The Surprising Cult Favorite at the Dallas Farmers Market: Porch Swing Tea

My husband and I have very different philosophies about waiting. If he sees a line, he assumes it means it’s worth it. Me? I’m OK with finding a slightly less good variation, because I’m impatient.

Hit up the Dallas Farmers Market on any given weekend, and the Porch Swing Tea truck is hard to miss. It’s fire-engine red and has a line around the block, with nearly half the people clutching their signature mason jars like they’re a Stanley status symbol. However, it’s a major farmers market in the South and there’s gotta be sweet tea and lemonade at every other booth. How good could iced tea possibly be? But my husband was dead set on finding out what the hype was about and convinced me to wait. Let me tell you: it’s good enough that we’re now part of the fan club, bringing our cup back week after week.

The concept is simple. Pick your base: sweet tea, unsweet tea, lemonade or any combination of the above. Pick your size: 32-ounce Mason jar ($7.50) or 20-ounce bottle ($6). Add any of the 12 flavor shots for 75 cents each. Huckleberry half-sweet is my go-to. Peach, mango and strawberry are top sellers. Owner Brett’s personal favorite is Arnold Palmer with blackberry and lavender.

And the best part: $3 refills for life. Genius. Customers from all over the South say it passes the taste test. Their latest creation is a Texas Crème Soda, which is a spin on Italian crème sodas with San Pellegrino, sweet cream and a flavor shot of your choice.

The secret? They brew everything fresh throughout the day right in the truck, using water and ice from a specialty company in Midlothian that uses a reverse osmosis process. And you can taste the difference. Can’t wait until the weekend for your fix? You can order by the gallon through their Facebook or Instagram pages.

What started as a sweet family business was like many food trucks, a COVID pivot. Husband-and-wife duo Ashley and Brett Silva have a combined 30 years in the service industry and met waiting tables at Cotton Patch Cafe. Brett began experimenting with tea recipes while working at Morton’s. When 2020 hit and restaurants shut down, they decided it was now or never.
The trailer first launched on Villa Road in Waxahachie, right where Brett used to sell fireworks. After a year, they applied to the Dallas Farmers Market. Starting with tent pop-ups until they were allowed to bring the trailer, they earned a sustainable vendor spotlight for their eco-friendly packaging. To date, they have served over 100,000 glasses and estimate that thousands have their signature mason jars.

They’ve since expanded to two trucks to accommodate other festivals and events. They also partner with the Mark Cuban Center Foundation for food drives, giving out 500–600 gallons of tea daily.
You’ll see their faces and one boy on the sticker logo, their other sons weren’t born when the logo was designed, but they hope to have all three of their sons take over the business someday.

According to Brett, the fundamental secret ingredient is memories. “A girl came by the truck the other day with her fiancé and said they had their first date at the market. We’re just grateful to be part of those stories."