The search for healthy fast food is over! Start is committed to providing “Real Food Fast”, and I am here to testify, they live up to that mantra. I couldn’t be more excited to share this place with y’all, especially you gluten-free Foodies!
Everything on the Start menu can be made gluten-free, without losing any deliciousness! Not to mention, they source everything locally and responsibly; All of their meat antibiotic free; all of their produce is organic; all of their eggs are cage-free, and from local farms.
If you’re in Oak Lawn, or over on Greenville Ave, stop in to Start for a meal that will leave you satisfied and feeling amazing. They have these two locations, and I’m hoping they’ll expand up into the suburbs eventually!
My husband and I decided to skip the drive-thru (you read that right. drive through!) and go inside the Lemmon Ave location. We picked out a couple of wraps, a baked potato, salad and dessert. We tried as much of the menu as we could in one sitting, to show y’all how delicious this fast food is.
The Mediterranean Quinoa Salad was a great starter for me. I ordered the side-dish portion, but they serve this in an entree size as well.
The lovely woman at the register recommended I add avocado to my salad, and I am so glad that she did. The avocado really helped shape the salad for me, and it made it easier to eat, since it picked up a lot of the quinoa onto my fork for me.
It was light, full of vegetables (which made me feel great about myself), and tangy with their Mediterranean vinaigrette.
I also sipped on their Blueberry-Pomegranate smoothie throughout the meal. I love myself a good smoothie. This one was thick and very sweet! But in true Start fashion, you can feel good about whats in that smoothie. Just fruit, nonfat greek yogurt, and locally harvested, raw honey. Yum.
Next was a chicken-stuffed sweet potato. Need I say more?
Once again, my pal at the register came in clutch for me. She told me she always puts their house-made ranch dressing on her stuffed baked sweet potato. I didn’t need any convincing. This is a fantastic choice for a heartier meal at Start.
It will definitely fill you up, and its not doused in grease like those other fast food places. Its meaty, its flavorful, and it won’t leave you dragging, or hungry an hour later (who else does this happen to after eating junk food? big bummer.)
As if that wasn’t enough food, my husband and I also each had a wrap. For me, the Turkey & Raspberry Chipotle Wrap, for him, the Chicken, Bacon & Avocado.
My favorite of the two was definitely the Turkey & Raspberry Chipotle. It has a perfect combination of every flavor profile in there. Carrots and Apple for sweetness, Pecans bring a nuttiness, cream cheese is tangy, soft and a little tart, and raspberry chipotle sauce has the zingy, tiniest spice to it.
All of that, with turkey and spinach rolled up in a tortilla doesn’t sound like it should work. But trust me, it does.
The Chicken, Bacon & Avocado (CBA) wrap was tasty as well, but it didn’t surprise me like the Turkey & Raspberry Chipotle wrap did. The CBA was exactly what I expected it to be. Its predictably tasty, and I’d recommend it to someone looking for that, but if you’re looking for a great wrap, thats a little different than what you get at every other sandwich shop, stick with the Turkey & Raspberry Chipotle.
Last, but definitely not least, I had the gluten-free (!!!) Flourless Chocolate Cake bites. They come in a four-pack and I told my husband I would share with him, but once I took my first bite, that whole “whats yours is mine, whats mine is yours” nonsense went out the window. I ate all 4 of them. And they were absolutely mouth-watering.
I couldn’t believe it! Made with quinoa instead of wheat, these lil cuties pack a punch of rich chocolatey sweetness. You’ll never miss the gluten. This I promise you.
If you’re in Dallas and are sick of feeling gross after you eat, but need something fast, and on the go, Start is what you’ve been waiting for. I am so pleased that Dallas is getting more delicious, healthy food. Its so easy to indulge yourself down here in the South.
We know how to fry good chicken (and literally everything else), we know how to smoke and barbecue those meats, but I find myself caught up in those heavy meals and am left feeling weighed-down.
Now, I can drive-thru Start and know I’m putting great quality food in my body, without having to sacrifice any taste. I can’t wait to go back and try their breakfast!