Buttons Chef and Brent Johnson to Open Another New Restaurant in Fort Worth — a PaperCity Exclusive

Keith “Buttons” Hicks exited his namesake Buttons Restaurant in June of 2019 to reunite with his longtime friend Brent Johnson at The Rim in Burleson. Buttons Restaurant didn’t last long without him ― no surprise. Hicks took over as executive chef at The Rim and brought his soul food deliciousness along with him to restaurant’s popular “American Retro” menu.

Hicks and Johnson, who also owns Rio Mambo Mexican in nearby City View, are now set to import The Rim to Fort Worth. They have taken over the shuttered Taco Diner space in Waterside, and plan to open Fort Worth’s The Rim in January.

Johnson tells PaperCity Fort Worth that the space will undergo a significant renovation. “I don’t want you to remember Taco Diner when you walk in,” he says.

In fact, the three demi-lune banquettes along the right-hand wall may be the only thing that remains untouched. Those will become chefs tables, right near the action. What was a closed kitchen wall will open to become an exhibition kitchen, fronted by one half of an airstream trailer ― with the trailer’s windows becoming pass-throughs. The original Rim restaurant in Burleson has its own Airstream installation as well, so they are rolling with the same theme in Fort Worth.

The entire footprint of the currently sterile white space will expand dramatically. Walls will be moved, adding a full five feet of width, and where you find the bar area toward the back will be completely transformed as well.

“We are adding a glass structure, with windows that can open on two sides, so we can enjoy true al fresco dining when the weather’s right,” Johnson says.

It will take in most of what is now an outdoor patio, adding a full 600 feet of air-conditioned to al fresco space to the overall footprint, and the bar will become more of a U-shaped design. “We’ll extend the open patio by about 200 square feet as well, with some kind of fire feature,” Johnson says.

The flooring will be changing throughout, and the overall design ― which will include leather wrapped columns, and a mix of warmer woods and lighter stone, like the quartz bar being added to the south side ― will make for clearer sight lines.

Johnson won’t divulge all the “antiquities” he is bringing in to add to the ambience, but says it will be “wall to wall eye candy. . . a different experience no matter where you are seated.”

Waterside has joined a growing residential (mostly condo/townhome) community, and The Rim plans to cater to those neighbors specifically, with a branded golf cart that will provide delivery right to their doors.

“The way people dine has changed forever. Current curbside and delivery models are not going away and we always want to be a part of the neighborhood ― wherever we are,” Johnson notes.

Keith Hicks has already put his stamp on the menu with specialties such as his famous chicken and waffles, a tender pork shank over red beans and rice, and his redfish jambalaya. When the new The Rim opens in Fort Worth, expect the menu to expand slightly as well, with more steaks and pasta dishes.