Someone said this was going to be a strip club. I thought that we really didn't need one of those in our neighborhood. Turns out it is a new breakfast/lunch restaurant probably opening up in the next couple of weeks. They will be open 7-2, and everything will be home made. They will be in the same location that the BBQ Chop Shop was on N May. They have completely remodeled the inside and are waiting for inspections.Their menu isn't online yet and their website isn't up yet.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Divine-Swine/176329339090869

I'm thinking 'Divine Swine' wouldn't have been a very popular strip club.

Way too many horrifying images come to mind...

Think there was a write up or something either in the Oklahoman or Gazette?

ON EDIT: Appears to have been a "coming attraction" blurb (in the Gazette)...

As Noel Coward once wrote: “Any part of piggy is quite all right with me.” Oink! From barbecue to an elegant crown roast, pork is truly a meat for all seasons and the pig is in – especially at Divine Swine. The menu by Chef Joshua Valentine and business partner Courtney Evans will focus on pork, but will also include turkey, salads and sandwiches with everything done from scratch. Call ahead to make sure they are open.

. . . think I remember seeing the same article. JV graduated from the apprentice program at The Coach House and has worked in Dallas at Stephen Pyles and in Pyles' newest restaurant, Samar. I believe he is currently the Chef de Cuisine at TCH. Great Chef and great young man!! Hope this place is successful!

Someone said this was going to be a strip club.
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Why would anyone draw that conclusion, and why would you take them seriously?

Tried this place for brunch today with the wife. Not impressed. Absolutely no curb appeal, as it is obviously an old Pizza Hut (no biggie). The inside was pretty nice though for a locally owned small business. I couldn't figure out what the painted floor texture was - then it hit me - it looks like they simply pulled up the carpet tiles and left the adhesive and called it textured concrete.

Place has about 13 tables. 3 of them were empty and all had dirty dished on them. We sat at one and the waitress took the glasses off and handed us menus. We literally had to ask her to wipe the food off the table from the last patrons.

She then played up the French Toast, which we ordered. Only to have her come back and tell us they were out. How are you out of French Toast only 30 minutes into brunch on a Saturday?

We ended up ordering the eggs benedict and the whole hog.

Eggs benedict were bland - the English muffin was doughy and the hollandaise sauce was not traditional or good. The side of potatoes was excellent though.

The whole hog was a lot of food. The biscuit was really unique and good but the gravy was bland. The bacon - well it was bacon. The sausage patty though was okay around the edges, but the middle was literally raw. Which was really weird because it literally took 45 minutes to get our food and the place was not even very busy.

Hopefully it is just opening pains and will get better. I may try it for lunch, but only when I've got nowhere to be and all the time in the world to eat.

The two entrees (no drinks) ran $19.51 plus tip. Way too much in my opinion. A much better brunch can be had at Cafe 501 or Cheevers.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/8123/picsay1318716817.jpg

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/2610/picsay1318716993.jpg

The bacon - well it was bacon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaK9bjLy3v4

Based on the photos above, the food does NOT look appetizing at this place. Plus, given the issues expressed by some of the above post authors, I would NOT try this place out for Sunday brunch.

That sure doesn't look like very much food for $19+???

We spent $17.00 for breakfast at Jimmy's egg and couldn't complain about anything. I think I'll just keep going there when I eat breakfast out.First Watch is really good too.

We spent $17.00 for breakfast at Jimmy's egg and couldn't complain about anything. I think I'll just keep going there when I eat breakfast out.First Watch is really good too.

I love Jimmy's Egg - especially the smaller one off NW 16. I tend to always get the omelet. I agree though $19.51 is way too much for breakfast food.

The two entrees (no drinks) ran $19.51 plus tip. Way too much in my opinion. A much better brunch can be had at Cafe 501 or Cheevers.

Or even down the street at La Baguette!

That food looks like garbage.

That sure doesn't look like very much food for $19+???

