The Greenhouse Grille used to be a small restaurant on Archibald Yell. I ate there in 2007 or 2008. In its present incarnation, it has moved into a large green building at 481 S School in Fayetteville. My wife and I ate there Friday night. We were both impressed by the quality of the food, and the fresh ingredients. The service was fast and efficient, and the waitress very good. The food was served promptly.
My wife and I look at the menu at The Greenhouse Grille, while I sip a Fat Tire. I ask the waitress what’s good for vegetarians, and she points out several options ranging from the Organic Quinoa Sautee with fresh vegetables, to the Organic Bean Burger. More insistently, I try to get the waitress to tell me what the best choices on the vegetarian menu are. But she dodges around me, saying that “they’re all good.” To my doubting eyes she replies that it “just depends on what you are in the mood for.” My wife says “this is pricey,” once the waitress leaves. And I have to agree that the entrees are a bit steep. They are also mostly on the meat side, which surprises me just a bit. The Greenhouse Grille has quite a good following among my vegetarian friends. Since my wife is not a vegetarian, she considers the entrée menu more thoroughly than I do. She decides on the Gulf Shrimp and Angel Hair pasta. At $20, it is a bit more than what we usually pay for an entrée when we eat out. She also gets a cup of shrimp and sausage soup for $6.50.
I consider the Organic Quinoa Sautee with fresh vegetables at $18, mostly because I would like to try the fresh vegetables. Since the Greenhouse Grille has a strong emphasis on local, sustainable cuisine, this seems like it would be a good choice. The Quinoa Sautee features grilled zucchini, kale, roasted tomatoes and leeks over organic greens with parmesan and toasted almonds. It sounds inviting, but the Organic Bean Burger at $10 and the Black Bean and Spinach Quesadillas at $10, both seem like fine accompaniments to a good beer. I finally decide on the Quesadillas, and I am just delighted when they arrive a few minutes later with tortilla chips and some amazingly good organic hummus. I have to fight my wife for the chips. Her Gulf Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta is very good. She is impressed with the freshness and the preparation. But the serving portion is not very large, even for a petite woman. She leaves a bit hungry.
There seems to be much to experience here beyond an evening meal. We are seated under huge flat panel speakers that prompt the eye to look around for a reason. At the opposite end of the room is a small sound stage. A little reading around on our I Phones proves our suspicion correct. The Greenhouse Grille often has live entertainment. It also has an award winning Sunday brunch, as well as a full lunch menu.
