Sydney’s opens in Paynter’s Mill

A taste of Southern home cooking has come to Milton in the form of Sydney’s Restaurant and Lounge, now open in Paynter’s Mill.

Sydney’s opened Aug. 20, and co-owner/General Manager Ed Waples said the response so far has been very positive.

“They enjoyed the food,” he said. “We got a lot of good comments. We plan to start advertising soon but a lot of those who came said they would spread word of mouth.”

Sydney’s can seat up to 286, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seating capacity is limited to about half of that. 

Waples said favorites so far have been the fried chicken, which is prepared using a specialty brine, rockfish, clams, oysters, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and shrimp and grits. The restaurant also serves sandwiches, including the surf and turf burger, which is a burger topped with jumbo shrimp, lettuce, tomato and cajun mayo. 

Besides the food, Sydney’s also has live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Waples said Mondays will be reserved for local talent to perform during dinner.

Sydney’s is open for dinner only at this point, but Waples said the plan is to eventually offer lunch and dinner. The restaurant was slated to open in mid-April, but the pandemic delayed that. The good news is that the pandemic did not affect business, and Sydney’s was able to open with a clean slate.

“It’s a relief to get it open and see people come,” Waples said.

Sydney’s is open from 4 to 9 p.m. for dine-in and takeout service. Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins will be seated as space is open. For more information, call 302-313-4770, email sydneyslounge2620@gmail.com or visit sydneysrestaurantlounge.com.