Sage Birchwood

Review of Quarks American Bento

I really wanted to like this place. There was hype...

I really wanted to like this place. There was hype with fancy fliers, their social media progress in starting this small business, and their community outreach to local programs. But, for a number of reasons, I just didn't fall in love with Quarks.

Minus 2 stars, the food: American Bento sounds great on paper. I even think that some people are very successful in pulling it off with their practice of meal prepping. Quarks isn't quite there yet. Serving small portions of chilled food is kind of redundant when they could just box up the lunches in advance which would save time. Even if the food was piping hot, the flavors aren't all that tasty. It also doesn't help that the finished product looks like a slightly mixed rice bowl and doesn't come close in presentation when compared to iconic imagery of Japanese bento.

I am quoting someone else as they described how they felt about the food, "I serve my rabbits better food than this". While this is unfairly harsh, Quarks does struggle to get the basics of quality, quantity and presentation.

Minus 1 star, price: With the points above, the final product doesn't justify the price tag. They also sell overpriced tea.

Minus 1 star service and management: With how complex each individual meal can be, it doesn't help with first impressions when the service is slow, and the employees are kind of socially awkward which is not a good mix. I feel uncomfortable when I dine in because it seems like there is tension in the air.