Tried it: Freshii now open in Victory Park

Freshii isn’t exactly news. It was started in Canada a little over a decade ago, and has grown to have locations in just over 75 cities in 15 countries. There are now four in the city of Dallas alone. So why the interest? It’s notable that this brand of casual, fresh, healthy food restaurant was very much designed to serve neighborhoods, with regular customers making it part of their lives. With such localized traffic, a new opening would be big news because the design screams more “convenience” than “destination”.

And convenient it is. The Victory Park location is right next to the American Airlines Center and the W Dallas Victory, and walkable to plenty of Victory Park offices and residences. It’s a good location for after-workout smoothie lovers, office lunchers, and meal plan picker-uppers (more on that in a minute).

First, let’s talk about the food. It’s good. And unlike other shops in the health food genre, the portions are relatively Texas-sized (the containers are all made from recyclable materials, easy to pop a lid on and take leftovers for the less robust appetites), and it’s worth mentioning again: the food is good.The Pangoa Bowl with rice, avocado, cheddar, cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, cilantro, lime, and a tangy barbecue sauce is more than enough for a weekday lunch, brightly colored and well-composed, whether you’re a “mixer” or a “one at a time” bowl eater. Proteins can be added to make them more hearty. The Metaboost salad with spinach, kale, and field greens, goat cheese, mango, almonds, carrots, edamame, balsamic vinaigrette would convert even a hearty salad detractor.

There are also wraps, burritos, soups, frozen yogurt (with toppings!), juices, and breakfast items, or you can take advantage of the well-stocked larder and make up something of your own. There are also meal plans that can be picked up daily which provide three meals and two snacks, with a variety of themes, from slimming down to bulking up and gluten-free.

The takeaway is that Freshii is good food, so healthy but tasty (do check the calorie counts on some of the larger items, if you’re counting calories) and a fine addition to the Victory Park Neighborhood for those who like good, fresh food, but don’t quite have the time to julienne everything. And do try the Pangoa Bowl.

Samples were provided by Freshii in preparation for this story.