Day 15 of 365 Things To Do In Michiana

South Side Soda Shop & Diner, 1122 South Main Street, Goshen

One of the cool things about doing the 365 Things To Do In Michiana is getting to meet great great people that run local businesses. One of those people is Nick Boyd, along with his wife Charity, who own and operates the South Side Soda Shop & Diner in Goshen. I stopped in, mainly because of the cool looking exterior, thinking that it might be a good place to do one of these blog posts on. Boy was I right! This is a must stop place that is worth a trip to Goshen when you get a chance.

The South Side has a rich history, it began as a small grocery store back in 1910. It became a diner in 1942 and they still have and serve the original Sloppy Joe recipe from then. The counter and stools that you can sit at are from that 1942 diner. Through the years The South Side has won several awards, such as a 7 time winner of best Chili in the area. It would have been 8 times, but Nick and Charity did not vote one year when they lost by 1 vote. They have been featured in Gourmet Magazine and they also made an appearance on The Food Networks Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The video for that is below.

They serve the old fashioned Phosphates and Sodas from scratch. All of the baked goods are made on site. One of their specialties is the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, which is delicious by the way. Nick orders the rolls that the Cheese Steak Sandwiches are served on weekly from Philadelphia. Another popular dish is the Philly Chili, which is noodles, chili, onions, shredded cheddar and sour cream and served in a soda glass. Hungry for something different, they serve Snapping Turtle Soup and 2-5 different types of Oysters as well. They have something new and different almost every week.

The diner is open Tuesday thru Saturday 11:00 to 8:00. You can find them online at www.SouthSideSodaShopDiner.comor on Facebook @South Side Soda Shop.