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When the Union Public House moved to 36 E. Garden St. last August, it marked the end of an era for 309 S. Reus St.
For Union Public House owner and chef Blake Rushing, it was a second opportunity to transform the former 1934 Salvation Army site into a vibrant place to gather and enjoy interesting cocktails and creative food.
Rushing’s trademark is making even the smallest details feel effortless, and Baby’s Beefs Lounge & Meat – which is set to officially open in early September – is no exception.
“It’s an upscale dive bar. They have New Orleans-style cocktails and the menu has sandwiches, appetizers, chicken wings and stuff like that – but on a different level,” Rushing said.
Think alcoholic New Orleans snoballs, crawfish hand pies, debris poutine and gumbo-flavored chicken wings.
Rushing had wanted to open a dive bar on Reus Street since Union moved, and he enlisted his former sous chef and current Baby’s Beef co-owner, Arce Garcia, to design the menu for the brand new bar.
“He (Rushing) was like my mentor,” Garcia said. “We’ve become kind of best friends over the years … it just made sense to do this.”
Garcia knew exactly where to get his inspiration, having visited New Orleans frequently during his youth and working in restaurants in the city as an adult.
“I grew up a Saints fan and always spent a lot of time in New Orleans. I just love this city,” Garcia said. “Those are my favorite places in New Orleans, little neighborhood bars. It’s cool to be able to come back here (to Pensacola) and do that.”
When putting together the menu, Garcia remembered some of his favorite haunts, like the Irish bar with the best po’boy bread made from messy scraps just down the street from his house. Not only did he enjoy the casual elements of New Orleans cuisine, he also acquired even more formal culinary training by working in some of New Orleans’ upscale restaurants.
“Baby’s Beef,” the name they chose to describe the new concept, comes from a nickname Garcia earned during his time at Peche, an upscale coastal seafood grill on Magazine Street in New Orleans.
“When I first started there, we called my boss ‘Papaw’ to annoy him because he’s an old silver fox. So he said, ‘Well, if I’m Papaw, then you’re Baby,'” Garcia said. “It kind of caught on, everyone started calling me Baby. It just stuck.”
Baby’s Beef’s logo, a cartoon baby holding up a fist, was modeled after one of Garcia’s real baby photos, where he first struck the unknowingly iconic pose.
The name then became a humorous play on words: the angry baby has a “quarrel” with someone, or an unresolved argument or disagreement, and literally represents the menu of special beef sandwiches.
“We made a variation of beef and cheddar and called it ‘Arcy’s,'” Garcia said.
A twist on a well-known fast-food roast beef joint, Arcy’s Beef and Cheddar is served on a craft bakery potato bun with all the trimmings and filled with cheddar sauce, barbecue, horsey sauce, crispy onions and, of course, roast beef.
The menu also offers some more unexpected variations, such as the Gumboy, a sandwich with beef fillet, fries, fried shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and spicy mayo.
“It’s beef braised in real gumbo, so we’re cooking that down, and it’s a twist on a debris po’boy, so there’s going to be homemade fries fried in beef suet, on top of that debris sauce, fried shrimp and spicy mayonnaise,” Garcia said.
“It’s going to be the coolest thing, one of my favorites,” Rushing said of the Gumboy.
The cocktail portion of the menu, led by beverage director Nate Simmons, will enhance the NOLA experience with signature drinks like the Ramos Gin Fizz, flavored snowballs and four rotating frozen cocktails.
“It’s a 10-minute cocktail,” Rushing said of the Ramos Gin Fizz. “It’s just one of those fun things you don’t see outside of New Orleans.”
UPH moves to Garden Street: Union Public House now open in Pensacola’s East Garden District
“Of course we have the traditional Tigers Blood,” Garcia added of the alcoholic snoballs. “We’ll also do sweetened condensed milk, which is very popular in New Orleans.”
Baby’s not only offers a taste of New Orleans food and drink, but also a taste of New Orleans tradition and culture.
That’s why every Sunday you’ll see an appearance by the Rougarou, a beast from the Louisiana Bayou or “Cajun Boogeyman” painted on the wall, as well as Saints games on the big screen.
“We want to be a new Saints bar,” Rushing said. “We’re not actually open on Sundays, but for Saints games we’re open two hours before and two hours after and then we do like a big Cajun buffet. So you pay a flat rate of $25 to $30, come in, eat as much as you want, drink as much as you want, watch the game – basically like a party.”
You’ll also discover elements of New Orleans life in the artwork created by Aidan and Poppy Garcia, such as Dr. John, a famous New Orleans musician, and the fleur-de-lis symbol incorporated into the colorful graffiti that adorns the interior of Baby’s Beef – graffiti that was supposed to be temporary.
“The funny thing was we were closed and (Pensacola artist) Poppy Garcia always has a big Halloween party. And so he said, ‘Hey, can we spray paint the whole inside since you’re going to paint it anyway? For the party?'” Rushing said.
“Arce and I went in and thought, ‘Hey, maybe we should leave the graffiti up,'” Rushing continued. “A lot of things changed, but then it became the theme of the whole interior. So they came in and did graffiti all over the graffiti.”
Although the place has many new touches, it also incorporates some pieces of Pensacola’s history, like the old bar stools from Intermission, another dive bar at 214 Palafox Place, or the old union sign that’s now painted over on the wall.
It’s intended to be a place where customers can move around freely and play games like golden tee, darts or pool. There will be high bar tables where they can grab a bite to eat. There will even be a claw machine with Union Public House and Baby’s Beef merchandise, including cans of drinks, t-shirts and gift cards.
“First and foremost, it’s just going to be a really cool restaurant with a great atmosphere and a little escape during the day for lunch,” Rushing said. “It’s just going to be a really great place with amazing food and cocktails.”
Baby’s Beef will be open Tuesday through Saturday, as well as Saints games on Sunday, from about 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. The regular menu will be offered from about 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Garcia said, followed by a late-night menu.
For real-time updates and information, follow Baby’s Beefs Lounge & Meat on Facebook.
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