You know… there’s something special about chains. There’s this attraction to Subway and McDonald’s. No matter where you are, you feel that magnetism around something familiar and it draws you in. Whether we’re driving cross-country or I’m studying in Korea, I know that there is something I like here, but dang, do I feel bad eating it. Imagine there were chains with that sense of familiarity and comfort, that you didn’t feel bad visiting?
Fortunately for all of us, those chains are emerging and while they might not have 100 billions customers served yet, they’re steadily growing. One of those chains, for those of us in Los Angeles is Sharky’s. In short, Sharky’s provides you with healthy and delicious Mexican food options so that you can enjoy all of the classics at their many convenient locations, without worrying about eating unhealthy.
Still, those are some bold claims so let’s break it down a bit and look at one of the newest Sharky’s, in Marina Del Rey, which represents the growth and direction of the company. Before getting into detail about the food and experience, I have to say that something stood out during our visit above everything else. Customer service. By whom? Surprisingly… everyone… but even more surprisingly, the general manager and I believe owner of this location… Tony.
I think at some point Tony might have gotten the idea that we were food bloggers/restaurant critics/Westside LA yuppies with a really nice camera. You’d think that caused him to feel like we were people who he had to talk to in order to make sure we wrote something positive. NOPE! That wasn’t the case. Tony went around to every single table while we were there and took care of their needs. Whether it was recommending a certain salsa to pair with a certain dish or taking something back to the kitchen and replacing it with something that customer liked better, Tony was MORE than accommodating.
Then we move to the food. We enjoyed everything. It was a perfect balance of healthy and delicious. We started with chips and salsa (they have a salsa bar which you can pick and choose from–we definitely got refills), nachos, and drinks (Fit got red sangria and Hungry got the watermelon basil lemonade). The nachos were plentiful and yummy, but could’ve used more cheese. We crushed both chips & salsa , nachos, and drinks. Fit chose the salmon wrap which is on their “Get it Naked” menu (their healthier menu). The wrap started with whole-wheat wrap, followed by nori, salmon, brown rice, avocado, other veggies, and some chili aioli. Yum! The portion was big so Fit ate half and then re-heated it later for dinner. Hungry got the steak fajita bowl: it was good, tasted healthy and homemade, and it had flavor.
Sharky’s is at a reasonable price point considering the top-quality ingredients they go after: organic, natural, and local. That’s important to us. Sharky’s has a lot of what we love: good food, healthy options, and a good price point. We also know that the food we’re consuming is made from good ingredients. You don’t leave here feeling yucky. Maybe you’ll have a full tummy, but that’s about it. We will certainly be returning to Sharky’s: good healthy food, reasonable prices, and an environment of top-tier customer service. It doesn’t hurt that they are about ten minutes away either. I hope that if you live in California or Oregon, that you can find a Sharky’s to go to (there is one opening up in Vegas soon, too). We don’t think you’ll disappointed. Sharky’s gets a full-fledged Hungry & Fit approved rating! Go to Sharky’s to stay hungry and fit!
