Popular Lake Worth Beach brewery opens restaurant next door

Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·4 min read

Celebrating their sixth anniversary Dec. 1 and 2, Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach will mark another milestone only a few days later — opening a new restaurant.

Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen will open Dec. 8 on South Dixie Highway, barely a hop, skip and jump from the brewery on South H Street. This soft opening will feature a limited menu before their grand opening in January.

Owner and head brewmaster Dave Mathews said his brewing company had been looking to open a restaurant to go with the brewery and that when the, literally next door, space became available he knew it was time.

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David Mathews and chef Lisa Mercado in the new Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen in Lake Worth Beach, Florida on November 21, 2023.
David Mathews and chef Lisa Mercado in the new Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen in Lake Worth Beach, Florida on November 21, 2023.

He said they signed the lease on the space in January 2023 and that it's taken 10 months to design, permit and construct the new restaurant to their specifications.

The new eatery will feature a mix of high-end bar and pub food.

Menu highlights at Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen restaurant in Lake Worth Beach

Owner and head brewmaster David Mathews outside his Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach, Florida on November 21, 2023.
Owner and head brewmaster David Mathews outside his Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach, Florida on November 21, 2023.

There will be smash burgers made with a custom blend of beef, featuring chuck, sirloin and short rib, provided by Bush Brothers Provisions Co. (The addition of short rib boosts the fat content and helps create a better "smash" for the burgers.)

New York and Detroit-style pizzas will be made in their gas-fired, brick oven, which, cranking up to an impressive 650 degrees, will cook the New York-style pizzas in 10 minutes and the deeper dish Detroit-style pies in 15 to 18 minutes.

The menu will also include ribeye steak, chicken and fish (mahi) tacos as well as steak and chicken burritos.

Classic pub fare including bangers and mash and fish and chips will be on the menu along with Italian hoagies made with Boar's Head meats.

Located on South H Street, Mathews Brewing Company will literally be next door to the new Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen on South Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach.
Located on South H Street, Mathews Brewing Company will literally be next door to the new Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen on South Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach.

Helming the restaurant's kitchen will be veteran chef Lisa Mercado. Mercado was the chef and owner of Ravish in Lantana, The Living Room in Boynton Beach, the Red Lion Pub in Boynton Beach and Boca Raton (both locations specialized in pub grub) and she was also the dessert chef at Bizaare Avenue Café in Lake Worth Beach.

That "hop, skip and jump" reference is no joke. There is literally only an alleyway separating the brewery and new restaurant.

Guests will be able to move easily between the two and will be able to order via a QR code that will be on the tables or by ordering at the counter at the restaurant. Once the order is placed, the food will be delivered to patrons' tables.

Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach will celebrate their 6-year anniversary on Dec. 1 and 2, then less than a week later celebrate the opening of their new restaurant Lake Worth Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen on Dec. 8.
Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach will celebrate their 6-year anniversary on Dec. 1 and 2, then less than a week later celebrate the opening of their new restaurant Lake Worth Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen on Dec. 8.

At the brewery, Mathews typically has 14 beers on tap at a time with its core beers being Accelerate IPA, Sweet Emotion, White Goblin and Florida Haze.

The Accelerate IPA is an American IPA with a big hoppy flavor, Sweet Emotion is a very light-bodied cream ale with touch of sweetness and hops, White Goblin is a Belgian-style white ale that is light and fruity with a creamy texture and Florida Haze is New England style IPA.

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Mathews Brewing Company has several "core" beers including their White Goblin which recently took the bronze medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival.
Mathews Brewing Company has several "core" beers including their White Goblin which recently took the bronze medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival.

As far as pairing food from the new restaurant with its beers, Mathews said that the pizzas will go well with Accelerate IPA, the My Sharona Mexican Lager pairs nicely with the tacos and burritos, the fish n' chips will compliment the Palm Beach Lager and those tasty smash burgers will be excellent with Florida Haze.

Mathews said that even though the brewery opened six years ago and has a great following, a lot of people don't know it's there because it is off of H Avenue and not visible from the main thoroughfares. The restaurant's location will give it great exposure as it faces South Dixie Highway just south of downtown Lake Worth Beach.

Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach typically has 14 different beers on tap.
Mathews Brewing Company in Lake Worth Beach typically has 14 different beers on tap.

The spot regularly featured live music and invite food trucks work the events. And while Mathews said he loved the food trucks they worked with, the new restaurant will give the business the opportunity to craft its own cuisine and grow the business. But, he said, they will still have food trucks, working in conjunction with the restaurant, for larger events in the future.

Owned and operated by an engineer (Mathews' career for 30 years), Lake Worth Beach's first brewery works to craft award-winning beers. Its White Goblin recently took the bronze medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival in Denver in September and Mathews Brewing won Best Large Brewery in Florida at the 2023 Best Florida Beer Competition that was held in Tampa.

Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen

Mathews Brewing Company's White Goblin, a Belgian-style whitbier, took the bronze medal at The Great American Beer Festival that was held in Denver.
Mathews Brewing Company's White Goblin, a Belgian-style whitbier, took the bronze medal at The Great American Beer Festival that was held in Denver.

Where: 125 S. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday; noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; noon to 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Information: mathewsbrewingcompany.com

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mathews Brewing Company Scratch Kitchen opening in Lake Worth Beach