No Love for Noodles & Co.
Some rules are understood when reviewing restaurants. One is to avoid critiquing a restaurant that has been open for less than six weeks. Another is to eschew restaurant chains. Rules, like cream sauces, are often broken.
Noodles & Company debuted a month ago in the Willow Lawn Shopping Center, but, a month in the life of chain restaurant is exponentially longer than a month in an independent. When a chain moves into a restaurant space, a phalanx of experienced employees arrive with mandated, corporate instructions detailing every aspect of its quotidian operations, including how orders are taken (at the register, no table service) to the method in which the order is prepared (quickly, they have a lot of kitchen staff). In the kitchen, the line is equipped not only with burners and salad stations, but also with picture cards that document a dish’s presentation and scales to weigh portions. While this sounds robotic, standardization has its benefits. Customers know what to expect from any Noodles& Company in the country after eating at the Noodles & Company in Richmond’s West End.
Chain restaurants have clear goals to execute. Noodles & Company serves healthful soups, salad and pasta dishes inspired by Mediterranean, Asian and American cuisines. About 2/3 of the meals they serve weigh in under 500 calories. Food is prepared to order from fresh ingredients. And, dinner is less than $10 a head. But, every pasta dish I tried had the flavor excitement of a Lean Cuisine.
The Japanese Pan Noodles with Sautéed Beef consisted of udon noodles in a carmelized, sweet soy sauce, with shiitake, carrots, broccoli and sprouts. There was little spice other than the ting of salt from soy, though the dish is described as a spicy. Fortunately, tables come equipped with Siracha, so pump generously.
My dinner partner glanced about the room’s blond interior with funky blue light fixtures and was reminded of the Ikea Potomac Mills dining room. A correct décor assessment, but Noodles & Company is quieter, and has an open kitchen with a 4-seat “bar” where one can dine and imbibe from a pedestrian wine and beer menu while watching the cooks toss salads and sauté pasta.
Spicy Penne Rosa, gives a nod to Italy, but full credit to its Americanization. The noodles were overcooked and the mushrooms had been precut and left for dead on a prep station before being added to the bland, tomato cream sauce.
This dish is the Milli Vanilla of penne pasta, unauthentic and unmemorable. However, sub whole grain pasta for the penne, add a little Siracha, and the dish grows more palatable.
I really enjoyed the Thai Curry Soup with Organic Tofu, chockablock with veggies; spinach, cabbage, mushroom, tomato and rice noodles swam cheek by jowl with the firm bits of fresh tofu. The yellow curry broth was mild, but flavorful.
The Med Salad also hit a homerun. Consisting of crisp romaine and tender, peppery field greens tossed with olives and cavatappi pasta and lightly bathed in yogurt dressing, this made a satisfying entrée salad.
A complete disappointment, however, was the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese with Parmesan Crusted Chicken. The chicken was crusted with parmesan cheese from a laboratory. As for the pasta itself, it was devoid of sharp cheddar or any flavor other than dairy fats. I’ve had better food in a Wisconsin airport. The Cheese Heads should sue for defamation.
Service is casual counter service. Order at the counter, give your last name, and wait. Tipping is discouraged. Non-alcoholic drinks are self-serve. The staff is genial and knowledgeable of their food and has the fresh-made-to-order-healthy mantra down. Special requests are readily accommodated.
It will be interesting to follow this restaurant chain’s growth on the East Coast. The concept is welcome and the food isn’t horrible, just really boring. Last week, a new director of marketing, who successfully created the Chipotle image, began working on the Noodles & Company brand, so changes (and growth) may be this restaurant’s horizon.
Would I go back to Noodles & Company? Probably not, not unless I was on a diet and needed to know exactly what I was ingesting calorie wise. I would also have to be traveling to return to this restaurant. As cheap as it is, I can cook a better meal at home for the same price.
Noodles & Company: *1/2
1601 Willow Lawn Drive
Richmond Va 23230
804.288.9777
Atmosphere- fast, casual dining
Wheelchair Access-yes
Recommended dishes—salads and soups
Wine list –limited
Payment- All major forms of payment
Check for 2- Less than $20
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