Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen likes to keep it casual. Owners Barry Putzke and Jordan Taylor are also casual, as they describe it.
“We’re a casual sandwich joint that has elevated sandwiches and cuisine, or a simple way to put it would be ‘highbrow stoner’ food,” said Putzke.
Located in Uptown Sioux Falls on Main Avenue, the popular eatery opened in 2017. Putzke explains that they encourage patrons to try different flavors, but to feel at home as they do so.
“That’s kind of our microcosm for our whole place is really good flavors and really good technique but brought to you in the form of a sandwich so it can be approachable,” he said. “Same thing with our place: it’s casual, easy, and comfortable.”
And the owners are on the right track as they’ve won several big awards. Buzzfeed, for example, named Bread & Circus the “Best Sandwich Spot in South Dakota.”
One of the staple sandwiches is the Vietnamese Fried Chicken, with buttermilk-marinated fried chicken thigh, nuoc cham, banh mi pickles, cilantro aioli, and a Look’s Marketplace brioche bun. A runner-up is the Curried Cauliflower, with roasted cauliflower, yellow curry, red lentil hummus, arugula, cilantro, radish, and naan.
“You’ll never find a domestic on here,” said Putzke of the 10 local and regional beer taps.
“We tried to pull the [Curried] Cauliflower off and people just wanted it back on the menu,” said Taylor, who is also the chef. “That’s what Guy Fieri ate, so we’ll probably keep that on for a while now.”
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (DDD) recently filmed at the location, and Fieri also tried the aforementioned chicken.
STAY TUNED
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featuring Bread & Circus is set to air late fall or winter.
As they note, it’s a good problem to have. The owners say more items keep becoming “favorites” or winning awards, making it harder to switch up the menu. This is the case for the Schnitzelwich, which has a panko-and-chip-crusted pork tenderloin, horseradish and poppy seed slaw, dijonaise, and Texas toast.
“The Pork Belly Gyro is also making a pretty good run at sticking around,” said Taylor.
An “underground favorite” is the Naughty Fries, which has pork chile verde, taqueria pickles, queso fresco, cilantro, and radish.
We’ve got a big, old former loading dock as a [heated] patio that sits around 90 people.” – Putzke
“It’s something unique Jordan created, and it actually stemmed from a Super Bowl party 10 years ago,” said Putzke. “He brought over pork chili verde and used it for tacos, and we were talking about fries and a dirty fry option.”
Taylor experimented with that and the aioli-based Fry Sauce to accompany it.
“We have a mutual friend out [in Portland] where whenever we would make food and get really weird he would say, ‘Oh, it’s naughty,’” recalled Putzke. “So we always called some of our food choices ‘naughty.’ Thus we don’t call them dirty fries, we call them Naughty Fries.”
More On The Menu
SANDWICHES
Jerk Salmon
Jerk-marinated salmon, pickled pineapple relish, arugula, charred scallion aioli, and Look’s Marketplace brioche.
Roasted Turkey
House-brined and roasted turkey, housemade ranch bacon, arugula pesto aioli, shrettuce, aged cheddar, and Look’s Marketplace ciabatta.
NOT SANDWICHES
Falafel
Whipped feta, green muhammara, pickled radish (available as a dish, sandwich with naan or pita, or as a salad).
Roasted Carrots
Mole blanco and cilantro pesto.
SALADS
House Salad
Mixed greens, seasonal vegetable, salted almonds, and sherry vinaigrette.
Moroccan Chicken
Mixed greens, seasonal vegetable, salted almonds, and sherry vinaigrette.
The restaurant does have a few seasonal options, like the Delicata Squash salad with arugula, toasted pepitas, citrus-cran couscous, and a date vinaigrette. A popular seasonal item that Bread & Circus brings back is a winter ramen, says Putzke.
“Every winter Jordan comes up with a specialty ramen recipe, and this time of year we’re getting daily inquiries asking when it’s coming back,” he said.
Something else new this season is the opening of the owners’ newest spot, Pizza Cheeks on Phillips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls. The space will be inside of The Hello Hi, which is a tropical-themed bar.
“We have a quarter of the space and you’ll be able to get pizza by the slice or whole pizzas or things like salads and garlic knots,” said Putzke. “We felt like it was a good compliment for the bar and is something we’ve always wanted to do.”
And something else they’ve always wanted to do that they’ve made into a reality is to make people try what they like.
Putzke left off, “It all comes from the same vein — that it’s what we want to eat.”
