Freshii

If I could eat at Freshii every day, I would! I think it is the best value in the Loop, and the options are endless. I love ordering the veggie soup and adding lemon juice. I love the salads with quinoa. I love the brown rice bowls. Basically, I love having the choices, the fresh food, and the value. A two pound salad with goat cheese and avocado and 15 veggies and quinoa (my personal style) for 10 dollars in downtown? It's 2-3 meals worth, and it's delicious.

I did have a couple of experiences where items were missing from my orders. I emailed to let them know, and I got a quick reply apologizing. Since then, Scott has always been responsive, and the items have been almost perfect every time. He even offered a free meal to make up for it and then offered to provide meals for our non-profit at a training! What a nice, decent guy.

Oh, and their frozen yogurt is the best around. It tastes like real yogurt, and it's fabulous with mango and coconut (you get two toppings).

ETA-- I often order online. It's super easy, fast, and great for group ordering.

After writing off this Freshii for almost two years, I've had a change of heart. With a hectic work schedule, I can barely find time to eat some days after doing some work outside the home mom duties there. I initially hesitated about returning to Freshii, but I was damn hungry, so I went for it. I researched the menu before going there to be better prepared.

Part of my initial issues with this restaurant was its anxiety producing nature. This place gave me Subway anxiety. See years ago, I wouldn't go to Subway because they had a different way of ordering. It always made me tense. After some Subway experiences, I got used to the process. The same with Freshii occurred. However, after Freshii's opening, they were too loud and too everything for the building. At the time, they were very in your face literally. Since then, they've toned it down to fit seamlessly into the building.

Lately, I've been doing the customized burritos. I love them. I mix together all sorts of ingredients for a nice protein punch. It's especially helpful after doing my work nursing mom duties as well as preparing for the night. I seriously have to consume a lot of calories to feed my little guy. Eating Freshii burritos have been a healthy way to get lots of protein without all of the grease. So yep, I'm a convert to Freshii.

Freshii may not be sexy, but it's made-to-order fresh, fast and most importantly: healthy!

I love that you can customize just about anything on the Freshii menu, though they've dreamt up several signature items in each category (wraps, salads, burritos and bowls). My go-to item is the Bliss Bowl: a generous portion of brown rice mixed with balsamic vinegar and EVOO and then topped with a double serving of avocado, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. It's one of my favorite meals from a to-go operation and it's about time I replicate it at home in Austin!

Besides being diet-friendly, Freshii is also inexpensive for the large portions you receive. For $8, the Bliss Bowl makes a meal.5 and keeps me sated for at least half the day, without any of the sluggish post-meal crash symptoms.

Please come to Austin, Freshii!