First Look: Neon Greens in the former Rise Coffee space in the Grove

Neon Greens owner Josh Smith wants to serve you the best salad you’ve ever had using the freshest greens possible. To do so, he’s opening Neon Greens in the former Rise Coffee space at 4176 Manchester Ave. in the Grove on Tuesday, March 19.

Neon Greens is not just a restaurant – it’s also a hydroponic farm where Smith grows all of the various types of lettuce used in the many salads on the menu. A 400-square-foot vertical farm in two transformed shipping containers adjacent to the restaurant holds up to six acres of produce and can grow up to 6,500 pounds a year, using about 90% less water than traditional farming. Currently, Smith is growing three types of lettuce: Green Oakleaf, Mizuna and Red Sweet Crisp. A conveyor belt allows the greens to easily be transported from the farm to the kitchen. 

There are nine signature salads and two seasonal salads on the menu, but you can also have your meal customized in an assembly line. Look out for local collaborations as well. Currently, it’s a Thai barbecue salad featuring smoked chicken thighs from Grace Meat + Three down the street. Soups will also rotate, with current features including a tomato soup and a green soup, which is a riff on tom kha gai with coconut cream and freshly picked herbs. Don’t miss the pão de queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread made with gluten-free tapioca flour. For dessert, there is soft serve in matcha or Thai basil flavors – go all out and have them swirled. Dessert toppings like miso caramel, sesame nougatine, candied smoked almonds and brown rice crunchies lend a textural juxtaposition. Beverages include Confluence Kombucha and canned Sump Coffee.

Smith said a large part of why the produce we get at the grocery store isn’t always bursting with flavor is due to the loss of nutrients in the time it takes – sometimes several weeks – for it to be transported to our local grocers. “The nutrients degrade significantly enough that the color and taste change dramatically because the nutrients are what we taste,” he explained.

The 1,200-square-foot interior is modern and bright with lots of white and earthy undertones and seating for 22 guests, including six bar seats. A 400-square-foot front patio aligned with the greenhouse will seat another 20 when the restaurant opens, with a 400-square-foot back patio, “a covered salad oasis,” according to Smith, slated to open this summer.

Smith said people like to know where their food comes from, and that knowledge will be at the forefront of Neon Greens. “The connection people have to food that they are a part of in any way is insane,” Smith said. “It’s one of those powerful things in the world, like raising children. In raising food, you are a part of a living, growing thing.

"That idea of growth and connection is incredibly important. We’re not a salad restaurant, we are a produce company that is community-oriented.”

Neon Greens will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Check out the photos below for a First Look at the new space.