Located in a neighborhood setting south of the Goshen courthouse, the South Side Soda Shop and Diner was my destination for lunch this rainy Thursday. Because of the location parking is at a premium, but I lucked out and found a close spot.
Made famous to non-locals by the TV show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network, this place seems to be a destination for locals and foodies. As a case in point, I overheard an older couple in the booth next to be going on and on about the real lemon zest in their lemon meringue pie (only foodies do that). Naturally I had to order a slice to validate their claim, but we’ll cover that later.
When I was waiting to be seated, a gentleman paying his bill commented on how good the “real grilled tenderloin” was. Looking for a light lunch, once seated I opted to go the pork route. The “grilled” pork tenderloin sandwich ($4.80) is actually done on a flat top grill, not over an open flame as I was assuming. It comes with Lettuce, tomato and mayo. Making the order a “Basket” ($1.25) added a nice portion of shoestring fries and a small cup of coleslaw. Knowing I was probably going to have to verify the zesty claim I opted for a diet soda ($1.40) like it matters at this point.
I’ll have agree with the gentleman I mentioned earlier, it was a really good sandwich. The fries were nice and crisp and the coleslaw had a nice tang. Now that I’ve devoured the sandwich and sides it was time for desert.
I don’t really have a sweet tooth but I had to taste this lemon zest for myself (that’s my story). The lemon meringue pie ($2.25) was a pretty decent sized slice with a nice pile of chewy browned meringue on the top. How did it taste you ask? VERY lemony & quite delicious (good call grandpa)!
Total bill for this visit was $12.48 ($10.48 + $2.00 Tip).
The South Side Soda Shop and Diner is located at 1122 South Main Street. They are open Tue-Sat from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
