OMG, this place blew me away! My husband and I originally intended to dine at a riverfront restaurant we had been to before. However, while walking around downtown South Bend, we saw signs for Restaurant Week with menu deals for $11, $22 and $33. I looked it up online and found two local (non-chain) restaurants with good deals and yummy sounding vegetarian and vegan options. It was a tough choice, but we decided to try South Bend Brew Werks because they had the better deal, and my husband could try some locally made beer. Plus, the microbreweries always seem to have good food. This place exceeded my expectations!
So, for $22 we EACH got an appetizer or soup, entree, and dessert! They had a Cacao beer on special, so my husband tried that. It's a Chocolate Milk Porter, which was right in my wheelhouse before discovering my gluten sensitivity and giving up beer. I took a sip out of curiosity, and it was delicious! I decided it was worth it to take a gluten pill and drink more of the tasty brew.
OK, back to the food... We shared the Jalapeño Popper Dip, which was a nicely spicy roasted jalapeño cheese dip served with warm and hearty tortilla chips (homemade, maybe?) Very good!
We also shared the Gazpacho soup, which was described as "roasted peaches, deglazed with tequila, served cold". It was well blended, not chunky like I expected, and I can't say I tasted peaches, but it was light and refreshing, like a little cup of heaven.
My husband got the Dill Chicken Salad Sandwich, which he said was really good. I tried the Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap (with roasted cauliflower in a Buffalo sauce, mixed greens, red onions, and vegan ranch sauce). It was delicious and also worth taking a gluten pill.
They were out of two dessert options (a frozen yogurt and cheesecake bites), but we had already both decided on the gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookie anyway, so that worked out perfectly. (We don't generally eat dessert, plus we figured we would already be full, and cookies are easily transported for later enjoyment.) Wow! The cookies were huge, warm, thick, rich and moist! Decadent and delicious! You would never guess that they were gluten free. And they are just as good the next day (I can verify as I write this *munch, munch*).
We were happy to sit outside in the cute patio area, though the interior also had a nice vibe. Our server was very friendly and helpful. Color us impressed with this place! We will definitely be back when we are in the area. read more