Zoup! Fresh Soup Company

I went here once on a whim with my husband and I was so pleasantly surprised by all the people that work there. They are just so friendly and nice! They give you unlimited samples of the soup and the soup is AUH-Mazing. It is one of my favorite spots to get some lunch with the hubby! I can't wait to go back for some more of the lobster bisque! Yummy!

The soup here rules, ya'll.

I subscribe to their daily email list, which comes in handy in the winter when I'm constantly in the mood for soup. Day to day, the soup doesn't change much. But week to week, it tends to.

I've only tried the soup, but I haven't had anything bad yet! Good recipes. The gumbo is meh...it's not real, from-the-south gumbo with a rich body and flavor. It's just spicy broth with rice. I'd stay clear of it. But the shrimp and crawfish etoufee is great! So is the lobster bisque and the chicken with roasted garlic (very flavorful, brothy soup...great for colds!). I got "macaroni and cheese" soup there one time...it was basically macaroni and cheese in a really creamy, plentiful sauce. Don't get me wrong, it was DELICIOUS. But it not soup.

You can try all the soups there, and the staff isn't weird or finicky about it. They are totally nice and let you take your time deciding...that is, if the line isn't out the door, which it has been known to be during a weekday lunch hour. I steer clear of that. But the staff is always very friendly and will tell you their favorites.

I think the bummer about this place is how much a stupid breadbowl costs. I ordered it one time and it cost $9. I'm not sure how. But this place has to be rolling in the dough (not to be confused with rolling in the deep, much like Adele does).

Anyway, if you have a hankerin' for soup and you don't feel like slaving over the stove, letting the flavors simmer for hours, then come here. It's all hot and flavorful, and its fun to try all the soups there before narrowing it down to your ultimate pick.

I met a friend here for lunch, and Zoup is definitely a busy lunch spot in the area.  The dining area isn't very big; there are a few booths for 2, tables, and a counter with chairs.  So if you're in the mood to sit and eat you should get there just before or after the 12:00 p.m. lunch rush.

The service here is enthusiastic and very friendly.  The menu was explained to us, and we were offered unlimited samples of soups.  I sampled the macaroni and cheese.  It's macaroni, it's cheese, and it's a little zesty, and I can't believe they made it into soup!  It's very good, but I had a bowl of the lobster bisque.  

The soup selection is huge, and I really liked those that I sampled.  I would definitely return to Zoup for soup, but I'd probably still go to Panera or Corner Bakery for a sandwich.  

The sizes are weird for soups.  They don't go by SML, or Italian latte-like names, but instead soups are sized as follows:  side, cup, bowl, and XL.  The side is ideal if you order with a half sandwich, the cup is good for a half sandwich and a big appetite, the bowl is ideal if you just want soup for lunch.  The XL looks like a pint of ice cream, and I'd probably only order the XL if I took it to go and intended to share with a few people.

For a "bowl" of soup and a small soda (they sell fountain drinks in sizes, but the fountain area is open), I paid about $9.30.  My friend had a half wrap, a "side" soup and a soda.  She paid about $9.70.  So be prepared to pony up about $10.  I should add that you get a roll of bread with your soup as well.

Also, nutritional information is available on the website.  But I'm not sure what size soup the nutritional info applies to, so if you are watching your calories it might be a challenge to figure out how your soup cup/bowl/caldron/suitcase, whatever you choose, will measure up against the rest of our meals.