honest mary’s

If you’re still honoring your new year’s resolution to eat healthier this year, then Honest Mary’s on Burnet opened just in time for your beltline! Honest Mary’s focuses on healthy grain bowls that have no refined sugars nor artificial ingredients and are organic and antibiotic and hormone free. Furthermore, Mary’s focuses on the fast in fast casual: you can order one of six pre-ordained signature bowls or build your own bowl with staples and seasonal ingredients. A recent visit at 11:30 am had me at my table with a bowl in five minutes.

I heartily recommend designing your own bowl Chipotle-style so you get what you want (just make sure you top it all for an extra buck with Crispy Chickpeas). Designing your own bowl appears, at first, to be a bit daunting, but Mary’s makes it easy: (1) choose your protein [chicken, beef, poke, tofu, or veggie], (2) choose a base [rice, quinoa, spinach, or arugula], (3) choose market sides [a deliciously long list of veggies], (4) add toppings [another deliciously long list], and (5) choose a sauce [cashew lime cream, lemon garlic, apple cider vinaigrette, spicy peanut, sesame vinaigrette, chimichurri, ginger chile sriracha, or green herb sauce]. Be brave. There are no wrong decisions here. Let your chosen flavor profiles wash over you. Depending on what you choose, you have vegan, paleo, gluten free, and dairy free options. Standard bowls (no extra ingredients) range from $10 to $13. Mary’s provides house-made agua frescas (with refills!), kombucha on tap, and some beer and wine. Be sure to check out their gluten-free and dairy-free Almond Butter Cookie (with Maldon salt; $3.25): chewy, crunchy, with eating-it-off-the-back-of-the-log-cabin flavor. And bring the plastic: Honest Mary’s is cashless.

Started by locals Nelson and Mary Monteith, their goal was to create fast food that was healthy, something that is largely absent in the briskety wasteland of Texas. In this, they have succeeded. The bright and cheery spot on Burnet with a patio is their second location, following their debut in the Arboretum. Here’s to hoping they open many more.

I do have one question: If Mary is honest, what, then, is Nelson?

I wrote this review for the Allandale Neighbor.

web&where: interwebs; 4800 burnet road; (512) 220-0269
what’s the deal? quick and healthy grain bowls; fast casual
overall: ** (food**; drink**; atmosphere**; service**; instagrammability**)
cost: $$

our scale:
–          meh [think twice]
*         OK [it’ll get the job done]
**       good [solid neighborhood joint]
***     damn good [we’ll definitely be back]
****   yippity-yikes that was amazeballs [fantastic; one of the best]
***** holy sh!t [transcendental; best of the best]