Restaurant ‘mixes’ up food scene

Few restaurants live up to my former-server standards.

Décor, staff and quality of food all stack up, but rarely does a restaurant win me over in all three categories. And even fewer get points for incidentals such as environmental awareness or local ownership.

But Mixed, Go Green! put my discerning standards to the test, and I'm delighted to report that a Sioux Falls restaurant has finally achieved the J-Lo seal of approval.

For the typical meat-and-potatoes Midwestern demographic, a restaurant based around salad might be an uninspiring concept. But I promise, friends, Mixed will delight all palates – carnivores and vegetarians alike.

Offering nine meat toppings and 38 assorted fruits, vegetables, cheeses and nuts to mix into four different varieties of lettuce, Mixed makes choosing a challenge. Combine those options with a salad-dressing selection topping out at thirty, and the make-your-own salad combinations are literally endless.

Mixed does offer other health-conscious choices, such as paninis, pre-determined salads for the indecisive, and wraps – both from the menu and make-your-own.

My roommate and I decided to dive in to the plentiful toppings and "mix it our way" with a Green salad for $5.99. The chilled stainless steel bowl the salad was mixed and served in was huge, but for those with an even bigger appetite, Mixed offers the Super Green for just $7.99.

Each "mix it your way" salad comes with five toppings, and additional toppings can be added for $ .59 each. Between us, we picked feta cheese, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped egg, black olives, croutons, water chestnuts, Parmesan cheese, and chicken – one grilled, one crispy.

But this was just the tip of the topping iceberg. We could have had pickles, peaches and pecans. Or corn, cucumbers, and chow mien noodles. And as we considered all of these options, the cheerful staff members waited to guide us through the process of ordering.

Once we began the ordering process, it only took a matter of minutes for our salads to be prepared. As we waited, we took in the bright green and orange walls that contrast with the white, Ikea-esque furniture – a mixture that's both modern and cheery.

Mixed offers the typical quick-drink fare of fountain sodas and bottled waters and tea, but also has a few gems in the drink cooler behind the counter. My roommate had a Sparkling Pomegranate Izze ($1.99) with her salad, while I just opted for lemonade ($1.39).

We also decided to try Mixed's two dessert options, a New York cheesecake and a red velvet cupcake, both for $2.49. Mixed managed to work their healthy, but tasty tricks on dessert as well. The cheesecake wasn't too rich, the frosting on the cupcake was a light whipped cream filled with vanilla bean, and both were the perfect size for one.

It isn't hard to eat healthy at Mixed, and it isn't hard to be environmentally aware either. From the recycling bins flanking the door, to the straws and forks created from recycled material, Mixed lives up to its subtitle and really does Go Green! as a Green Business Bureau Platinum Member.

The store also sells lunch bags made from recycled materials that can be purchased for $1.99, guaranteeing a 10 percent discount with every future visit. Mixed makes an effort to encourage patrons to go green even when they aren't in the store.

Mixed's other offers, such as double-punch Tuesdays on their punch cards, and $4.99 to-go salads during their breakfast hour, encourage Sioux Falls residents to try a healthier option than regular fast food.