Button’s Restaurant Opening Night Rocks Addison

Saturday night was opening night for Button’s Restaurant in Addison. The original location in Fort Worth has drawn raves from critics and crowds who swoon over Chef Keith “Buttons” Hicks’ soothing southern comfort dishes such as chicken and waffles.  There is also live music (jazz, R&B, Mowtown), brunch, and happy hour specials at this groovy spot.

We sent intern, Valeria Turturro, to the opening party Saturday night. She waited TWO HOURS to get in. Above and beyond the call of duty she reports:

Saturday evening might have been the first time I held out for a two-hour wait at a restaurant. It was the grand opening of the new Addison location of Buttons, and it seemed like anyone and everyone who is a fan of the Fort Worth location came out for this night of socializing. After we accepted our wait time, we made our way to the bar and what we thought would be a lounge area. Unfortunately the lounge was in fact additional dining seating, so we claimed our standing room—what little we could find—by the bar. Noticing that more than a few people had margaritas in hand, I took that as a clue that it was a good drink of choice. Indeed it was. Not too sweet and not too strong, the on-the-rocks drink was wonderfully refreshing, complete with a fresh lime and perfectly salted rim.

Jump for the whole scene.

The restaurant bustled with couples, families, groups of friends, and people making new friends. More than once, chef Keith “Buttons” Hicks was spotted shaking hands, hugging familiar faces, and throwing up peace signs to his devoted customers. It’s obvious that his vision for the restaurant—“creating a house of love where people can come to relax and feed their soul with both music and food”— has been realized.

Live music played throughout the night, with performances by the Rodney Bowens Jazz Trio, Lou Cobon, Lori Dawn, Bregget Rideau, and Drive the Band. I wish they’d put the stage closer to the bar because that’s where most people waited for their tables and mingled with each other. Instead, we had to watch the action on the four TV screens. As the night went on, couples took advantage of the small dance space in front of the stage.

But enough about the atmosphere and the wait: how was the food? Low key and delicious and in contrast to the chic backdrop of the restaurant. No frills or confusion on the plate. Just good ol’ Southern cooking. We chose the Buttons’ Famous Chicken and Waffles, Brotha Can You Spare a Rib, and Old School Pot Roast. The fried chicken had an addictive added sweetness from a dusting of powdered sugar and string-thin sweet potato fries. With side substitutes of seasoned fries, jalapeño grits, and mac ‘n’ cheese, we got a well-rounded taste of most of the menu’s offering. Next time I might just make a meal out of the Old School Sampler, a tempting sample of four of the numerous down-home, Southern sides.  Buttons Restaurant, 15207 Addison Road, (972) 503-2888.