Reviews
Customer Reviews:
Fast n
Fresh has huge variety thanks to the "build your own" options, the
portions are huge, the staff is beyond nice, and I've never had
anything from here that I wouldn't consider "fresh".
I
love love love the Tomato Bisque, as well as the Mediterranean Hummus
flat bread sandwich. However, my current favorite thing is to build my
own salad... it's like a salad bar only better, and with less people
touching everything.
I agree that all the menus at the front
can be a little overwhelming, but after you've gone in a couple of
times it becomes second nature and now I can reach right for the order
sheet I want. I actually like being able to hold the menu and check off
the things I want in my salad, it makes me notice toppings I might not
otherwise include in my order.
Overall I think this is a great
place with great, tasty food. It may not have super fancy decor, but
really, when was the last time you went into a sandwich place for the
decor? I also love that it's locally owned and one of a kind... not a
massive chain like so many other restaurants in this town.
Kimberly, St Louis, MO
Yelp.com
9/2010
5 Stars
U.M., Gainsville, FL
Idine.com
9/2010
5 Stars
"This is a better than perfect alternative to the usual fast food restaurant. Everything (salads and sandwiches) were wonderfully prepared right before our eyes with the freshest of ingredients. Staff was very accommodating and friendly in helping us to make our choices. I added a cup of the Kickin' Crab Chowder which was out of the world!"
C.B., Bradenton, FL
Idine.com
8/20/2010
5 Stars
"My husband and I eat lunch out almost every day and agree this place is awesome!! We have tried something different every time and have been very happy. Large portions and great prices. We love the idea of no server, just get your food and eat."
Marsha F., Sarasota, FL
Yelp.com
8/18/2010
5 Stars
"My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The taste of the ham and cheddar panini was excellent. Will recommend to our friends and neighbors."
T.W., Bradenton, FL
Idine.com
8/11/2010
5 Stars
"The food is fresh, yummy, and EXCELLENT. The staff is friendly and efficient. Great value for the money!!!"
U.M., Sarasota, FL
Idine.com
8/10/2010
5 Stars
"This is a family owned, family run local business and the owners are just really great people.
The food here is simply outstanding. The salads are gigantic and the quality of each ingredient is excellent.
The facility is the cleanest place around. The tables and chairs are comfortable and the music is just great.
Healthy, wholesome, and friendly; this is what everyone is looking for and here is where you will find it.
It's nice to have such a great place to go to.
There are many choices you can make when it comes to spending your money out to eat. Fast n Fresh is number one in all respects."
David B, Bradenton, FL
Yelp.com
7/20/2010
5 Stars
Creative Loafing, December 20, 2010:
Quick Look: Fast n Fresh
January 20th, 2010 by Brian Ries in Food and Drink, News, Sarasota-ManateeFast n Fresh
8105 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton, 462-2650 or eatfastnfresh.com
For years, I felt that Bamboo Bistro — the restaurant next to Bonefish Grill in the Cooper Creek shopping center off of University Parkway — only survived thanks to overflow and long wait times next door. But last year the owners switched gears and opened a new place in that spot that offers its own culinary schtick, good enough to draw more than just impatient chain patrons.
Fast n Fresh’s theme is simple enough, just the three S’s — sandwiches, salads and soups — made with fresh ingredients quick enough to get people in and out. Order at the counter off the restaurant’s menu of specialty dishes, mostly the usual takes on deli standards, and it’ll likely be ready before you finish paying at the register.
And the food is exactly as advertised. Sandwiches built on bread baked in-house have the usual sliced meats, veggies and cheeses. Salads are, well, fresh, and soups are better than at most sandwich shops, if not quite up to sit-down restaurant standards.
Perhaps more appealing — and slightly mystifying — to many diners is the ability to create your own salad or sandwich. Fast n Fresh has clipboards around the order area that list all the ingredients, so you can check off your selections and hand the sheet to the assembly-line. The massive selection can create a bottleneck if you’re with friends, so try to steer them towards the restaurant’s specialty items.
Although all the prices are below $10, it’s easy to top that if you add in the extras, like chips and drinks and soups and a cookie. But hey, it’s not called Cheap n Fresh.
And, considering what you’d spend for a long wait and boring food at the chain outlet next door, it’s a bargain.
Herald Tribune, December 9, 2009:
On the front burner: Fast and Fresh
FAST ’N FRESH
Fast ’n Fresh, a new concept in speedy service with customized offerings, has opened in University Center. The former Bamboo owners have converted the space into a quick-service eatery, ideal for working people or busy shoppers, with the feel of a sit-down restaurant.
Diners may customize their selections from a wide array of fresh ingredients to “design” salads, sandwiches, wraps and paninis. Soups also are available. Among specialty salads are spinach with honeyed pecans and gorgonzola, romaine with crispy fried onions and roast beef, and an antipasto selection. Favorite sandwiches include wasabi beef, black forest turkey and artichoke, and vegetarian combinations. Customers can choose their own bread, protein, cheese and toppings.
Located at 8105 Cooper Creek Blvd., Fast ’n Fresh is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 462-2650 or visit eatfastnfresh.com.
— Lee McCall
East County Observer, April 30, 2009:
Restaurateurs Launch New EateryAlex, Lesley and Michael Harb opened Bamboo in 2003. Now, they are hoping fast, fresh food turns into profits with their new eatery, Fast n Fresh.
UNIVERSITY PARK —
Last month, the Harbs re-launched their East County restaurant as Fast n Fresh — a quick-service eatery that serves both custom and pre-designed salads and sandwiches as well as soups.
“It’s an entirely different experience,” Michael Harb said of the new restaurant. “There’s nothing like this in the area.”
Customers can order, eat and leave in as little as 20 minutes, making it popular among local business people and seniors, Michael Harb said. And, although some restaurateurs want their new businesses to satisfy their own culinary creativity, the Harbs say simple, discernible cuisine is what is keeping their customers coming back.
Lesley Harb, whose background includes education at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., creates all the menu’s prepared salads and sandwiches. Eventually, Lesley Harb hopes to add seasonal items to the menu to take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally.
The Harbs opened their first East County restaurant, Bamboo, in April 2003. Along with Michael Harb’s sister, Alex Harb, and cousin Michelle Clark, the couple ran it successfully until May 2007 and eventually sold it in December 2007. With two young children and a declining economy, the Harbs thought it was the right time to leave the business.
Bamboo’s new owners were unsuccessful continuing the restaurant’s growth, and the Harbs retook possession in December 2008. From that date forward, the Harbs worked nonstop to convert the space into Fast n Fresh. They built and installed the new cabinets, countertops and other fixtures, changed the layout and finally opened in March.
The Harbs developed the idea for a quick-service salad, sandwich and soup shop after seeing similar businesses operating successfully in New York and on Florida’s East Coast. Eventually, the couple hopes to expand to additional locations throughout the Manatee/Sarasota market with possible franchise opportunities in other markets, Michael Harb said.
And although Fast n Fresh is situated in the same shopping center as Bonefish Grill, Lee Roy Selmon’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and more, the Harbs say they’ve enjoyed immediate success with Fast n Fresh.
“(This area) has become a restaurant destination,” Michael Harb said.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@yourobserver.com.
Fast n Fresh
ADDRESS: 8105 Cooper Creek Blvd.
PHONE: 462-2650
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday
SERVING: Salads and Sandwiches
Writen by Michael Eng, Editor
