The Butterscotch Den

The Butterscotch Den: Self-Serve Grills and Freezer Martinis Make a Comeback at This 70s-Inspired Sacramento Steakhouse | Eater SF

"Housed in the former Arthur Henry’s Supper Club and Ruby Room in Oak Park, this newly opened restaurant and bar has been refreshed with plush booths, patterned wallpaper, and a mirrored back bar glowing under a warm golden light. Run by the Irish Hospitality Group (which also owns the Snug and Ro Sham Beaux), the team hopes to turn the dark, sexy venue into a destination for grilled meats, classic cocktails, and live funk and soul music while keeping prices relatively affordable — for example, an $8 freezer martini and a $10 8-ounce top sirloin. The hulking center grill remains, but the meat selection is updated: sirloin-and-veggie or all-veggie skewers ($4.50), a portabella sandwich ($9), a 12-ounce ribeye ($34), and a short list of sides (garlic bread, potato salad, side salads, prawn cocktail); steaks arrive rare and the menu explains how long to leave them sizzling to reach your desired doneness. The beverage program revives retro drinks with playful riffs — a Pink Squirrel served with whipped cream and a literal cherry, a freezer martini batched 50/50 gin and dry vermouth with an optional $3 caviar bump, a Cosmo Daisy with fresh lime, pomegranate and pineapple, an espresso martini built on Mast Coffee cold brew and Amaro Nonino, a Den Old Fashioned combining bourbon, rye and rum, a mango margarita garnished with chamoy and Tajin, plus seven $5 digestifs (from Fernet Branca to Cynar and Cio Ciaro), beer, wine and nonalcoholic cocktails. Programming will emphasize live funk and soul on a stage with a baby grand piano, and the team emphasizes a community-minded approach to service — “bringing humanity back to hospitality” — with the goal of becoming a neighborhood classic; the Butterscotch Den is open for dinner daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m." - Lauren Saria