This week in 417 food news: Springfield Brewing Company brings back full service, a new Korean fried chicken spot hosts its soft opening, and a historic pub now serves up lunch and dinner. Plus, a new lunch special is available at a restaurant that caters to food allergies and sensitivities.
Full service returns to Ozarks brewpub
After more than a year of "taproom service," where guests ordered both food and drink at the bar, Springfield Brewing Company — now known as BrewCo — is returning to full service alongside a new menu. The brewpub at 305 S. Market Ave. is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
"You want a FULL SERVICE BrewCo and we hear you, so that’s exactly what you get!" the restaurant said
in an Oct. 5 Facebook post. "BrewCo is full service upstairs, downstairs and outside. Our team of amazing servers and bartenders are working diligently along side our incredible kitchen team to make sure you can come in, sit down, and enjoy letting us take care of the rest."
According to comments on the post, the company is doing "all we can to make sure BrewCo thrives" including the new menu and a new general manager, Brandon Dorsey.
Korean fried chicken restaurant hosts soft opening
If you're craving Korean fried chicken, there's a new place in Springfield you can visit to get your fill: CM Chicken at 3522 S. National Ave.
The restaurant announced Oct. 6 that it is in its soft opening phase with a grand opening date coming soon. Guests can visit CM Chicken from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
CM Chicken serves up a variety of fried chicken with sauces, including honey, garlic mild, garlic soy, curry, hot honey, garlic spicy and red hot pepper. Guests can also get snow onion chicken — sliced white onions and a creamy sauce on top of fried chicken — or padak — thinly sliced green onion and sauce served over fried chicken. Their menu also includes sides such as tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes) and fries.
CM Chicken started in 2009 as Choong Man Chicken in South Korea, according to the company's website. In 2017, CM Chicken opened its first U.S. store and currently has locations in Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Florida and more. The Springfield location will be the second CM Chicken store in Missouri. The first Missouri store opened in 2023 in Creve Coeur.
Previously, the space at 3522 S. National Ave. was home to Charcoal Grill House, an Armenian restaurant. It operated from July 2024 until January 2025.
Springfield pub now serving up food
Uncle Bently's Pub & Lounge, 4123 S. National Ave., is now serving up lunch and dinner thanks to a newly completed kitchen. The pub opens daily at 11 a.m.
Its lunch menu includes appetizers; a salad bar; soups; and sandwiches such as the Monte Cristo, a brisket burger or a chicken parmesan. Dinner offerings expand the available appetizers; provide entrees such as smoked tri-tip or surf and turf; and desserts like bread pudding, a kitchen sink brownie sundae and cheesecake.
Since 1978, Uncle Bently's has offered a place to drink and shoot pool in southern Springfield. The pub changed ownership in September 2025 after longtime owners Jack and Janice Horton decided to step away. Jennifer and Darryl Barr purchased the Uncle Bently's from the Hortons. The Barrs opened Georgia Mac's in 2018.
Allergen-free, Alpha Gal safe restaurant adds lunch special
The Safe Spoon, 1450 E. Sunshine St., is debuting a new lunch special for fall.
For $12.99, guests can enjoy a bowl of the soup of the day and a vegan grilled "cheese" on white bread or sourdough. Some of the soups available will include tomato, butternut squash, chicken noodle and chicken and dumplings.
The Safe Spoon is open 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It opened in February and specializes in food that is free from the top 9 allergens, is celiac safe and Alpha-gal safe.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Brewing Co. returns to full service with new menu
