Ballston Quarter restaurants are opening on a rolling basis. According to Ballston Quarter Marketing Director Cristian Becker, all restaurants should be open by May, but two opened in December: Chick-fil-A and Punch Bowl Social. The newer restaurants will provide customers with additional cuisines a few blocks away from the school.

Of the many restaurants with types of food such as Mediterranean, Chinese and French, I went to locations outside Ballston for the restaurants True Food Kitchen, Ted’s Bulletin, All About Burger, Ice Cream Jubilee, and South Block.

The first restaurant I went to was True Food Kitchen. The room was expansive with rustic light-sources and lots of seating. Almost every seat was filled, mostly by young adults, some with children. The menu provided customers with a variety of options, many of which were vegan, vegetarian or gluten free. The portion sizes were substantial, though the price of each dish was on the more expensive side, ranging from about 10 to 25 dollars. Overall, the restaurant had good food, but was too loud to have an actual conversation, even with someone sitting across the table. Because of the noise and the large amount of people, the room felt somewhat crowded.

Ted’s Bulletin is one of the only restaurants that I had previously heard of and been to. Famous for their homemade poptarts, Ted’s Bulletin is a restaurant not as vegetarian friendly. The food tasted delicious, especially the S’mores Ted’s Tart, but the restaurant did not cater to people who do not consume meat. The atmosphere matched the style of food: old-fashioned comfort. The price ranged from about seven to 28 dollars, with most dishes lying on the upper end of that range.

All About Burger was next on the list of restaurants. With the decorations of a 50s style burger place, the atmosphere was pleasant, and wait for food was short. The food itself was average, and it did not stand out from other burger restaurants like Five Guys or Elevation Burger. The french fries, at least, tasted like they were made from potatoes, and not some mystery substance.

The next restaurant I visited, Ice Cream Jubilee, had a variety of out-of-the-ordinary flavors like Honey Lemon Lavender and Thai Iced Tea, as well as classics like Chocolate. The flavors are often changing and have a great taste. The location was smaller than the other restaurants because it was not designed to provide people with seating. It is more for getting ice cream and then getting out. While the texture was a bit unusual and the price was four dollars for a single scoop, overall, Ice Cream Jubilee is worth a visit.

The last restaurant I visited was South Block. The menu is made up mostly of juices, smoothies and acai bowls. I found the price to be a bit high, which was about nine dollars for smoothies and 10 for the relatively small acai bowls. There was a small amount of seating, likely because the restaurant is meant for an on-the-go breakfast or lunch. As for the atmosphere, it was very modern and welcoming.

All of the restaurants I visited were enjoyable and most did not require any wait, although before going to True Food Kitchen it would have been best to get a reservation. For the most part, the food was delicious and the prices were reasonable enough. If these eateries are any indication, Ballston Quarter is going to provide customers with an abundance of satisfactory eating options.

SCORE CARD:

Each restaurant was rated based on the quality of food, the general price range and the atmosphere. They were scored in each category out of five points.

True Food Kitchen-

Food: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Total Score: 12/15

Ted’s Bulletin-

Food: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Total Score: 13/15

All About Burger-

Food: 3/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Price: 5/5

Total Score: 12/15

Ice Cream Jubilee-

Food: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Total Score: 11/15

South Block-

Food: 5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Total Score: 12/15

Restaurant Average: 12/15