Grilla Bites Mission Statement: Supporting our environment and community while maintaining a healthy responsibility to our customers through the food we serve. Yes, the mission statement is a mouthful and so are the sandwiches. And a good mouthful are they.
Hungry and in a hurry on a Tuesday afternoon, I popped in to Grilla Bites to get something healthful, filling and served quickly. My lunch there exceeded my expectations and filled my time constraints and was easy on my wallet.
In the mood for a fresh Ruben sandwich I opted for the Pastrami on Rye and chose the veggies instead of tortilla chips to go with my hummus served as a side. Everything at Grilla Bites is organic and some things are even “live”, like the sauerkraut served on my sandwich. I think food is better live than dead.
The sandwich was much larger than I expected with top quality pastrami, which was lean and not fatty. The veggies on the sandwich were fresh and the grilled style sandwich meant the organic Swiss cheese was melted perfectly. The organic hummus served on the side is not for wimps; it is the spiciest hummus I have ever tried–very garlicky and chunky–and I like it that way. The blue organic corn chips are also great with the hummus if you prefer something a little more salty with your spicy dip. Otherwise, the veggies are carrots, celery and raw broccoli.
Speaking of spicy, on a previous visit to Grilla Bites I ordered the Thai Tuna and it was the best version of a tuna sandwich I have ever tasted. The tuna is dophin-safe and mixed with mayo, cilantro, red onion and crushed red pepper. The sandwich includes red onion, soy bacon, tomato, spiniach and cheddar cheese–all organic, of course. This is such a savory combination of salty, spicy and fresh that it gives Grilla Bites a corner on the tuna sandwich market.
The organic salad bar is generous with just about any topping you can imagine. This is certainly the place to build a great organic salad and the prices rival other organic salad bars at local grocery stores at $8.55 per pound.
The sandwiches are a great deal at $8.95 (grilled cheese is $7.50) because of their size. If you don’t like left overs, a half sandwich is just $5.75 and is plenty filling.
Grilla Bites offers organic coffee and espresso drinks, teas, soda, organic milk, raw juices and fruit smoothies. I ordered a Blue Mango smoothie with apple juice, mango, blueberries and banana, the perfect treat on a hot day as a dessert at $4.95 for a 16oz smoothie.
On my next visit I am going to try one of the burgers, there are 8 on the menu including a Wild Salmon Patty and a Portabello Burger. I have my eye on The Blue Bacon Burger with organic blue cheese sauce, soy bacon, grilled onions, spinach and tomato.
I’d recommend getting your Grilla Bites to go and enjoying the Green Show while eating your organic dinner on the bricks at OSF. Or if you eat in, enjoy the parade of tourists from a seat near the entrance of the store which is all windows.
Grilla Bites also serves up live music, Songs of Sinatra on Sundays from 1pm-3pm. Look for other live music on weeknights by special guests. Organic beer and wine are available. The live music nights are always family friendly. Kids can enjoy the music and an item off of the kids menu for only $4.50, entrees include: Peanut Butter & Jelly with the crust cut off, Grilled Cheese, Organic Hot Dog or a Quesadilla.
Grilla Bites is located on the Plaza at:
47 North Main Street,
541-488-0889.
Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 11am-8pm and Sundays 11am-4pm. Find them on the web www.grillabites.com
