Keeping Tabs: Knuckle Sandwich Co.

Knuckle Sandwich (brought to you by the guys behind Parliament, home of the most daunting cocktail selection ever) is a tidy saloon-and-sandwich shop that opened on Lower Greenville in early May.

The Atmosphere: Knuckle Sandwich is a casual, warm-hued space with red walls, dark floors and ceilings, and a funky light fixture that hangs over the dining tables. Rows of illuminated liquor bottles decorate the space behind the winding bar, which offers plenty of seating too. The fresh fruit and herbs (key ingredients for crafting beautiful cocktails) clustered in cups along the bar add bright spots of color to the low-lit space. There’s also plenty of umbrella-topped patio tables both out front and in the back.



What to Order: There’s also a decent beer selection (featuring universals like PBR and Shiner as well as popular local brews like Mosaic IPA and Lakewood’s Temptress) and a handful of wines. Obviously, it would be silly to go to one of Eddie “Lucky” Campbell’s ventures and not spend some time with the cocktail menu: There’s a $5 “eternal happy hour” selection (with a Moscow mule, a gimlet, and an Old Fashioned, among others) as well as a suite of more creative drinks. The Anti Anti (vodka, lemon, basil, Himalayan salt, soda) was right up my alley, but I loved the menu’s mix—whether you’re a gin, whisky, tequila, rum, or vodka drinker, you’ll find something you must have.

Who’s There: On a Friday evening, I noticed guys in shorts and T-shirts and dudes in dress shirts and fancy shoes (in for a post-work drink and snack, probably). But besides the pretty red-headed hostess and a few women with their boyfriends, I experienced a predominately bro-heavy crowd. Though, I will say the age group was difficult to pinpoint: I spotted everyone from early 20s-types to at least one silver-haired couple. The bartenders—clad in plaid shirts—were polite and amiable, chatting up the patrons as they sliced up fruit for crafty cocktails.

What I Didn’t Like: I like the idea of “Knuckle Sandwich” as a name for a sandwich shop, but it evokes something a little rougher around the edges than this place. I pictured a biker bar; this was tidy and elegant. Even the patio chairs have comfy cushions.

What I Did Like: It may not have fit with what I expected from the name, but I loved the aesthetics from the second I pulled up to the place (and then past it, because–obviously–parking near Greenville is a nightmare). After all, it’s a purple building with a neon sign in the window that reads “Cocktails and Dreams”—how awesome is that?