At least once or twice a week, my tummy says, “Hey, feed me a giant bowl of noodles!” Due to the fact that there are so many varieties of noodles, I don’t just crave a random kind. Instead, my choosy stomach decides she needs noodles from a specific restaurant: Noodles and Company. This popular chain restaurant appeals to me for a number of reasons.

First of all, Noodles and Company is a fancier version of fast-food. When you step in front of the counter, you order and pay for what you want, quickly fill up your drink and sit down in a comfortable booth.

In a matter of ten minutes, your meal is served to your specified table number. Similar to a sit-down restaurant, your waiter cleans up your table for you as soon as you leave.

I enjoy the idea of a fast-food/sit-down dining situation. On one hand, I’m not buying questionable, cheap food that is served to me within five minutes. On the other hand, I’m also not sitting down at a table for three thousand years “hangrily” waiting for my food to arrive. On top of that, I don’t have to pay $20.00 to eat a satisfying meal.

Secondly, even though Noodles and Company can be expensive depending on how much you customize your meal, I still think it’s reasonably priced for the amount of food you receive. For example, I always buy a regular bowl of the Bangkok Curry for $5.99. A small bowl is $4.79, which is only a little more than a dollar less, and the portion size is significantly smaller. Therefore, I prefer the regular-sized bowl.

I normally add in grilled chicken breast for $2.59, and on occasion, I’ll get the naturally-raised pork for $2.79.

Even though the meat is more expensive than I would like, I still received a decent amount of protein.

I also enjoy the culturally diverse meal options. In fact, their slogan is, “Whatever you’re craving, we speak your language.” The chain restaurant is primarily focused on a variety of dishes from all over the world. I have tried the Japanese pan noodles and the pad thai, but I have yet to try the Indonesian peanut sauce. According to the website, this contains “spicy, peanut sauce and rice noodle stir-fry, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, Asian sprouts, cilantro, crushed peanuts and lime.”

I was impressed by the wide assortment of ingredients in every dish. To top it off, many of the ingredients are healthier with the vegetables I enjoy.

Whenever I go out to eat, I try not to consume a huge amount of calories, so I like that their menu lists the amount of calories and vegetarian options on public display.

If I want additional nutrition information, I visit their website. Here, I can find a nice cheat sheet of 500 calories or less, gluten free, reduced fat, reduced sodium options and the traditional nutrition labels. I typically choose the Bangkok Curry because of the huge amount of vegetables, which contributes to my frequent clean eating.

The last positive aspect about Noodles is there are other delicious and popular options that won’t go over your budget. They may not be the healthiest or lowest calorie options, but they are very common. For example, the famous Wisconsin mac and cheese, meaty steak stroganoff, and traditional spaghetti and meatballs are favorites. Besides noodles, there are also various soups, salads, sandwiches, sides and desserts available. I would certainly give this restaurant a big 4 out of 5 stars. My only problem is the slightly overpriced meat and sides, but other than that, I have never been disappointed in my meal. 

Kassidi Andres is a features writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]