WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – For East Bay diners looking for Passover food without cooking the whole meal at home, options are fairly limited.
As the J shared in its yearly roundup, most of the listed restaurant options were in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, the North Bay, or farther out.
But one spot in the 925 has consistently offered Passover foods for local pickup, or for eating in the restaurant.
ButtercuP Diner in Walnut Creek (yes, the spelling is deliberate) has quietly become one of the few restaurant options in the 925 offering a dedicated holiday menu this year. ButtercuP sent me some of their food to try out.
ButtercuP’s holiday lineup includes matzoh ball soup for $9.99, matzoh brie for $13.99, braised brisket for $24.99, and flourless chocolate cake for $7.99.
The restaurant describes the menu as a mix of traditional Jewish holiday dishes made from scratch, with the brisket served with garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and a house salad.
I took my food home to eat, but you can also stop into ButtercuP and have the Passover items in the restaurant.
My family enjoyed the matzah ball soup.
We also tried the matzah brie, which came with lightly spiced potatoes.
The brisket, though, was the standout item. Cut thin and nicely marbled with fat, it tasted almost like a beefier version of prime rib. Served with au jus, it was fantastic!
Our meal also came with a delicious salad, and some matzah on the side instead of the normal dinner roll.
We finished the meal with a tasty flourless chocolate cake. The kids ate it before I could photograph it, but you can see one in the top of this shot of ButtercuP’s display case (along with plenty of non-Passover–appropriate cakes!)
The Walnut Creek restaurant is at 660 Ygnacio Valley Road and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to ButtercuP’s website. ButtercuP also has locations in Concord, Oakland, and Vallejo, but the Passover menu is listed as available at Walnut Creek only. The Passover menu is available until April 9.
For local families trying to put together a seder meal — or anyone simply craving matzoh ball soup and brisket this week — that makes ButtercuP a pretty unusual option in the central Contra Costa dining scene.
Beyond ButtercuP, other options include Wise Sons over in Oakland, as well as Market Hall in Rockridge.
But if you want seder foods without going through the tunnel, ButtercuP is our local spot. Try the brisket!
Want to order Passover items for your own family? Here’s the full menu on ButtercuP’s website: https://www.buttercupdiner.com/menu/passover-menu
