It was a sad sight to witness the Oliver's Fine Foods sign being removed from the corner of the building at Throckmorton and West Fourth Streets on Oct. 2. It was also a strange day for In The Sack, the liquor/grocery store that's taking over the space in Sundance Square, to invite media in as the transition was clearly not yet complete. Sad, mostly empty shelves filled the large space while one display case filled with sandwiches and salads sat ready for the picking.
The first location of the Dallas-based liquor store opened in 2014 in Dallas' Uptown neighborhood. In The Sack delivers meals, liquor, groceries and fresh market items for free within a 7 mile radius. A press release said the store was “designed to meet the dining, time management and convenience needs associated with the trend toward high-rise living and commerce by offering walk-in, takeout or doorstep delivery of a smart selection of liquor, beer, and wine and Chef-crafted ready-to-eat meals.”
When we visited the day before the official opening, there were clear signs all around that the space was just not quite ready to put its best foot forward. But, the food? The food was really good. A caprese salad from the ready-made case had fresh, large slices of mozzarella atop tomatoes with a very tasty pesto sauce on the side. (Although it was hard to eat since In The Sack didn't yet have knives, plastic or otherwise.) The “Black and Blue” — one of the few cook-to-order options, was well-seasoned sashimi grade tuna on top of flavorful soba noodles. And the wings were just genuinely good wings, and presented a much better option than the new downtown Hooters.
We might wait a minute before heading back to In The Sack for round two. But, based on our bites from the first visit, we will be back.
The new location in Sundance Square is located at 415 Throckmorton Street. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.