Drink Boozy Rainbow Sherbet Shakes and Eat Cookout Cuisine at Southie’s Newest Restaurant

Southie’s newest restaurant opens tomorrow, May 18: Backyard Betty’s debuts at 172 West Broadway, dishing out its own spin on cookout food. Betty’s is the latest venture from Theo Bougas, Jairo Dominguez, and Teodora Bakardzhieva, who are also behind Publico Street Bistro & Garden in South Boston.

The idea for Backyard Betty’s was inspired by Marathon Monday cookouts the owners have been hosting for the past two decades, as previously reported, and the name “Betty” is an homage to the trio’s landlord’s mother.

The team — with Assembly Design Studio’s Erica Diskin — has filled the 5,300-square-foot space with retro and outdoorsy decor, from light fixtures made out of grills to vintage signage. About half of the seating makes up the “backyard” dining space, with plenty of greenery, string lights, reclaimed wood, and a 42-foot bar by Boston-based Studio FKIA that’s meant to evoke the feel of an Airstream trailer with aluminum siding. Another section of the restaurant is dubbed “Pop’s Garage,” a 10-seat bar decorated with a vintage motorbike, old tools, and a giant American flag mural.

Continuing along the cookout theme, the kitchen features a custom wood-fired grill, built in Mesquite, Texas. Executive chef Jeff Howe, an alum of the Columbus Hospitality Group, is serving up dishes such as char-grilled oysters, grilled shrimp skewers, hush puppies, steak tips, Nashville-style hot chicken, and sweet Italian sausages, not to mention the previously reported “tableside wing service,” in which a server will sauce 20 wings ($27) with one of several sauces at a cart parked next to your table.

For drinks, general manager PJ Crowley (Columbus Hospitality, Yvonne’s) and Will Piquette (Island Creek Oyster Bar, Yvonne’s) have pulled together a collection of cocktails that includes three boozy shakes, including the rainbow sherbet-filled Rainbow Unicorn; big shareable sizes of boozy sweet tea, sangria, and punch; and more. There’s plenty of beer and wine as well.

Betty’s is open seven days a week from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m., with the kitchen serving food until 11 p.m. Kick the cookout season off with a swing through Southie.

• Get ‘Tableside Wing Service’ at a Southie Restaurant With a ‘1970s Auto Garage’ Vibe [EBOS]
• Backyard Betty’s [Official Site]