Bowland - Bowls & Burritos — Restaurant in Maple Ridge

If you’ve never heard of it, that’s because this is the first one. But it sure does have that “chain” feel to the branding. I have been watching the sign for weeks, waiting to find out what Bowland was! Now that I’ve tried it I hope this is the first of many.

If you like Freshi, Chopped Leaf, Bar Burrito, or similar eateries, Bowland fits right in.

How they’re different? Their ingredients are fresh and made in house. Meats marinated and prepared fresh daily, not heated up pre-packaged meats. And you can tell when you eat it. The vegetables you can choose from are -super- fresh and clean - Healthy. The trade off for great quality is that there’s fewer of them. That said, they have the ones that matter. I really like that I felt good about what I was eating and that it’s the quality of food I’d want in my fridge at home. Smoothies. I haven’t had one but they look delicious and good for you. I am generally addicted to diet Soda and was internally prohibited from deviating my choice of drink with a meal. But I’ll try one soon! I think there’s four shake flavours and they all look super simple in the best way; I didn’t need a naturapath or dietitian to translate or convince me on why I should drink it. Simple and easy to navigate menu. You pick from bowl, burrito, taco or salad, select a meat or non meat main, and pick from the fresh vegis and sauces. I did a chicken bowl with most of the toppings, (other than the ones with cilantro because cilantro is evil and should be exterminated from the planet, #ButIDigress), and the Tabasco based hot sauce. I also chose brown rice and black beans. The rice was really nice, like it was just made, and made well - That’s not usually my experience at similar restaurants. It was fantastic. I felt like it was easy to trust the quality. And it fits a niche for me better than the other choices because it didn’t overload me with choices, poor quality, or stuff that make a healthy choice unhealthy. The other way it really scratches an itch for me is my next point. Surprisingly affordable prices. I had a bowl with no guacamole and a can of diet cola for about $15. Which is cheaper than a burger combo from most fast food chains. And that really speaks to me because capitalism is bleeding me dry. A big healthy lunch/dinner for $15 in downtown Maple Ridge is one of the best reasons to try this place. The price would’ve been the same had I chosen a burrito, salad, or taco. Because you don’t get less, you just get different. Everything about this place is simple in the best ways.

Inside is a humble, clean dining area that probably seats 10 to 12 people at tables for 2. I learned today that they’re going to have art on one wall and maybe some more seating as they progress. I decided to dine-in to get a feel for the place. As I sat there enjoying my bowl, I could tell that they had done a lot of market research before creating their business. I know I sound like a skipping record (from back before digital music, kids) but everything about Bowland says healthy, simple, fresh, and tasty at affordable prices. That’s a winner in my books.

Healthy food with Mexican inspired flavour. I’m definitely a fan.

After I ordered I had a nice chat which one of the owners, Robin. If my review doesn’t convince you, go check it out to support a new local business. He and his brother have chose Maple Ridge to open the first of potentially a chain of Bowlands. I got to talk to him about the year+ they spent coming up with the concept and planning. He seamed like a sincere, honest small business dude pursuing a dream.

You can go to their website to see the menus and even order in advance of pickup. Which is stellar for lunch breaks for those of us working in the MR Central area. Link is below.

You can find them on Uber Eats and the like,...

Have visited a number of times for lunch and smoothies. Food is good and made to order. That said, as a result, things are slow so not a good option if you're looking to grab something quick on your lunch. We have often been in and waited over 20/25 minutes just to be greeted or served (even with just one person in front of us) which by then we realized we didn't have enough time to get food from them and just got smoothies instead. Also, service isn't awesome. We have been collecting stamps from all the smoothies we buy and my husband brought in our cards today which had enough stamps for a free smoothie but the staff member made a big deal about that fact that we had multiple rewards cards instead of simply honoring them. In sum, the food is good but the customer experience isn't awesome. Hopefully it improves or they'll...

Went in today for the first time. Bowl was really tasty. Good, fresh selection of veggies and extras. My complaint would be, when we were ordering, the phone rang and the worker answered it. She had already put our rice and chicken in the bowl.. but was on the phone with a customer for atleast 8 minutes! She felt bad, but our food sat there while she was taking a message and helping the customer on the phone. I would suggest next time, let the phone ring and serve the customers in store first. Also, she took off her plastic gloves to answer the phone, but then put them back on while still on the phone. I asked her to change them before finishing our bowl, to which she did and had no problem with my request. Nice worker, just a tip to leave the phone ringing while helping...