Proving its popularity after opening a first location less than three years ago, Honest Mary’s is now serving its signature fresh grain bowls at a second restaurant.

The fast-casual eatery’s new Rosedale location doesn’t disappoint. With a contemporary atmosphere, you can grab a quick bowl of hearty and healthy food, either on the go or while socializing with friends in a bright and airy space.

The restaurant’s owners, Nelson Monteith and his wife Mary, developed the business concept because they wanted an option for dining out that included the healthy, clean food they’d been preparing at home. All of the food at Honest Mary’s is sourced from farmers and friends of the owners. The food has powerful health benefits, zero GMO oils and no refined sugars.

Honest Mary’s offers signature bowls or you can build your own. During my visit, I opted to build my own bowl made of grilled hormone-free steak, black forbidden rice, organic spinach, kale with lemon, Texas sweet potatoes, avocado, crispy black beans and apple cider vinaigrette. Something I’d not had before, the black forbidden rice proved to be the most interesting item in the bowl. A crunchier rice, the black rice is known for its antioxidant properties and a strong nutritional value.

My dining companion enjoyed one of the signature bowls, the Aloha Poke. Made with hand-line caught poke, basmati rice, avocado, Asian slaw, edamame, pickled onions, fresh jalapenos, black sesame seeds and sesame vinaigrette, this option shows more of the restaurant’s ingredient variety. (And, means you don’t have to decide what to put in your bowl!)

Local Kosmic Kombucha on tap is another unique option at Honest Mary’s. The “Groovy Green” kambucha, with hints of kiwi, pineapple coconut, wheatgrass and agave is refreshing. If kombucha is not your thing, a handcrafted tea is another option. Cucumber honey, ginger limeade, hibiscus ginger and local yaupon black are available daily.

One more tip before you head to Honest Mary’s — the restaurant is cashless! Nelson and Mary say being cashless allows for a faster checkout, and it also saves them money by not having to hire for late night accounting or armored trucks. Because of that, they’re able to put their savings right back in customers’ pockets, by charging less for the food.

A bowl at Honest Mary’s runs around $11-$13. The new Rosedale location is located at 4800 Burnet Road, C300. The original restaurant is in the Arboretum.

Cover photo courtesy Honest Mary’s

Britni Rachal lives in Austin, Texas. She is a freelance journalist and a full-time marketer within the automotive industry. In addition to writing, Britni enjoys traveling, event planning, fashion, fitness and serving the Austin community.