Clean Eatz is the rather clinical sounding name for a new “health restaurant” franchise in SoDo. I almost expected to see a blueberry enema on the menu board behind the ordering counter.
That is if I had been able to read the menu board behind the ordering counter. Teeny tiny print. Maybe they’re just trying to sell more carrots.
Despite its healthful theme, Clean Eatz is not a meat-free restaurant. There’s even a burger category on the menu (which I was finally able to read on one of the paper brochures at the ordering station). There are also wraps, flatbreads, salads, of course, and a build-a-bowl, thankfully the only assemblage option.
But it was one of the bowls that my dining companion preferred. Here you can choose small, medium or large bowls then select a base (brown rice, quinoa kale blend, sweet potato chunks or rice noodles); protein (chicken, salmon, shredded beef, black bean burger or bison); up to three veggies from a list of 13; a sauce; and a spice.
As you may know, I have a thing against assemblage restaurants because they put the onus on the customer to put together complementary ingredients. Some people like the challenge; I’d rather a professional cook tell me what goes with what.
But Clean Eatz makes it even more difficult by listing some of the options for sauces and spices. Do you know what a Grecian sauce is? How about the spices labeled “clean herbz,” “fiesta fit,” “swole ’n’ Spicy,” or “meat & taterz”? And there is nothing in the menu brochure or at the website to tell you what makes a spice swole let along spicy.
And unfortunately the eager young fellow who took my order didn’t seem to know that either.
Still, the medium-size bowl with rice noodles, shredded beef, banana peppers, zucchini and mushroom, with teriyaki sauce and clean herbz turned out to be pretty good, although there were scant mushrooms. My dinner companion declared it was delicious and something to order again.
I chose the Buffalo chicken wrap – no choices to make – that had gluten-free breaded chicken (air fried) in a tomato-basil wrapper with romaine lettuce, blue cheese and a spicy Buffalo sauce. The breading on the nuggets of chicken was a bit mealy but otherwise it was a good sandwich.
It came with a choice of a side dish and a drink. I chose the sweet potato fries, waffle-cut and air-fried, which were fine.
The drink options, however, consisted of tea or cucumber and lime infused water. When I told the fellow that I didn’t care for either he cheerfully offered me bottled water instead, which I appreciated.
CE’s novel approach is to offer meal plans, prepurchased selections of five, 10, 15 or 21 meals that range from $41 to $137, brining the cost to $8.20 or $6.52 per meal. (My wrap was $8.79 and the medium bowl was $10.55.) It’s an attractive option for people wanting to save some money and for those with busy schedules who don’t want to cook but want something better than average fast food. I saw a couple of healthcare professionals come in while I waited for my order.
I can’t comment on the actual health benefits of the food here but since its a chain with multiple locations the menu has calorie counts for all items, so you can make an informed choice.
Clean Eatz is at 2205 S. Orange Ave., Orlando (map). It is open for lunch and dinner daily. The phone number is 407-237-0493.
