Absolutely delicious chowder and ice cream. Love the rotating menu. Always great service! Highly recommend

So delicious and super friendly! This team did an outstanding job- we will be back for sure. read more

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OMG! Best soup and the creamiest, tastiest ice cream I've ever had! Great customer service...like family. Will certainly be back again and again! read more

Best soup on the coast. The chowders are tasty, with quality ingredients and beautifully put together.

Best Chowder! Tried the Northwest and the Thai. Both were great. The Thai was not like anything I have tried. The seafood added was no fresh - a must add. Finish your meal with their fresh gelato. All local sourced ingredients and made fresh. When you are driving down the coast you don't want to miss stopping here for lunch. read more

Soup and ice cream. Barely seats for 6 but omg both are to die for. Tried 2 soups and 3 ice creams...all were yum. Got two more soups to go for tomorrow's dinner. read more

Uhm, wow. Don't miss this place. Chowder -- four kinds the day we were there: clam, salmon, one made with coconut milk and one vegetarian. We both had clam which was truly amazing: fresh, not artificially thickened, lots of razor clams and fresh vegetables. Then we had the amazing ice cream. All homemade. Marshmallow is what they're known for and they have chocolate malt and butterscotch but they also had a variety of much more unusual flavors: sour cream strawberry rhubarb and other's I forget now which were even more creative. Several types of cones that felt homemade. Possible downside: Very limited counter space to eat in, outside tables out back by the river but probably a challenge if the weather is super cold or rainy. We'd definitely go back. read more

I would definitely recommend Buttercup! This place had a little bit for everyone - we didn't try the chowder, but the ice cream flavors were fun, interesting, and creative. The chowder looked incredible too, with locals and tourists coming from far around - the service was also great, with a beautiful sitting area overlooking the river (with a food truck right next door!). I loved the creative decor inside. Each ice cream flavor was really unique - ranging from marshmallow to Mexican mocha, each with a unique cone flavor to go along with it. If you're going to Nehalem any time soon, don't even think about missing Buttercup! read more

If your looking for homemade ice cream with a unique twist. Stop in to Buttercup and grab a scoop of Marshmallow ice cream in a graham cracker come that is dipped in chocolate! Super good! The Vegan almond joy was also very good! Cute little shop in Nehalem. Julie is warm, welcoming, friendly and makes some good ice cream!! read more

Cannot give Buttercup enough stars! The owner started Bread and Ocean in Manzanita, so you already know it's going to be good. Lots of vegan options, which can be hard to find at the coast! I tasted every ice cream flavor I think. I ordered the sour cream peach cobbler in a brown butter cone. Each ice cream has its own special cone. So fun! The marshmallow ice cream with graham cracker cone was also so delicious. The almond joy ice cream flavor is dairy free! There is something for everyone here. The soups are made to order, so you can customize your bowl how you like it. Absolutely wonderful! read more

Wonderful nontraditional chowder. The broth's are made before, the ingredients are cooked in the broth when you order. The result is nicely cooked vegetables and proteins in deep delicious broths. They are packed full and quite filling. I would love to try their ice cream! read more

We were strolling the streets of Nehalem when we ran across this gem (we've driven by many times and didn't see it even though it's on main drag). We had two of the chowder options - Thai seafood and Hungarian. Both were made with fresh ingredients and hardy portions and great flavors. We sat out back and enjoyed the view of the Nehalem river (one might call the riverside seating 'rustic', but good vibe. The service was excellent and the chef was very pleasant. read more

Great GF DF option. Thai red curry chowder with seafood is so warming on a cold and rainy day. All the ice cream is made in-house. GF DF ice cream options too, with GF cones! A MUST visit if you are visiting the northern coast. read more

Wow! Vegan in Nehalem...yes, please! The Buttercup has captured my heart. The daily vegan chowder was red or green Thai curry chowder. Deliciousness! Each order is made to order. I could taste and feel the love. True farm to table...farms posted. Then, the housemade vegan Almond Joy ice cream and vegan chocolate cone...be still my heart. Heaven off of HWY 101! read more

Amazing options for both vegans and non-vegans! They had vegan waffle cones (a rare find), which were awesome! I had the pineapple-mint-child sorbet and the chocolate-tahini-coconut vegan idea cream both were delicious! I'll definitely come back and next time also try some of their fun chowder options (they always have a vegan chowder option as well)! If you are not vegan they have not only an abundance of ice cream flavors but also CONE flavors! The cone flavors ranged from poppyseed, chocolate, brown butter, and almond! If you can make a stop here I would highly recommend it! read more

Soups and chowders are great, really tasty and filling, fresh. I was disappointed with the ice cream flavors, relatively no flavor. Honey lavender lemonade was average. read more

Amazing and shareable tiramisu! They've thought of every conceivable detail, down to the browned butter cones. Creamiest marshmallow you've ever had, and burnt chocolate is ridiculously good and all organic and fresh. read more

I don't know how the did it, but I wanted every single flavor on their menu. I appreciate how unique their flavor profiles are, too. I loved every sample I tried. Buttercup will be a coast staple of mine moving forward! read more

This place is a coastal town gem. Every single thing on the menu was legitimately good. The traditional chowder is safe but wasn't my favorite of all of chowders on the menu. Save room for dessert because their ice cream is perfectly homemade and creative. They have Vegan and gluten free options and everything is made with love. We cannot wait to get back here. read more

I can't believe we've been driving past this place for years. Don't expect the usual heavy white chowder here. We both had the NW Spring Chowder which was rich but not heavy. Tons of fresh tasting clams and lots of fresh vegetables. I'd definitely try the Thai next time. The bread from Bread & Ocean was great. I was almost too full for the ice cream, which was amazing - just the descriptions of the flavors - it was hard to choose. We ended up getting some marshmallow which was SO good. But I was tempted by the sour cream strawberry shortcake and the chocolate tahini. Next time! read more

