I made 2 mistakes with the first walking in and after seeing it was a fast-casual restaurant I stayed. I much prefer a complete full-service restaurant but we were here so we stayed. The second mistake was staying after reading the menu. It is a very big menu with many choices plus even gets worse if you decide on the 'My Way' section, where there are 5 steps to making a salad, a wrap or a grain bowl.

Add to this you have to stand and read the board while people before and after you are doing the same thing.

I took the easy--the coward's?--way out and turned towards the guy behind the counter and told him to make whatever he wanted for me that I liked everything and he couldn't make a mistake. (By the way, I have done this in 5-star restaurants and have gotten some 5-star, not necessarily the most expensive, meals.)

I wound up getting the 6 sliders for $13 consisting of 2 seafood, 1 salmon, 1 creamed tuna and 2 chicken,  all made on a non-descript potato roll, as were the fillings, except for the greens added to them. Allen had the tuna wrap $7.75 which he enjoyed. We both had a can of diet coke $1.50 each.

The best part of the whole experience was Emile who seemed to really enjoy his job dealing with the public and, in many ways, going all out to make the customer happy.

From what I have seen those who ordered the salads seem to be the most satisfied and all the food looked fresh.

This Giardino Gourmet Salads restaurant seems to be the latest in the franchise and the place itself looks clean, bright and has that 'new' feeling.

I wish them luck but I do suggest you get familiar with their menu at gardinosalads.com before you go to eat there and, definitely, go on a day Emile is working before he, deservingly, gets a store of his own!