Suffolk Punch Brewing SouthPark opens May 13
May 9, 2023
by Cathy Martin | photographs by Justin Driscoll
The long-awaited second location of Suffolk Punch Brewing opens Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m. at SouthPark Mall’s West Plaza.
The indoor/outdoor all-day cafe spans more than 11,000 square feet and is nearly unrecognizable from the California Pizza Kitchen, which previously occupied the space. Three separate bars house nearly 60 taps for beer, seltzers, ciders and hard kombuchas, plus wine and craft cocktails.
“We have really good beer, we have really good food — it just seemed like a natural fit over here [in SouthPark],” says co-owner Dan Davis. The new location channels the same industrial-chic aesthetic as the South End Suffolk Punch, which opened in 2017, with concrete floors, wood accents and the same comfy, curved leather barstools found at the original location. The large glass-enclosed communal beer garden gives greenhouse vibes, with rollup garage doors to bring the outdoors in.
The owners worked with Cluck Design, who designed the original Suffolk Punch, on the project. The restaurant seats 300, but can accommodate hundreds more outside on the West Plaza, where there’s also a stage for live music.
Executive Chef Michael Rayfield, who joined Suffolk Punch about four years ago, will lead the kitchen, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. He’s joined by Executive Sous Chef Vince Giancarlo, formerly of The Jimmy and Zeppelin.
The menu boasts lots of shareables. “It’s comfort food, but kind of upscale comfort food,” Davis says.
“We’re a restaurant-driven brewery,” Rayfield adds. “Everybody thinks breweries are just hot, gloomy and dull — we want to liven up the atmosphere, make it more of a family atmosphere.”
“Everything is actually made in house here,” Rayfield adds. “I have double the staff that I have in South End.”
Suffolk Punch’s popular brunch menu will remain the same, along with a few signature items like the SPB burger. Other small plates, salads, flatbreads and entrees will be unique to the SouthPark location.
New dishes will hit the menu every six to seven weeks, when new seasonal beers are released.
“We’re not going to let the brewers have all the fun,” Giancarlo says. Beer pairing dinners are on the horizon as well.
An adjacent coffee bar can also be accessed through the mall’s food court and will serve espresso drinks, nitro cold brew and draft lattes from HEX Coffee Roasters.
An eco-friendly feature: Suffolk Punch will use washable stainless-steel cups instead of plastic in its outdoor spaces.
Suffolk Punch will be open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday.
