Frequently, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always-hungry reporter has lunch at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
I love a good salad any time of year, but especially this time of year.
The days are hot, humid, and downright miserable. But a salad, with lettuce and goodies that have been chilled in the refrigerator, makes for a bit of relief. Drizzle it with some oil and vinegar, or a zesty dressing, and you’ve got not only a tasty, but healthy meal.
A recent Saturday – of course it was hot and humid – seemed like the perfect day for a salad. So, I invited a friend to join me for lunch at a place I had never been. A place which I was told served salads and sandwiches.
Stacked & Tossed has locations in Shreveport, Bossier City, and Haughton. We were closest to the one in Bossier (789 Duckwater Landing, Ste. A) and arrived at 1:15. We weren’t the only ones having a somewhat late lunch, as the parking lot was full and so was the restaurant.
At Stacked & Tossed, you order at the counter, then sit and wait for your name to be called. Doing the work were two young women and a young man, each dressed in a Stacked & Tossed uniform. They looked very professional – a small intangible but nice to see. The restaurant was light and airy, with grey walls and a grey and white floor. I could have sat there all day and listened to the country music which was playing. We’re not talking about New country. Think Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, and Reba McEntire from the 90’s.
However, before we could order, we had to digest the menu. My friend and I had our choice to either have one of the salads or sandwiches on the menu, or we could create our own, which would take some decision-making.
There were six “Tossed” salads available, each in a small or large size. My friend, who usually takes awhile to make decisions, didn’t look at the menu long. She was quickly drawn to the Berry Poppy salad. I liked the fact that on display was both a small and large bowl. That way, my friend could see exactly the size salad she would be getting. There was a three-dollar difference in size, and being the generous person I am, I suggested she go big or go home. So, my friend ordered the large Berry Poppy salad ($14). In another moment of generosity, I encouraged her to make it a meal. For an extra $3.50, my friend could have her choice of chips or a cookie, and a fountain drink. She chose chips.
Speaking of . . . . Stacked & Tossed had the most unique selection of chips I had seen. We’re talking “Funky Fusion”, “Sriracha Honey”, and “Maui Onion”. There were also some names I recognized: “Sea Salted”, “Salt & Vinegar”, “Mesquite BBQ”, and “Jalapeno Heat”. The bags of chips were larger than what you usually find. These were two-ounce sizes. Of course, just because the bag is bigger doesn’t mean there are more chips in the bag.
Now, my friend could have created her own salad. To do that, she would have chosen from three greens, and up to eight toppings (from 27). For an extra $3, my friend could have a protein of her choice. It would all be topped with one of 12 dressings. A small salad would have been $9, and a large would have been $12.
Yes, I love salads. But I always let my guest choose first what they would like to eat. So, when my friend selected a salad, I felt obligated to get a sandwich, as that’s what makes up the other half of the Stacked & Tossed name. Like with salads, I could have one of six sandwiches on the menu or make my own. I went the easy route and ordered the Italian ($11). I, too, made it a meal. However, instead of chips, I chose a cookie.
There were two “Soups of the Day” offered. My friend and I decided to share a cup of Roasted Red Pepper & Gouda ($4.50).
Stacked & Tossed is a small restaurant, with seating for about 30 people. Not only is the restaurant small, so are its tables. My friend noticed this as we were trying to find a place for our food, phones, glasses, etc. We ended up putting some of our things on the floor.
I’m usually a little nervous when I take off the top of a covered Styrofoam container of soup. If I don’t see smoke, that’s a sign the soup is probably cold. Thankfully, when I lifted the lid, smoke was rising. While I wouldn’t say the soup was hot, it was warm. It was also spicy! And I am glad my friend and I decided to share the soup. The cup was much larger than I expected and held plenty of soup for both of us.
My friend’s salad came as promised. Spring mix, grilled chicken, strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese, pecans, and sliced almonds, with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. She said everything tasted fresh. My friend also said, “It’s hard to make lettuce taste different than it does at home. Lettuce is lettuce.” In other words, her Stacked & Tossed salad didn’t taste better than if she would have made the same salad at home. She did say Stacked & Tossed was generous with the salad’s ingredients.
When I opened the wrapper on my sandwich, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my bread was toasted. I wasn’t asked if I wanted toasted bread, but often times that’s how I prefer my sandwich. Pulling apart the bread, I found generous portions of turkey, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, olive spread, banana peppers, lettuce, tomato, red onion, & mayo.
The star of the show was the olive spread. Its taste stood out from everything else. Also, the spread wasn’t overly messy. It stayed within the confines of the bread. I didn’t really taste anything else, but I was happy that the olive spread was the dominant taste.
I mentioned that instead of chips, I chose a cookie. I probably would not have made that choice, had I not asked the young man who took our order if the cookies were homemade. He said yes, they are made at the restaurant each morning. I have a weakness for red velvet, so I locked in on the large, red velvet with chocolate chip cookies in front of the register.
My cookie must have been wrapped in plastic by an engineer, because it took me forever to figure out how to get the plastic off. Once I did, it was obvious the young man had told the truth. I effortlessly bit into the cookie. It was so soft and so fresh! The chocolate chips melted in my mouth. And the size of the cookie was huge! I happily shared it with my friend. While my sandwich was good, the cookie might have been the best part of my meal.
The cost of all we had, before taxes (I didn’t leave a tip since it was basically a self-serve process), was $41.76. That included a small upcharge for paying with a card instead of cash. I thought the price was fair, considering the quality and quantity of what we received.
I give Stacked & Tossed Three Forks. If I am near one of their locations the next time I am in the mood for a salad or sandwich, I won’t hesitate to stop in. Maybe I will even forgo the restaurant’s suggestions and make my own. Well, I won’t actually do the making, but I will choose the ingredients. I can’t speak to the salad, but Stacked & Tossed will likely fix a better sandwich than me.
1 Fork: Would rather eat a box of dirt
2 Forks: Will return, but only if someone else is buying
3 Forks: Will return and look forward to it
4 Forks: Will return and go out of my way to do so
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to visit for lunch?
Email SBJRestaurantReview@gmail.com.
