Noodles & Company

Got a regular sized chicken noodle soup for my dinner which was the right amount for me. The noodles were flat and wide which was slightly odd but still pretty good. There weren’t enough pieces of chicken in the soup and the chicken was too hard and didn’t have much taste. It took about 5 minutes to get my order. I went there at about 8 and there were a couple of groups at the tables.

Food was good, customer service was not!
I didn’t catch any names but a red haired women there was very nice and helpful, a blonde haired women gave me a lot of attitude when taking our order and when I handed her an empty glass cause I didn’t want to leave it at their beverage station, and my husband mention getting dirty looks from an African American women when he left his empty glass on the table. I’m not sure if we did something wrong but we won’t be returning any time soon.

I live in San Marcos and am fairly new to the area. San Marcos desperately lacks noodles for sure. I came here one day while walking around Austin with a friend that was familiar with the restaurant. I love this place for what it is. I have been here several times and enjoy it every time. It’s not the cleanest place and the food can take a little while but it’s a cool place to go with a group of friends while visiting in Austin. Ive only ever had the pad thai and love it! For someone that is a pad thai fanatic and has had lots of it, its pretty good. Ive eaten off a few friends plates and tried their entrees and they have all been good as well. Portions are either a small or large-​no in-​between. It is a little pricey for noodles.

Gross! There’s a guy who works here and hits on me every time I come in. Today I went out of my way to politely ignore him, and I discovered a CRICKET in my salad. I definitely won’t be back, and I don’t even want my money back. Keep your crickets and your creeps.

The option to substitute spinach instead of noodles makes this place great for everyone!

Noodles & Company is A-​OK for what it is. A little overpriced for the portions, but it’s different from other things along the drag so it’s a nice change of pace from time to time. I go there mostly for the Japanese pan noodles with steak (pretty tasty) or the chicken noodle soup (if I’m feeling blah).
On one visit they ended up not having the noodles for the Japanese pan noodles nor the steak, but they didn’t tell me this until I had already waited through half of my hour-​long lunch, so I ended up getting the pad thai chicken and some coupons for free lunches. I don’t recommend the pad thai — definitely better places to get this from. Communication is not their strongest asset.
They also have giant rice krispie treats, which I never realize how much I love until I eat one. Get the Hooked app for deals, like free protein with your bowl.

Definitely not the nicest location. It is on the drag and the college students have used and abused the upholstery here. Also the bench seating had a piece of old macaroni sitting on it where we sat, tucked underneath the table, ewww. A few pluses: the staff were friendly and helpful and the food came out quickly and they were open on Easter Sunday. Additional minuses: the Thai hot pot I tried was pretty gross, overseasoned and too few noodles in it, the soda and sweet tea tasted not quite right. I would probably not go here again and would favor one of the other locations instead.

It’s ok. It’s a good place to go eat after a long day in class, but there wasn’t anything special. I like their food and it’s a little cozy in there. I thought the penne rosa was a little dry and sometimes when I go at other times the Japanese pan noodles are too sweet. It’s nice that they have wifi though

Its not as bad as people say it is but it aint all that either. So I’ll put it in the middle.
It feels like your chinese stir fry place: pick a noodle and pick a meat. They have a variety of noodle dishes, but not so much a range on sauces (I would have though noodle+ choose sauce+ choose meat would make more sense). I tried the japanese udon stir fry with no meat and its not bad, a bit heavy on the soy sauce and a bit too charred in some parts but wouldn’t say its bad. Not sure if a few cubes of steak would change my mind. Portions aren’t huge and price isn’t bad… until you add meat.
Hooked app pings here frequently though, so theres hope…
Oh and +1 for the awesome fountain drink machine. Can’t ever go wrong with that

I really don’t get what the hate on this place is about. It’s good comfort food with fast and friendly service! I liked the Mac and cheese, even though the buttered noodles I had were literally just plain noodles with salt and pepper seasoning (I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was more than that) and I really liked the Indonesian peanut satay! Overall it has decent options and doesn’t disappoint in terms of food. My friends love the penne rosa but I’ve never tried it. The staff is very friendly as well. I’ve never had any complaints on that part and even got a free snicker doodle once!