Some of us prefer quality over quantity!

Some of us prefer quality over quantity!

Unfortunately, we got neither at Divine Swine.

Divine Swine has been open for two weeks and is still working out a lot of kinks so I think it is a little early to make such harsh judgements. No where in town will you find everything made from scratch and if you cannot appreciate that, then please, go to jimmys egg. The average cost of a meal is 8 dollars which is very resaonable seeing as how a lot of time and effort is put into it.

Divine Swine has been open for two weeks and is still working out a lot of kinks so I think it is a little early to make such harsh judgements. No where in town will you find everything made from scratch and if you cannot appreciate that, then please, go to jimmys egg. The average cost of a meal is 8 dollars which is very resaonable seeing as how a lot of time and effort is put into it.

Here's a PR tip for ya Courtney Evans (General Manager of Divine Swine). If you're going to signup just to reply to a post that has your feelings hurt, at least be honest enough to acknowledge your very close relationship to the topic at hand.

That said, yes, it is a new establishment and I clearly expressed that it may have been opening pains and that I hoped it gets better and would most likely try again. However, its ridiculous to expect people not to give honest reviews of new places. Others here expressed very honest opinions too - mostly that the presentation and quantity appears to be lacking. And yes, I agree "a lot of time" was put into our meal. About 45 minutes worth for eggs, bacon and sausage that wasn't even cooked.

How about you learn from reviews instead of making excuses.

I made some pretty harsh reviews of Big Truck when they first opened and Cafe Nova. Both responded by acknowledging some growing pains, not making excuses and asking to give them another chance. Big Truck is now one of our favorite places to dine and I quickly updated my reviews on Urban Spoon etc. to reflect that. I suspect your restaurant management resume and accomplishments are not too impressive by your apparent management and PR style.

That said, I do hope the restaurant does well as I prefer local to national chains any day.

And yes, I can be abrasive, but that's just me. I hope you stick around because its nice to have local business owners/managers participating (in an open an honest fashion) on this forum.

Divine Swine has been open for two weeks and is still working out a lot of kinks so I think it is a little early to make such harsh judgements. No where in town will you find everything made from scratch and if you cannot appreciate that, then please, go to jimmys egg. The average cost of a meal is 8 dollars which is very resaonable seeing as how a lot of time and effort is put into it.

Opening "kinks" is never an excuse for raw anything, let alone pork! You can see the pink in the pic of sausage Bates posted above.

I would be a lot more inclined to try this place out if, instead of excuses, she offered an apology with legitimate reasons for the problems and an invite back. Instead, we get a lame "it's too early to complain" and are told to go elsewhere. That tells me all I need to know about the attitude there.

I recently relocated to OKC after almost 10 years away and my first instinct was to find out how the food scene has progressed. I am not a fan of Urbanspoon or Yelp (for many reasons) and the local papers do a very poor job of covering food news. I joined this forum hoping to get a better vantage point and more intelligent discussion of what's going on.

While I don't always agree with Brian's reviews, I certainly do appreciate the completeness and fairness of his reviews. You don't see this type of information generally on Urbanspoon/Yelp and you certainly don't see this in traditional media. The Oklahoman and the Gazette tends to do fluff pieces that are not remotely objective and lacking in any methodology.

We should encourage local food businesses as much as possible, but that's no reason not to level fair criticism. As the scene here gets more dynamic (hopefully) the competition will only increase and those restaurants that can't appreciate and react to that criticism will fall to the wayside. We live in a very exciting time of food awareness and appreciation. Restaurants new and old need to step it up.

(I don't know Brian Bates personally but I know he gets a fair amount of shots taken at him on OKCTalk. I do appreciate that he's willing to put his name out there and be accountable.)

Me too.
(Ditto Dat)

"PinK" vis-a-vis "Modern Pork" is . . . acceptable . . . on a semi-Venal Level.
"Pink" in regard to "cooked" "sausage" is a Mortal Sin.

