If you’ve visited OR Smoothie and Café’s location in Richmond Heights, you are well aware of its, um, its … quirks. Vitamins, supplements and detox remedies line the walls. A large glass-doored fridge is stuffed with wheat grass and raw teas. And “No cell phone seat” signs are on nearly every chair in the tiny place. But despite these seemingly intimidating offerings and rules, people still flock there in search of a fresh-pressed carrot juice, bubble tea, seaweed wrap or amino-acid fix.
OR’s newest location, on Euclid in the Central West End, still has the same menu, the same natural soap to wash the smoothie blenders, and the same promise that no MSG is used in its cooking, but its environment is a bit more welcoming, with a larger dining area and the entire kitchen out of sight behind the counter. An instrumental version of Bridge Over Troubled Water was playing on my most recent visit, and the interesting choice of prints on the walls is always high on my list of potential conversation starters.
One of the menu’s simplest, yet most fulfilling, items is the house salad made with greens and the standard vegetables plus avocado and an addictive house dressing. Another vegetable-heavy option is the veggie roll stuffed with tofu, jicama, peanuts, lettuce and mint. It’s tightly wrapped in tender rice paper (as these things should be), and the freshness of the ingredients – as it is with every dish on the menu – is deliciously obvious. The same roll, save for a few ingredient additions, is also offered with tuna, salmon or shrimp. Each order comes with a side of soy-based house Bragg Liquid Aminos sauce or Vietnamese fish or peanut sauce, all of which are so good it’s not uncommon to ask for extra.
In the same vein is the nori roll: a mixture of cucumber, avocado, carrot, lettuce and onion wrapped in large, thin, semicrispy seaweed paper. If you enjoy seaweed, this option is for you; if not, stay far, far away.
The house noodle bowl may be the best deal on the menu. The large serving of tasty rice noodles is layered in lettuce, sprouts, herbs, that Bragg sauce and veggie meatball crumbles that, to the delight of many, taste nothing like meatballs.
On the more mainstream side of the menu, you’ll find things like the tuna sandwich with house-made tuna salad stuffed with unexpected ingredients like halved fresh cranberries, bits of egg and pickle. The generous portion is creamy and not too peppery, and is served on soft, untoasted multigrain bread.
The veggie burger’s a bit fragile, but the patty, made of sunflower seeds, grains and carrots, among other things, has so much flavor and spice that its messiness can easily be overlooked. The bun can be topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayo and cheese, so if the veggie burger thing isn’t your cup of tea, just close your eyes and you won’t even know the difference. And don’t miss the crunchy, ruffled black pepper chips that come with each sandwich.
The Joy Wrap, an off-the-menu item, is worth asking for. With 11 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in the multigrain tortilla alone, this tasty meal offers a nutritional bang for your buck. It’s stuffed with huge house-grown sunflower sprouts, avocados, carrots, house-made hummus, lettuce and onions. It got its name from a customer who said joy was the feeling he felt when eating the wrap.
The thing about OR (which stands for ORganic) is that it can get expensive once smoothies and bubble teas make their way into the mix. But deals are there to be had, like the $8.50 Pick Two, which allows choices of a half sandwich, salad, veggie spring roll or soup. And considering the consistent freshness of the ingredients, the precision with which each dish is made, the healthiness and, most importantly, the overall tastiness of the food, this is definitely one of the city’s best spots for the frugal feeder.
FILLING UP FOR $20 OR LESS Dine-In-Ability: Lots of space, huge windows and serene instrumental versions of 1970s pop songs make for a less-intimidating dining space than the original location.
Try It, You’ll Like It: Joy Wrap with two spring rolls and a honeydew bubble tea with boba.
Feast or Famine: The menu is geared toward vegetarians, but there is a smattering of great food for meat-eaters, too.
Where: OR Smoothie & Café, 3 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.367.8883
When: Mon. to Sat. – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Kitchen closes at 8 p.m.)
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2009.