The Dive tests Temple City’s waters

The Dive SKC, which stands for The Dive Steam Kettle Cooking, is a hip restaurant that serves Louisiana inspired seafood served with a modern touch. The restaurant is currently in its soft opening phase and will have its grand opening soon. As of now, there is a limited menu of only 18 items.

Christina’s Take
When I went to the Dive, I was immediately greeted and directed to a table by the staff. As soon as I was seated, I was given a glass of water as well as a complementary basket of bread and butter. After looking at the small menu, I decided to get the pan roast that was priced at $23. The pan roast was delicious and I was able to adjust the spice from levels 1-8. It was creamy and had a thick base.
However, I felt that they should have given a bit more rice in order to compensate for the amount of pan roast that was in the bowl.
The pan roast came with house lobster, crab, clams, mussels and shrimp which added a nice touch to the cajun style of the restaurant. The staff was very kind and came to check up on my group a couple of times to ensure that our food was to our liking.

Kailyn’s Take
There were very few staff present and I was quickly directed to a table. I decided to order a serving of chowder fries priced at $10 and bread pudding for $8.
The wait time for the dishes was about 15 minutes and the two dishes were served in a small frying pan. Although the chowder fries looked and smelled very appetizing, they did not meet my expectations.
The potatoes were too thick and overpowered the other ingredients. I appreciated the pinch of cajun powder that had been added to the fries, but I felt that the diced tomatoes and onions did not contribute any flavors to the dish.
Although this dish is called chowder fries, it is severely lacking the chowder component. I could barely taste and see the chowder and only found a few small clams to my disappointment.
I was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant’s bread pudding, however. I was satisfied with the generous amount of ice cream and the spongy cake that I had been served.
The rich and creamy vanilla ice cream seeped into the pores of the pudding, which made for a delectable bite of vanilla-cream soaked bread.
I was satisfied with the service, but was slightly taken aback when the waitress asked if I was ready to pay my check even though it was evident that I had barely touched my food.
After I was done and ready to leave, I asked for a box to pack my leftovers. Instead of helping me pack my food, the waitress simply handed me a box with no offers to help, despite the lack of customers. Although my experience at The Dive was slightly disappointing, the food was decent.

Takeaway
If you are looking to eat southern comfort food paired with soothing jazz tunes you should try out some of the food that is offered at the restaurant.
The Dive is a unique addition to the Camellia Square and is gives off a very modern and insta-worthy vibe. Although The Dive is more on the expensive side, it is definitely worth a try when you and your friends are looking for something new.