It most certainly is not "divine".

The only thing worse is Pink Chicken.
(Please allow me to clarify that: Pink is bad. Pink and cool is nearly deadly.)

Of course, it goes without saying that we should all leave final judgment--or even judgement, if you prefer--to The Local Food Truck Police.

Me too.
(Ditto Dat)

"PinK" vis-a-vis "Modern Pork" is . . . acceptable . . . on a semi-Venal Level.
"Pink" in regard to "cooked" "sausage" is a Mortal Sin.

(It most certainly is not "divine".)

It cracks me up how you're so "politically correct" and serious then you () something so slang. :LolLolLol

And that's not criticism, that's a complement. :-)

Thank you.
I accept your compliment.
(Kiss the Ring . . . =)

P.S.: =) equals (=) "just kiddin' around . . .
Just remember: Food Safety is NOT a laughing matter.

my previous comment was based solely on the pics/info posted

I am sitting here steamed that Jimmy's Egg got slammed by the Divine Swine lady. I love that place. Popeye's Revenge with white homemade bread. YUM.

I am sitting here steamed that Jimmy's Egg got slammed by the Divine Swine lady. I love that place. Popeye's Revenge with white homemade bread. YUM.

Yeah, not real smart to slam an Oklahoma institution like Jimmy's Egg and hope to make many friends.

Yeah, not real smart to slam an Oklahoma institution like Jimmy's Egg and hope to make many friends.

Side note - I used to join a group of guys every other week for breakfast at the Jimmy's Egg on Broadway in Edmond. The food and service quality steadily declined and after about 6 months we ended up switching to another place. Unfortunate really, since Jimmy's is considered an institution.

I had a bad feeling the thread was inevitably heading in this direction.

I hope this place gets everything figured out and is a success.

Jimmy's Egg is THE BEST!

Jimmy's Egg is THE BEST!

The one at about 15th and N. May was one of the earliest ones. You could sit at the counter and watch cockroaches fighting over the bread that was kept in the open just to the left of the grill.

Was there a cover charge for live entertainment?

I went to the one on Britton Rd.--once--with some visiting relatives.
I have to say that it was about the sorriest "breakfast oriented" place I've ever been in.
Remember: I'm only talking about the Cassidy Square location.
And now they have moved across the street into a bigger, dedicated building.
Hopefully this reflects other improvements.

I was never fond of the Cassady Square one. I like the ones in Yukon and Moore.

Side note - I used to join a group of guys every other week for breakfast at the Jimmy's Egg on Broadway in Edmond. The food and service quality steadily declined and after about 6 months we ended up switching to another place. Unfortunate really, since Jimmy's is considered an institution.

Have to agree with this - the one I frequent in Midwest City is exactly the same. Waitresses always seem to be in a terrible mood, dropping plates on the table and such and the food just not very tasty at all. My wife thinks it made her sick last time. Used to be such a big fan of the Garbage breakfast, as well as the Heartburn omelet and always a side of biscuits and gravy there though. (But I also really hate the self seating system they use.)

On topic: Haven't eaten here but I will agree that the pictures do not look very appetizing. Looking for a new breakfast place after breaking up with Jimmy's Egg though.

The New Casady square location was just built from the ground up recently. I prefer the one on Classen or 39th.

what's the topic here, divine swine or jimmy's egg?

food is never photogenic as to me it always looks disgusting. i'd shrivel up and die if food looked in person as it does in pictures. maybe that's just me.

i don't follow the comparison b/w JE & DS. poor frame of reference if you ask me. if i want to get in and out i'll hit up JE or beverly's or some such equivalent.

DS may be a bit slow and a tad pricey (if you're considering portion size) but i can appreciate the freshly prepared food as well as any recent opening pains. i've eaten there a few times already and everything has been quite satisfying. the menu is certainly different than all the other guys.

so far i've tried the following items:

sticky buns
biscuits & gravy
asian style glazed ribs
my burger
blt
eggs benedict
breakfast sandwich w/sausage
poutine

i have no complaints. all dishes were very good imo and i plan on eating everything offered...so little time. of the above i'd say the ribs and the breakfast sandwich are my favorites.