I am surprised by the many horrible reviews of Noodles and Co: although there are several other places on the Drag that I prefer, my experiences there have been perfectly satisfactory.
To address a few common criticisms: yes, it may cost you $ 8-​$ 10 for a bowl of noodles with meat added. If this seems like a lot of money to you, you really need to stay home. There is a Jack-​in-​the-​Box down the street if you feel compelled to eat out for $ 5. Bring preemptive salmonella treatment.
Ditto in terms of portion sizes: perhaps because I am older than the conventional demographic that eats at UT-​area restaurants, I do not feel that 5,000 calories is essential for a satisfactory lunch portion. Sure, Chipotle will give you a fuller belly, but I’ve been happy with Noodles and Co’s servings. They do advertise themselves as a lower-​calorie option, after all, so this recurrent criticism seems a bit like saying that the water tasted like water.
What you will get here is reasonably quick, customizable salads and bowls of carbs at a fair price. I’ve done both the Japanese pan noodles and the pad Thai with shrimp, and it’s perfectly solid. The penne with grilled chicken is also a safe choice. No, the noodles are not especially heavy on sauce/​salt/​spice, but I’ve not found them especially bland, and the hot sauce they keep around lets you work with it.
It’s counter service with food runners here, and I’ve found both to provide efficient service. The broken, overflowing drink fountain with a pool of water around it last visit was a downer, but hey, everything breaks sooner or later.
So, maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I’m voting A-​OK. If you’re looking for healthier options in a sea of fatty tacos and sandwiches, Noodles and Co presents a decent alternative. It’s not great, but it will do for a quick meal.

Comfort food for carb fiends, but generally speaking not very appealing.
1) Food is extremely pricey considering a) the simplicity of the dishes and b) tiny portion sizes. A «regular» size pasta + meat will bring you up to 8 or 9 dollars.
2) Pastas are extremely bland. Do yourself a favor and take lots of pepper packets with you if you order to-​go.
3) Stay far, far away from the Asian options. Even if you are a car-​less UT student, there are far, far better options for Asian food nearby (Delicious Thai, Madam Mam’s, Coco’s, Julie’s Handmade Noodles, Chilantro).
4) Service usually seems to be okay. It’s just unfortunate the people here work for such an uninspired restaurant chain!

Northerners would appreciate this establishment more than southerners. It’s unique. A variety of cuisines to choose from, but united by the noodle. I am not a pasta or noodle type of gal. But I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor from my dish. The Mac and cheese was actually REALLY good. I also enjoyed their Italian Parma Rosa or something like that.

This love affair started back in 2012 during an eight-​month internship in Austin. A weekly work meeting on Thursday evenings necessitated a regular take-​out date. Come Noodles and Company — where pure bliss is found within carefully curated bowls of noodles in varieties the world over. Favorites include the Japanese Pan Noodles and the Pasta Fresca.
Situated centrally on along the Drag, Noodles and Company is a popular stop for students at UT Austin. It’s a high ceiling establishment with a fresh vibrant décor in the company colors and plenty of seating. The service was great and I got the ‘regulars’ treatment, which is always a plus anywhere :) As far as nostalgia goes, this was the first and last place I ate at during my brief stint in Austin. I realize that this review is of my experience two years ago. I haven’t been back since and can only hope that it’s still just as good now as it was then.
I’m now living in the Bay Area and recently found out that they’ve opened up shop in Cupertino — looking forward hitting it up some time!

I’m not sure why this place gets so much hatred. It’s a chain the produces fairly generic and filling food like most chains do. Unlike most chains, I’ve never had bad service or something disgusting or dirty in my food.
We come here often for group lunches because they accommodate many different needs – gluten free, vegan, etc. All but paleo I guess, since the focus is noodles.
My one complaint, which I will admit is totally unfair, is that the dish is too heavy on the noodles and cheese (if you order a cheese dish). I’d really like the veggies to be more heavily represented.
My favorite is the Indonesian peanut dish, and my coworkers all rave about the truffle mac.

This is the 2^nd time I have been to a Noddles and Company. (the previous visit was in Chicago) it’s okay. I walked from the Swim Center which I guess isn’t that far but by the time I got here I kind of stumbled through the door because I was so hungry. You have probably had similar dishes at other establishments that are higher quality but considering it’s a chain it is decent.

