Daniel B.
Yelp
I got a BOGO offer in the mail and used it as a reason to visit this gusto! location in Decatur. At the time of writing this review, this continuously-expanding local chain has seven locations in metro Atlanta with an eighth on the way in East Cobb (slated to open later this summer, 2021). This location opened in October 2018 in North Decatur Square, the shopping center with Whole Foods at the corner of N Decatur Rd and Church St, across from Emory Decatur Hospital.
I've always been a fan of gusto! since the opening of their original Peachtree Rd location in 2014. In general, the food is fresh, healthy, delicious, and affordable. My wife and I prefer Upbeet over gusto! for numerous reasons. Upbeet's food tastes better and is higher quality. Upbeet also offers a wider selection of healthy ingredients. However, Upbeet is also more expensive and less accessible and convenient (one location). gusto! wins when it comes to accessibility and convenience (multiple locations). Also, gusto!'s streamlined menu makes it quicker and easier to order, both for the customers and kitchen staff.
This Decatur location - the fourth gusto! location I've visited to date - is nice and spacious with a good amount of both indoor and outdoor seating (uncovered). The loft-like interior is contemporary and fun. Bright lights and colors, an open kitchen, and a friendly staff, in line with the other locations I've been to. If you've never been to a gusto!, these are fast-casual restaurants similar to Chipotle where orders are made fresh on demand. You can pick up grab-and-go snacks and desserts at the register (e.g. Sweet Street Chewy Marshmallow Manifesto Bars - they're yummy) and fountain drinks/tea are self-serve in the dining room.
During my visit to this location, the options were:
* Tahini Cucumber Feta
* Chile Sesame BBQ
* Ginger Lime Peanut
* Chipotle Mango Avocado
* Tzatziki Lemon Artichoke
* Sweet Soy Sriracha
And pricing was as follows, based on protein (and optional avocado add):
* Grilled chicken $9.55
* Spicy grilled chicken $9.55
* Grilled shrimp $11.95
* Umami tofu $9.75
* Salmon $14.25
* Avocado slices +$1.75
My wife went with the Tzatziki Lemon Artichoke and I got the Tahini Cucumber Feta with avocado, both with chicken. After the BOGO deal and tax, but before tip, the total rang up to $11.12. What a value.
I recommend both the Tzatziki Lemon Artichoke and the Tahini Cucumber Feta, but really, you can't go wrong with any of the flavor combinations at gusto! I've tried them all across a handful of locations and they're all satisfying. It really comes down to your personal taste preferences and what you're in the mood for. Also, among the four locations I've been to, I've noticed the quality in both food and service have been consistently good.
The Tzatziki Lemon Artichoke comes with couscous, baby kale, artichoke, and grape tomatoes tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and topped with sweet pickled onions with a side of tzatziki sauce. The Tzatziki Lemon Artichoke was creamy, light, and flavorful. It was lemony without being too sour. And it had a good contrast of flavors and textures. The pickled onion gave it extra zing. The Tahini Cucumber Feta comes with cucumber, tomato, scallions, and chickpeas tossed in a za'atar white balsamic vinaigrette and topped with feta with fresh dill with a side of tahini sauce. The feta tasted very fresh and wasn't too strong nor pungent. It was soft too, like queso fresco. In general, all of the ingredients were fresh. The grilled chicken in both bowls was tender and savory. There was a nice smoky char to each piece of chicken. In one of the bowls, we got mixed greens (romaine and spring mix) and in the other, half and half - mixed greens and brown rice (seasoned). Standard stuff.
This location includes a bag of daily house-fried sweet potato chips with every order. The chips were thin, crispy, and delicious. A little greasy, but that was fine. The gusto! location near us (West Midtown) does not offer the house-fried chips because it's a smaller location. Instead, they serve pre-packaged chips. We prefer the freshly-made chips, but the pre-packaged chips are OK too. The bigger gusto! locations like this one and the original location on Peachtree Rd offer the fresh, house-fried chips.
Service was great. The staff was friendly and our order was prepared fast.
gusto! offers loyalty rewards through Fivestars. You don't need an app, paper card, or anything. You just enter your phone number at the touchscreen at checkout to earn your points. Follow this link to see deals and rewards for this gusto! location in Decatur: https://www.fivestars.com/business/GA/Decatur/Restaurant/gusto-/c067323d2ec044b4a57b3737e9cbb1ac/. If you opt in, gusto! will notify you of deals too.