Registered dietitian, Leah Smith, reviews the family-friendly cafeteria-style restaurant, Luby’s.
About the restaurant: A family-friendly cafeteria-style restaurant located in OK, TX and AR. Prides itself on “good food at reasonable prices.”
The review team: Leah Smith is a registered and licensed dietitian in Austin, TX. She has a husband and two elementary age children. She writes about healthy and fun recipes for kids and families at www.txkidskitchen.com. She also teaches nutrition and cooking classes for kids at her local YMCA. Leah’s mom and children joined her on this trip to Luby’s.
All the delicious and nutritious details: When we arrived at Luby’s, there was no line. This made the experience of eating with kids much better! The kids found it fun to see all the food to choose from right there in front of them. I’ll admit I was excited to see the salad bar. There may not have been everything a typical self-serve salad bar has, but it definitely had veggie variety. I had a mix of spinach and romaine lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli. I was also surprised at the portion size of the side salad. For a little over $2, the salad bowl was heaping over with food!
We ordered the Blackened Tilapia and Turkey Chopped Steak as our main entrées. We chose two sides that you can find from the Healthy Dining list of selections: Steamed Broccoli and Cooked Baby Carrots. My mom enjoyed the Turkey Chopped Steak and commented on how moist and juicy it was! She was also very impressed with the portion size of the salad.
The Blackened Tilapia was my entrée of choice, and I would order it again! I always like carrots and broccoli as sides – but, at Luby’s, I like that my broccoli was not drenched in butter and salt. I could control the flavor and calories myself.
We ordered a side of fruit, melon and fresh pineapple for the kids. Fresh pineapple is always enjoyed by all. It was nice to have the options of fresh fruit and vegetables for adults and kids. This was especially true since my kids prefer to eat most of their veggies raw. Luby’s staff is friendly and helpful when refilling drinks like water and iced tea.
The verdict: Enjoy Foodies! – Leah