The Columbia Mall has gained a new, modern restaurant. Urban Plates had its grand opening this summer, in late August. It is located next to one of the mall’s other modern eateries, Shake Shack.

Urban Plates offers organic, reliable options to please any craving. To add even more appeal, every single plate, sandwich, side, dessert, and even drink, is made from scratch in the Urban Plates kitchen.

Guests can see for themselves how much effort each cook puts into creating all of the products; the kitchen is visible to all guests, separated from the dining area by only a glass panel on top of the food bar.

When guests enter the restaurant, they are immediately taken aback by the interior decor. The restaurant has eye-catching colors and unique pieces, such as indoor gardens on its walls.

Guests can then choose to go into one of two lines. One line is exclusively for plates, while the other is for those craving a sandwich. Plates include selections such as free-range grilled chicken, or oven-baked, wild salmon, accompanied by sides like roasted brussels sprouts, beet and carrot salad, potatoes, among a variety of other options.

There is a separate kids’ menu with simpler, more classic meals such as mac n’ cheese. But, that does not imply the quality of food  plates such as the classic macaroni and cheese. This does not, however, suggest a lower quality of food. Even the simplest meal on the menu, the Macaroni and Cheese, looks and tastes like a gourmet dish.

All of the sodas are made at the restaurant, resulting in authentic drinks such as the pineapple cream soda.

After the main meal, guests also have the option of ordering dessert. Once again, the desserts are made from scratch at the restaurant. Selections include items such as the mango tart and the banana-cream pie, as well as a giant chocolate chip cookie.

Guests customize their order by going through the line at the food bar and requesting the main dish, sides, drink, and dessert from employees. To make the process run more smoothly, guests pay for their orders at the end of the bar, meaning there is no need for waiters.

While enjoying their meals, guests are often greeted by kind bussers who take it upon themselves to make sure that everyone’s experience at the restaurant is memorable.

Along with having a wide variety of options for food, guests are also provided with several options for seating. The restaurant has booths, tall tables, short tables, and an attractive, outdoor seating area for days with nicer weather.

Urban Plates will undoubtedly become one of the more popular sites at the mall as it offers alternative, healthy options in a welcoming, attractive environment.