Turf Surf & Earth — Restaurant in Somerville

I'm probably a little too naughty to be the target demographic for this place (case in point, as soon as I was done here I went down the street to Bliss to get a pastry). However, I'd heard good things about Turf and when my chum and I decided to do a hike 10 minutes from downtown Somerville on Saturday, this was my suggestion for lunch afterwards. I was a little concerned about parking (Somerville can be insane in that regard depending on when you're there), but there were oodles of spaces just to the north in a residential area and I had zero issues in that regard.

The place was fairly busy when we got there around 1:45ish, but not overwhelmingly so. What WAS a little overwhelming was their giant menu to the right of the entrance, which I stared at blankly for a few seconds before getting my bearings. Even for someone who's not inclined to go too healthy when eating out (I'm a work in progress like everyone else), it's almost impossible not to find something here to munch on. Beyond the build-your-own bowl options, which predictably center on meat, seafood and plant-centric bases, there's a separate entree section of the menu, plus a brunch menu, PLUS a coffee menu. It's a lot. And to their credit, there's a lot of physical room for customers to basically do what I did, which was stand in the middle of the restaurant and contemplate for five minutes. I saw others do it, and it didn't create any awkwardness or congestion issues.

I went with the build-your-own option with grilled salmon, white rice, two avocado sides, an egg and chipotle mayo. The kiosks to order at are pretty sophisticated but easy to use and I'm sure it eliminates a lot of potential human error on the part of the staff given that you have so many different options to play around with. This establishment is billed as fast-casual, so I was expecting the food to come out within 10 to 15 minutes; it was on the longer side of that (probably right at 15 minutes), but I don't think it was egregious especially because this was clearly fresh and made-to-order, coupled with a lot of to-go orders that I saw being picked up throughout my time there. Also, I tend to be a little hangry after a hike so I would have been impatient if this took two minutes.

The food itself was very good. I didn't find it as filling as I hoped despite the inclusion of the egg and the rice, but it definitely hit the spot. Also, if you're hoping to feel stuffed based on a salmon/avocado-centered experience, I think you're expectations are a bit skewed. The presentation was good, and the portion was decent. My biggest issue with it was the price point. Ultimately (with the exception of the egg), this amounted to what I would have gotten at a poke bowl place. Even in downtown NYC, that would have ended up costing me about $20. Because literally every single ingredient ends up being an add-on, my price with tip ended up being $30. That's just too much for this type of meal, even if the ingredients ARE top-notch, especially when your interaction with the staff is likely minimal. Other than when the food was dropped off at the table, I didn't talk to anyone.

Ultimately, this is a recommend - it's not easy to find unapologetically healthy options that also taste decent to people with bad to the bone palates like myself - but if push came to shove I would go to a poke bowl place for similar and...

Sometimes it's hard to know what to eat when one person wants vegan while the other does not. Thankfully, McKenzie and her husband, the owners of Turf Surf and Earth, faced a similar problem. McKenzie took the time to chat and explained that she was vegan, but her husband was a vegetarian. Thus, when going out, it was hard, and when going out to eat, that shouldn't be the case. We go out to enjoy ourselves, not debate and get frustrated. This sparked an idea, and they saw that there is a solution. Open an eatery that offers food that's vegan-friendly, some other dishes for vegetarians, and some dishes for meat lovers. This way, everyone is happy!

As people who are flexitarians, we are thrilled. While I lean towards vegetarian, it also depends on my body and what it wants. Their offerings from breakfast dishes to lighter snacks are a feast for the eyes. Let's see how they taste.

After perusing their menu, I decided on The Cuban. It is a vegetarian sandwich that consists of mushrooms, plant-based bacon, and Swiss cheese, served with pickles on a roll. I also had to have my onion rings. The portions are huge and big enough to share! Now for the moment of truth... o.m.g. it was heaven on a tray!!!

As I feasted on my tray of deliciousness, I was sitting in a beautiful place filled with beautiful and healthy plants. Breathing all the wonderful oxygen the plants are giving off, I am in a state of euphoria. For a quick bite, this is THE place to come to, and I will be revisiting to try more of their menu. I spied "Grandma's Oyster Mushroom Po' Boy" and it has my name written...

Sad, we were under the impression that this was supposed to be an absolutely amazing, hidden gem, dining experience, especially for breakfast. And at first glance, it looks like a coffee shop, with a mediocre guitarist/singer playing & singing at 10:30 in the morning on Saturday, which is the very LAST thing we'd like to listen to while having breakfast. A lot of confusion as to where to sit, I had to be directed up to the far right corner, to the cash register, to a fairly new employee, who didn't know much of anything, in order to place our order. I went into a few specifics, like well done, or extra hot, but our food did not come out the way I specifically requested. Worse yet, while eating our food, no one approached us to see if everything came out to our liking, or not. Furthermore, no refills on coffee or unsweetened iced tea is absolutely absurd when customers are spending upwards of $40 for breakfast. And I can't even get a coffee refill without being charged for it? The pancakes were half raw, and very bready. I got the grand slam breakfast with turkey sausage, and requested that the turkey sausage come out extra well done and extra hot, and it came out barely lukewarm and half raw. So I called someone over, and sent it back. We won't be returning. The owners should consider hiring a more attentive staff, and offering free refills with a...