Buttermilk & Bourbon to open at Arsenal Yards

Watertown, MA Boylston Properties and Wilder have leased 3,000 s/f at Arsenal Yards to local celebrity chef and restaurateur, Jason Santos. Following the success of Buttermilk & Bourbon in Boston’s Back Bay, the nationally-recognized chef will open his second location of the popular restaurant in the new neighborhood in 2021, bringing a taste of Southern hospitality to the area. The New Orleans’ inspired restaurant will be an exciting addition to the eclectic mix of offerings at Arsenal Yards, which will offer a true neighborhood experience with its more than one million s/f of retail shops, residential apartments, life science space, and a 146-room hotel when construction is completed in fall 2021. 

“For a chef of Jason Santos’ caliber to open his next restaurant at Arsenal Yards only adds to the incredible level of buzz that Arsenal Yards and the town of Watertown is currently receiving,” said Bill McQuillan, principal at Boylston Properties. “And while COVID-19 continues to greatly impact our communities and neighborhoods, we couldn’t be more grateful to share some positive news about one of the best chefs and restaurant groups in Boston. Our team is committed as ever to creating a unique place for people to work, live, and simply just enjoy, and Jason and Buttermilk & Bourbon are the perfect complement to this lasting, energized experience that we’re creating at Arsenal Yards.”

A culinary consultant and personality on Paramount Network’s “Bar Rescue”; the author of the cookbook, “Buttermilk & Bourbon”; and a chef consultant of Fox’s hit television show Hell’s Kitchen, Chef Santos will bring his larger-than-life personality and inventive dishes to Arsenal Yards starting next year. Inspired by Santos’ love of New Orleans and the city’s energy and unique appeal, Buttermilk & Bourbon at Arsenal Yards will offer Southern classics and reimagined staples including warm honey-glazed house-made biscuits, crawfish boudin croquettes, sarsaparilla-braised short ribs and, of course, buttermilk fried chicken. His award-winning fried chicken will be available in wings, boneless fried thighs and bone-in ½ chicken, with a choice of Nashville hot, sweet & spicy, BBQ syrup or white BBQ sauce. The bottled sauces and cookbook will also available for retail.

“I love what the Arsenal Yards team is building in Watertown, and the energy and aesthetic aligns perfectly with what I was looking for when thinking about opening another Buttermilk & Bourbon location,” said Santos. “I can’t wait to share New Orleans cuisine and all things Southern with our Watertown neighbors and guests.” 

Buttermilk & Bourbon’s beverage program features 50+ bourbon and spirits selections, as well as classic and signature cocktails, beer and wine. Additionally, the restaurant is known for its offerings of rare and limited spirits, hurricanes-on-tap, large-batch cocktails and bourbon-based drinks.

“One of our goals at Arsenal Yards is to find partners in the local restaurant scene to bring the best of chef-driven restaurants to the project,” said Gary Robinson, vice president, leasing at Wilder. “Buttermilk & Bourbon’s allure and vibrancy perfectly mirrors the new neighborhood’s vibe and we look forward to welcoming Chef Santos and his team to Arsenal Yards.”

Buttermilk & Bourbon will join Arsenal Yards’ lineup of restaurants currently open including Shake Shack, Chipotle, Ben & Jerry’s, City Works Eatery and Pour House, and Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana, as well as other future restaurants including Condesa Restaurante & Tequila Bar, Tori Jiro, Kura Sushi, Pokeworks, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, and more. The currently-open retail roster includes Marshalls, Gap Factory, Old Navy, T-Mobile, and European Wax, with much more to come. 

Arsenal Yards is a thriving new neighborhood comprised of over one million s/f. of development including 250,000 s/f of shopping, dining and fitness space, as well as fresh groceries from Roche Bros. and a seven-screen cinema, The Majestic 7 at Arsenal Yards. Additionally, Arsenal Yards includes 200,000 s/f of life science space, home to current biotech tenants SQZ Biotech, Kymera and Arkuda, 300 contemporary residences, and a 146-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton.