Noodles & Company

I just saw this small little restaurant franchise Noodles & Company opened in the Niles in the Village Crossing mall where Gaylons, Bestbuy, and Jewel is on Touhy.

Has anyone been to this place? How is the food?

Here is the website with locations:
http://www.noodles.com/locations3_1i.htm

There are many of these restaurants around (we go to the one in downtown Evanston) and they're a decent choice for a fast, franchised type meal, I think, especially if you have kids. Mine love the macaroni and cheese, and I always get the Thai curry noodle soup, or whatever it's called there, and it's decent, especially with an added dollop of hot sauce (which they have on the tables.) I also like the asian-style cucumber salad they have there. I haven't tried the other entrees, which are "international" in that they resemble Italian, Asian and other cuisines that happen to include noodles in their offerings. (I think they now have non-noodle dishes too.) The food comes to you quickly and they bring it to your table, and the folks who work there are very nice, at least at the one I've frequented. The restaurant is very clean and they'll even replace your order if you don't like it. All in all, not a place I'd go for a dinner with friends but a good choice for a quick and tasty enough lunch. Good place to bring a book or newspaper to as well.

I went to one in N'ville maybe 6 or 7 times when they first opened a few years ago (and one of the owners of the Naperville deli mentioned in a recent thread near here was apparently a consulting chef to the owners during startup, or some such, so it came up at lunch just yesterday, and he confirmed some of my comments below).

I liked it at first, but ultimately grew very tired of the place and probably will not go back. The food had a crushing sameness to it no matter what I ordered after a while, and it is not that inexpensive - with a side salad and drink one can easily spend more than $10 for a lunch. For $10 there are a lot of things I can eat that are much better.

It is more tasty and interesting than Wendy's, but not really good or a very good value. I would not refuse to go, but I find it hard to imagine that I could not find a place I would prefer to try. I think it strives to be to noodles what Chipotle is to Mexican food, or Boston Market is to roast chicken. And it mostly succeeds.

it sounds like this place is a semi fast food place if its striving to be like Boston Market or Chipotle. Not my cup of tea, but I might try it once.

Thanks for the reviews.

/polster

I liked it at first, but ultimately grew very tired of the place and probably will not go back. The food had a crushing sameness to it no matter what I ordered after a while, and it is not that inexpensive - with a side salad and drink one can easily spend more than $10 for a lunch. For $10 there are a lot of things I can eat that are much better.

These franchises thrive in Madison, and I have eaten there several times (mostly because it's right across the street from work, and when you have only a 20-minute break, well...) I would agree with dicksond in that it's an okay option the first time or two, but your money is better spent at an inexpensive ethnic restaurant where you can find food prepared from the heart, at the very least.

Jacki