Noodles & Company
http://www.noodles.com/
Looking back at the archive, we have discussed Noodles & Company a few times. If I go, which is rare, I usually order the Japanese Pan Noodles.
Before I go on, quick question: if I make dried pasta, it usually takes 10 minutes to cook…at N&C, you can usually get your meal within five minutes or so. What am I missing?
What I Got: Pesto Cavatappi; consists of tomato, mushrooms, cream, Parmesan cheese , wine parsley, olive oil and Cavatappi noodles. I also added a meat, parmesan chicken.
First, take a look at the picture…I didn’t move anything. Where exactly are the mushrooms…and only one tomato? After moving it around a little, a little more produced surfaced, but it was almost all noodles. As far as taste, pretty awful. The oily cheese glued everything together and I didn’t taste any cream. The chicken was odd as well,with the breading separated from the chicken in all one piece. I can’t think of anything that I liked about this dish.
My wife tried the Pad Thai. This was better, but a poor version compared to 90% of the Thai restaurants in this city. The chicken tasted warmed over and I didn’t taste any real peanut sauce. Bleh.
Would I Buy It Again? Nah. Noodles & Company is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. I had two buy one get one free coupons and I think that I am going to let the other one expire. If I went to Noodles and Company again, I think that I will stick to my Udon Noodles, which are not all that bad compared to these two dishes, but still nothing to write home about…or on a blog about.
-wibia
Tags: Chicken, Food, noodles, Noodles & Company, pad thai, pesto cavatappi
Agree your’s looks oily and not very good. As a side note, many (not good ones) restaurants par boil their noodles,rinse or oil them, and set them aside. When ordered they drop the par boiled pasta in hot water to finish and reheat. I do this at home when the kids are eating at one time and my husband is stuck in traffic. (I never oil the pasta though) Keeping his portion aside, rather than saucing and reheating isn’t ideal but tastes better in the end when dinner must be delayed.
At first I thought I liked N&C because it was something a little different, but after I realized how expensive it is (especially if you get meat in your noodles and a drink) I was no longer a fan. If I’m going to pay that much for lunch I’m going to get something that I think is actually good.
Nothing But Noodles was *so* much better. Sigh. Par boiling of pasta is extremely common in all level of restaurants, except for the very finest which should be using fresh pasta anyway, which takes much less time to cook.
The tofu at N&C is always barely edible and I always kick myself for paying for it. I guess it is hard to kill the hope that somehow I could end up with fresher, softer more moist tofu.
Every time I look at the N&C in Broad Ripple I can’t help but think of Mezza Luna and what a shame it is to have been replaced by this place.
I have tried quite a few things here, and have enjoyed the Asian menu items far more than the others. I’m no Asian cuisine expert though – just a midwestern girl! They are a bit overpriced, and mass produced for my tastes though. My favorite item on the menu? The rice krispy treats! (Or the marshmallow doorstops as I call them…) How sad is that? They’re so good though!
I find a Mars and Venus thing going on with Noodles & Co. I tend to find that far more ladies like it within my cirlce than the guys. And, most of the guys in my cirlce feel like me, and find it a bit overpriced and just generally kind of annoying. I can’t even explain why I find it annoying, but I do. At least Fazolis gives you unlimited garlic bread sticks, and is cheaper.
I truly do not know why this chain is patronized by people. The food is barely edible, if not downright unpleasant, in my book. I tried it twice, and looked at stuff other people got… The “Asian” stuff is, uh, a travesty. (I tried one of them, I don’t even remember which one, it was bad enough that I wanted to forget I ever had it). Definitely greatly overpriced for what one gets.
@Erin: I agree, it is so sad to see that N&C in the place where Mezza Luna was in Broad Ripple. Very sad.
Been to a N&C twice and I hated both times; refuse to go back. Food was bland and just ick. And MY food took FOREVER to get to me — what’s all this 5 minutes stuff!?!?!