Satisfying bowls include a Thai coconut tofu version (left) and one featuring braised pork with black beans, roasted corn and peppers.
Chain restaurants have to work hard to earn my respect, and I’m disappointed that my hometown of Middleton is now home to so many while the city has, practically speaking, taken food carts off the table. So I approached Cafe Zupas, a small Utah-based chain with 40-some locations across the West and Midwest, with some skepticism.
Cafe Zupas is almost right across the street from Zoup! — another soup-and-sandwich chain. But Cafe Zupas has a more extensive menu.
Cafe Zupas also presents itself as a chain that focuses on fresh. Ingredients are delivered daily, right down to the milk used in the soups, and dishes are made from scratch.
This is impressive, because there are a lot of different ingredients happening here.
The menu offers a dozen sandwiches, 10 salads, 10 soups and three protein bowls, in addition to specials. I love the “Try 2 Combo,” which lets diners pick any two items from the sandwiches, soups and salads. It’s a very filling meal for under $10.
The sandwiches are excellent. Both the Italian ciabatta and ancient grain bread options are delicious. Club-style sandwiches, a Cuban grilled pork, a crab avocado melt, and pesto chicken form the heart of the menu.
If you’re not already a connoisseur of grilled cheese, Zupas’ ultimate grilled cheese should win you over. The bread was perfectly crisp, and a mix of cheddar and Muenster along with housemade pesto and tomatoes add flavor and texture.
Another fun seasonal item was the turkey cranberry brie sandwich. Back in high school, I dreaded post-Thanksgiving lunches because my mom would pack crazy sandwiches that were a combination of leftovers slapped between two pieces of bread. Now that my tastebuds have matured, I realize she was an innovator. The kitchen at Zupas has crafted a delightful sandwich of roast turkey, cranberry sauce, melted brie, bacon, tomato and spinach. It’s a heap of different things, but the flavors work beautifully.
Diners can sample any soup before ordering. The Wisconsin cauliflower was my favorite, creamy and smooth with just a hint of spice from pepper jack cheese. The lobster bisque provided nice chunks of seafood, carrots, tomatoes, celery and onion, with a dash of fennel for flavor. I was disappointed with the mushroom bisque, which featured a blend of shiitake, crimini and button mushrooms and some notes of thyme, but was full of too many mushroom bits, like someone hadn’t pureed it long enough.
Among the salads, the mangoberry and the “Nuts About Berries” were favorites. Both included generous amounts of fresh fruit and extremely craveable cinnamon almond pieces that packed a lot of flavor. The Maui tropical chicken salad blended good bites of crunchy, savory, and sweet, with chopped greens, grilled chicken strips, fresh bell peppers, toasted coconut, macadamia nuts and mandarin oranges. I’d prefer it without the pineapple, which was canned. Also, some of the dressings were a little too syrupy and sweet. Ask for dressings on the side and adjust to your liking.
The protein bowls were also very satisfying. The Thai coconut tofu, a great option for vegetarians, has subtle coconut flavor in the grilled tofu, which was served on a bed of massaged kale and quinoa. Broccolini, edamame, cashews, cucumbers and tri-color peppers provided crunch, and the miso vinaigrette and peanut sauce added a nice twist. The Mexicali braised pork bowl had generous portions of meat, black beans, roasted corn, grape tomatoes and peppers, topped with avocado. A swirl of orange chili vinaigrette and honey cilantro glaze brought everything together.
Anyone with food allergies should be warned that cross-contamination abounds, as all the ingredients are laid out salad-bar style; staff are literally scooping nuts and bringing them over all the other ingredients to sprinkle on your dish.
Skip dessert. The crème brûlée looks beautiful in the case, but is really just dressed up vanilla pudding. Plus, every meal comes with a chocolate-covered strawberry, delivered and dipped that same day. What’s not to love about that?
Overall, Cafe Zupas is a welcome addition to the ever-growing Greenway Station area. Even though it’s a chain, it’s nice to see it provides a healthy alternative with fresh ingredients, some sourced from Wisconsin.
Cafe Zupas
8310 Greenway Blvd., Middleton; 608-416-8148; cafezupas.com;
11 am-9 pm Mon.-Thurs., 11 am-10 pm Fri.-Sat.; $3-$10
