Return of the Milk: Buttermilk Southern Kitchen resurrected

We’re used to seeing storefronts change hands in this neighborhood, but something unusual has happened at 2848 23rd St. Four years after closing shop, a neighborhood favorite has returned. 

You heard right. Buttermilk Southern Kitchen has come back to the corner of 23rd and Bryant streets with a fresh sign and its old menu offerings.

Faithful readers may remember that Mission Local reported a South Asian dinner and brunch spot called Aarna Kitchen was slated to take over the large corner space after El Coreano left  early this year. The Aarna sign was up, and a Nepali chef from Lake Tahoe was set to bring some extra spice to the quiet intersection. 

But plans changed, a waitress at the second generation of Buttermilk Southern Kitchen told Mission Local after their opening a few weeks ago. Things didn’t work out with the Aarna chef, and new owners Raj Gotame and Achyut Rijal, a former server at Buttermilk, instead decided to call upon a previous Buttermilk chef Rodrigo Salgado. 

Although Buttermilk Southern Kitchen closed its doors in 2019, each venture in this location since, including Korean, Mexican and Chinese, has carried with it a hint of Southern soul. 

And now, the restaurant space is going back to its roots with chicken and waffles, Cajun shrimp, jambalaya and other Southern comfort foods.

“I see my previous customers, I used to serve them three or four years ago,” Rijal told Mission Local. He said he is excited to be back in the neighborhood years later, this time as a partial shareholder.

Since they opened their doors a month ago, business hasn’t been bad, Rijal said, “we are improving day by day.” For now, the restaurant is serving a limited menu, but he expects it will expand soon.

Buttermilk Southern Kitchen is now open Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Update: This story was updated with comments from Achyut Rijal.