This place makes the most amazing chowders! A combination of the base having been simmered and blended plus super fresh additions. Not open on Mon. or Tues. so plan ahead. Just wish it was closer to Portland! read more

Loved this little place but there really is only room for a couple people to sit and eat. All that's on the menu is 3 different flavors of chowder and homemade ice cream but everything is very delicious!!! The chowder is fresh and made to order but it's not think like most chowders it's a cream base but runny like soup with tons of chunks of fresh veggies and clams. There is yummy rustic bread on the side and a little side salad. I had the burnt chocolate ice cream and a scoop of marshmallow in a browned butter sugar cone and it was so delicious, not overly sweet or rich but just perfect. Love this place and we will be back. Expect to pay $10 a bowl for chowder - you would think it would cost less for a walk up order place but you pay for the homemade quality. read more

This place has amazing clam chowder and most delicious ice cream I have ever tried, my two favorite ice cream flavors are, Marshmallow and the Burnt chocolate flavors. read more

Oh my goodness! This ice cream was to die for (my fav is Jeni's, so the bar is high ) I got the marshmallow and burnt chocolate. I would've come back here every day of our vacation. We only tried one of the chowders, which was very tasty. Love that you can take everything to go and head to the beach. read more

Simply the best place on the North Oregon Coast for gourmet, locally sourced chowders and soups, plus handmade ice cream. The owner is a nationally-recognized (multiple mentions over the years of her past restaurants in the NY Times and elsewhere), local legend who founded the two most famous and beloved foodie places in Manzanita, the Blue Sky and Bread and Ocean. Get in on her under-the-radar goodness on the river in Nehalem because this is the kind of special, special little takeout place that's rare, precious and memorable. read more

Great concept, unique flavors of ice cream, and some amazing soup offerings. Are you adventurous?

The hours on Yelp said 11:30 - 6 on Sunday. We stopped in at 4:02 pm and they were closed already. Really disappointed.

Almond joy homemade icecream on chocolate vegan cone was delish! 2miles from manzanita and we happened to get to this store by chance and were happy to have found it read more

As locals, we lamented Julie Barker's departure from Manzanita and the best little bakery in Oregon (Bread and Ocean). But we were thrilled to learn she was only going "next door" (a mile down the road on hwy 101) to Nehalem and buttercup is indeed something very special. All locally sourced ingredients (crucially all of the milk comes from one family owned ethical/organic dairy near Tillamook) and Julie's unique culinary craftwork are the keys to your taste bud bliss. As it is all chowder and frozen confections, it is not lo-cal but there are vegan and non-GMO/gluten-free options as well. Look for the goldenrod paint job - close to the hard 90-degree turn on hwy 101 in the heart of tiny Nehalem. You won't regret it, read more

Friendly staff and the ice cream is DELICIOUS! I've been known to wait in line for as long as 30 minutes for Salt and Straw in Portland and Buttercup is as good...even better IMHO. I didn't try the chowder this time around but I will most definitely be back! Yum yum!!! read more

Good ice cream, don't know about the chowder. Especially impressed with the flavored cones.

Easily the best food on the Oregon coast. Best chowder I've ever had, and the ice cream puts Portland's salt and straw to shame. Chef Julie Barker might just be God's gift to mankind. read more

We drove an hour out of our way to get a beautiful fresh bowl of buttercup's chowder and it was not a mistake. Creamy but not heavy, we lovingly slurped up every sip and then scoped up the rest with the wonderful bread that comes with every bowl. read more

The Hazelnut Elderberry Swirl ice cream and cone was probably the best ice cream I've ever had. In fact, I went back for more after I finished my first. The owner said that the Elderberry was native to this area only. I will definitely be back for more on each and every visit to Nehalem OR. read more

Perfect intersection of delicious and healthy (even the ice cream!) I'm still thinking about the sophisticated flavor combinations.

Only restaurant in the region that uses local clams for their chowder. Vegan and gluten free options too! This place is delicious! I think this is the best chowder I've ever had. No joke. They have a variety of local hot sauces, not that there is any need for additional flavors. Once you've finished your chowder, you can finish up with ice cream for dessert. They have an eclectic assortment of flavors that is always changing. I think Buttercup will have to be a regular stop for our coast trips. read more

The best homemade ice cream I have ever had, anywhere in all my travels. Do not miss this unique and wonderful place, it is SO worth it.

This place is awesome. We stopped in for a cone after an afternoon at the beach and I was in foodie heaven. There are not many flavors, but the ones they have are very creative. They seem to pair the ice cream with fresh specialty cones that enhance the flavor. I had a honey lime paired with a manchego cone. Good stuff. The kids ate marshmallow flavored ice cream in a graham cracker cone dipped in chocolate. A slight negative is there are not many places to sit and enjoy your cone. There is a raggedy picnic table that you can access by walking through the nextdoor antique shop. Not great, especially if you are worried about your child dribbling all over an antique. I am already planning my next visit to the coast and I will definitely stop in and sample a new flavor. read more

I just dined on Julie's Lamb Shank Stew. OMG! I think I died and went to heaven. Delicately seasoned, delightful comfort food on a rainy night at home. Thank you, Julie read more

Stopped in today to get some ice cream, and had my mind blown! I tried a spicy chocolate flavor - I think there was chile in the title - and it was hands down some of the best ice ice cream I've had. Plus, the lady who helped me (think she was the owner) was super sweet too, and let me try a bunch of flavors. I wish I had tried some of the chowder - from the reviews, it sounds like it's amazing too. Ah well, next time. Thank you guys! read more