The Beerded Swine Opens In Lockerbie Square

The Blue Jacked Beef sandwich from The Beerded Swine

It may have taken since late 2018 to open its doors, owing to a pandemic and supply issues, but a new option for fresh meats, deli sandwiches, wine, and beer made its debut on College Avenue in early March, bringing life to a former gay bar in Lockerbie Square where “Coming Soon” signs had hung for months. The Beerded Swine, the second location of owner Lisa Abendroth’s homey Columbus butcher shop and gourmet store, The Savory Swine, offers steaks, seafood, deli meats, and local foodstuffs. Unlike Abendroth’s Columbus spot, the new Indy shop has two floors of seating and two separate bars for enjoying beer and wine samples, as well as hosting your next private event.

The Beerded Swine

With plenty of restored red brick from the historic corner storefront, as well as windows that let in considerably more light than its longtime popular predecessor, The 501 Tavern, which shuttered in 2016, the deli is a great place to take in views of the neighborhood while enjoying one of a short list of signature sandwiches, salads, and daily soups. The JJ’s Original is a straightforward but tasty combination of pastrami and herbed cream cheese on a ciabatta roll, and the Blue Jacked Beef layers roast beef with blue jack cheese and a relish of sweet peppers and onions. The hearty steakhouse potato salad and a bright and tangy tomato-basil couscous salad make for good accompaniments. And while most hot food options cater to meat lovers, salads with Indian-spiced accompaniments and veggie soups are often available.

The butcher case at The Beerded Swine

Among the butcher case offerings, custom burger blends are definitely the highlight now, with beefy patties ranging from a straightforward prime burger to jalapeño bacon to sweet onion as well as an intriguing apple maple breakfast sausage. But steaks of traditional cuts, fresh salmon, cheeses, and pre-made charcuterie snack trays are also among the options available now. An automated wine sampling system and plenty of taps for local craft beers mean that this isn’t just a lunch spot or a place to pick up dinner provisions but a great destination to linger with friends, watch the game, or sip a lesser-known vintage in yet another part of the city with great independent gourmet selections. 501 N. College Ave., 317-757-3282