cactus & kudzu

My sister and I finally live and work in the same city, so we have been having regular sister lunches. Last week, we went to Urban Cookhouse. I’ve made many a trip to the one in Homewood, but this was my first visit to the new location at The Summit.

In the past I’ve enjoyed every meal at Urban Cookhouse, so it’s hard to give a bad review of what I ordered. But I did learn at Food Blog South last weekend (which was awesome by the way) that bloggers need not be afraid to be critical. But hey, sometimes it is just easier to just go on and on about all things you love.

So I ordered the Pepper Patch Wrap, which is grilled chicken, black beans, corn, red onions, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, and roasted jalapeno vinaigrette wrapped in a wheat tortilla. While a lot of these ingredients weren’t in season, I decided to try it anyways. Much to my chagrin, the wrap was very dry. There was not enough dressing on it. The tomatoes were mealy, and I didn’t get any “pepper” taste until the very end of the wrap.

I ordered a side of hot cheddar pasta, which was delightfully cheesy, though the pasta was a little overcooked and mushy, but still delivered a great sharp cheddar flavor.

In the past, I have ordered the pulled pork sandwiches and they were quite delicious (at the Homewood location). Also the broccoli salad is sweet and crisp and definitely worth trying.

The one thing I will rave about is their strawberry lemonade. It did taste very fresh and the man behind the counter told us that they press the fresh strawberries right there in the kitchen the day of. And the flavor definitely confirmed that story.

My sweet sister Brynn enjoys her strawberry lemonade.

I’m certainly willing to give Urban Cookhouse another try, but I left feeling like I should have ordered something else or gone elsewhere for lunch. Sad. But with time, maybe the kitchen at this location will catch up with its Homewood sibling. Have you tried the new location? What are your thoughts?