Not just a great place to hangout, but delicious food (with healthy options) makes Mellow Mushroom one of the top new restaurants in Arlington. This is not your dad’s greasy pizza. An eclectic menu, psychedelic décor, fresh ingredients, friendly service, and youthful vibe put the ‘fun’ in funky at this location near UT-Arlington and downtown.
Mellow Mushroom Restaurant
200 N. Center St, Arlington, TX
(817) 274-7173
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 11am-10pm; Fri & Sat, 11am-11pm
www.mellowmushroom.com/arlington
Located just a few blocks north of UT-Arlington on the northern edge of downtown, Mellow Mushroom has quickly become popular with the locals. The address is 200 N. Center Street (click here for directions: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=200 North Center Street, Arlington, TX 76011)
Before I get too far into the menu, it’s important to note the large selections of drinks. There are over 40 bottled beers on tap (ranging mostly $4 to $9) which fun choices like Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, Peroni, Abita, and Red Stripe (don’t worry, the regular standards are here, too). Draft beer? How ‘bout 36 choices. Pitchers start around $18.
Now…about the food… (for full menu on-line, click here: http://mellowmushroom.com/arlington#/store/menu/arlington/pizza)
You’re going to have a tough time deciding which pizza to order, so let me tell you right off the bat that you can save yourself a lot of trouble by ordering half-and-half. For our most recent lunch trip, we did half “Chicken Cordon Bleu” and half “Thai Dye” (curry marinated chicken, thai chilly sauce, mozzarella).
That’s right, “Thai Dye” pizza. Yes, there’s a hippy vibe to this place (most Mellow Mushrooms are located near college campuses, like this one close to UT-Arlington). Our server says the “Maui Wowie” is one of the most popular pizza choices (ham/pineapple/smoked bacon/jerk chicken).
There’s the “Funky Q. Chicken” or “Red Skin Potato Pie” or “Mellowterranean” or “Kosmic Karma”. The “Magical Mystery Tour” is pesto based with Portobello mushrooms, spinach, feta & jalapenos.
The gourmet pizzas start at $10.85 for a small and go up to $26.95 for a large, depending on how exotic you want to get. Not wanting to get too crazy? You can always just get a cheese pizza ($7.95 small, $12.45 medium, $15.95 large) and add your own ingredients (additional charge for extra ingredients).
I love the crust of these pizzas…and don’t feel guilty for indulging. The crust has wheat germ, molasses and spring water.
The Calzones are very filling, if you decide to go that direction. You can just get a regular cheese ($7.95) or try the House Calzone (spinach & mushrooms, $11.95) or Steak & Cheese ($12.95) or Chicken & Cheese ($12.95).
Maybe you’re into the sandwiches. Here all the Hoagies are heated and you can choose French bread, wheat bread or pita. The Jerk Chicken is a popular choice ($6.50 half/$9.25 whole) and so is the Meatball. For the more health conscious, there’s the Tofu or the Capri or the Tempeh (marinated & grilled tempeh, feta, grilled mushrooms, greep peppers, pesto mayonnaise; $6.50 half/$9.25 whole). My husband prefers Irv’s Sausage & Peppers (grilled sausage links, caramelized onions, green peppers, provolone cheese, spicy mustard; $6.95 half; $9.95 whole).
When it comes to the “Munchies” (appetizers), allow me to recommend the Stuffed Portabello Mushroom ($7.95) or the Tortilla Soup ($4.25). There’s also a meatball appetizer (haven’t tried it yet, $6.95) and I’ve heard the Tomato Bisque is very good, too ($4.25). You can also be a little more basic and go with Cheese Bread or Garlic Bread or Hummis, or Wings or Spinach Artichoke Dip. Next time I’m trying the Pretzels ($4.50 half order, $7.95 whole) which are covered in garlic butter & parmesan (although I’m more anxious to taste the cinnamon & honey).
You can go with a regular Greek salad or spinach salad ($5.50 small, $8.75 regular) or go with the Brutus ($8.75 regular, $11 with added chicken) which is a Caesar salad plus grilled Portabello, roasted peppers, feta cheese, and your choice of jerk chicken or teriyaki chicken.
Most salads are served with their house dressing called “Esperanza” unless you choose something else (herb vinaigrette, spice ranch, bleu cheese, Thousand Island, Caesar, honey mustard, lite ranch, ranch, balsamic vinaigrette, oil & vinegar).
You can also “Build Your Own Salad” (base is $3.50; spinach or romaine or spring mix) plus veggies (50 cents each) and cheeses (.75 to $1 depending) and proteins ($2.25 to $2.95 each, choices like applewood smoked bacon or meatballs or tofu or avocado or pesto chicken, etc.) plus dressing.
Our service has been excellent on our trips to Mellow Mushroom. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice on the menu. Sometimes you can’t go half-and-half on your pizza choices because some are red sauce-based and others are olive oil-based.
Whatever you decide, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s fresh. It’s different from the regular pizza places (or the frozen cardboard pizza in your freezer). So try something fun & different. You get what you pay for.
Our server said the Caseari Pizza (yes, a Caesar salad on top of a pizza) was very good but a bit messy. Will try it next time and let you know!
Arlington Insider 