Review: New Salads and Noodle Dishes at Noodles & Company {+ a giveaway!}

*Disclosure: I received a free meal at Noodles & Company in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

Noodles & Company just released two new salads, in time for summer, and they've also been revamping their menu a bit. I've been a huge fan of Noodles for a while now (their pasta dishes are super tasty!) and I was excited to stop by the Royal Oak, MI Noodles along with some other local bloggers to try out the new salads as well as some of their more classic pasta dishes.

We started off with their Korean meatballs, with Gochujang sauce, which are new on the menu, so I had not tried them yet. The sauce they are in has a bit of a kick, but I don't usually like spicy foods and I found them to be very tasty - I will definitely order them again at some point for an appetizer.

The salads then arrived - the new Chicken Veracruz Salad and the Napa Market Salad, with chicken. I had actually sampled the Market salad at a different Noodles location a few weeks ago, so I didn't partake this time, but when I had tried that one, it was good - the dressing especially, which was a pomegranate vinaigrette. (to be more specific: "mixed greens layered with Gala apple slices, Roma tomato and red bell pepper topped with pulled grilled chicken, bleu cheese and naturally raised bacon crumbles, tossed with pomegranate vinaigrette")

The Chicken Veracruz salad consists of "mixed greens topped with Roma tomato, red onion, chili-lime chicken, crumbled naturally raised bacon, fresh-cut corn, tossed with Jalapeño Ranch dressing and crispy jalapeños, fresh California avocados and cilantro," as well.

Then it was time for the pastas ... so many pastas! In the pic above, we had (clockwise) the Alfredo MontAmore, the Penne Rosa, and the Pesto Cavatappi. The MontAmore is one of my favorite dishes at Noodles, and it usually comes with parmesan-crusted chicken (as it does in this picture, too). The Penne Rosa has a little bit of spice, and the Pesto Cavatappi is good for those that like pesto and mushrooms, which I also do.

We also sampled some of the Asian-inspired dishes, including their Pad Thai (top) and Bangkok Curry (bottom) with naturally-raised pork. The curry is the smartest item on the menu nutritional-wise, too, as a large dish is only 550 calories (without pork). I hadn't had the curry there in a long time and I was pleased to find out that I actually really enjoyed it this time; previously, it was not one of my favorites on the menu.

We also tried the Japanese pan noodles (pic below), which are always good; the noodles are thicker than you would normally find in an American noodle dish, and the carrots included are also very good.

Last but not least were the American dishes - spaghetti and meatballs, mac 'n cheese, and the steak stroganoff. I'm not really a mac 'n cheese fan so the steak stroganoff was actually my favorite - it comes in a creamy sauce that was very good. 

Don't forget the dessert at Noodles, too - their rice krispie treats are always amazing and are one of my favorite desserts there, and their snickerdoodle and chocolate chip cookies are great too. 

All of Noodles' dishes are made with no artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives, too, and each Noodles restaurant preps fourteen fresh vegetables throughout the day. Each location also uses organic milk, tofu, and tea, and naturally-raised pork and bacon, along with cage-free eggs. 

Have you ever been to a Noodles & Company? Click here to find the closest location to you.

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GIVEAWAY:

Enter via the widget below to win free Noodles & Company for a year. (yes, I said a YEAR!)

One winner will receive a certificate for one free bowl a month at Noodles & Company, good for one year. Valid only at participating locations.

This is a group giveaway that the other bloggers and I who attended the Noodles & Company dinner will all be hosting on our blogs.

Giveaway will end on July 10th.

Good luck!

Noodles and Company