A New Southern Eatery and Soda Fountain From Berg Hospitality Will Open in the Heights This Fall

Buttermilk Baby combines comfort eats and frozen treats with a side of nostalgia

Only two months into the year, and the Berg Hospitality Group continues to make waves with yet another announcement of a new, original concept set to debut in Houston in 2023. Just weeks after sharing news of Benny Chows and Canopy Social, which are both slated to open on Washington Ave. this spring, the fast-growing hospitality group has announced it will debut Buttermilk Baby, a casual restaurant that reimagines the idea of the all-American soda fountain, at the M-K-T Heights development in September.

“Buttermilk Baby is my take on an old-school soda fountain, which was a gathering place for families and the center of social activity. Our goal is to create an experience-driven concept that evokes happy childhood memories for adults and that they can now share with their kids. It really will be a treat for Houstonians of all ages,” says Benjamin Berg, founder of Berg Hospitality Group.

The restaurant, which will be housed in Building 2 within the buzzy development, boasts more than 3,000-square-feet of space, designed by award-winning New York-based design firm, ICRAVE.

“For Buttermilk Baby, we decided to take our fine-dining mindset and apply it to the aesthetics, ingredients, and techniques of a fast casual concept, creating what we are calling a fun, ‘cool casual’ concept,” says Berg. “We’re taking a great mix of classic Southern dishes and using only the highest-quality ingredients to provide something for everyone.”

Buttermilk Baby’s menu will have a flair for Southern comfort eats, with standouts including breakfast platters, fried chicken sandwiches, biscuits, burgers, and salads, but the main attraction will likely be its ice-cream bar. The dessert counter will serve up an array of sweet treats in partnership with iconic American creamery, Carvel, with this collaboration being the first of its kind in Texas. Among the many indulgences, guests will find milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, and the ice cream brand’s signature creations like the Carvelanche, which pairs soft-serve ice cream with chocolate and candy mix-ins. Beyond frozen treats to devour in the moment, Buttermilk Baby will also sell Carvel’s handmade ice cream cakes, fit for celebrations for kids and adults alike.

Despite the fact that Buttermilk Baby is set to open its doors in the post-summer months, it’s safe to say there will be plenty of warm Houston days ahead to cool down with a sweet treat when it opens. Let the countdown begin.