So, having seen this restaurant added to the local fast food options recently, I decided to stop in. It advertises itself in what I'd call the "gourmet fast food" category of restaurants, or fast casual in style. With that in mind, I'm rating it according to what I see as its competition.
I had the Spicy Falafel combo as a Lettuce Wrap, as I was aware that I'd be having some additional carbs this evening and wanted to test their low carb options anyway. Here are the Pros and Cons:
Pros -
Service: Staff is polite, efficient and generally well mannered. Service is handled at about the pace you would expect and orders don't take unnecessarily long.
Cleanliness/Location: Despite being in the late afternoon, the tables were cleaned and bussed regularly and there was no mess to speak of. Store had a clean, presentable look to it.
The Aesthetic is Diner chic and the music choices (80s pop satellite radio) match it moderately well. Seating is slightly limited, so if this restaurant gets heavy dine-in traffic during peak hours, I recommend coming at off hours.
Flavors: The falafel itself was fairly bland, but it's falafel. Fried chickpeas tend not to have the most robust of flavors. The giardinara included pickled jalapeno peppers (which were the primary source of the 'kick.' If you know what they taste like, you know what you're expecting) and, when mixed with the "Savvy Sauce" gave a good flavor to complement the falafel and create an overall pleasant taste.
The cajun dusting on the fries was fairly light, and not remotely spicy, so assume it is a cajun flavoring rather than spicy cajun. The fries were well cooked crinkle-cut and served to sop the jalapeno juices while eaten well.
The Con:
The Lettuce Wrap - This is why what would normally be a 4.5-5 was a 5. The wrap is a single leaf of good quality lettuce, but there is no effort to ensuring that the lettuce would serve to hold the product in. The presentation was not necessarily bad visually but the method of preparation made for very messy work (and if you're getting them pick up the plastic fork for it. It's basically a salad). I would have recommended a boston head personally. It was firm enough, but needed a better construction to hold the protein and giarinara with enough space for the food. As it was, my fingers were covered with sauce through the whole process.
It's understandably not their first priority, but if you have customers who are coming in conscious of carbs, but interested in trying the food, they should be aware that this is a bit of an issue.
The Neutral:
Price - $10-12 a head. You're basically paying upper tier fast food prices. You will get the expected 'bang for your buck.' Better quality ingredients, at a premium. Come with the price in mind and you won't be disappointed in the food itself.
Overall:
If you're wanting upgraded sliders, but don't want to go on full gourmet, sit-down and wait while they make your order to custom (in which case City Burger is just up the road), this place is a good choice. The brioche looked well made even if I didn't have it, and everyone who ate that day while I was there looked satisfied.
But if you're wanting to try the lettuce wrap option, grab a fork. The food will still taste good, but your fingers...
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