Buttermilk & Bourbon - Back Bay

Should You Book Buttermilk & Bourbon?

If you are visiting Back Bay for the first time and want a Southern-leaning bar and dining room that works well for groups, Buttermilk & Bourbon at 160 Commonwealth Ave is a reasonable first call. Booking here is easy — no months-long waitlist, no allocation anxiety — which puts it in a different bracket from harder-to-access Boston spots. For a group of four or more looking for a convivial room with a clear food-and-drink identity, it clears the bar.

What to Expect as a First-Timer

Buttermilk & Bourbon plants its flag firmly in Southern American cooking and bourbon-forward drinks, a format that plays well in groups because the menu logic is approachable and the drinks list gives everyone a decision to make. The Back Bay address on Commonwealth Ave puts you in one of Boston's more walkable and well-connected neighbourhoods, convenient if you are building an evening that starts or ends elsewhere. Check our full Boston bars guide and full Boston restaurants guide for how it fits into a broader itinerary.

Because detailed menu and pricing data is not confirmed in our records, treat price expectations as mid-range for the Back Bay area, comparable to what you would spend at similar concept-driven dining bars in the neighbourhood. Do not arrive expecting a tasting-menu format or a hushed fine-dining room. The format is louder and more casual, which is exactly the point for a group dinner where conversation matters more than ceremony.

Group Suitability

This is where Buttermilk & Bourbon earns its strongest recommendation. The Southern comfort food and bourbon model scales well: shared plates reduce ordering friction, the drinks list is generous enough to keep a varied group happy, and the atmosphere does not punish you for arriving with six people and a noise budget. If your group includes non-drinkers or lighter drinkers, a bourbon-heavy bar programme is worth flagging in advance. For a group that wants an activity layer on top of food and drinks, Swingers offers Detroit-style pizza alongside mini-golf, which is a different proposition but worth comparing if entertainment is a priority.

Solo diners and couples after a quiet, intimate meal may find the energy level higher than ideal. For those guests, Equal Measure or Asta offer a more focused, lower-key experience. Also worth considering for a Back Bay evening: Abe & Louie's if your group wants a classic steakhouse anchor, or Baleia for something lighter. For broader trip planning, see our full Boston hotels guide, full Boston wineries guide, and full Boston experiences guide.

If you enjoy the bourbon-bar format and travel frequently, the category has strong representatives elsewhere in the US: Jewel of the South in New Orleans and Julep in Houston are benchmarks worth knowing. Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu shows how the serious spirits-bar format translates to a completely different market.

Quick reference: Easy to book, group-friendly format, Back Bay location, Southern food and bourbon focus.