I’m giving this place 3 stars largely due to the service which was awesome. I’d never been there before and one of the staff took the time to come down to where I was (at the foot of the store) to explain the menu. He was also very nice and accommodating at the register. However, I must say that the Pad Thai I ordered left something to be desired. I was not expecting that much when I saw the menu — given that they are attempting to please so many tastes. I wound up there because it is one of my brother’s favorite places. So with the name of the restaurant, I was expecting more of a Thai flavor.
I liked that they offer small and large portions — so everyone isn’t stuck with too much food. I ordered the chicken noodle soup which consisted of a very fatty broth (way too many fat pools for my tastes) with 2 pieces of chicken floating in it and very few noodles. No carrots or celery as the picture suggested. So this was disappointing.
The Pad Thai was not heated through and the noodles stuck together. It was the strangest presentation of Pad Thai I’ve ever had — with raw bean sprouts that just didn’t fit in. Maybe if the dish had been served hot that wouldn’t have mattered so much. I added chicken which consisted of square pieces of breaded chicken — it was okay, but overall the dish was disappointing.
My brother’s pesto dish looked good. However, I thought the generic looking macaroni and cheese style noodles looked strange. I would be willing to try one of the sandwiches, salads or other soups, but I wouldn’t order Pad Thai again.

First and only time here was about a month ago. It definitely isn’t a place I’m dying to get back to.
God knows you go into an establishment called NOODLES, you know your going to exceed your carb/​calorie limit for the week, but LAWT haf murcy. Be prepared, I guess.
My daughter ordered the BBQ Pork Mac & she said it made her sick the whole next day. I felt horrible. She liked it in the store, but since it was such a big portion, she took it home with leftover intentions. Never touched it after we left. So, idk how to appropriately write a review on that.
I said eff it, and went all in. I ordered the Alfredo MontAmore, no mushrooms. I guess a big girl like myself shouldn’t complain, but it was a fairly small serving in comparison to everyone else. Really. Tasty, yes. But nothing I can’t (and don’t) do at home.
My daughters friend ordered the Pad Thai, said she liked it, had a big to-​go box for later, and never touched it either.
So all in all. I don’t think any of us were too crazy about our experience here?.. I think they are a bit over priced, and this may be small, but they don’t have any cane sugar for tea. Come on, its 2014. AND Austin.

«Disappointing» just isn’t enough to describe how terrible Noodles & Company is. When they first opened on the drag I was really excited to taste their «all around the world» noodles.
Ordering an Asian dish seemed like a good choice with all the different options. I’ve tasted the Japanese Pan Noodles and Pad Thai noodles and they were both horrendous: either too salty or not salty enough, portions weren’t big enough to get full, food temperatures were cold. In addition even though there are plenty of seating, you have to wait for a seat because the staff takes forever to clean unattended tables that are piled with plates, silverware, napkins, etc.
Having a first bad experience, I was very hesitant to give this place a second try which turned out to be another big mistake. This time I ordered the Penne Rosa. The food was still cold, cheese was hard, and noodles were flavorless. What I get most upset about this place is their pricing on these dishes; to charge customers $ 2 – 3 extra for meat on the noodles for a total of $ 8 – 9 is very unattractive. Especially since you’re on a student populated campus, don’t expect students to be willing to pay that much money for something they can make better at home. Another thing that irritated me was that you need to press a code to use the restrooms; aren’t the restrooms supposed to be for your customers? This isn’t a fancy enough restaurant to have that feature.
I will say their Wisconsin Mac & Cheese was ok, but how can you mess up Mac & Cheese?
I’m sorry Noodles & Company for bashing on you, but the truth is the truth. Maybe if you just focused on perfecting one dish, you might have regular customers.

We came because we received some half off discount cards, and I don’t think it was worth it, even at the discount. They have a lot of «noodle dish» options, and the two we had were pretty terrible. The curry noodles were bland, my partner’s soup was also lackluster. To make matters worst, my partner sat with his food for at least 15 minutes before mine came out.
The ambiance is hectic and fast food restaurant-​like, and the best word I can find to describe the food is, «boring.»