Freshii

Overpriced and bland.
I actually tried this place twice (both times for takeout). The first time, the food was overpriced and bland. You pay to get extra toppings added (such as broccoli), which shows up in your bowl as a couple tiny raw broccoli crowns. I can easily make myself food like this for much less.
I decided to give the place another shot, and try one of their suggested bowls (instead of make my own like I did before). Imagine this vegetarian’s surprise when I got back to my office (after asking for and confirming that I wanted only tofu TWICE) and opened my food up to find chicken on it. I ended up feeding it to my friend, who confirmed that yes, it was very bland.

My biggest gripe with this place is that is that it’s a little overpriced for what you get. All the basics (Salad, rice or quinoa bowl, burrito) start around $ 6 – 7.50. If you want to add a protein it’s $ 1.50 for falafel, tofu, or chicken, $ 2 for steak or shrimp. I guess if you just want the veggies. The quality of the veggies are fresh and good but it just seems a lot for brown rice in a bowl or wrap or tortilla. I made the mistake of building my own bowl and ended up paying close to $ 10 for a meal I could have easily brought from home for a third the price. And it looked like something I make at home, but let’s not go down that road of saying you can cook it at home for less, because then everything is cheaper if you cook it at home!
I do have to commend them that they are offering a healthier alternative to the lunch market. I think I’ll have to come back to give them another chance and try one of their burritos.

I love this place! I could eat here every day! A great place for a quick bite, but also if you want to sit and relax on your lunch break. The salads are especially delicious. If you’re looking for a healthy and fresh place for a meal, this is the spot.

I was nervous about trying Freshii after seeing all the negative reviews, I have to admit! But it was pouring rain and there were few healthy-​ish lunch choices that didn’t involve me getting soaked. I opted for the Ninja salad and it was delicious! The Asian dressing is seriously yummy (a little sweet but I like it like that) and the peanuts and edamame really added a little something extra. Loved it, will absolutely order it again. I didn’t get chicken or additional protein added, but maybe I will try that some time.
My only (minor) complaints would be that it didn’t come tossed (the carrots were in their own corner, the cucumbers in theirs, etc). But I’m not some huge diva — I can toss my own salad (heh heh)… except the container (a sort of shallow, square shaped bowl) was too small to mix the ingredients together without spilling. And spill I did. So, either a pre-​tossed salad or a deeper bowl would have been nice, but I understand this is a first world problem.

Whatever you do, don’t order the soup! It is lemongrass soup, one option only. It’s basically a giant tub of sweet and sour sauce with minute noodles and a few cubes of tofu and mushrooms.
I’m throwing away half a container of this orange soup. And now I have to go get another lunch because I’m still hungry.

I am a frequent Freshii customer, grabbing lunch there about once a week. I used to go to the E Street location before they closed and now to to the 15^th Street location. I normally really like their bowls and always feel good about making a healthy choice. Today, however, I was seriously disappointed. My warrior bowl had approximately 5 small pieces of spinach (which I specifically added to the bowl when I ordered) and cabbage. The amount of food overall in the bowl was less than the normal filling portion that I am used to getting from Freshii. The whole point of eating at a place like Freshii is to be able to choose something healthy, but still filling. Today’s bowl was skimpy and neither of the above.

I was originally headed to Q-​doba but saw this place next door and decided to give it a try.
Should’ve stuck with the original plan. I get that they want to be a healthier option but the taste of my chicken burrito was Like paper towels. I also bought a brownie which tasted like nothing.
The reason I am not giving the place one star is because the service was decent and there was a soup that LOOKED good (but probably wasn’t).

I agree with most everyone who has reviewed this. The salads are not the best. I tried several of them and eventually just decided they weren’t that great. Usually not enough sauce and the mix of ingredients are just off some how. The wraps though, are pretty great. As for which one is the best, trust your personal tastes. Smoothies are delicious, though a little pricey.

