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Green & Grilled
8547 N. Rockwell Ave.Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 563-2605
Sometimes I lament the lack of real choices in restaurants, and it begins to look as if they have
to specialize in greasy fried foods to survive. I eat my share of this type of food, but one of the
purposes of this web site is to seek out places (particularly little known restaurants) that are
different from the norm. Green & Grilled is one such place that provides a contrast to the
average diner or burger joint. Green & Grilled concentrates on healthy foods, but with
satisfying flavors. It is a little different, but I found it to be very good.
Green & Grilled serves American food, including grilled meats, salads, and soups. If I had
to describe a down side to the restaurant it would be the limited menu (although once people
try it I think they will be happy with what is served). In my opinion the grilled meats make a good
meal, especially since they come with a side and a salad. They have a very liberal substitution
policy, and practically anything (including soups) can be ordered as a side or a substitute
for a salad.
My favorite meats are the chicken and pork, but all of the main items are very good (except that I
am not very excited about the tofu). All of the side items and salads I have tried are also very
good. I particularly like the soups of the day, and find them to have a better flavor than many
I have tried in other restaurants. The most filling dinner that can probably be ordered is a meat
with salad and steamed potato, but there are several other items (including at least three kinds
of rice) that can do the job just about as well as the potato. The soups are also very substantial.
In addition to being healthy dining, the flavor is what really sets Green and Grilled apart.
The owner is from South America, and specializes in adobo flavored meats (the tofu is also
adobo flavored). The food is not salty, and everything has a fresh flavor. From reading the
comments on Urbanspoon I know that I am not the only one who thinks this is much better than
the average restaurant.
Salads are a large part of the menu, since a half order comes with every dinner plate or a full
salad can be ordered. I have found the variety of salads to be quite good, and each one has
its own house made dressing to give it just the right flavor.
The Bacon Spinach Salad comes with spinach, olives, chopped eggs, and bacon
with honey mustard dressing. The menu states that the salads are all natural, and
the bacon consists of bacon bits sprinkled on top.
The Apple Spinach Salad has been my favorite so far, with spinach, diced green
apples, cranberries, walnuts, and an orange vinaigrette dressing. Each salad at Green & Grilled
has its own specially prepared dressing, and all I have tried have been good. I have not
decided, though, which is my favorite (I imagine customers can ask for a substitute dressing if
they like something else better than the dressing that comes with the salad).
Grilled Chicken was my first sampling of the meats served, and I was very impressed
with the quality of the chicken, the way it was cooked, and the adobo flavor. The adobo was
mixed with pineapple, and I thought it had a very Latin American taste (although it was not
spicy).
The Brown Rice had an excellent flavor and was well cooked.
The Grilled Pork was much like the chicken, and I also liked the way the meat was
cooked. I thought it was very high quality meat, and was a good cut.
The Steamed Potato was not only very good but was also filling.
I sampled the Sirloin Steak and thought it had a good flavor, but the meat was a
little tough. In terms of flavor the adobo tasted somewhat like the Worcestershire
sauce and other spices used in a sirloin pattie. I thought of all the meats I had tried the beef
was the one that adobo was probably most designed to complement.
I am a big proponent of substituting tofu for meat whenever possible in Asian food,
particularly in stir-fried dishes. The Grilled Tofu served at Green & Grilled, though,
came in a large slab and there was no way to disguise its flavor or texture (neither of
which I found to be very enjoyable). The adobo seasoning, though, was as good as it had
been with the meat dishes, and overall I did not find this to be a bad dish (only disappointing
compared to the meats).
Each dish comes with a side salad (half the size of a regular salad) and a side dish.
Sometimes the daily soup is hard to resist as the side dish, such as in this case when I got
the Spinach Soup. This turned out to be excellent in terms of flavor and texture, and
was not overly salty. I tried turning the bowl in all directions to discern the significance of the
white design on top, but to no avail (maybe it is a message to readers that the soup is only
available on Wednesdays, since this was the daily special).
The Portobello Mushroom Soup was just as good as the spinach soup although not
as colorful. I think I liked the fact that it had a mushroom flavor but it was puréed so that it did
not have a mushroom texture. This soup, along with vegetable soup and creamy butter squash,
is available every day.
All of the rice side dishes have been good, and the Steamed White Rice with Carrots
was better than I expected from white rice.
Several desserts are listed on the menu, and I think some are sugar free. The
Caramel Flan was a winner, with the kind of flavor I have experienced along the
Mexican border but until now not in Oklahoma. At $2.99 it also seems to be a bargain.
The Pineapple Zucchini Cake is a good choice for those who like a lighter and less
sweet taste (although the pineapple and zucchini gave it a vibrant flavor). For those like me who
are not sure they would want a dessert with zucchini, I will say that the flavor that could best be
discerned seemed to be the pineapple.
If others are like me and wish for there to be more healthy alternatives that also taste good,
Green & Grilled gives us a chance to actually patronize this type of place. I think it would be
better if they had more main items on the menu, but with soups of the day and an almost endless
mixing and matching of the side dishes, it has never gotten boring.
Full order of bacon spinach salad
Grilled chicken with apple spinach salad and brown rice
Grilled pork with apple spinach salad and steamed potato
Grilled tofu with spinach soup and apple spinach salad
Grilled pork, portobello mushroom soup, and apple spinach salad
Grilled chicken with steamed white rice and carrots
Caramel flan
Pineapple zucchini cake
RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 23
Cuisine: American
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No Smoking
Alcohol: No
Most Recent Visit
Sep. 5, 2012
Number of Visits: 8
Best Items
Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pork, Apple Spinach Salad, Spinach Soup, Mushroom Soup,
Steamed Potato, Flan
Special Ratings
Grilled Chicken:
Grilled Pork:
Grilled Sirloin Steak:
Grilled Tofu:
Apple Spinach Salad:
Bacon Spinach Salad:
Spinach Soup:
Mushroom Soup:
Steamed Potato:
Brown Rice:
Spinach Rice:
White Rice with Carrots:
Flan:
Pineapple Zucchini Cake:
Restaurant Web Site
Green & Grilled