NOODLES & COMPANY

Address: 102 N. Chauncey Avenue, Ste. A, West Lafayette, IN 47906

Noodles is a place that I have been to quite a few times in the past few years that I’ve been at school. The name itself illustrates their concept: serving noodles and other pasta dishes, and doing it well. Every time that I have gone to Noodles for a meal, I have never been let down.

The restaurant delineates their menu into three separate areas, each illustrating the flavors that they seek to capture in those dishes: American, Mediterranean, and Asian. For example, you’ll find your Mac & Cheese in the American category, Pad Thai or Japanese Pan Noodles in the Asian category, and then Penne Rosa or Tuscan Linguine in the Mediterranean category. I have very frequently ordered from the Mediterranean category, as I really like a lot of the flavor combinations that work so well with the fresh ingredients. The diversity of the menu really gives you a nice spread of options, and that sometimes makes it difficult to choose just what to get sometimes. All of the food is cooked-to-order. When you place the order for your dish, you specify the dish that you want, as well as an additional protein such as chicken, beef, shrimp, or meatballs, to complement the dish (it does cost extra). Then, you sit down at the table and in about five to seven minutes, they bring out the food, piping hot from the pan.

The dining area of the restaurant is also really nice as well. The nice, large windows provide a ton of ambient light that floods the restaurant during the day, and they also offer an outdoor dining area as well. All of the tables are cleaned after each party leaves, and the overall ambient atmosphere is really pleasant to dine in. The staff are really friendly when taking your order and come by to check on your food after they have brought it out. I would probably classify this as sort of a fast-casual dining concept, simply because your food is prepared so quickly, and it’s not like the run-of-the-mill fast food like McDonald’s or something. Noodles is definitely a place that I should visit more often, as they really cook up some excellent pasta dishes. Plus, after your meal, you can always head over to Red Mango in the next suite over for dessert!

Here are my rankings for Noodles & Company:

Food: 4.5 / 5
Everything tastes really fresh, the flavor profiles are all there, and the variety of dishes that are offered to you are always a big plus to Noodles.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
I really like the ambiance inside the dining area, and the smell of the food from the partially-open kitchen is always enjoyable.

Service: 5 / 5
The staff were really friendly when taking my order, and worked to ensure that everyone was satisfied with how their food turned out.

Price: 4 / 5
The price for the dishes are not too bad, all things considered. It might lean a little more on the expensive side, but I think that the final product is worth it.

Overall: 18 / 20 (90%)

Categories: Indiana, Restaurants

Tagged as: indiana, mediterranean, noodles, pasta, west lafayette