So, this is the first edition of “Omaha Eats” that I have mixed feelings about. Does this edition discuss a restaurant with delicious food? You bet! But would I eat there again? That is still to be determined.
The Greenbelly is a health-focused and environmentally-friendly restaurant in West Omaha, Nebraska. The Greenbelly focuses on serving natural, healthy foods, and does so while also ensuring that all of their packaging, containers, and utensils are eco-friendly and 100% compostable.
The Greenbelly offers a variety of menu choices, including: Build Your Own Salads, Signature Salads, Grilled Pizzas, Whole-Wheat Wraps, Signature Paninis, and soups. I was feeling creative so I decided on the Build Your Own Salad. I select two lettuces: the spring mix and spinach, and topped my salad with chickpeas, artichoke hearts, carrots, broccoli, and red onions. I chose the fat-free tomato basil salad dressing, which was mixed into the salad at the restaurant.
I requested my order “to go” so that I could enjoy my meal from the comfort of my couch.
I must admit, when I first pulled out the “to go” container I was a bit intimidated ;).
This salad meant serious business. It was most definitely not a dinky salad, by any means. As I started spooning the salad out onto my plate (to make my eating experience a bit more fancy, of course ;)), I begin to doubt my ability to eat the whole thing.
I filled up a dinner-sized plate and this was only about three-fourths of the salad. Luckily, I was quite hungry so I managed to push through ;).
The Build Your Own Salad option comes with a whole-wheat roll. I heated the roll up in the microwave for about 15 seconds and dug in. It was definitely delicious, and I always have a true appreciation for a restaurant that serves whole-wheat bread products.
My salad was delicious and I was really loving the addition of chickpeas and artichoke hearts – some of my favorite ingredients that are often not found as salad options.
We have now established that the food was delicious and I felt great eating such a healthy meal. So you might be wondering why I am uncertain about whether or not I will eat at The Greenbelly again. The major complaint that I have? The cost! I realize that this restaurant uses whole and healthy ingredients and that their containers are eco-friendly, however, paying nearly $11.00 (with tax) for a salad and a roll seems to be moving a bit towards ridiculousness. It would definitely be difficult for me to pay this price for a salad again, knowing that I could buy the same ingredients for a much lower cost. As far as convenience goes, it is great. And when you need a healthy meal in a pinch and are unable to cook at home then this would be a nice option. But in most cases, I would rather make a similar salad at home and put my money toward a more “extravagant” healthy meal at another restaurant.
So there you have it…a mixed review! The Greenbelly has great food and a great cooking and packaging philosophy, but they are a bit too costly for my taste.
