Enjoy classic cookout fare without the hassle of firing up your own grill at this new Southie restaurant.
Located at 170 W. Broadway St. in South Boston, the recently opened Backyard Betty’s provides a stylishly retro vibe while serving up a menu of elevated, American comfort food. Since everyone loves a good cookout, the team behind the new bar and grill wanted to bring the beloved backyard concept into a restaurant setting.
“The idea of a cookout is that gathering you don’t want to miss,” says general manager PJ Crowley, while fondly recalling his early days of living in Southie and grilling on his rooftop during wild snowstorms. “If you miss going to that concert with your friends or you miss that night at the bar, those things will happen again. But if you miss that cookout at your aunt’s or friend’s house, you just have FOMO.”
Executive chef Jeff Howe has created a lineup of delicious cookout-style dishes ranging from wings and burgers to Nashville hot chicken sandwiches and steak tips. Other menu highlights include barbecue mainstays like brisket and pulled pork, as well as nachos, an array of wood-grilled pizzas and other bar bite favorites.
Crowley, along with Island Creek Oyster Bar and Yvonne’s alum Will Piquette, have put together a fun drink program featuring more than a dozen domestic and craft beers on draft, plus several tasty cocktail options and large format drinks. Backyard Betty’s even has its own signature draft cocktail, the Back Porch Sweet Tea, as well as a trio of boozy milkshakes, including one that’s dubbed the Martin and Lewis, an homage to the $5 shake from “Pulp Fiction.”
The layout and décor is just as fun and funky as the menu at Backyard Betty’s. The 5,300-square-foot space offers a ‘70s and ‘80s retro feel with a dash of modern flair.
All kinds of pop art can be found throughout the restaurant, even on the bathroom floor, which features a custom-designed throwback sticker collage. Backyard Betty’s also has a pair of Pac-Man arcade games, a collection of retro-fitted vintage televisions and a 42-foot custom bar that evokes an Aistream trailer feel with it’s aluminum covered siding.
Dubbed “Pop’s Garage,” a second, ten-seat bar is located near the dining room area. Featuring a motor city theme thanks to its reclaimed garage doors and other auto-inspired décor, the space can be reserved for groups of up to 20.
Between the food and nostalgia-driven design, Crowley hopes everyone who walks into Backyard Betty’s can feel at home.
“I want there to be a connection that the bartender or the server can have with the guest,” he says. “I want the neighborhood to embrace us as much as we embrace them.”
If you go:
170 W. Broadway St., South Boston, backyardbettys.com
