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By Avery Goodstine

Staff writer

 Suffolk’s restaurant week is happening now through Sunday, a city event that’s nearly 20 years old. Restaurant week highlights locally-owned eateries with price-fixed, three course menus. This year, 17 restaurants are featured offering menus at $20, $30, and $40. 

“Suffolk has just an extraordinary amount of independent restaurants, independently owned, chef operated, and it’s something that we really do compete with our other area,” tourism development manager Theresa Earles said. “We are doing quite well with the wonderful restaurants we have to offer.”

Some restaurants, like Suffolk BBQ Co, have participated in the event for years. Founder and co-owner of Suffolk BBQ Aubrey Powers said one of the advantages of being a part of restaurant week every year is the advertising it brings. 

“Even if you’ve been around for 10, 15 years, still, you still need to get your name out,” he said. “It gives you a chance to show off a little bit.”

For $40, Suffolk BBQ’s restaurant week menu offers an appetizer choice between cheese fries, jalapeño poppers, or nachos; an entrée choice between a ribeye steak, half a rack of ribs, or the trifecta — pork barbecue, brisket, and pulled chicken; and a choice of dessert between banana pudding, cheesecake, or carrot cake.

Powers said they usually put out their best products during restaurant week, always highlighting their house-made desserts. The steak, however, is a new addition, so they’re trying to push that as well, he said.

“Our main focus is we get a few new people in here, can try out the menu and enjoy it, and want to come back and tell their friends,” Powers said.

For other restaurants, like Gourmet Burger Bistro, this is their first year participating in the event because their Suffolk location recently opened in April.

Owner and self-proclaimed “Burger King” Major Mahoney said the biggest aspect of being a part of the restaurant is going to be awareness of this new location. 

“I know once we get people to try our food that they’ll know that we [are] the truth,” he said. “We just know that when you taste our burgers, it’s different from anybody else’s.”

For $20, Gourmet Burger Bistro is offering a choice between french fries, sweet fries, and cheese fries as an appetizer; the major way burger/bacon shrimp burger, catfish, or chicken sandwich as an entrée; and a cookie or slice of pound cake for dessert.

“I foresee restaurant week continuing and only growing in the future,” Earles said, “and as restaurants really provide us the feedback and how we can enhance it and what we offer to them, I think the partnership will continue to grow and be great.

All restaurants participating in restaurant week include:

Rajput Indian Cuisine

Lokee Restaurant and Bar

Al Forno Pizzeria

Harper’s Table

Westside Burgers

Sushi Aka

Fin & Tonic

Crust and Cork

Rennee’s Restaurant and Lounge

Kusina Filipino Cuisine 

Gourmet Burger Bistro

Suffolk BBQ Co at the Airport

Sojourn Fermetory

The Mod Olive

Decoys Seafood

River Stone Chophouse

Vintage Tavern