THE BUTTERFLY CLUB
The Butterfly Club is another Wisconsin Supper Club in Beloit that offers sensational food, an inviting atmosphere and keen attention to service for its popularity. “It’s a beautiful thing to have a supper club like The Butterfly Club,” says co-owner Mike Sala. “People like to come here to have a good time.”
The restaurant’s rich history dates back to 1924, when Hal and Mae Sherburne opened the Butterfly Tea Room, named for the yellow and white butterflies in the nearby field of the Town of Turtle. Over the next several years, the restaurant exchanged many hands, and eventually became known as The Butterfly Club. During the 1950s, a new kitchen, dining room and picturesque cocktail lounge, featuring live entertainment, was built and seating grew to 250.
In 1972 the Butterfly Club suffered a setback when fire destroyed the building, but was rebuilt and opened for business one year later. Two decades later, along came Mike and Hektor Sala, two brothers who fled Communist Albania in 1990, leaving behind family and friends, risking their lives in order to find a better way of life. In 1994, the brothers bought a family restaurant called Sandburr Café in Broadhead, Wis. Five years later, they bought The Butterfly Club and parted with the café. “We like fine dining,” Mike says. “It’s more relaxing. We wanted to buy a place like this in the beginning, but we couldn’t afford it.”
Over the years, the Salas have made updates to brighten décor and tweak the menu. For the most part, however, they’ve relied on The Butterfly Club’s solid reputation to carry the day. It starts with an outstanding menu, which is loaded with many signature items including prime rib and shrimp – an 8-ounce prime rib and three large white Honduran shrimp; Shrimp de jonghe, baked with onions and mushrooms in a pastry shell; and Alaskan king crab legs – a full pound served with butter and steak and shrimp platter. The Butterfly Club offers a Wednesday and Friday night fish fry, as well as a prime rib special on Tuesday and Thursday. “We’re known for our steaks,” Mike says. “And everything we serve is fresh and seasoned to perfection.” The Butterfly Club draws customers from across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin –Rockford, DeKalb, Madison and Lake Geneva – for dining, as well as relaxing in the spacious cocktail lounge.