Swine Restaurant, Moonshine & Whiskey Bar — Restaurant in Portland

We decided to stop in for dinner after wandering the area a bit and seeing Swine's positive reviews online. Our server, Emily, was welcoming and provided helpful suggestions. The service was quick. The food was tasty. And the menu had some nice options without being overwhelming. The beverage selection is especially impressive- Beyond the cocktail and beer/wines listed on the main menu, there's also a full whiskey menu to thumb through.

But we were hungry and more interested in dinner and dessert than whiskey. Aside from a range of shareable choices, there were 3 slider options on the menu. We chose the fried chicken and Kobe beef, saving the pulled pork for another day. The sliders came in pairs, and they were delicious, but the sides were the highlight. We split a side of parmesan truffle fries and Brussel sprouts. The fried foods were done perfectly without being very greasy. The sprouts were crispy and caramelized, with a great finish of balsamic, bacon, and Bleu cheese. And the fries had enough truffle to taste without overpowering. We also tried the Midday Collins and the Glacial Peach cocktails and appreciated that they had a good balance without being too sweet.

Then, some tiramisu and Kentucky bourbon bread pudding were a great way to end the meal. Although the bread pudding seemed more like a thick, substantial French toast, it was delicious, especially with the walnut syrup that tasted like a caramel sauce.

This felt like a good spot to meet up with a few friends, and I'll be interested in checking out happy...

I visited Swine Moonshine and Whiskey Bar for Portland Mercury Wing Week 2018. This was my favorite wing of the eleven that I sampled. I would almost describe their Caramel Wings as a 'dessert' wing - they were sweet but with some well-balanced saltiness and mild spice. These large wings were very sticky, (the sauce was definitely honey with what may have been a bit of red Chile?) and despite the sticky sauce, they somehow still conveyed a pleasant crispiness. They were served extremely fresh and held their temperature well. I want more of them. Swine Moonshine, if you read this, I genuinely think they were better than Pok Pok's signature Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings (which are also amazing), so I sincerely hope that you add the Caramel Wings to your regular menu (presumably at a price higher than Wing Week's $5).

Speaking of their regular happy hour menu, I also ordered the Chicken 'Little' Sliders, and they were also exceptional. I have never liked pickles on a chicken sandwich until I had these. I will...

They have a big selection of what they advertise, but they do NOT make the best foods, nor did they care about us at all. We ordered Tavern Chips-something that by the description seemed it would be fancy nachos. We got a piece of pork plopped in the middle of some cheese, a little bit of tomato sauce (salsa?) and a little dish of sour cream (?) with a little basket of crunchy chips. Not home made, not heated, not fancy. A bulk generic chip. It was so-so. The service was horrible. There were four people standing around and behind the bar and they'd look around and keep chatting. We notice them helping other tables and we had to catch them as they walked by us if we wanted anything. Like the correct drink, the bill... They did not care about us AT ALL. We like to spend our money in places where it's appreciated. It won't be at this establishment, that's for sure. This place needs to get over itself...