Good, Healthy Eats: The Valley Organic Deli
Editor’s note: Originally published March 15, 2017. Republished April 30, 2020.
Before I dive in, I (or rather we) have a small confession to make.
The Valley Organic Deli opened up the summer of 2016, and one of our other contributors went to review the new eatery. Sadly, they didn't come back with much positive feedback. Fast forward to now, and our friend/co-worker claims she enjoys eating (drinking?) their smoothies, and has had many positive experiences at the Valley.
In order to settle the score once and for all, I decided to go and try out these "new" comers.
When I first walked through the glass front door, I was greeted and saw the huge menus they have on the walls. They've got lots of options to choose from, mainly from four different categories: smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, and salads. I'm a rabbit at heart, so I chose the Chicken Club Salad with the choice of one of their house-made salad dressings. Getting the pomegranate vinaigrette was a no brainer.
Their prices range between $7 to $13, smoothies being around $8 and entrees starting around $10. At first glance some of their prices seem higher than your normal deli joint, but if you choose to get a sandwich or a wrap, you also get a choice of chips, side salad, or seasonal fruit.
It's also good to keep in mind that everything is organic, which affects the price (and quality).
Besides their food options, they have a wide variety of drinks, including freshly made house-juiced juices, Fidalgo coffee, and tea.
After I ordered, they gave me a number and I sat down close to the window. Side note, a great place to people watch. While waiting for my food, many people came in ordering smoothies and picking up online orders. Must be a popular place at lunch for local business folks.
They have plenty of tables for parties of two to four, which would be great for a small business lunch with colleagues. Not so much for larger groups, though.
First impressions: this is a clean, sharp looking place. I was there on a sunny day, and the front windows allowed sunlight to flood every inch of the room. Bonus, on sunny warm days their front wall is a roll-up garage-style window. I envisioned myself sitting here in the summer, sipping an organic smoothie chatting with my hubby and fluffy dog.
When my food came, I put my squinty-eyes on and analyzed the salad. Here's my breakdown.
Smells good. The chicken looks moist and fresh, and tasted just the same.
Decent amount of greens, and a variety at that.
Tasting the vinaigrette on its own, it was kind of meh. But when I poured it on the salad, it was like a chemical reaction occurred and the dressing tasted fabulous. Sweet, but not sugary sweet. Natural.
Large chunks of bacon and avocado = always a belly-pleaser.
My final verdict: my tummy was full of yummy food that I knew wouldn't be impacting my waistline in a negative way. From what I can gather from these guys' website, the owner is passionate about organic food and making sure people can eat healthy too.
Friendly staff? Check. Good food? Check. Good variety? Check.
Next time I'm in, I might get a little crazy and get that dragon fruit smoothie. Life's too short not to eat healthy.
The Valley Organic Deli
2805 Colby Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
Anna is a graphic designer based out of Everett, WA. She loves Despi donuts, dogs, and walking on the Lowell waterfront trail.