Gahh. Ok. So the good thing about Freshii is that their food is very natural and not processed. Sometimes I just want a bowl of rice with fresh veggies and tofu, and that’s exactly what I can get at Freshii and seemingly nowhere else in downtown. So I keep going back for the simplicity and healthfulness of the food.
However, I would say that only half the time I really love my Freshii lunch, and the other half I’m frustrated. You have to learn what to order at Freshi through trail and error. So, dear reader, let me spare you the pain. Here are some tips for getting a good meal at Freshii:
– The clip boards with create-​your-​own meal ordering forms are great. They have tons and tons of ingredients to choose from and you can mix and match whatever you want. If you don’t like the pre-​designed meal options, use this.
– The kale salad is huge pile of raw kale. I’m staring at it right now, which is what motivated me to write this review. I make kale salads often and I steam the kale slightly before chilling, leaving the kale still slightly crispy but softer than the raw stuff. Raw kale is barely edible, IMHO. So beware of the raw kale.
– The lemongrass soup would be excellent if these people didn’t chop up lemongrass and throw it in the pot, resulting in a ton of fibrous threads throughout the soup. The flavor is great but the texture is like hair. It makes me gag. When I cook with lemongrass I pound the stalk with a rolling pin to release the oils and I tie the stalk in a knot and throw that in the pot. It flavors the soup without making the person gag on tiny disgusting hairs.
– One of their Asian-​y sauces (teriyaki, I think) is way too freaking salty. Basically just ask for all sauces on the side, just in case.
– The steak that you can have added to salads is tender and juicy, but ice cold. Just be aware in case that’s not yo’ thang.
Ok so those are my tips. Back to choking down this tough roughage…

Good healthy choices when you’re on the go.
I order the quinoa burrito and added chicken. It was delicious and there was a good balance of quinoa, veggies and meat. I didn’t feel skimped at all and the service was quick. Price was right too, and I couldn’t even finish my burrito in one sitting.
I wish they had this place in Cali. *hint hint! :-(

Why I came here when Sweetgreen is an option — I don’t know.
The salad I got was too raw (i.e. things that should probably have been bcooked, weren’t). The teriyaki sauce thing that I got was way too intense.

I really wanted to like this place. It’s conveniently located, the food is good quality, and prices are reasonable for downtown lunch. But I just can’t recommend it, because 7 times out of 10 they have gotten my (very simple) order wrong.
I almost always order the same thing — the Wrangler bowl, no picco. That’s it. And I have received this bowl in every variation possible, but almost never as I’ve ordered it. I’m the type that can overlook the occasional mix-​up, but after more than a dozen tries since its opening I just can’t overlook it anymore. Today’s bowl was lacking an essential ingredient, and without it the whole thing is dry and bland. Unfortunate.

I was craving salad at lunch today and on an impulse decided to give Freshii a try. I chose the «make your own salad» option and while it was rather expensive, the salad was large and filling and all the veggies were very fresh. Service was good too — fast and efficient.
I will definitely be back to try some of the salads on the menu and the lemongrass soup — the girl in front of me ordered it and it looked HUGE and delicious.
Not sure whether I will be choosing this place over Chopt or Sweetgreen though — I feel like I get a little more bang for my buck there for a salad with similar ingredients.

It’s really nice to have healthy fast food places like this popping up. I had the vegan salad which was really good and filling. I really like the options they have so you can get your food however you want: bowl, salad, wrap. ‘
The only downside was they were out of the special green wrap I really wanted. Oh well just an excuse to go back.

Yummy! I ate a delicious lemongrass thai burrito with tofu, and it was really unique and delicious tasting. Different than any burrito I’ve ever had before – more of a wrap. Delicious. And I felt like I was being healthy, too, which is a rare feeling when having such a delicious fast-​food type meal.
The staff were very nice and friendly. I called a big order in ahead of time, and it involved some substitutions (tofu instead of cheese in some of my coworkers’ meals, etc). The guy I spoke to on the phone was very patient with my complicated requests and got it all right.
The atmosphere inside feels clean and trendy. I want to go back and try all the other things on the menu. I like that tofu can be added to everything! Wow. I also like that there are so many locations of these. :-)
Oh, and it was fast. Did I say that?

