Sweet Grass

Sweet Grass is a brand new Bloomington restaurant with a focus on Southern, Carolina cuisine. I tried it out last Wednesday evening with my friends Chris and Katy. The restaurant wasn't packed by any means, but it seemed like a nice crowd for the middle of the week. The waitstaff were very friendly and attentive. Although our waiter was a little slow to bring the check (he was busy closing up the outside dining area) he made up for it by splitting the check with no problem.


We skipped appetizers and went straight for entrees. I ordered the Roast Pork Tenderloin with mashed potatoes. The pork was nicely seared on the outside but still juicy and tender inside. The mashed potatoes were delicious, still a little chunky with skins but nicely creamy. For my side I chose the asparagus which were perfectly grilled (or maybe roasted?) but a tad too salty.

Chris had the Pimento Burger with a side of fries and some extra Collard Greens. He liked the burger but thought it was a bit overwhelmed by the huge amount of cheese, plus bacon. Chris was also a bit disappointed that they wouldn't cook the burger to medium rare, just medium. The fries were quite crispy and had some yummy parmesan seasoning. I'm not a huge Collard Greens fan, but Chris enjoyed them.

For her entree, Katy chose the Shrimp and Grits. Instead of creamy grits, the shrimp were served on top of a fried grit cake. The shrimp were delicious, super tender and not rubbery at all. They were sauteed with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and proscuitto in a super rich and creamy sauce. It was quite tasty, but altogether is was a lot of buttery, fried, richness.








For dessert we shared one of the specials, a Pecan Cheesecake Tart. The layer of cheesecake was thin, but delicious, and really allowed the pecans to shine. The tart was served with a swirl of spiced whipped cream and a strawberry syrup. It was very good. I was a little tempted by the fried twinkie on the menu, maybe next time...

The restaurant space is interesting. The location used to be a small grocery shop, which is still evident in some of the restaurant's details. They have re-purposed one of the built in refrigerators to nice effect, using it to chill and display fresh produce as well as wine and beer. The dining room is large with concrete floors, a tall ceiling and huge windows. There's outdoor seating but the building is at the intersection of two pretty busy streets, so I'm not sure how comfortable that area might be at rush hour. I liked the small bar and the more casual seating area to the right of the entrance. The space has lovely natural light as well as small twinkly hanging lights that create a nice atmosphere.

I enjoyed my meal at Sweet Grass but wasn't wowed by any of the food, except maybe the pecan tart. Overall the food we ordered was very rich, and some of it a bit over-seasoned. I'd love to see a bit more selection on the menu, especially more seasonal specials. The menu's pricing is pretty similar to that of Upland. Entrees are around $13-20, with some cheaper sandwich/burger options. We only tried a few of the items on the menu so I'd love to go back and taste more of the menu, hopefully soon.

Sweet Grass
405 W Patterson Dr
Bloomington, IN 47403-4831
(812) 333-1043
Website + menu