ask where it is, and the guy on the phone offered nothing but excuses. The food would have to be damn good value to get that kind of a sour taste out of my mouth, but it's not even that. Dinner for two, with two curries, bread, and an appetiser, came to $45--pricy for what is basically an Indian take out joint. Never again!
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Review from Kate E.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2011
Really delicious food! The best garlic naan I have ever had. The service could be faster, so don't go if in a hurry. Otherwise, a great place!
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Review from Sue L.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 7/23/2011
I absolutely love this place. I liked Timothys but this chef has improved on the flavour. The portions are much larger. Could actually get 3 meals from what I ordered. My new favourite place! Service could be a bit quicker. The owner is very courteous and friendly...makes a difference.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/26/2011
Butter Chicken Factory is the best! I have eaten at many Indian restaurants and this quality of food… Read more »
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Review from Andrew L.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
Ok, we just moved to the neighborhood and boy are we lucky. First we have Sukho Thai just down the street (the best Thai in the city) now we have Butter Chicken Factory just up the street!!! Honestly, I really didn't think this place would be as perfect as it is, but it really is the best Indian food in the city. Just go.....I promise you, you will be happy you went. Creamy Butter Chicken, aromatic rice, chewy and flavorful naan. Really the best. I found the Vinaloo a little too spicy for my liking (watch out), but other than that flawless. I can't say much about the service, I have only had take out, but it seems like a nice enough place to eat in. Just go and enjoy, you will be happy you did.
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Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
1/5/2011
I swung by here on a whim the other day and tried out the Butter Chicken and their Biryani. Both just fantastic! Highly recommend this place to folks living in the area.
