It is a New Year with new initiatives for Ed and Mickie DeFelice and the rest of the team at Brinkley’s Restaurant Group in North Augusta. Now that the upscale sports bar is established in the new Beacon Bluff Center at 200 Georgia Avenue, the operators are setting their sights on outreach to the community with the launch of business lunch deliveries and catering.
This reporter and his photographer wife, Melissa, enjoyed a New Year’s lunch sampling a number of small plates, entrees, and desserts. The ambience had something for everyone.
“We have different zones with a sports bar kind of vibe, and another zone is for more upscale-casual dining, and our third zone is our outdoor patio area, which faces the quad area at Beacon Bluff. Nobody is really doing the sports bar thing, and our ethic as a group is to put the best possible products on the plate prepared by highly trained staff delivered with impeccable service,” said Mr. DeFelice.
He and his wife also operate Brinkley’s Chop House, a mile from Brinks Tavern, next to SRP Park.
“We like to bring concepts to the market that don’t exist, “he added, “so we can define what they mean to us.”
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?
The two lunch entrees we enjoyed showcase the range of how Brinks is a cut above competitors: The burgers are all 80-20 steak burgers, custom blend, made to the chef’s specifications. Melissa ordered the All-American 8-ounce Burger featuring thick-cut bacon, beefsteak tomato, red onion, premium cheeses, romaine lettuce, and a comeback sauce on a fresh-baked brioche bun.
The other entrée I ordered was Shrimp and Grits. “We source Andouille Sausage and Tasso ham from Louisiana, and we use sustainably sourced shrimp from high-quality suppliers,” added DeFelice.
It is all served on a bed of thick, creamy, made-from-scratch cheese grits.
Brinks Tavern also serves fried fish, gourmet sandwiches, fried chicken, wings/tenders, and other options like salads, grilled swordfish, salmon, grilled pork rib eye, as well as hot & cold seafood towers, which are extremely unique to the area.
DELIVERY SPECIFICS
Unlike delivery services, Brinks Tavern is keeping it in-house to maintain food quality and temperature control. Also, unlike delivery companies—Brinks Tavern is waiving service fees to launch its business lunch program. (Make sure you tip your Brinks Tavern delivery person.)
“The entire menu here is designed to go from plate to half tray to full tray, said Chef DeFelice as he is beginning to plan large office deliveries and/or off-site catering events.
Half trays feed 10 to 15 people, and full trays feed 15 to 20 people, depending on what the selection is. If your office would like to bring in sandwiches for the team, Brinks Tavern can cut the sandwiches into fours, or box lunch options are also available. If the Brink’s Tavern menu isn’t your thing, then Chef DeFelice and his team are capable of executing custom menus to meet all customers’ needs and budgets. To order lunches or discuss catering, call _803-349-2001 or email info@brinkstavern.com
FINALLY
Desserts will also travel well with a Brinks Tavern delivery person, including delicacies like Banana Pudding Ice Cream Sando, Death by Chocolate (pictured), Rocky Road “Brookie” Ice Cream Sundae, and Key Lime Pie Sundae. In addition to these items, cookies, brownies, and fruit platters can also be added to round out lunch delivery.
More unique additions are coming to Brinks Tavern as the seasons change in 2026.
“We have the patio outside and the quad, and we are going to have live music and also do some collaborative dinners with some chef friends from the area, “said Chef DeFelice.
Brinks Tavern has a much larger kitchen than Brinkleys Chop House, and so we are not limited in what we can do. Difficult to do things like wine dinners and even family-style dinners outside- like Italian night—will become part of our special offerings.
“Our live music will begin after the football season is over, and we will plan some other events during the week. We really want to draw the community in for more hours than just lunch and dinner. There’s a lot more going on in this space, especially as more tenants come in, and this becomes more of an anchor in the community. I think this is really going to be the place to be, “added DeFelice.
“As a student of history, the public house or tavern came about when homes were too small or over occupied to have a common area or living room and thereby the local pub or tavern became the community’s place to meet and unwind after a long day, “said DeFelice, “We aim to be that place for our North Augusta and wider CSRA communities.”
