A new kind of fast

There are a lot of choices when going out to eat now. People are saturated with choices. I was eating at a Noodles & Company recently in Denver, Colorado 1737 East Evans Ave, I was hungry and wanted something good and fast. After we went through the line and chose our drinks we sat down and talked for somewhere between 5 and ten minutes then our food arrived. I had the Wisconsin Mac N Cheese and she had the Japanese Pan Noodles. While we were eating we began to talk about how nice it was to go to a place that served good food fast. I thought that a place like Noodles & Company was a great new fast food place, but it does not fit the traditional "fast food" category. So, since Quinn (my girlfriend) is such a great problem solver, she came up with a new category for restaurants like Noodles & Company that are fast, tasty, and sorta sitdown-ish.

There are several criteria that separate a Burger King or Subway from a Noodles & Company or a Panera Bread. Here is the short list.

1. Spread out seating (more than booths)
2. Lot's of Windows
3. Free Wifi (really free not the kind you have to pay 5 dollars to connect for ten minutes)
4. A server (someone to at least deliver your meal)
5. Wide variety menu (other than burgers and sandwiches)
6. Computer friendly (access to outlets)
7. Timely food (more than 5 Minutes, less than 15)

Now here is a list of what places fit these criteria (for the most part). Places that Quinn and I have been to.

1. Noodles & Company
2. Panera Bread (no server)
3. The Spicy Pickle
4. Il Vicinos
5. La Baguette Bakery and Cafe
6. Tokyo Joe's (not too computer friendly)

You will notice that places like Qdoba and Chipotle are left off of this list. These establishments are very similar but they are pretty much as Quinn says "Subway for burritos." There were others that didn't quite make the list either.

One more thing to note is that places like this seem to be popping up all around Denver and Colorado Springs alike, so be sure to take advantage of the areas if you are there.

Remember, Quinn and I have been to these places so that is why we have this specific list. If you have a suggestion let me know and I will visit the place and update the list on a later date.