Soda & Swine

I've heard mentions of Soda & Swine before so I was delighted when a friend suggested meeting there for dinner one evening. A short drive later we were on Adams Avenue, ready for a little look-see and taste!

This restaurant is not only a neighbor of Polite Provisions but is a sort of "shared" space. Patrons can order food or drinks from the menu and sit in either area! During dinner it was completely packed. The length of the line varies throughout the night so if you're lucky, you may hit a lull!

With a 15-20 minute wait to order, we were able to ponder the menu a bit. A wide range of options included choice of proteins, cheeses, sauces, and even the meal type, which had sliders, submarines, spaghetti or meatballs! The meats had special names such as "swine" for smoked pork, "hog" for chorizo, "bovine" for beef, "hen" for chicken, "grain" for quinoa, and "banh-mi" for another version(?) of smoked pork. They also had a few yummy sounding sides to select from! Decisions decisions!

After ordering, we were handed our position 78 marker and took a seat outdoors. Other seating options included the long communal tables indoors as well as the Polite Provisions seating next door! The cashier asks where you're sitting so that they can find you!

Here's one of the side dishes, Dirty Fries. This gluttonous platter includes nibbles of pork belly plus two meatballs of your choice that are crumbled on top. I think that's some sort of gravy on top too! It's usually served with jalapenos, but I asked for those on the side! Dennis picked chorizo as the meat which was as expected but I know I would have enjoyed beef or pork even more. Next time then! Several sauces are provided and it's a generous portion, great for sharing between 3-4 people.

Quinoa is quite popular these days. The cashier had recommended the pasta or submarine option for a quinoa meatball but a Quinoa Slider sounded like the best mini sample option! This isn't meat so no surprise that the meatball was a little drier than you'd want for a slider. To help out was an abundance of pesto and feta. Perhaps a tad too much pesto! The bread seemed fresh and would have been great as a meat holder haha!

Our friend had gotten the Bovine Submarine, which is the beef protein covered with cheese, and garnish. Our half was quite tasty but the subtle flavor of the meatball kept this dish overshadowed when compared to the next tasty dish...

Our Swine Submarine contained smoked pork covered with BBQ sauce and cheese/garnish like the first! The smokiness of the meat was evident and the succulent BBQ sauce paired extremely well for us. The sandwich bread for both was just right, a sublime crust and perfectly dense bread in between. Just call it like it is... delicious!

After grubbing, Dennis said "Next time I'm gonna eat TWO of those sandwiches!" I laughed because in reality, we had split our sandwich with a friend, then split again for a measly quarter sandwich of each! I'd like to see him try to eat two whole ones!

The total cost turned out to be roughly $30 for two sandwiches, 1 slider, and fries, a decent price for having satisfied three hungry bellies. We were tempted by the advertised pie special but after seeing a huge 1/4 plate of it with another diner, decided to save it for next time. And a next time there will be!