Dean Norris is more into breaking bread than “Breaking Bad” these days.
The actor, known for playing Drug Enforcement Agent Hank Schrader on the long-running AMC series, is the owner of the Swing Inn Cafe & BBQ, one of the oldest buildings in Old Town Temecula.
Business has been brisk since he took over the 1927 diner in the summer of 2022 and added barbecue to both its menu and its name last winter.
“Even Mondays are crowded,” he said during a recent lunch hour at the restaurant. “We sell all we make.”
Norris plans to make a lot more. He said he is close to opening an annex to the restaurant’s main building that will serve takeout and “take pressure off the kitchen.” And he’s getting into the beef jerky business.
Brisket and selfies
When he launched barbecue, Norris started with one 1,150-gallon smoker he dubbed “Hank’s Tank.” Demand for brisket was so high he quickly realized he needed more firepower.
“They couldn’t make it quick enough. By late summer, we were running out of food on a pretty regular basis. That one helped. It still wasn’t enough,” he said, pointing to a second torpedo-shaped grill near a wood pile in a yard behind the restaurant.
“They’re custom built. It took six weeks. By the time the six weeks were up we were already ready for the third. When we do our takeout, we’ll probably need even more.”
The Swing Inn now has three smokers in a yard behind the restaurant to cook brisket and other smoked meats, which pitmaster Alfonso Carbajal said is a 24-hour process.
Customers come in for more than brisket. When he’s in the dining room or out on the patio or on the sidewalk of the restaurant, he is constantly posing for selfies. And he gets shoutouts from passing cars.
Sometimes the selfies are with fellow actors. “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston dropped by early on, and other celebrity visits memorialized on Instagram include Mario Lopez.
The restaurant is on Old Town Front Street, the main drag of Temecula’s historical section. It’s at the southern end, a couple of blocks below city hall’s parking structure, which is fortunate since Old Town’s curbside parking is frequently taken. Old Town is filled with restaurants, bars, tasting rooms and boutiques housed in rustic-looking buildings.
Like some of the others, the Swing Inn has a patio bar, which Norris upgraded with a waiting area for diners and a couple of cornhole boards. The bar stocks Dos Hombres Mezcal by Cranston, as shown in a recent Instagram post.
Life in Temecula
Norris and his wife Bridget moved to Temecula in 2001, well before “Breaking Bad” debuted in 2008. It ran until 2013.
Norris reprised Hank Schader in the “Breaking Bad” spinoff “Better Call Saul.” Other credits include “Total Recall,” “Lethal Weapon 2” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
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Commuting to work in Los Angeles or Albuquerque, where “Breaking Bad” filmed, wasn’t a problem, he said.
“I raised all my family here. Now they’re leaving the nest,” he said. “We’ve had great family time here. And it’s great to be a part of the community.”
“We wanted to keep this place iconic,” he said of the Swing Inn. “It means a lot to a lot of people who have memories of coming here. My kids came here when they were younger. So it was important to do that. And it was lucky we got the barbecue added on.”
Norris is currently in Season 4 of “Law and Order: Organized Crime,” which has him commuting to New York City. The season’s showrunner is John Shiban, who worked on “Breaking Bad.”
Norris plays the estranged older brother of Det. Elliot Stabler, played by franchise regular Christopher Meloni, as they cope with the mental deterioration of their mother, played by Ellen Burstyn.
“It’s just amazing to work with Ellen Burstyn and Chris together. It’s good stuff.”
Despite the commute, Norris remains active with the Swing Inn.
“When I’m in town, I like to come down every day, sometimes for an hour, sometimes three or four hours. I like to tinker around, fine-tune things here and there. We have a large staff and growing. They’re great. We have great management. I feel confident I can leave and I don’t worry about it.”
Swing Inn Cafe & BBQ
Where: 28676 Old Town Front St., Temecula
Hours: 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Information: 951-676-2321, swinginncafe.com