Lunch with Bestie: Urban Cookhouse

It's Day 8 of the August Happiness Challenge! Today, having lunch at new places with Bestie makes me happy!

When you take away the stress of returning to school in the fall you realize that time is a wonderful thing. Especially when that time is filled with lunch with your bestie!

That's my bestie. She's the one who's kept me from killing people going totally insane. 

Why is my bestie so great? Well, she's fun and funny. She loves to go out into the world and live life. She's supportive and encouraging. She's kind, loving, thoughtful, brilliant... But one of the things I love most about her is that, even though we have differing opinions on many things, she never passes judgment.

We love to go to lunch when we can. We also like to try new places so I can blog about them. Ha! This place opened up recently in Mount Pleasant and, while it is a chain, we thought we'd try it out anyway. Sometimes chain food is not that bad. We were not disappointed. They have outdoor seating but- 99-degree weather said, no. Plus, the location does not provide pleasant viewing at all.

 They do advertise buying local. I hope that means they are supporting our local farmers. The veggies certainly tasted fresh! And, according to their website, they do indeed support local farmers.

 I like that you not only have the big menu on the wall but also a handheld option. I much prefer to hold a menu in my hand instead of staring at the big one on the wall making the cashiers wonder if I'm ready or not. It takes me more than a minute at a new place to make a food decision.

I liked the decor. Y'all can see it's that industrial look that I like so much.

With our cold water in hand, we decided we wanted to sit somewhere we could talk and not be heard. You can't let everyone hear what you have to say when you're solving the world's problems. Ha! Luckily, our options were wide open so we headed for the back corner.

Perfect! No one anywhere near us and we can see what's going on.

Until this happened:

Yep, it filled up rather quickly in there. But we were almost finished eating by that time. We both chose wraps and they were quite flavorful. I enjoyed the tiny bit of sweet flavor in my wrap- not overwhelming, just enough to add a subtle sweetness. The roasted veggie side dish was perfect! I do not care for mushy veggies and these were crunchy. Bestie said the fruit was cold and tasted fresh. She had the special of the day, a veggie wrap, but was a little disappointed in the spread they used. She said it had a pasty feel and took away from the flavor of the roasted veggies.

I will say, once the place filled up with other diners, it was difficult to focus on our own conversation. I don't know if others felt that way or if it was just my issue with hearing clearly when environmental sounds are present. I think that, while I love the industrial look and feel, the openness may have something to do with the noise level. Plus, it was FREEZING in there. When we walked out into the 99-degree weather, we both said, "It feels so good out here!" Of course, that good feeling lasted less than 5 minutes because, 99 degrees.

Good news, though! If you want the food without the noise or the walk-in freezer feel, they have a drive-thru!

The people who work at Urban Cookhouse are very nice. Not a stinker in the bunch. You don't have to wait an hour for your food to arrive even when they get busy. I like that. I also like that the place is clean without the smell of cleaning products. The atmosphere is pleasant and those metal chairs are not uncomfortable. Of course, I do have quite a bit of padding to sit on...:)

Bottom line: The food was fresh, tasty and quite affordable. The place is clean and the employees are friendly without being in your face the whole time. There was no doubt the AC was in full working order but the noise level was somewhat bothersome. Would I eat there again? Sure. Would I take out-of-town visitors? Probably not. The food was good and fresh but not something that you want to show off to out-of-towners. Also, the location offers nothing to those looking for local scenery. However, being so close to our house (just a couple of miles) and the cost being easy on the bank account, I do foresee more lunches in my future at Urban Cookhouse.