For my next Dinner and a Show column at TheaterJones.com, I had to select a restaurant in Fort Worth to pair with a show at Jubilee Theatre. I haven’t been to Buttons in years, and this was the perfect excuse to return and enjoy some of their southern comfort food. Learn more about their menu and what to order in this Buttons Restaurant Review.
Buttons Restaurant Review: Southern Cocktails
The Buttons cocktail menu offers a wide range of specialty cocktails, and they all have fun names. From Rosemary’s Cherry (made with fresh rosemary and Grey Goose Cherry Noir) to Georgia on My Mind (TX Whiskey gently kissed with maple, pecan and peaches) to Louisiana Jam (Southern Comfort, mint, fresh squeezed lemon juice and apricot jam), there’s something for everyone … even for a gin girl like me. I ordered their Gin & Juiced, which is made with gin, grapefruit and elderflower liqueur.
If you prefer wine or beer, Buttons has wine by the glass or bottle and beer selections on draft and in bottles.
Appetizers and Salads
The appetizer menu wasn’t as extensive as what you’ll see on their website, but it included crowd favorites: wings, a cup of shrimp creole, a cup of gumbo and fried shrimp. A salad, which you can add chicken or shrimp to, is available as well. We knew we’d be filling up on some southern comfort food, so we shared a cup of gumbo.
It hit the spot, offering warm comfort with a little bit of a kick and not too much salt. It definitely goes on the “we’d order it again” list. It’s made with shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage in a dark roux with rice served on top and garlic bread on the side. I foresee a craving for a whole bowl of the Buttons gumbo on a cold evening this winter.
Buttons Entrees
It was a wise decision to go light with our appetizer choice, in order to save room for our main entrees.
The entree menu is divided into three sections: 1) Large Buttons, 2) Seafood and 3) Steaks & Chops. The Large Buttons menu includes chicken and waffles, pot roast, chicken fried chicken, oxtails, chicken alfredo and “wings, wangs & thangs.” The seafood menu includes a grilled salmon option, a catfish dinner, a bowl of shrimp creole, a bowl of gumbo and a shrimp, fish and grits dish. Rounding out the stretchy-pants-required entrees are smothered pork chops and a ribeye.
With so many appealing options, it was difficult to decide. We opted for the chicken and waffles and the shrimp creole bowl.
The shrimp creole is made with a spicy cajun tomato based sauce, shrimp, rice and garlic bread. Most people probably won’t, but I found it a tad salty. However, that wouldn’t stop me from ordering it again. The shrimp were tender, and the tomato sauce was divine.
Of course we had to order the chicken and waffles!
Before I talk about the chicken and waffles, I have to applaud the collard greens that come with them. WOW. With a hint of sweetness to balance the salt, the Buttons collard greens were a standout. You can sub them for another side (which range from mac-n-cheese to braised cabbage to rice, grits, smashed potatoes, asparagus and corn bread), but unless you hate all greens, I highly recommend trying their collard greens.
Rather than serving boneless chicken atop waffles, Buttons takes a unique approach by serving 3 hand battered fried chicken wings with homemade Belgian waffles that are served with warm blueberry-infused butter and syrup.
Let’s take another look at that blueberry-infused butter. It really takes the light and fluffy waffles to the next level.
Dessert
Dessert options included a peach cobbler and a raspberry and white chocolate bread pudding the night we visited. We opted to split the peach cobbler (with the ice cream on the side).
The peaches were delicious, and my foodie sidekick assured me that the ice cream was too. The crust was tasty, but we would have preferred it to be a little crispier. That didn’t stop us from finishing the whole dish, of course.
Music at Buttons
Buttons typically has live music on the weekends that starts at 8pm. If you go to dinner early, you’ll either have a 2 hour limit and/or an entertainment fee added to your bill. We sat in the bar area and gladly paid the $5/person extra to stay beyond two hours and catch the live music. The Front Cover Band out of Shreveport was playing that night, and they were amazing in terms of talent and the incredibly diverse range of music they played. I may become a groupie …
Address:
4701 W. Freeway
Fort Worth, TX
Website:
