Before spring break, I was graced to receive the full Crooked Ewe experience, which includes enjoying one of their home-brewed beers and sampling a few great dishes cooked in their kitchen. Located just off the scenic Saint Joseph’s River (with a great river view from the restaurant), the Crooked Ewe provides an atmosphere that is industrial and modern, something I have not experienced elsewhere in the South Bend area. This place has a slight hipster vibe to it, but that is the nature of most microbreweries, so there is no surprise there.
I walked into the restaurant area, which is for 21-year-olds and older, though under 21 seating on the second floor is currently under construction. The first thing the staff asked was whether I would like the vegetarian menu or the regular menu. This has never happened to me before, but as a meat lover I opted not to use the vegetarian menu. There was a limited number of items on the menu, and all were interesting choices—more creative than typical menu items I see. Detailed below, I will run through my thoughts on the items I ordered.
Wampus DIPA—$5: The wampus double IPA is one of the Crooked Ewe’s flagship beers, so I had to sample it. It came in a 10-ounce pour due to its high alcohol by volume, and I opted to get it from a nitro tap. It was very smooth in texture and had a very bold flavor. It tasted mostly of citrus and grapefruit, which actually lessened the bitterness to the palate. Overall it was very good, although next time I think I will opt to get it from the normal tap rather than nitro.
Toum—$6: This was a refreshing appetizer that consisted of a sourdough roll, olives, mint, cucumber, and pickled onion, all dressed in a green sauce. Although I am not a big fan of olives, this appetizer really hit the spot. The bread was dipped into what tasted like a sweet cucumber sauce that was the foundation of the plate. It was exceptional, and everything tasted fresh. It helps that the Crooked Ewe gets its ingredients from the farmer’s market across the street. A great bite before the meal, the only change I would make is to get rid of the olives.
Bahn Mi—$11: Bahn Mi is originally a Thai dish, but Crooked Ewe makes it their own. Consisting of a sandwich with Thai sausage, kimchi, cilantro, and cucumber, it had the makings of greatness. Fortunately, it met expectations. The sandwich had a bit of spice from the sausage, complemented by the freshness of the veggies and especially the cilantro. What surprised me even more than the sandwich was the French fries on the side. The fries were medium-thick and cooked crispy. Also included with the plate was Crooked Ewe’s homemade ketchup, which was a sweeter ketchup that absolutely wowed me. I would go back just for the fries and ketchup. This was my favorite dish of the night.
Brisket—$11: You can get a brisket from many barbeque places, so I did not know exactly what to expect from brisket at a more experimental, hip establishment. The brisket came out on a log slab and had potato salad, pickles, and a sourdough roll as its sides. Also included was a barbeque sauce made in-house. The brisket itself was incredibly tender and juicy, with great flavor when dipped into the barbeque sauce. The sourdough roll complemented the meat well, and they could be combined for a sandwich type feel. The potato salad was subpar, though, and could have used more flavor. If I could order the brisket and substitute the potato salad for fries, I would order this again, as the brisket itself was delicious.
Overall, I would give The Crooked Ewe a 7.5/10. The beer was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the food was very good. If the sides were changed on the brisket, it may have received an 8/10. It gets very crowded on weekends, so if you want a table you want to be there before 5:30 p.m.
Bernie Floeder recently explored the fine eats of Nashville. Email him at bfloeder@nd.edu if you are curious what food styles he wishes the South Bend had more of.
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