^^^^^^
LOL, suspicious first post.

You're right - its not a fair comparison. Jimmy's Egg always fully cooks the pork I order.

Read this blog religously, however never feel the need to comment until now. BBates - I understand you ate at this place and did not like it...but is it really necessary to slam a place on that one experience..

^^^^^^
LOL, suspicious first post.

perhaps. . . but everyone
has/had a "first post"!!

It may be a really good place and I wish it the best - but I don't understand why the manager went out of her way to slam Jimmy's Egg. She could have made her point without going there. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth to the point where I am far less inclined to visit them.

I don't think you have to slam one place in order to build up another place. It reminds me of politics. Instead of saying what you can do best, politicians sometimes bring out the worst things about their opponents.I love Jimmy's Egg. It's a treat to get to eat there. I also love First Watch. They have some amazing things on the menu. I have never tried Divine Swine yet, and they might be good too. I don't eat pork, so that's one reason I haven't rushed to eat there. I will give it a chance and try it out soon.

Read this blog religously, however never feel the need to comment until now. BBates - I understand you ate at this place and did not like it...but is it really necessary to slam a place on that one experience..

You never felt a need to comment until a patron had an issue with being served raw pork at a restaurant that touts one thing - Expertly Prepared Pork. So, with your logic, a person should continue to bang their head on the cement because maybe eventually it won't hurt? How many times should a person go to a new place and get unacceptable service before they are allowed to slam them in your opinion? People here appreciate honest open opinions. I don't sugar coat mine and if the situation changes, I am first to update. So, yes, it is necessary to be honest and let others know my experience. Your experience may be different - but it doesn't make mine any less valid.

The New Casady square location was just built from the ground up recently. I prefer the one on Classen or 39th.

We eat mostly at the one on MacArthur north of the NW Expressway or the one on N May north of Memorial Road. Both are very good. Tried the one at Casady Square and didn't care for it at all. Maybe I would like the new location, but the old one I didn't care for at all. We have eaten at the one on Classen before and the one on 39th. Both of those were good too.

I recently relocated to OKC after almost 10 years away and my first instinct was to find out how the food scene has progressed. I am not a fan of Urbanspoon or Yelp (for many reasons) and the local papers do a very poor job of covering food news. I joined this forum hoping to get a better vantage point and more intelligent discussion of what's going on.

While I don't always agree with Brian's reviews, I certainly do appreciate the completeness and fairness of his reviews. You don't see this type of information generally on Urbanspoon/Yelp and you certainly don't see this in traditional media. The Oklahoman and the Gazette tends to do fluff pieces that are not remotely objective and lacking in any methodology.

We should encourage local food businesses as much as possible, but that's no reason not to level fair criticism. As the scene here gets more dynamic (hopefully) the competition will only increase and those restaurants that can't appreciate and react to that criticism will fall to the wayside. We live in a very exciting time of food awareness and appreciation. Restaurants new and old need to step it up.

(I don't know Brian Bates personally but I know he gets a fair amount of shots taken at him on OKCTalk. I do appreciate that he's willing to put his name out there and be accountable.)

This is probably the best summation of restaurant criticism at OKC Talk. I always cringe at the idea of Brian or Metro going to a restaurant, especially a small one started by newbies, during its first week or two of business. It's lambs for the slaughter. But I also agree with you Chuck that it's part of the mix here, and I've been among those guilty of taking a shot at them when it seemed as if their' comments came off too harsh. As I read your comment, it occurred to me - yeah, let the restaurant operator respond, and let their response be a representation of what they're doing, how they plan to handle such early criticism, and maybe give a hint that an improvement is to follow and a second chance is in order.... so Metro, Brian, take this as my sincere apology for my responses to your restaurant criticisms - an apology inspired by Chuck. Thanks Chuck.

what I do know . .not necessarily saying it's my "cup of tea", but Josh Valentine is a classicaly trained Chef who has worked at some very impressive places. . .Stephen Pyles in Dallas and the Coach House in OKC. . .if they have had some "issues" in the beginning. . .give them a break!! Even it if takes a bit to sort things out. . . they are trying to "build" the diversity of the OKC dining scene, and on my goodness. . .we so very much DO want that!!

