21st Amendment is now serving lunch, and it rocks

Po’ boys, Phillys and wraps, oh my!

Those are just a few of the sandwiches that make up a new lunch menu started this week at 21st Amendment on Historic 4th Street.

It features these entrees, among others, and a nice selection of lunch staples, including soups, salads, burgers, flatbreads and apps.

Owners Jesus Sanchez and Renso Moreno decided to create a lunch menu after their evening Happy Hour crowds grew crowded. “Customers have asked us a number of times when we will be open for lunch,”said Sanchez. “So, we have launched a menu that is easy, fast and delicious.”

Sioux City Now got a sneak peek at the menu last week, and we’re excited to have another option downtown for lunch, something that many business folks have felt was missing in this area.

Already 21st Amendment has drawn fan support for its evening crowds, but the lunch venture is new, and they’re hoping that a new option will bring new energy to their doors as well.

“We felt like we can contribute to downtown by having more variety for lunch and make 4th street a place were people can gather at noon hour,” Sanchez said.

So what’s on the menu? Plenty. We’ll highlight just a few items here. The rest, you’ll have to seek out yourself and let us know.

We tried the Catfish Po Boy, the Philly Steak and the Chicken Parm wrap, each created by 21st executive chef Joshua McKernan, who personally delivered the meals to us and returned later on to gather feedback. We didn’t have much – his new creations are tasty and well thought out.

First, the Po Boy. Our taste-test team is pretty sure there isn’t another one of these babies in town. If there is, let us know.

Take a healthy catfish portion and team it with lettuce, pickle and tomato on a toasted pretzel bun and you’ve got a winner. Add a special recipe chipotle sauce and you’ve got a bite of heaven. The sauce is likely the secret to this entree, and we let McKernan know that we loved it, but that we needed a little extra on the side for dipping.

The catfish breading also helps ensure this new lunch offering is top notch. It doesn’t seem too special from the outset, but the more you get into the sandwich, the more you realize the sauce and the breading together are the perfect pair.

The Philly, which is actually called the Sioux City Cheese Steak, proved to be a group favorite. It might have been the smoked mozzarella cheese, or the perfectly prepared mushrooms. Either way – it was manageable (too often they just fall apart), and jammed with flavored sirloin steak, which is complemented by the veggies and cheese.

The steak, I might note, was served up medium rare and tasted mildly sweet and was perfect with the green pepper and onions, which tasted as if they were sauteed in butter. Too often, Philly sandwiches are prepared with no sauce on the beef. I’d much rather have it this way – full of flavor every time. It tastes like candy on a toasted pretzel hoagie.

The wrap is where 21st really is setting a precedent for better lunch.

How? In the history of my wrap-eating life, I can’t remember one wrap that didn’t fall apart in its entirety by the time I finished. And if it didn’t fall apart, it lacked flavor because it only made it to the menu because it was the “healthy option.” That all changed when I bit into the 21st Chicken Parm. Cohesive. Thick. Flavorful.

First and foremost, the spinach wrap is lined with a smoky mozzarella and warmed on the grill which nicely melts the cheese and gives it just a bit of the grill flava. I know what you’re thinking – the lettuce must be limp, right? Nope. The lettuce and all the other fresh goodness packed inside this bursting green wrap are nicely held inside by the melty cheese, but still manage to stay crispy.

Did I mention the chicken chunks? There’s plenty of chicken to fill each bite. And as far as flavor goes the smoked mozza isn’t overpowering, but it really adds to the flavor here.

If I didn’t catch it earlier, I’m haven’t been much of a wrap fan. I’d recommend this in a heartbeat.

So here’s the boildown on this new lunchtime menu: It’s flavorful, it’s well thought out, avoiding many of the little details that often plague lunchy sort of food, and it’ proves that the guys at 21st are again setting themselves apart as a destination – this time for lunch.

Meet me there – I’m buying. Well, kind of – take $5 off on us.

About the Author

Thomas Ritchie I love food, cycling, family, music, social media and especially Sioux City. Got an idea for a story - shoot me a note at siouxcitynow1@gmail.com.