14902 Preston RD
Dallas, TX 75254
(972) 934-8500
http://www.fadiscuisine.com
My lunches are often short, so I am always looking for the healthiest, least expensive options available for a quick in and quick out. There isn’t always time for a sit down meal in a full service restaurant. On those days, I try to run in to a Souper Salad, or a Sweet Tomatoes, where I can fill up on my favorite vegetables and grab a bowl of soup, but healthy and filling isn’t always savory and satisfying. For savory and satisfying that is healthy and filling, I love Mediterranean food. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find out that a Salad Bar and a Mediterranean Restaurant had had a baby and named it Fadi’s Mediterranean Bistro. Even better, since I am very particular about cleanliness, Fadi’s serving line was meticulous.
The salads looked very good. Nothing wilted, nothing browned, nothing I could turn my nose up at. I went for the hummus, Greek salad, Tabouli salad, and chick peas, then turned the corner to the serving station, where I chose clay oven baked chicken and rice, and some zucchini. All of that, plus pita bread and a drink, came to $12.75 with tax. Considering the portion sizes, it was a very good value.
While the zucchini was just all right, and the Tabouli was a little too sharp with lemon, everything else was fantastic. I was shocked at how good the salad was, especially since there was very little dressing. Just the combination of vegetables (including radish, carrots, peppers, and onions) with the olives and feta was quite good. And the veg were as crisp as they had looked to be. The hummus was one of the best blends I’ve tasted, having a warm, nutty appeal, and the chick peas were fantastic. I even liked the chicken, which was moist and tender.
The Outside Lane 
There is a restaurant named Al Hamra in Arlington on the NW corner of Collins and Pioneer Pkwy. Although not a practical place for you to eat lunch since you work in Dallas, I presume? It is a fantastic mediterranean restaurant and it’s actually part of a grocery store called the Halal Market. They have an olive bar and their fresh produce is usually cheaper and better than regular grocery stores. If you get there early enough in the morning you can catch their warm ‘meat bread’ at the bakery. They always have fresh (and usually still warm) pita bread and there is one particular kind of bread they have that is thin and chewy (the name escapes me at the moment) and vanishes very shortly after they bring it out. If you are lucky enough to be present when they come out of the bakery with a load you should grab some. You’ll know what it is by the people swarming the table. This would be a nice Saturday morning/afternoon excursion roaming through the aisles of the grocery store and then you could have lunch at Al Hamra. I recommend the Shawarma chicken and the hummus is excellent! The people are friendly, too! Ok, that’s my restaurant review for the day. 🙂
Sounds fantastic! Can’t beat an olive bar.