Darcy Green opened ‘Brosia Bowl in Sioux Falls, hoping to fill a culinary gap in the area. Green says she was disappointed in the lack of restaurants that catered to her dietary needs.
“I wanted to open a place where the vegetarians, vegans, and people with food allergies of the world could go to feel comfortable ordering,” said Green. “It’s nice to have a place where it’s more about the plants, and you can get something fresh without having to worry about all of those things.”
Located in the downtown Jones421 building, ‘Brosia Bowl sells entirely plant-based meal options in 100% compostable packaging—including the forks. The menu includes salads, breakfast, and grain bowls. Many options are gluten free.
When the storefront opened on August 12, she was sure that her salads would be the most popular, but she says that the rice-based options have been crowd favorites.
Fact
When Green was deciding what to name her new business, she wanted to call it Build-A-Bowl. A trademark lawyer recommended she make up a word. Green stumbled upon the word “ambrosia,” which is Greek for “the food of the gods.” She modified it to create the alliterative title of ‘Brosia Bowl.
“Our Thai Peanut Bowl seems to be our number one seller,” said Green. “That’s seasoned rice, black beans, and our homemade signature Thai peanut sauce.”
On top of the plant-based grain and protein base, the dish is sprinkled with fresh ingredients.
“Then it’s topped with spinach, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, ginger, and onions,” said Green.
One of the largest longest-standing menu items is the Winter Salad.
“I started ‘Brosia Bowl because I was tired of not having anywhere to eat. I wanted to do meal prep. It evolved into selling plant-based meals in compostable packaging.” – Darcy Green
“I created that in the winter of 2019 or 2020. People went nuts over it, so I just kept it on the menu,” said Green. “That’s got roasted chickpeas, apples, pears, quinoa, cranberries, walnuts, onions, vegan feta, and a white wine vinaigrette.”
Menu items vary with options from Mediterranean-inspired dishes to Greek- and Mexican-inspired options.
On Saturday mornings, the ‘Brosia Bowl food truck still makes an appearance at the Falls Park Farmers’ Market.
MORE ON THE MENU
BOWLS
+ CREAMY COCONUT CURRY
Seasoned rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger in a coconut curry sauce and topped with spinach and cilantro.
+ FAJITA CHICK’N
Soy chick’n, seasoned rice, onions, and peppers in a spicy fajita sauce and topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, vegan cheddar, and crunchy tortilla strips.
+ TERIYAKI TOFU
Tofu, seasoned rice, and pineapple in a sweet teriyaki sauce and topped with spinach, peppers, onions, carrots, ginger, cucumbers, and cilantro.
SALAD
+ BUFFALO
Greens, buffalo-tossed chickpeas, green peppers, celery, cherry tomatoes, onions, cabbage, vegan cheddar, and ranch.
+ GREEK
Greens, roasted chickpeas, tabouleh, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, vegan feta, and soy tzatziki dressing.
OTHER
+ DESSERT BARS
Provided by Bee Loved Kitchen, flavors include chocolate cherry espresso, peanut butter chocolate, raspberry, key lime, and more.
“On the food truck on Saturdays, we feature our breakfast menu Breakfast Bowl, which is a roasted red potatoes, tofu scramble, vegan cheese, homemade pico, and you can choose a sauce,” said Green.
The bowl is gluten free, but there’s also the option to get it as a Breakfast Burrito in a plain tortilla or a jalapeño cheese tortilla.
These breakfast items are available at the storefront throughout all hours of operation.
“Getting this location was very serendipitous because I was about to sign a lease at another location in Sioux Falls, and it just never felt right.” – Darcy Green
In the future, Green says she hopes to expand the restaurant’s hours and add some more variety to the menu, such as making salads available as wraps.
“I hope to have soup in the fall,” said Green. “We’re going to offer paninis or pressed sandwiches down the road.”
With these options, she hopes to offer combos combining a choice of two items from the soups, salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Green says she hopes to have this option in place within a month or so.
Green says the business didn’t start with the end goal of a restaurant; it began with a desire to meal prep.
But after operating out of the Good Roots Farm & Gardens kitchen and selling her meals at Pomegranate Market in Sioux Falls, Brookings Farmers’ Market, and other locations, her dream changed.
“The goal had evolved from wanting to meal prep to wanting to create a vegan fast food chain. It went from farmers’ markets and stocking shelves to a food truck,” said Green. “This year I signed up for the farmers’ market in Sioux Falls with the anticipation of a storefront opening at some point. It all fell into place faster than I thought it would.”
