Noodles & Company

My only gripe is that this location is too small for the MOA. However, what is there to dislike about NOODLES?? Mac and Cheese, Pesto Cavatappi, Japanese Pan Noodles....etc. There isn't much that I don't like. I have been a fan of Noodles since  high school and I don't see that changing for the rest of my life. :-)

Throngs of teenaged girls talking about that day's shopping experience the next table over, while eating so-so noodles and complaining about boyfriends. That about sums up this particular experience for me at the Noodles & Company on the third floor of the Mall of America. I'm not sure if it's like this all the time, but eating alongside this demographic made me feel old - very old.

The highlights:

* A single unisex bathroom? Check.
* A relatively small dining area? Yup.
* Decent food for average prices? For sure.

Yes, this is a chain, but it's nice to see this restaurant as an available option at the MoA. So many other places I looked at were not vegan-friendly at all, so a nice safe place for me to eat was welcome.

Here are some things I like about Noodles & Company:

* Sriracha hot sauce available.
* Menu is marked with a "V" for vegetarian items.
* Small and regular sizes available.

When I ordered my Bangkok Curry noodles, I was told that "V" stood for vegan. I actually made a quiet Marge Simpson groan when I heard this, because I was pretty sure it meant "vegetarian" which is NOT always vegan. I was so hungry, and my co-worker was so stressed from the drive over to the mall, that I just took it and prayed. I went back to the official PDF menu just now, and saw that the "V" does, indeed, mean vegetarian, not vegan. Just for the record, the only potentially non-vegan ingredient in the Bangkok Curry is refined sugar, which isn't a show-stopper for me, especially when I'm eating out.

I liked the way this restaurant was bright and cheery, as opposed to some of the other theme restaurants clustered around that area, which seemed dark and gloomy by comparison. Most times, I like to see what I'm eating, and that won't be a problem for you here. Seating was comfortable, and if you wanted to line up 10 or 15 people and have a group lunch, it seems like they can accommodate you.

So, other than that, a pretty decent experience, especially if you are at the Mall of America anyway.

Wish I had read the reviews before ordering. For asian noodles, we prefer Pei Wei. Our dumplings were just ok. Many frozen varieties available at the grocery store are better.. and they are nothing like the fresh ones you would make at home.  The pad thai was awful.

But we were hungry and now we are satisfied. Will probably try this restaurant again, because we are moving to St Cloud. While at the mall, we will try other places.