Ben Berg is ready to unveil his nostalgic new restaurant devoted to biscuits, burgers, and ice cream. Buttermilk Baby opens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Wednesday, September 4.
Located in the Heights M-K-T mixed-use development, Buttermilk Baby is Berg’s ode to the diners of his New York youth mixed with some Texas touches. The retro-styled restaurant will serve pancakes and biscuits in the morning, burgers and chicken sandwiches for lunch and dinner, and a full selection of New York’s celebrated Carvel ice cream for children of all ages. Needless to say, it’s a big change of pace from Berg Hospitality Group’s recent openings, which include live fire steak and sushi concept Prime 131 and the ultra posh Turner’s Cut.
"Buttermilk Baby is a fusion of our traditional fine-dining with fast casual to create a new concept of dining I like to call ‘cool casual,” Berg said in a statement. “It’s a place where kids of all ages can get home-cooked comfort food made from top-notch ingredients and just enjoy being a kid again.”
As one example of those “top-notch ingredients,” all of the burgers, hot dogs, and corn dogs at Buttermilk Baby are made with wagyu beef. Similarly, it’s fried chicken sandwiches are brined in buttermilk. True to its name, buttermilk biscuits will be available in the morning for breakfast sandwiches or later in the day for chicken sandwiches.
But of course, it’s the Carvel ice cream that really makes Buttermilk Baby stands out. Known for its soft serve, ice cream cakes, and other novelties, the restaurant represents the brand’s most robust presence in Houston (a Carvel store operated briefly in Southwest Houston many years ago and its cakes are available at area grocery stores). The restaurant will serve 10 flavors of soft serve as well as cakes and ice cream sandwiches.
“I grew up with it. It’s the original soft serve. Every single cake I had for my birthday was either Fudgie the Whale or some other form of Carvel,” Berg said last year during an episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast. “In New York, going to Carvel for a big soft serve was part of life.”
Those wanting a slightly more adult take on Carvel treats will find a selection of boozy milkshakes in flavors such as Espresso Shaketini, Bailey’s Oreo Cookie, and Piña Colada. The restaurant will also serve wine and beer.
You can't miss the ice cream sundae statue.Photo by Kirsten Gilliam
Berg worked with New York-based design firm iCRAVE and designer Gail McCleese of Sensitori on the restaurant’s interior. Details include pink cloud-shaped swings, a life-size carousel horse, and an ice cream sundae statue.
“They blew it out of the water with all the different touches, incorporating the identity of Carvel into it. It’s also reimaging the soda fountain for today’s world,” Berg said about iCRAVE in the interview.
Buttermilk Baby is located at 600 N Shepherd Drive. It opens daily at 8 am.
Photo by Kirsten Gilliam
Buttermilk Baby opens Wednesday, September 4.
