Green Bean

Source: http://www.itsagreenbeanworld.com/

If you’ve haven’t heard about a trendy little natural foods lunch spot in Rogers called Green Bean, then you’re one of the few.  I read an Internet review a few months ago that made it sound like a well kept secret amongst the chosen few. So when I am on my way to the airport for business one day, I decide to drop in for a quick bite.  I know it is in the Village on the Creeks mall, near the Village Athletic Club.  When I arrive the line extends to the back of the store near the restrooms.  Luckily I have my iPhone.  I decide to Google the menu while I wait.  The copyright on the menu says 2006.  Has this place really been here that long?

The menu has four sections:  sandwiches (definitely what I am looking for today, since I haven’t eaten all day), soup, salads and sweets.  There are five sandwiches listed on the menu, but I can’t identify any of them as vegetarian or vegan.  Most have turkey, like the Mesquite Smoked Turkey with Pepper and Jack, or the Turkey, Cheddar and Hummus.  All the sandwiches are served on thick slices of whole wheat bread.  And all are garnished with avocado, tomato, red onion and lettuce.  When I can finally see the menu, once the line has allowed me to advance sufficiently, I spot a green chalk board with seven or eight sandwiches listed, including Avocado, Cheddar and Hummus.  I decide to opt for that, and the man behind the counter says “veggie?”  So I leave thinking this is the one vegetarian sandwich available.  It does not have mayonnaise, so it would be easy enough to make this sandwich vegan by omitting the cheddar.

The soups sound wonderful, but it’s a hot day during a hot summer.  The fresh Shitake Mushroom will have to wait for another day.  If I were with my wife, we might order one of the salads to accompany the sandwich.  They all have some type of meat, but I am guessing any of them could be made vegetarian on request.   The Black Forest Ham with Fuji Apple, Smoked Gouda and Toasted Pecans sounds like it would be delectable without the ham.  But my budget is less than $10 when dining alone.  Even without knowing the prices, I assume that I will not be able to order a sandwich and a salad.  One of the Brown Butter Pecan Bars won’t break the bank though.  Water is on the house.  For the Avocado, Cheddar and Hummus sandwich, with a pecan bar and a glass of water, I pay $9.72.  There are no prices on the online menu, or on the chalk board.  You need to ask if you want to know the prices. 

I find a place at the counter to sit and watch the passerby listlessly walking by in the sweltering summer heat, while I wait for the powers that be to transport my sandwich.   There are also plenty of people eating at the tables outside.  There’s no way all these people would fit inside.  I am left to wonder how the staff handle seating so many people in the cooler months.  Since they are absolutely swamped, it takes a while for my sandwich to arrive.  When it does arrive, it is just as the menu described.  There are thick slices of whole wheat bread with avocado, cheddar and hummus.  Everything is very healthy and fresh.  Lots of fresh lettuce and red onion adds depth and flavor.  It’s nice to have an alternative to the gooey cheese pizza and cheese enchiladas that are so often the most available vegetarian options for lunch in Northwest Arkansas.