Do you ever return to a restaurant that you may have outgrown, but still brings back happy memories? That was my experience at a salad bar called Soup ‘n Fresh in Southern California.
Soup ‘n Fresh In Rancho Cucamonga, CA Brings Back Happy Memories
Growing up, we’d often go to a salad bar chain called Souplantation after church on Sundays (it was called Sweet Tomatoes in other parts of the West). In March 2020, the restaurant chain was ordered to be shut down due to COVID-19 concerns and never reopened.
I was driving home from a meeting in Palm Springs last week and had not eaten all day. I was leaning toward stopping at Old Spaghetti Factory (another childhood favorite that I have not tried for years) but then I remembered reading in the LA Times that an old Souplanation had opened in Rancho Cucamonga (in LA’s Inland Empire) under a new name.
Sure enough, it was called Soup ‘n Fresh and I could make it in just before closing time!
Pulling in, I saw a line out the door and almost turned around…regular readers know I do not like lines of any kind. But for sentimentality, I waited the 15 minutes to get inside the door.
In addition to a huge salad bar, there are soups, pasta, bread, muffins, cornbread, and focaccia, all made on the premises. Expect a carb-heavy meal with little protein, though you can find some protein in the soups.
I don’t know if I will go back here. I can make a nice salad for much cheaper at home and while the soups were great, the pizza and bread were not worth the calories and I don’t eat dessert like that anymore.
But the smells and tastes brought back happy memories of childhood…it was a fun treat and I know my kids would love it if we ever happened to be back there.
Do you have any favorite restaurants that you return to even though you don’t really love the food?
Nice one! I have fond memories of ponderosa as a kid. Problem with soups like that is that they’re probably laden with sugar and cornstarch to thicken them.
Indeed. Probably not a place aI will return to, but it was fun.
Their yellow cheese sauce flat bread was the guilty pleasure. The restaurant experience in most locales fails to deliver the basics : a server that offers to explain the menu,make recommendations based on what is fresh,what is the training of the chef,checking for proper seasoning and asking for feedback.
I loved Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes. This looks just like it. I always appreciated they had many gluten free soups, desserts and muffins in addition to the salad.
My family loved Souplantation. I hope they open a Soup ‘N Fresh in SAN county. Old Spaghetti Factory is also a favorite we still go to. If you’ve never tried it. do the Manager’s Favorite with the Mizithra cheese/browned butter sauce and the clam sauce combined. The Chicken Marsala comes with the Miz/butter spaghetti and I get a side of clam sauce. Each is good on it’s own, but mixed together is outstanding. A friend had me try this 30 years ago and I haven’t done it any other way since.
I take it one further! I order the Potpourri (four sauces) and ask for the mizithra, clam sauce with meat sauce in equal thirds. I skip the marinara! I too mix them for an incredible dish! I grew up in Portland and remember dinners there as early as age 5 in 1969. To this day, my family circles the locations we have visited over the years on the placemat as a little competition. Occasionally I will get a text from a sibling with a picture of them in front of one of the rare locations the rest of us have not yet visited!
@Matthew you will be happy to know that the original owners of Soup Plantation aka Sweet Tomatoes bought back the right to the chain and has reopened their first store in Tucson, AZ.
I want the one in Pasadena to reopen!
Lol half a mile from my house. Yes it’s amazing to see it back, and a line every night….
Used to go to souplantation in San Bernardino
I love these blog posts !!! They are just so human and authentic!
“That place” for me was Pancho’s Mexican Buffet. Dad used to pack us up in the car and drive 42 miles (yes, 42 miles) for the privilege. Objectively, the place was awful, but I had lots of fun memories as a kid raising the flag for sopaipillas after wolfing down some enchiladas and tacos.
I live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.and discovered Sweet Tomatoes on one of my many spring training baseball trips to Florida. (Tampa, Ft Lauderdale, Ft Myers, etc.). Also found them in LAX, LAS, PHX and MCI. Sure do miss them! Maybe I’ll be lucky if Soup ‘N Fresh expands or we get Sweet Tomatoes back.