Usually one to avoid the chain restaurant or any place that screams concept, I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful experience I had this evening at Nothing But Noodles on Elizabeth Avenue near CPCC.
After a very long week of work which ended in a very long Friday, my husband and I wanted a quick and painless dinner so after seeing a coupon in one of the weekly mailers (the mailers that usually sit on the counter until the coupons are expired) we decided to run out for a "buy one get one free" bowl of noodles.
We both ordered the rice noodles with peanut sauce and split some pot stickers. The service was fantastic. The cashier was very nice without being saccharine even offering to explain the menu and ordering process. The restaurant was impeccably clean with a sanitation score of 101.5 and not a spot of dirt anywhere. Even the back of house (although there is really no back of the house as the kitchen is fully visible) was shiny and orderly. Someone on staff was cleaning the entire time we were there.
After we grabbed our drinks and sat down a server/bus person brought out our pot stickers. We ate a couple and then started on the noodles. The noodle portion was enormous with a flavorful homemade sauce and fresh vegetables. A must have is the Key Lime pie. It has a great crust and although the flavor is obviously key lime the creamy pie does not leave you with a perpetual pucker.
We noticed that they also offer homemade cotton candy for the kids which along with the other very kid friendly menu options, non-smoking atmosphere, unobtrusive music and pleasant lack of TVs' makes this a very family friendly restaurant.
All of that aside it was the customer service and attention to detail that made our experience truly remarkable. The owner of the establishment was present and working at closing on a Friday night. He takes pride in his restaurant and has obviously passed that on to his employees. It is really refreshing to know that a business owner cares.
Thank you Todd and the rest of the staff at Nothing but Noodles for an unexpected pleasure. You really turned what was supposed to be a quick bit to eat into a great evening out.