Swing Inn Cafe & BBQ

While I love their food and the people that work there, I was really disappointed when I ordered take out today at noon on 7/3/25. I ordered 2 Beef 'Dino' Ribs $45 ea. and a 3 smoked meat combo platter for $59 w/tax = $160+/-. Trusting the establishment I took the boxes to my car and drove and hour to meet with family. To my utter disbelief and disappointment after opening the two boxes all I got for my $160 was the two smallest Beef Dino ribs I've ever seen and 8 pieces of brisket and 6 small pieces of pork burnt ends. My heart sank. I felt like they took me for a fool.

Whenever I've dined there before the proportions, were much larger. I remember going there for the first time and getting the beef Dino rib and taking home to finish later or going in with a friend and ordering the 3 smoked meat combo platter and having to take that home as well to finish later.

Im not going to order out again. I'll need a break from their place for now, I'm still very disappointed.

Next time I'll dine in, sit down order enjoy some sweet tea and when the food arrives, then immediately ask for containers to take it home.

We had an impromptu brunch after my daughter's wedding. Swing Inn Cafe was very accommodating for our large group that just showed up. Service was impeccable and the food was incredible. Highly recommend!

What a great destination for a ride! Wonderful service and excellent food!

Swing Inn, Temecula, CA is located right in the heart of Old Town Temecula. My family and I had been wanting to try their food for a while, and we finally made it there for lunch.

Before you're seated, a staff member outside will ask whether you prefer indoor or outdoor seating. We ordered the Family Platter for $159, which is meant to serve 2–4 people. It was huge! All the meats were flavorful and so tender, they were easy to cut and even easier to enjoy. We couldn’t finish everything, so we asked for a to-go box and saved the rest for dinner.

There’s free parking behind the Swing Inn, which is super convenient.

By the way—did you know that actor Dean Norris from the Netflix series Breaking Bad took over the Swing Inn? My kids were hoping to meet him, but unfortunately, he wasn’t there when we visited. Some people said he does occasionally stop by as a surprise, though, so you might get lucky!

If you're planning to visit, I highly recommend sitting outdoors. Yes, it can be hot during the summer, but they have misters to help cool you down, and you’ll get a nice view of Old Town. Just keep in mind that it can be a bit noisy due to music from the pub across the street and passing cars. If you prefer a quieter and more private dining experience, indoor seating might be a better choice.

The food at the Swing Inn Cafe & BBQ was excellent. The BBQ is super tasty. It is a little expensive, but you definitely get your money's worth.

One downside is the indoor seating area is a little bit cramped, but that's a minor inconvenience in my opinion.

Service is great and staff is awesome! Best pastrami ever, highly recommend!

We live in El Monte and go back and forth to TJ, stopped by on the way home for BBQ and it was good! The Shrader store merch was funny and worth checking out.

Wheelchair accessibility: Side ramp

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Brisket, Spare Ribs, Pulled Pork

Everyone here is so energetic and nice! Super fast paced and I had no problems here! Food was amazing!! Chicken wings was the best I’ve ever had. I’m coming back for sure! MARK WAS THE

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Giant Cinnamon Roll, Country Fried Steak and Eggs, Brisket, French Fries, Pulled Pork

One word… BRISKET. Their brisket is phenomenal. It’s one of the most tender, juicy, flavorful smoked brisket we’ve ever had. The sauces are also great - we recommend the spicy but they also have regular and sweet.

Other things we’ve tried:

Ribs - Overall pretty good. Not the best we’ve tried but you’ll like them!

Chicken - Needs help. Lacks flavor. Only unimpressive thing we have tried at Swing Inn.

Mac and Cheese: Delicious!!
Coleslaw: DELICIOUS! ?

Service: We feel it needs some work. More attention to detail and wait times on tables. We understand it’s a busy place, but it could be managed a bit better.

Overall, Highly recommend the food and visit! But weekends are crazy (2 hour wait!) so aim for during the week or later in day - if possible.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Brisket Platter

What a cute restaurant! The food was fantastic and portion sizes couldn't have been better! The cinnamon rolls were topnotch and our server was so kind. We will definitely be back next time we're in town!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Giant Cinnamon Roll, Brisket

I love eating outside so that was a plus. I've never had a better potato salad in my life. It's that good. Ribs were ok. Burnt ends a bit fatty. Smoked turkey was awesome. Service was great. I will b back. 2 people couldn't finish the 3 meat platter. Good value there.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Smoked Turkey, Potato Salad

Great food ! It was really busy but we asked to sit on the counter it was still a great experience !

Parking: During the weekend parking is hard to find . If you drive a large vehicle it also makes it more difficult .

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Brisket

Mark was our server and did a fantastic job introducing us to the menu and offering recommendations. We took most of them and tried the brisket, pork belly and ribs. The brisket was my favorite but the flavor and tenderness on the other two was outstanding. Needless to say, we left with full bellies and look forward to our next visit. Big shot out to Mark for the positive energy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We loved the food and atmosphere. Our waiter Mark was so friendly and informative. He was seriously one of the best waiters we have ever had. Love all the merchandise too!!! Looking forward to going back.

Dietary restrictions: I was able to eat healthy by getting the goat cheese salad. I got all of the toppings on the side and got it with brisket. I was able to monitor how much of the toppings I used and drizzled the dressing on top. It was super yummy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Giant Cinnamon Roll, Brisket Platter, Brisket, Cinnamon Roll

This restaurant is owned by Dean Norris aka Agent Schrader from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Great food, great location in old town Temecula.
The whole experience was great and Dean was also gracious to take a pic with us.
Will definitely go back again.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5