Swine Dining
“Swine Dining”, 204 East Mission Avenue in Bellevue Nebraska
We chose “Swine Dining”, as our first joint food review. Swine Dining is in Bellevue “Old Town”.
The atmosphere:
The first thing we noticed was outside the building. The smell of delicious, smoked BBQ lingers in the air. There was a steady stream of locals heading in to eat or pick up a quick take-out order. The dining area was clean, air conditioned and consisted of a combination of well-maintained tables and booths. The dining area was busy but not over crowded. The walls were decorated with BBQ themed T-shirts from across the United States.
The Service:
The efficient ordering system involves going to a counter, filling out a dining order card, placing your order with the friendly counter help then waiting a very short time for your food to be delivered hot and fresh to your table.
The Food:
Jim and Rick both ordered the beef brisket sandwich. Both commented that the brisket was tender, not stringy, and not fatty, was smoked well and had great flavor. Jim has been in the restaurant business his entire life and expects food to taste good. The brisket did not disappoint him. Rick just likes to eat, and the portions did not disappoint him. Patty enjoyed a well-seasoned pulled pork sandwich using the mild sauce which “still had a little bite” for her palate. Patty is quick to say she does not have a trained palate but she’s “been eating a long time”. Sarah had a chicken sandwich, expecting a pulled chicken sandwich but was surprised and pleased with a lean, smoked chicken breast , thinly sliced with outstanding smoked flavor. All sandwiches were $6 to $7 with generous portions. The sandwiches are served with hot or mild sauce available to add to your taste. Sandwiches received 4 thumbs up from these happy eaters.
Sides are sold separately, with a variety of sides ordered and shared. The French fries were delicious; crispy hot on the outside, delicious potato flavor on the inside. There was a debate whether these were actually hand cut, as they were what a fantastic French fry should taste like. The smoked beans received mixed ratings, from “like them” to “not a fan of molasses and why is the apple chunk in the beans” to “well cooked". Do you know how hard it is to cook then hold baked beans so they don’t get mushy?” The combined food service experience in our group would recognize things such as how foods served quickly can be held in a hot well without losing flavor or texture. The coleslaw was fresh, crisp and not heavy on mayonnaise (a good thing). The green beans and apple crisp were not especially memorable. All sides were $1.70 to $2.20 each.
We wished:
The only suggestion that we could make is that a cold beer would have made the BBQ great. A large variety of soda pop and ice tea were available and quenched our thirst on a hot summer night instead.
Summary:
Swine Dining has it figured out.
Swine Dining knows their customer base. They provide quick friendly service, great smoked meats and sides at a fair and reasonable price. One of the staff rotated to each guest table to ensure that everyone was satisfied with their food and picked up our empty dishes after we were finished. This appears to be a family centered business with a great following. There was a steady stream of locals, so they know where casual, good food is found. We were glad we happened upon Swine Dining, and believe you will enjoy it also.