I used to go to the Fresh Choice on Wells Street and was genuinely disappointed that they closed! Â i would go there over my summers for a chocolate cappuccino smoothie which was literally equivalent to heaven. Â Their sandwiches and soups were also quite tasty and they offered good variety, but not as awesome as their smoothies.
Then once Fresh Choice on Wells closed, I was pleased to discover another Fresh Choice on Michigan Avenue. Â It's good, it's A-OK, but not as GREAT as the one on Wells was, possibly because the location isn't tucked away in a neat little hut. Â
So if you happen to be on Michigan Avenue and you're starving, go somewhere else for a sandwich. Â However, if you happen to be on Michigan Avenue and want a refreshing drink, order a cappuccino smoothie, and ask them to put chocolate in it. Â Did I mention it was heaven?
We had one of these near my high school, so when I discovered a location near my office, well, a girl just couldn't resist.
I love their broad selection of delicious soups, any of which you can get in a bread bowl, and the awesome number of ingredients you can combine into a smoothie. The pricing is a bit of a mystery to me and it always shows up on my credit card as "JB Smoothies," but other than that, I'm a fan.
Fresh Choice gets three stars because of the balance between their smoothies and their food.
The smoothies are awesome. They mix any flavors you want and it's not extra; One price per size. I've heard of people mixing a chocolate, peanut butter smoothie. DANG! (I always get a blueberry, pineapple smoothie)
The food is so-so. I got a chicken wrap from there, and it wasn't anything to remember. It just seemed like they slapped the ingrediants together without taking the time to blend the flavors. They have a huge variety of soup which is great, but soup is soup.
There's always a long line, but they manage to fly by quick.
Ladies & Gentlemen, let me introduce you to some crack. At least that's what my co-workers and I fondly refer to one of the best homemade soups I have ever had = cream of chicken rice with lemon @ Fresh Choice.
Now you may say, "Deborah E, it's soup. Big deal." And normally, I would agree with you. I mean, soup. Really? Is it a meal? Does it fill you up? Uh, no. On both counts. At least not in this gourmand's world. What purpose does it even serve? Especially if it's a broth-based soup.
Come on. Bring on the fat. Pour in the half & half, the heavy whipping cream, the sour cream - whatever it takes to make that soup THICK. And voila - there you have it. Can a spoon stand up in it? Yes? Then it's worthy of my stomach.
Fresh Choice has amazing other soups also - the creamy corn chowder, the cream of potato & cheddar, the lentil, the tomato basil w/ cashews. And the spicy chicken tortilla is not for the faint of heart. 'Tis mucho spicy and tasty.
Fresh Choice also has sandwiches which I have never tried as I am too fixated on the cream of chicken rice w/lemon soup. They also offer Homer's Ice Cream which is one of the best tasting ice creams I have ever had.
They are also famous for their smoothies. In fact, they must be damn good because there is always a huge line just for smoothie-lovers. But I wouldn't know. I have never had one here. Me? Eating a "delicious low-fat blend of skim milk, 'smoothie mix' and fruit"? Why would I do that when I can have cream? And I still maintain that fruit is not a real food group.
Note: only open Mon-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm. Now, go try that soup. And I'll see you on 'Intervention.'
I want to like this place, I really do. It's a great alternative to all of the junk food in the neighborhood when I'm waiting for class to start at 7. They have good options and lots of different sandwiches and wraps and all smoothies, etc. In the couple of times that I've gone I feel like I don't really get what I ordered. The vegetarian sandwiches are supposed to have the "works" and then when I add a few things, I seem to only get the additions and not the original inclusion. A minor pick at a decent restaurant. The wait staff is super nice and friendly and the food comes out fast, maybe too fast. The price is a bit high for the amount of food you get. Overall it's good.
Review Source:I had to update my review to mention that I'm totally addicted to their strawberry-blueberry yogurt smoothie and love their Italian ices too!
I also learned that if you're trying to do a 'healthy' smoothie, opt for blueberry, pineapple or banana, as the other fruits are preserved.
And oh, to follow-up on my own previous posting, they do now take all major credit cards, including AmEx!
A misnomer.  Not so fresh and not so much of choice.  In fact, some things totally abnormal or just bad.  The turkey "burger" was a flavorless, mealy pre-made grilled patty sliced in half and shoved sideways into an italian submarine roll with shredded lettuce and toppings. No bun.    The regular smoothies have no fruit flavor at all, just a powdery bland taste from the smoothie mix.  When I asked them to remake it  after just a taste, they argued with me about it.  The 100% fruit smoothies are the only things I can recommend.  Two stars for that.  Get 100% fruit and go to Hannah's, just across the hallway for fresh organic sandwiches.
Review Source:I've been to Fresh Choice numerous times over the past few year and have never been impressed. Â I love soup and would order it weekly -- just from another place!
A lot of the soups don't seem well seasoned for some reason. Â The turkey chili is really just turkey soup--no vegetables or spices. Â Kinda bizarre. Â Nice thing is they are good about giving you bread and crackers.
There are better soup places in Illinois Center so I'll stick to those!
At work, we affectionately call Fresh Choice the soup nazi. I don't know why, but it has stuck.
This is generally my go to place all year long, although the soup is especially great in the colder months. I almost always order a medium cream of chicken rice with lemon. There is always a ton of rice, so the soup coupled with the bread is very filling.
On particularly hard work days we will treat ourselves to a smoothie from the nazi. My colleagues get the healthy fruity smoothies, I on the other hand, get a peanut butter and chocolate smoothie. It is the best thing ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
My only gripe is that they don't take credit card. I like earning points for my purchases :)
Another place I want to love more, but just can't - I know prices in the loop are insane, but how can you sleep at night if you charge $6.49 for a medium (AND in another styrofoam cup) veggie chili NOT including cheese or jalapeños.  I get bored with the lunch places in my building, so I go here maybe once a month or so...but it's never great, it's just, a-ok.   Now, one thing I do really appreciate are their raspberry-banana-spirulina yogurt smoothies.  Yeah, dem's a-ok good beeble.
Review Source:I know this place has the word fresh in its name, but i know nothing in this place is FRESH.Some of my friends have worked there and they tell me they dont eat anything there. Talk about overpriced smoothie. And I dont think all the soups are make "fresh" daily . From what I know all the smoothie have a ton of suger added, So think again next time you go for one after your run or on the way home.
Review Source:I prefer the long lines, so I have some time to choose between all the different soups that they have. They all come with some bread, since soup alone is not really a filling meal.
The only soup I've had that I didn't like was the chicken tortilla, but I've overheard other people who loved it, so this is just my 2 cents.
For the life of me, I can not justify shelling out the amount they want for a smoothie. I can't remember the price, but it was too much.
Cash only seems a bit primitive, but there are at least TWO banks in the building, and an ATM around the corner, so you can't really hate on that.
By far the best soups, chilis and smoothies south of the Chicago River, except I don't find the ESL-speaking staff nearly as friendly as other locations. Â And one major caveat: what's with not accepting credit cards? Â This Fresh Choice location charges almost $6 for a bowl of soup and $8 for a large smoothie, yet it's the only location that doesn't accept credit cards! Â IT'S THE 00s!
Review Source:
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