Swing Inn Cafe & BBQ — Restaurant in Temecula

We wanted to check out Dean Norris' BBQ joint based on rave reviews we saw on Instagram some time ago. My wife and father-in-law are from Texas and finding a tasty and authentic Texas brisket in SoCal is like chasing a mythical creature! We got there around noon and even though there was a line of people outside, our wait was surprisingly short - about 25 minutes. There were benches along the sidewalk where we could wait, which is a big bonus for Dad who has mobility issues. It was my father-in-law's 72nd birthday and we drove up from Long Beach and planned our day around dining here first. The caveat is that my wife is a Celiac, so even though authentic Texas brisket shouldn't have any gluten, the issue of cross-contamination is always the biggest concern. Though the only review on the FindMeGlutenFree app was dismal, we thought it was worth giving them a try because you just never know! Our server replied with the usual disclaimer we're used to getting: "we can't guarantee...", "our kitchen isn't designed to accommodate..." and "everything is heated on our griddle which has gluten everywhere". She disappeared to ask the kitchen what can be done and that was when Tiffany (the manager) came to speak with us. She was very open to hearing that we understood the risks and we intentionally ordered the easiest item (nothing fried and only items verified to be GF like the brisket, slaw and potato salad) to avoid possible cross-contamination. We simply asked if they could use fresh gloves when they plated my wife's brisket and if they use a pan if they must reheat. Their reservation towards GF guests stemmed from a past gluten intolerant guest who ordered a fried item and subsequently got sick. This gave us some context over their reluctance but after speaking with us, she sent our order to the kitchen. Our order did not take long at all and she returned to our table to check up on us. Upon seeing that my wife's plate had toast next to the meat, she insisted on a fresh plate of food without toast even though my wife was willing to separate out the portion touching the toast. This level of extra care really made all the difference in overall experience and helped to set the tone for our day in more ways than she would realize. There are too many servers and restaurants that simply shut down the second we mention gluten and it's such a bummer to feel like we're asking for the moon when what we're really for are minor accommodations. Leaving 4/5 stars to encourage training the servers how to lead with options rather than limitations. Gluten free doesn't have to become a "Hold the Chicken" scene from the movie Five Easy Pieces. If you were out at a family reunion dinner and grandmother needed to avoid salt, the server would certainly lead with "let's see what we can do!" rather than tell her to just eat salad or consider going elsewhere. Tiffany, we appreciate you, you really made us seen and feel taken care of. My wife did NOT experience any digestive issues after eating there and more importantly, she and Dad thoroughly enjoyed their brisket. Texan approved! We will definitely return next time we...

My wife surprised me by taking me to this restaurant. I was like, "what are we doing at a busy place like this babe you know I don't like spots like this". She then showed me an Instagram post Dean Norris made showing he's the owner of this restaurant. As my wife and I are Dean Norris, Breaking Bad and Better call saul fans, she was like, "SURPRISE".

We were sitting there wondering if Mr. Norris actually comes to his own restaurant. We asked the hostess if he comes and she said he's here now. We can have him come to your table to say hi if you'd like? Before we could say that would be great, here comes the legend him self.

It was such and honor and privilege to meet Mr. Norris. He chatted with us like normal human beings. He's a very pleasant, humble and an easing going guy. So generous with his time too. Overall great human being. As this is my 2nd time ever meeting a celebrity, I was glad he was so personable and kind. He took time out of his busy schedule to meet and greet other customers who asked if he was in.

To me, this is great business and a great experience which will make me gladly come back even if I don't see him again. My wife and I met Bobby Flay at his new restaurant in Vegas on our Honeymoon and needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant experience and I'll never ever go to anything of his or support his business. More celebrity's need to learn from Mr. Norris.

Anyways, an awesome place to come visit. The staff is phenomenal and courteous as well. Come give it a visit if in town or passing by. As I give honest feedback, please be patient with the restaurant. They are under new ownership. From what we were told and understandably, they were having some computer issues which caused order errors and or delays as well as menu changes. Dont that that stop you from stopping in or make you leave if you do end up waiting.

The food is excellent and worth the wait. Their brisket and pastrami is absolutely to die for. They will be expanding to the building next door and having more items smoked on site. So can't wait! I'm not a huge brisket and pastrami fan, all I can say is OMG it was fantastic. Dont forget on your way out to pick up some merchandise to help support the business or if your just a fan in general. They have long-sleeve flannels, T-shirts and tank tops.

Hope Mr. Norris has a successful thriving business for...

Arrived at the hosted stand - we were asked if we had a searing preference. Told her party of 2 plus a cool 9 year old kid. Inside, outside, upside-down, in the kitchen… anywhere, no problem, just feed us because it smels great. She laughed and told us 20 minutes. 20 minutes on the dot later we were seated. So far so good, right? Took us about 2 minutes to figure out what to eat and that’s about how long it took the server to come to our table. She took the drink order with the food order since we don’t like to waste anyone’s time and we were off to the races! Coke, sweet tea, strawberry lemonade, extra large brisket platter, Philly cheese steak and about 5 sides…. Easy peasy. 3 minutes later, the server comes with a coke and strawberry lemonade… they ran out of sweet tea. No sweet tea, no problem… my wife is easy going, she stuck with the water and we were back in the waiting game to receive our food. 45 minutes went by without a single word, a single glance at the table… nothing…completely ignored. The server comes over with a smile on her face, after 45 minutes of complete absence and tells me they are out of brisket. Look… there is ABSOLUTELY no problem that you’re out of brisket. Heck… stuff is probably good and it’s normal to run out. The problem is that you came back to my table 45 minutes after taking my order to tell me this. What the heck were you doing 45 minutes? You didn’t have interaction with the kitchen at all during that time? No one in the restaurant staff knew that you’re running low on brisket? This could have been handled a thousand times better. Had you come to me 10 minutes after the order was placed and said something to the tune of “hey, just a heads up, looks like we might be running out of brisket and I don’t know if we can fulfill you order. Would you like to maybe consider an alternative, in case I have to deliver some bad news to you in a few minutes?” That’s ALL it takes to keep a table, get a great review on your service and walk away with a 25% tip. I happen to know the restaurant industry very well. I know when it’s hard and I know when you need to communicate. We ended up leaving… hungry… 9-year old and all. Here’s your star for the hostess stand and the...