THE PINT-SIZED FOODIE: An introduction to Toastique

Each month, our 11-year-old resident foodie visits a different Charlotte-area restaurant that’s kid-friendly—but not a kid-topia. He orders something he’s never tried before and reports back with his recommendations for kids and their parents. Here is his review of Toastique in South End.

Where it’s located:

It’s inside a building with a bunch of other restaurants and stuff (read: Vantage South End), so you have to park in a parking garage and take an elevator down first. If you bring your ticket to the register, they stamp it before you go so you don’t have to pay for parking.

What we ordered:

I got the Blue Mystique ($10) bowl and Mommy got the PB Crunch Toast ($12). Then we split the Orange Crush ($8) smoothie.

How it works:

You order at the register and it’s kind of like Chipotle where you see them make your bowl or toast. Then you find a seat inside or outside and they bring your order when it’s ready. The owners’ son, Brody, brought our food to us.

Why I liked it:

I loooove açaí (pronounced ah-sah-EE) bowls and smoothies cuz it’s like you’re having healthy ice cream or fro-yo.   

What I didn’t like:

I can’t think of anything I didn’t like.

What I tried for the first time:

The bright blue stuff in my bowl (read: frozen açaí puree) was really good and I liked the granola on top cuz it made it kinda crunchy. The owners, Chris and Angela, were really nice and let us sample the fro-yo. The flavor was strawberry swirl and he said it was made with plants, but it didn’t taste like plants at all—just really good fro-yo.

Why other kids should try it:

I think most kids like smoothies, and açaí bowls are kind of like smoothies in a bowl that you can put fruit and nuts and stuff on top of. Also, I think it’s pretty healthy.

What I liked best:

My açaí bowl. It had a lot of stuff in it, like pineapple and banana chunks and I think there was mango and coconut, too. Then it had granola and honey on top, so it’s really good when you stir it all together.

Why parents will like it:

It’s pretty healthy and they have a bunch of different avocado toasts and there’s a coffee bar. They’ve also got a fridge at front with juices and salads that you can get to take home.

Why I would come back:

More fro-yo!