Well said by Chuck. I totally agree with Bates assessment on reviews. why is it acceptable in OKC (not elsewhere in real big league cities), for restaurateurs NOT to bring their A game? Yes many are newbies, but there is a reason it is the riskiest business, because everyone thinks they are a great cook, and do a poor job at business planning and research. Until we change that mentality for small biz owners in OKC to step up their game, we will never be "big league".

Also, a critical review can be very helpful to a new restaurant, or even an existing one.

The restaurant business is incredibly competitive and negative feedback should always be taken seriously and viewed as an opportunity to improve.

Most times a sub-par experience will never get back to the proprietors... People will just grouse to friends and never come back.

And publications like the Oklahoman and Gazette are never going to be critical where it's justified because that's not their slant and they also rely very heavily on local advertising dollars.


Yes, people on the 'net can be a little harsh but if you want to see an example of a group that relishes feedback, takes it seriously and obviously makes adjustments, look no further than Tuck and the Good Egg Group. He always deals with any comments with great humility and legitimate concern and it's certainly no surprise his restaurants are all great successes.

I always cringe at the idea of Brian or Metro going to a restaurant, especially a small one started by newbies, during its first week or two of business. It's lambs for the slaughter.

Please be advised that pink lamb--and even pink lamb sausage--is acceptable on the plate.

If it bothers you, douse it with ketchup.

Pink lamb and pink pork are not the same

Well said by Chuck. I totally agree with Bates assessment on reviews. why is it acceptable in OKC (not elsewhere in real big league cities), for restaurateurs NOT to bring their A game? Yes many are newbies, but there is a reason it is the riskiest business, because everyone thinks they are a great cook, and do a poor job at business planning and research. Until we change that mentality for small biz owners in OKC to step up their game, we will never be "big league".

Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for posting this, I was going to say the same thing! Why can't OKC startup restaurants get their sh** together BEFORE they open? Do test seatings, get all the kinks worked out, get clued-in managers and wait staff, figure out how long it takes to cook/bake everything, THEN open for business. Standard restaurant procedure damn near everywhere else... Now I don't have to make the "big league" quote. :bow:

Oh, and let me add that we will be trying it, but not for another week or two (since they're now advertising for another chef, saying they had to close early because they didn't have enough staff :doh: )

Pink lamb and pink pork are not the same

You are correct, sir.
Refer to Posts #21 and #23 on this thread.

Pete, thanks for the nice comments about our group. We have learned a lot in the past 10 years.

I have not been to Divine Swine, but, I will make it there in the next few weeks. I have heard really good things as well as not so good comments, largely just opening pains. This always happens and is why I always wait a few weeks before showing up.

New small business owners, especially restaurant owners these days, have so many things to manage and perfect while trying to get their doors open. Now, in this day of social media, we all have to be trained in proper communications throughout the several different channels. These guys might have made a mistake on this forum with the handling of some fairly harsh criticism, but that's it. The execution problems that they've had, occur all the time with most every restaurant during it's first days of business.

These problems also happen in larger cities with independent groups as well. Larger chain restaurants have tons of money for training, which always helps. Small businesses need to get the doors open to generate cash. We all go through several hours of training, but sometimes it's just not enough. Live, paying customers is when the real education starts.

I hope you all give them another chance. They have shown a ton of courage even taking the chance like this.

Amen to That.
No Kidding. No Joke.

