Midtown Lunch

In May, the juice and healthy snack spot, Animo opened at 17th and Arch, making a lot of city workers happy. The menu consists of soups, salads, burrito variations, juices, smoothies, and frozen banana creations. They have a lot of claims about their products: healthy, made to order, organic, and hormone free to “nourish the mind and body”. Naturally, I was skeptical. But I am happy to report Animo did not sacrifice flavor in the name of nourishment.

Order at the counter. Everything is “made to order” but came out pretty quickly. At the burrito bar you choose your toppings and what you want them on. I picked the  “fajita” toppings with a choice of meat (steak for me), roasted vegetables, rice, beans, cheese, and guacamole,  over lettuce.  I also added a homemade tomatillo salsa (no extra charge).

I really liked all the elements of this bowl. The steak was more of a shredded beef than the sliced steak I was expecting, but it was tender and Animo even took the time to brown the meat to get it charred. The tomatillo sauce worked well mixed with the meat. I really enjoyed the roasted veggies, which included portobello mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. The beans, rice, and guac were all well seasoned. There were only a few strands of cheese spread over the bowl, so my only complaint would have been more cheese. A side of blue corn tortilla chips was included.

For this combo, the small size was $7.50.  This was a lot of food, there is no way you could fit this inside a burrito, so I definitely suggest choosing the bowl option over the burrito. If I were to go back, I would make two adjustments. My friend’s pork bowl was even better than the steak, I would make that swap. Secondly, I the lettuce under these particular toppings was a bit weird, I would instead be a little less healthy and go for the option of a tortilla chip base.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Healthy, organic and actually good tasting “fast” food
• Good beef, great pork

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• More cheese please
• Rice and guacamole over lettuce is weird

Animo, 1701 Arch St, Philadelphia, 215 501-7754