We stopped by for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. This local eatery has recently expanded to provide some nice seating for guests. Their first expansion was in December 2013 and their 2nd was this past summer, 2014. The place was bustling, and the food was quite good. This is an all vegetarian restaurant and they had several gluten free and vegan items which we were thrilled about. This restaurant was definitely another winner and we will be back again!
Overall rating ★★★
Food ★★★
They have so many options on their menu that looked amazing so we wanted to try as much as we could. We really “pigged” out and ordered several entrees to taste. We started with a cup of their home made vegetable soup and the hummus platter, adding on some gluten free crackers. The hummus appetizer was served with cucumbers, pita bread, and crackers. Both had a very mild taste, but were still delicious.
Their menu had a variety of smoothies to choose from as well as a make your own section, allowing you to choose the base, the sweetener, and the produce. We decided to share a smoothie made with green tea, stevia, strawberries, banana, and beets. The smoothie was good, but it was so mild that it made it hard to taste the different flavors that should have been in it.
We then each got our own entree’s: the black bean taco salad, gluten free quesadilla and the the ultimate veggie salad. We really enjoyed the taco and veggie salad but was expecting it to be bursting with vegetables rather than sprinkled with them. The quesadilla was such a treat because this is the first restaurant we have been able to find a quesadilla’s made with a rice flour tortilla!
Although we were completely stuffed, we ended with an avocado mousse with chocolate and peanut butter added in. This was delicious. It had a perfect amount of sweetness and was a perfect texture.
Overall we really enjoyed the food, and although the seasoning was fairly mild, most everything tasted great.
Tried and True Favorites:
- Avocado Mousse
- Ultimate Veggie Salad with Frida Burger
- Coconut Curried Chickpeas with Vegetables
- Gluten Free Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Quesadilla
- The Taco
Quality ★★★★
The quality was hard to determine at first, because our waiter was unable to answer several of our questions and explained that the owner was not in. Fortunately on our way out, we happened across the owner, who decided to stop by her restaurant after all. I was told that Frida’s makes every effort to use organic and local produce when possible. According to the owner, they use a lot of produce that is not certified organic, but is organic in their practice from small farmers who cannot afford the certification process. The spinach and arugula is always organic. They plan to grow their own herbs again soon in a small garden.
We were told the eggs come from pastured chickens fed a non GMO diet from a small farm in Illinois. They also use olive and coconut oils, which are healthy oils. They advertise that they are butter and sugar free, which makes eating out easier for vegans and those with strict diets. We personally are big fans of butter.
Their water filtration system is basic, with no filtration for fluoride or reverse osmosis in place, but they do use a basic filter. Their website states they do not use a microwave which is a huge plus for healthy practices.
Frida’s also seems to be eco- friendly with paper cups made of re-usable items. Their website states that the restaurant is highly dedicated to composting and recycling, only disposing of small amounts of garbage nightly.
The owners seem very committed to healthful practices both in terms of food quality and protecting the environment.
Atmosphere ★★★
The ambiance was modern and fresh with large windows and funky art displayed. Each table had a small vase with a single flower in it. It was very cute, yet also simple. The plates used were pretty. At times, the noise volume of customers was a bit loud and I had to raise my voice to be heard, but obviously that is out of the restaurant’s control. Their one unisex bathroom was also nicely decorated.
Service ★★
The service was on the slow side but our waiter was very nice. They brought the smoothie out after our appetizers. We had to ask twice for extra cups for sharing, and ended up splitting our smoothie in some to-go cups because they actually ran out of real glasses! The salads were the first two entrees to be brought out and we had to wait a little while for the quesadilla to be ready. After already having had to wait, they also got the quesadilla order wrong because they didn’t leave off the mushrooms, so we had to wait again for it to be fixed. Our waiter explained that with the Cardinal’s baseball team involved in the play offs the restaurant has been slower on Sundays, and since the Cardinal’s are out of the running, the cook staff needs to gear up again for larger groups. We are fairly forgiving of slow service and kitchen mishaps, so just enjoyed each other’s company and a long lunch. If in a hurry, this could have been a more significant issue. (Michelle)
Price $$
Their prices are very reasonable and actually very good for the high quality food that they serve. Their entree’s are around 10 dollars each.
Location
Frida’s Deli is located on a street off of Delmar in University City. It is just a minute or two away from the loop and also not too far from Washington University and Forest Park.
Address: 622 North and South Road, University City, MO 63130
For more information check out their website at: Frida’s Deli
