by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine
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For my next tasting experience, I venture a little bit outside of Vero Beach and head north to Sebastian to check out a new restaurant that just opened less than 6 months ago. Owner and Chef, Andy King, has over 28 years experience in the restaurant business and thought it was time to finally open up his own place. Located right off of US Hwy 1 in the Village Shops, The Village Sandwich Shop and Grill is definitely a welcome addition to the Sebastian restaurant scene.
We visited the restaurant on a Tuesday evening around 6:00pm for dinner. Parking is available next to and behind the restaurant, and a few spots out front right off of US Hwy 1. The main entrance is on the south side of the building. Upon entry, you walk right into the cozy dining room with open seating. The restaurant is nicely decorated with colorful tropical pictures and beach themed table cloths.
Chef Andy was expecting us so, he had a few items already lined up for us to try, so let’s dive right in and see what this place has to offer and what we had to eat!
Lobster Bisque – ($4.00) – The wonderful aroma of the lobster coming from this soup was the first thing I noticed as they sat it down in front of me. Without a description on the menu to reference what’s in the soup, I’m going to guess and say that it was made with a tomato base, shellfish stock, cream, and lobster. The soup was perfectly seasoned and had the bold taste of lobster in each bite. It was served along with grilled toast and was excellent!
Avocado & Bacon Salad – ($8.00) – Avocado is something that I like, but don’t eat a lot of, so I was anxious to try this salad when Andy told us about it. It’s made with chopped romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, crumbled bacon, and is tossed in an avocado dressing. My first impression was that it was very colorful! The lettuce was fresh and crisp, the cherry tomatoes were really sweet, and the crumbled bacon on it added a nice crunch and a slight smokiness. It was delicious!
Crispy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes – ($7.00) – Fried green tomatoes are not something that I would have personally ordered before I started doing food reviews, but now that I have had them at several different places, it’s definitely something that I have come to love, and Andy’s are no exception. It’s made with fresh green tomato slices that have been battered and fried, served over a spring lettuce mix, and topped with bacon and a chipotle ranch dressing. The crumbled bacon on top was something new I had not seen before and was very good. The chipotle ranch dressing was a perfect match with a little bit of heat to it.
Roadhouse Burger – ($11.00) – Now that is one impressive looking burger! It’s made with an 8 oz beef patty that has been grilled, topped with cheddar cheese, Duroc bacon, pulled pork that has been dressed with a Carolina BBQ sauce, and topped with frizzled red onions. I cut the burger in half since there was no way I could pick up the entire burger at once. I nearly had to unhinge my jaw to take a bite! It was beefy, smoky from the bacon, a little bit sweet from the BBQ sauce, and crunchy from the fried onions. It definitely had a lot going on flavor and texture wise, and it was fantastic!
Shrimp N Grits – ($13.00) – Shrimp and grits seem to be big in the south, not so much in the Midwest where I moved down here from a few years ago. I have to admit, this is my first time for shrimp and grits, so I was excited to finally give it a try. It’s made with fresh local shrimp that have been sautéed with veggies in a Creole cream sauce and served over bacon and cheddar grits. First off, the shrimp were cooked and seasoned to perfection. Since it’s a Creole cream sauce, I expected a bit more heat, and would have welcomed it since I tend to like Creole dishes a bit spicier. The grits were also nice and creamy!
In Conclusion:
With “Sandwich Shop” right in the name of this new restaurant, I thought I had an idea of what to expect when I arrived. My expectations were definitely turned upside down when I discovered that they are so much more than just a “sandwich shop”. While we only got to try a few dishes from the menu, everything that we did get to try was really great. From salads, sandwiches, steaks, chicken and seafood, they definitely have you covered no matter what you are in the mood for.
Have you tried The Village Sandwich Shop and Grill? What has your experience been with them? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.
Atmosphere – 4 Forks
Service – 5 Forks
Food – 4 Forks
Ratings Scale Legend:
1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent
The Village Sandwich Shop and Grill Website
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