Address: | 1637 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, USA |
Phone: | +1 954-763-3344 |
Site: | freshfirst.com |
Rating: | 4.6 |
Working: | 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM |
SU
Sutirtha Bagchi
I was (am) staying at the adjoining Renaissance Hotel and I needed a quick bite for lunch and came in here earlier today. Once I was seated and had looked at their menu, I did have the urge to get up and leave but (a) it would have been impolite and (b) I didnt have enough time on my hands to go elsewhere, be seated, and finish my lunch on time so I decided to stick it out here at this place. And to some extent, my initial reservations about this place were confirmed during my meal. My main issue with the restaurant and its offerings was that it seemed to be talking to only health freaks and "tree huggers" - not regular individuals like myself. I do like (OK, make that LOVE) seafood and Florida isnt short of good seafood, so even if this place were nothing more than a regular soup & sandwich shop, I would have loved to have something like a shrimp po-boy or a fried fish filet sandwich. But none of those choices exist on the menu and so of all the available options, I went with the tuna melt sandwich. With a sandwich I would personally have preferred to get fries but alas, that option did not exist too; the only options available were either slaw or salad or a cup of soup. And that did not please my hungry soul or its desire to have fries along with a sandwich. Coming to the food itself, the sandwich was accurately described on the menu as tuna salad topped with cheddar cheese and served open-faced on waffle bread. Now while it is OK to read that description on a menu, I still was a bit surprised by the look of it because well when you picture a sandwich in your head, I can bet that it doesnt look anything like the tuna melt sandwich that I was served. And as far as the taste goes, it was unremarkable - nothing to be upset about but nothing to wow my taste buds either. The service was unremarkable too. During a quick lunch one doesnt expect to engage in a ton of conversation with ones server, but my impressions were that the servers I came in touch with were perhaps just a tad less friendlier than the median server at a median restaurant. Maybe it was the case that I was not falling in love with their non-GMO, gluten-free, peanut-free hype and they could tell that from my face. Lastly, if all of this had come at a somewhat lower price - say somewhere in the neighborhood of $8 - 9, I would have considered awarding the place a 3-star. But then for a small-ish portion size, served in a pretty bare-bones restaurant that is located towards the end of an obscure shopping plaza, and just past a parking garage, a price of $11.75 for the food did feel slightly on the higher side. All in all, I view the place as having a limited menu that looks and feels too preachy for a price thats perhaps 10-15% higher than where I would like it to be. Dont get me wrong - I also like food that is minimally processed, locally grown, etc. and have seen from personal experience at least in some instances that such food tastes better than the alternatives, but I dont need a place to be preachy and create in me the feeling that I dont belong there.
LA
Laura Mino
Pros: Easy to find vegetarian and vegan options that are different from the standard "alternative" meals you find at most restaurants. Good diversity on the menu, good atmosphere, open kitchen. Conscious-friendly food (or so they say, at least) with the customary price mark-up such products demand. Cons: Too pretentious for their own good. They dont serve commercial sodas, for example, and advertise that a juice cleanse can cure everything from athletes foot to brain cancer. Neutral: Theyre not equipped for large groups (I went with a group of 10) so steer away from there if youre with lots of friends. Everyone that we interacted with on the staff was completely out of their element with our big boisterous party. It was impossible to hear one another, even had a hard time conversing with the guy sitting next to me, because the restaurant is all tile floors and glass walls - very echo-y. Not an issue if youre in a small group or by yourself. I had the quinoa burger which was pretty meh. There were too many conflicting flavors, like they thought, "Lets shove as many vegetables into this patty as we can" with no regard for how the flavors of those veggies would interact. Bit disappointing for $10. Others in my party were satisfied with their meals, though. The savory bun and waffle bread are unique and worthwhile. In summary: I probably wouldnt choose to go here again, but Im not mad that I went today.
CA
Carina Quijano
Visiting Ft Lauderdale. I had searched for places with healthy food choices and this place popped up near our hotel. Im so glad I stopped in time the day we were heading back home, or else I would have regretted it. Absolutely delicious. Large variety of food choices. We had the PINK juice and with the ORANGE. I juice at home and these were right on point. My daughter ordered the Breakfast Sandwich and didnt level any left over! She loved it. I ordered the Lentil Burger with a side of their house made slaw. Never tasted anything like it. I cant tolerate dairy in which our waiter Thomas told us that its all vegan (awesome server & very knowledgeable). Not everything on the menu is vegan but you have the option to "veganize it"! Loved that. Im definitely going to tell others about his place. Please dont rely on the negative reviews. This place is very busy. Not a quiet place due to the amount of people coming and going. I highly recommend it.
KE
kev money
Awesome menu, great service, wonderful atmosphere. The owner was extremely helpful and delightful! Must go; I HIGHLY recommend. To the people talking about how this restaurant is preachy and doesnt have usual menu items that you would find in a "normal" restaurant, just dont come here. If youre not interested in having organic, non-GMO food, go eat at a chain restaurant. Dont rate this amazing place with one or two stars because you didnt know what it was. Do some research before you go out. This place is unique and that is what makes it five stars. The people in there making the food actually care about you. Not just trying to take your money. So if the price is a little higher, so be it. You cant put a price on the love that goes into the food here. Being newly vegan, I would like to thank the owners and apologize for the "sheep" who dont appreciate the love and effort youve put into this place. Dont change anything!
TR
Tricia Billings
I was so excited to have a vegan restaurant in the neighborhood. I ordered a lentil quinoa burger and a cup of soup. It came to $15.00. Which is no problem for good vegan food. I was shocked to find two huge pieces of kale with a bit of what they consider burger swiped in between. Maybe a tablespoon of creamy light colored mush. I thought they made a mistake and only gave me the garnish. went back in and asked. They told me it wasnt for everyone. Only those that know raw or vegan. I laughed as I have been a vegetarian for twenty years. First time in my life I asked for my money back. The young lady who took my order was very sweet. The lady in charge and the other girl had attitudes worthy of Worth Ave. Have to laugh and learn and share with others. Dont waste your time.