Restaurant review: Swiss Pastry Shop prepares new-old-fashioned delicacies

by Josie Singleton of Eat This Fort Worth

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It's old-school charm with modern tastes.

FORT WORTH — I have to confess that I’ve been obsessing over Swiss Pastry Shop lately. Of course most folks in Fort Worth know they make excellent pastries and they’ve achieved near legendary status with their Black Forest Cake. In addition to their pastries and cakes they also serve breakfast and lunch daily. I’m embarrassed to admit that I have never had a meal at this Fort Worth institution, and I’ve been missing out.

Swiss Pastry Shop blipped on my radar lately with their pop-up restaurant venture with Il Cane Rosso and their increased activity on Facebook and Twitter. Chef Hans Muller regularly posts tempting food porn photos of his latest sandwich creations such as pecan smoked pork loin with sweet and spicy red Siracha slaw.

I finally made it in for lunch one day with my husband. We felt like we had to start with the basics. So we ordered The Reuben and the California Croissant (in my attempt to be healthy). Soft yet sturdy rye bread held together the piled high corned beef, sauerkraut, and melted swiss cheese. This hearty sandwich got every element right from the flavorful corned beef to the sauerkraut which my husband gave an extra thumbs up to. You can order this sandwich as a half, whole, or if you’re really hungry the Super Reuben. The buttery, flaky and fluffy croissant of the California croissant along with the creamy avocado provided enough of a contrast to the lean turkey deli meat to make the sandwich interesting. Sandwich orders come with a side of potato salad, kraut, or chips.

The revolving pie tower along with rows and rows of sweets tempted us into saving some room for dessert. We ordered a slice of the Black Forest Cake with the intention of splitting it. Our lovely waitress came out with the slice already separated for us! By the way, you’ll find the staff at Swiss Pastry Shop super friendly and efficient if you are on a lunch time crunch. The cake, well you just have to try it for yourself it’s a mix of creamy and crunchy textures and layers of deliciousness.

Facebook photos of a Cuban Sandwich drew me in on another lunch visit. The Smoking Cuban as Chef Hans Muller calls it had Mesquite Smoked Pork, ham, Swiss Cheese, and pickles on a crispy French roll. Chef Muller’s version substitutes a French roll for the pressed and grilled bread typically found on Cuban sandwiches. The smoked pork really took center stage of the sandwich and played nicely off the other ingredients.

Burgers also make it onto the menu and Chef Muller takes his burgers seriously. He starts with the best ingredients such as a half pound of 100% local pasture raised beef and builds a great burger from there. Also, don’t be surprised if you happen to find boar or antelope as burger options. I’d place the burgers served at Swiss Pastry Shop right up there with some of Fort Worth’s favorites. I ordered the Swiss Mushroom Burger and despite being dressed to the nines with plenty of mushrooms and Swiss the flavor of the meat shined through.

I really like the contrast between some of the more modern aspects of the menu with the old fashioned vibe of the place. I can’t attest to what the Swiss Pastry Shop used to look like but from my last few visits I can surmise that it hasn’t changed much over the years. You’ll find wood paneling, vinyl chairs, and a crowd of regulars. Just like other Fort Worth favorites Paris Coffee Shop and Ol’ South Pancake House you go here for the food and the fellowship.

Now to make this review really long I have to mention my experience of the collaborative Pop-Up restaurant between Dallas based Il Canne Rosso and Swiss Pastry Shop. Our family stopped by late one Friday evening and found the dining room and the pizza oven practically full. Keep in mind it’s BYOB and BYO Stemware. We chose the Ella and the Zoli pizzas. I’ve written about Il Cane Rosso before and the pizzas were as good as ever. According to one of the servers the pizzas are ready in a matter of minutes and they come out faster than the servers are able to keep up with. Hopefully, this explains the spotty service we received that night. Our pizzas came out but no silverware or plates and we had to track someone down to finally get them. Despite that it was enjoyable experience and a great chance to enjoy Il Canne Rosso’s pizza in a more family friendly environment than Times Ten Cellars (where they set up on Thursdays).

The reasonable prices along with intriguing specials have continued to bring me back to the Swiss Pastry Shop. I’ve dined at Swiss Pastry Shop four times over the past two weeks. Not quite enough to become a regular but I’m well on my way.

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