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A renovated former McDonald’s in Sunnyvale is now serving butter chicken nachos, masala fries, Kolkata jackfruit burgers, gulab jamun cheesecake, boba mango lassis and other Indian American fusion dishes.
Butter Chicken Social co-owner Ramamoorthy Ramasamy also owns South Indian restaurant Madras Cafe, located directly behind the recently opened Indian-fusion restaurant. And while Ramasamy now operates two Sunnyvale restaurants, the Saratoga resident originally came to the Bay Area for software engineering and has worked at companies like Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard, he said.
One unique feature of the restaurant is the drive-thru, which Ramasamy said will open soon.
Despite having the word “chicken” in the name, Butter Chicken Social offers a selection of vegetarian options, including saag paneer puff, sweet potato chaat, chili paneer spring roll, dosa batter cauliflower, paneer tikka kati roll and Kolkata jackfruit burger. For butter chicken lovers, there’s a selection of variations on the dish, including butter chicken bomba, butter chicken momo, butter chicken nachos and a Butter Chicken Social chicken sandwich.
Butter Chicken Social had its soft opening Nov. 14 and its grand opening Dec. 14. Ramasamy said the customer response has been good and he hopes to expand Butter Chicken Social and open multiple locations.
The Foodist’s experience
I went to Butter Chicken Social with my colleague and Six Fifty editor Julia Brown before talking with Ramasamy. Here’s what I thought.
First impression: Butter Chicken Social isn’t the place to go if you want an aesthetic experience. At the time, I didn’t know it used to be a McDonald’s, but I was 100% certain that it had previously been a fast-food restaurant. While there is a colorful painted wall near the ordering counter, the seating area itself is devoid of color – the walls are white, the tables are white and the ceiling is white. The dining area is one open square – there are no nooks or side rooms.
Water is served in carafes for the table, which you can pick up after ordering at the counter. As a person who drinks a lot of water, I very much enjoyed not having to get up multiple times to refill my cup.
I asked the worker at the register what she would recommend from the menu, and she picked the egg and chicken tikka kati roll ($14). So that’s what I ordered.
I thought it was simple, yet delicious. The paratha was warm and flaky (reminiscent of a scallion pancake minus the scallions), the chicken well-seasoned and juicy (except for one bite that had a gristly chicken piece) and the green chutney packed a punch of fresh flavor with a mild spice.
Would I go again? I’m open to it. I am interested in trying the gulab jamun cheesecake. Read my colleague Julia’s review below.
The Six Fifty editor’s experience
I was curious to try the premium butter chicken since the eatery is called Butter Chicken Social ($18). Served with garlic naan and pulao rice, it’s a well-rounded meal at a reasonable price. The chicken was tender, and the naan was a welcome addition from a texture and flavor standpoint.
But I was hoping for more complexity from the sauce; it could have benefited from more spices and time to develop the richness that’s associated with butter chicken. The pieces of chicken were also a little large, and combined with the dish they were served in it made it a little awkward to cut them up. I also ordered a cup of masala chai ($7) for a warm drink to accompany my meal. The cup was a little smaller than I’d expected, but the drink was pleasant. I was hoping for more spices and a depth of flavor from the masala chai too, but I’d go back to try the egg and chicken tikka kati roll Adrienne ordered and a dessert.
Butter Chicken Social, 1169 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale; Instagram: @butterchickensocial. Open everyday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.