[CLOSED] Soup’s On – Fall Weather Dining

I love soup.  Unfortunately, Florida’s sweltering summer heat isn’t really conducive to enjoying a hot cup of soup.  Now that (slightly) cooler fall weather is around the corner, I’m looking forward to getting my fill of yummy soup while I can.

Soups On – French Onion and Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

Today, we stopped by one of our favorite places for soup – Soup’s On.  With two locations, (one in Riverside and one in Atlantic Beach) you can get great soup and yummy gourmet sandwiches no matter which side of the river you’re on.  Today, we ate at the Atlantic Beach location.  The decor at this location is a little shabby and dingy.  The Riverside location is a bit more modern and bright.  We are not a fan of the tiny tables and weird/uncomfortable stools that are used to furnish both locations.  Each table only seats two, so if you’re going with a larger group (or with young kids) you’re gonna have to do some rearranging of tables and chairs to accommodate your party.  There are also no high chairs, which is a definite drawback for families with little ones.  So if you’re bringing a baby, be prepared to wheel in the stroller.

Soups On – Cuban Potato Balls

With all that being said, the food at Soup’s On more than makes up for the decor and the odd seating choices.  Their soup selection changes daily, so it’s a good idea to check their website or pick up a paper menu when you get there so you know what your options are.  Usually, they have at least one vegetarian option and one meat option among their offerings.  Vegan and seafood options are also usually available.  Their soups range from the familiar (Chicken Noodle Soup) to the more exotic (things like Thai Sweet Potato Stew and Tilapia & Chorizo Roasted Tomato Chowder).  They also have great hot sandwiches and a couple of cold salad options.  You can order in a few different ways…just soup, just sandwich, or a combo.  And you can choose from a few different sizes of soup.

Soups On – Logo

Today, I had a cup of one of my favorites…French Onion Soup.  I love French Onion Soup in general, but the French Onion Soup from Soup’s On is particularly tasty.  It has a rich hearty onion flavor, with a cheesy hunk of crusty bread floating on top, served with another big wedge of bread on the side.  Perfect for dipping in that tasty soup.  I also had the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich.  It’s a big juicy marinated mushroom on hearty bread, topped with pepper jack cheese and thyme aioli.  There is also arugula, which adds a peppery crispness to the sandwich.

Soups On – Menu

We also tried the Meatball Orzo Soup today.  It was rich and filling.  The meatballs had great flavor and the broth was well seasoned and packed with tons of veggies.  It was a great soup and it paired really well with the other sandwich that we tried – the Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich.  This one is served open faced on thick crusty bread.  The thick slices of juicy tomato, the basil, and the sundried tomato made for great fresh flavors.  And the mozzerella added a nice touch of creaminess.  It was like a caprese salad on a sandwich…very tasty.

Soups On – Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich

While enjoying our soups and sandwiches, we noticed something else on the menu that we just had to try – Cuban Potato Balls (Papas Rellenas).  These are basically like deep fried mashed potatoes with a little pocket of meat filling in the middle.  They were delicious.  We tried one of each of their flavor options.  The Ham & Cheese Potato Ball was not very well seasoned in the middle where the meat and cheese was tucked away.  But the potato filling was very tasty.  The Beef Potato Ball was awesome.  The meaty center had a slightly-spicy Cuban seasoning to it.  Yum.  But really, the crunchy outer “shell” was the best part of these Cuban Potato Balls…perfectly golden fried, crispy goodness.  So glad we decided to give these a try.

Soups On – Turkey Meatball Orzo

One last thing that bears mentioning is the way Soup’s on does pricing. Every price includes tax. This keeps things simple and easy. Cheers to keeping it simple.  All in all, we love Soup’s On.  Sure, there are some quirks in the decor and ambiance of this particular location.  But whether you decide to pull up a (slightly uncomfortable) stool and eat in or pick up some soup to take home for later, you will not be disappointed by the food from Soup’s On.  Go ahead and add it to your “must eat” list for this fall when/if the weather finally starts cooling off a little.

Soups On – Wear Padded Pants

For this review we welcome a member of our own JRR family:  Rhonda Kovar is a former call center manager turned stay-at-home mom.  She grew up in the heart of North Carolina and moved to Florida after getting hitched in 2002.  She is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University and a lover of all things crafty, musical, or edible.  Rhonda loves finding new and delicious ways to turn her two tiny picky eaters into future foodies.