Freshii, a ReFRESHing experience. What is unique about Freshii is not only the fresh food, but the ability for the customer to order interchangeable menu items and turn burritos into bowls or salads and vise versa.
As a vegetarian, there are plenty of delicious and healthy menu items to choose from. I ordered their tex-​mex burrito as a bowl with peanut sauce. It’s a great vegetarian stir-​fry dish on a bed of brown rice with black beans, melted cheddar cheese, large chunks of avocado, salsa, and pico de gallo. I paid a little extra to add tofu, sesame seeds, and artichokes for more flavor and nutrition.
The presentation of the food was appealing as the bowl resembled a platter with all the veggies in each individual section. The blend of the different veggies along with the peanut sauce was savory and satisfying.
To top it off, I ordered the probiotic yogurt at Freshii, which is my favorite yogurt in the city! I can really taste the yogurt and it’s healthy and delicious! I highly recommend the mango and blueberry toppings (they are fresh fruits and not frozen like most places).
The customer service is also friendly and very accommodating. They have messed up my order a few times, but given me $ 25 worth of free food, nothing to complain about! You can easily see why Freshii is one of my favorite lunch spots in the city.

Kind of an expensive lunch option, don’t you think? You start off with a standard wrap or bowl at $ 6 or $ 7. Then you add a desired protein for an extra $ 1.50 to $ 2.00. Food is freshly made but portions are smaller than I’d like. Maybe that’s how you keep the calories in check. I also suppose the price is about the same as if you’d gone to Cosi across the street. Usually, I opt for the $ 5.00 deal-​of-​the-​day which saves $ 0.50 to $ 1.00.
Bottom Line — I still feel hungry afterward. It’s alright I guess …
[Last Visit: April 10, 2013]

I only come here when I’m too lazy to walk an extra block to eat anywhere else and put up with long lines during the lunch hour. Also, this place is near work, so it’s convenient.
This Freshii is pretty similar to a library or morgue — it has very low energy, they usually only have between 0 and 5 customers at any given moment, and it’s so quiet in there as if any of the patrons are too afraid to talk. What else drives me up the wall is that the temperature in the restaurant is always so warm — at one point, the staff propped the front door open to get some air circulation.
I really like the Wrangler Bowl, Fiesta Salad, and Quinoa Salad. Those three items are pretty much the only reasons I set foot in Freshii. Otherwise, all other menu items are mediocre. I have a love/​hate relationship with their Quinoa Salad, mainly because of inconsistencies — some days it tastes fresh, and others it tastes as if it has been sitting there for days and gets clumpy.
What else drives me bonkers is that they tend to be on low supply of everything. Their cooler by checkout, where you can find the Quinoa Salad, is half-​empty most of the time. Some days they have Quinoa Salad, other days they don’t. Some days they sell cookies and other baked goods by checkout, other days they don’t. Some days they have X item, another day they don’t. There’s not real rhyme or reason to it, so I guess it’s poor planning.
Freshii also has a loyalty card program. The loyalty card is a paper card that is stamped anytime you make a purchase — and after your 10^th purchase, your 11^th purchase is free. You have to be careful with this, as sometimes the cashier charges you before they look at your card to see that your order should be free — lack of attention to details.
But yeah, the Wrangler Bowl, Fiesta Salad, and Quinoa Salad keep me going back.

Nothing crazy here, and with Juice Joint around the corner, I can’t imagine that they are going to really get a ton of business from the ‘fresh/​veggie/​organic’ crowd.
I had a salad, which was tasty, but not mind-​blowing. Considering that it’s across the street from my office, I’m sure I’ll go back and try other things, but I’m definitely wary of getting my hopes up, based on the other two reviews.
A coworker of mine always gets the bowls, which LOOK yummy, but could be totally lacking in flavor.
Three stars for now, because it’s a decent lunch spot (and not packed like some of the others).

Full disclosure: I’m primed to like this place. It has fresh ingredients, looks like sweetgreen when you walk in, and has lots of options on the menu.
I’ll start with the bright side — they make your food quickly. The first problem is that the friend I was having lunch with and I spent about 5 minutes staring at the menu because nothing was really all that appealing. Even though they have lots of choices, they were all very similar and the menu didn’t offer itself up to modifications or a make your own option. I tentatively asked the cashier if I could make my own, and he was gracious about it but then had an issue when i wanted two «sauces». All this would have been fine if my food weren’t so disappointingly bland. My first bite tasted like nothing. It was a burrito bowl, and frankly, my go-​to burrito bowl at places like this so I know it’s not the recipe, it’s that their food is boring and bland.
I will not be returning.