(And that from a former substitute Culinary Arts instructor/Carpenter who is now a hobby chef. =)

Pete, thanks for the nice comments about our group. We have learned a lot in the past 10 years.

I have not been to Divine Swine, but, I will make it there in the next few weeks. I have heard really good things as well as not so good comments, largely just opening pains. This always happens and is why I always wait a few weeks before showing up.

New small business owners, especially restaurant owners these days, have so many things to manage and perfect while trying to get their doors open. Now, in this day of social media, we all have to be trained in proper communications throughout the several different channels. These guys might have made a mistake on this forum with the handling of some fairly harsh criticism, but that's it. The execution problems that they've had, occur all the time with most every restaurant during it's first days of business.

These problems also happen in larger cities with independent groups as well. Larger chain restaurants have tons of money for training, which always helps. Small businesses need to get the doors open to generate cash. We all go through several hours of training, but sometimes it's just not enough. Live, paying customers is when the real education starts.

I hope you all give them another chance. They have shown a ton of courage even taking the chance like this.

I agree with you Tuck and also we need to add that the equipment needs to be "learned". Take griddles, they all have hot spots, cool spots and that does take a while to master. Now add to that ovens, convection ovens, warming trays, grills...etc. Part of the training larger chains do is to get staff use to the environment. That is everything from the actual cooking gear to the lights. Cooking in a well lit kitchen is different than cooking in a dimly lit one.

Anyone who has cooked burgers in their backyard have had some cooked too much and some not enough. Heck some chains make their mgt staff carry instant read thermometers so they can double check to make sure things aren't over cooked and or under cooked.

We all make mistakes in any business so give them another chance. If they learn from their mistakes than they will survive.

I'm new to OKC and very new to the OKC food scene but my sister is a chef and I have eaten pink pork on several occasions that has been both delicious and safe. Here is a link to the current (revised May 2011) USDA food standards on pork http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_052411_01/index.asp
Pink pork freaked me out the first time I saw it but once I learned that color is not a true indicator of safety or temperature, I embraced it and couldn't be happier I did! I still have SEVERAL OKC restaurants on my "must try" list and being the pork lover i am Divine Swine is at the top. I know all new (especially locally owned/family run) restaurants have many growing pains to work through but am excited to see what this place can become....and I've heard they have bacon ice cream???

I guess you missed the part off my post that clearly stated the sausage was RAW, not pink, RAW. Where is you're link recommending patrons eat raw pork in restaurants?

I guess you missed the part off my post that clearly stated the sausage was RAW, not pink, RAW. Where is you're link recommending patrons eat raw pork in restaurants?

I agree that eating raw pork is not safe and would not recommend it to anyone. My previous post was my opinion in the current conversation of "pink" pork that has been recently discussed on this forum, not in reply to your bad experience. But i am curious, how did the manager react/deal with the situation once you brought the raw sausage to his attention?

I agree that eating raw pork is not safe and would not recommend it to anyone. My previous post was my opinion in the current conversation of "pink" pork that has been recently discussed on this forum, not in reply to your bad experience. But i am curious, how did the manager react/deal with the situation once you brought the raw sausage to his attention?

No idea who the manager is. I showed the waitress and she literally didn't say anything. Of course, after being served our food we never heard from her again until she brought our bill. I told her then. However, the manager posted in this thread (failed to identify herself, but I did) and you can read her reaction - all excuses, no apology, no invite to try it again on them (or otherwise).

Also I would like to add that I am really enjoying getting to know my way around the city and love trying local restaurants and bars. Is there a thread on this site discussing different OKC establishments? I would love to get some opions on what places I must check out!

Also I would like to add that I am really enjoying getting to know my way around the city and love trying local restaurants and bars. Is there a thread on this site discussing different OKC establishments? I would love to get some opions on what places I must check out!

There are several threads wherein people ask what are 'must do' spots in the OKC area as far as eating and touring. Opinions vary widely.