Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill: Feel Good About Eating

By Erin

Have you been to Sharky’s yet? Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill recently opened its 22nd restaurant in Northridge. At Sharky’s they are all about using innovative and creative recipes and using local, natural and organic ingredients. Their passion for the variety of flavors of Mexico and using organic and natural foods is evident in every bite. I was invited to attend a media lunch sponsored by Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill in Northridge. I made the trek up the 405 to come here from Long Beach, that’s how good it is.

Sharky’s is a fresh & modern, fast casual restaurant that serves Mexican cuisine that wants to make you “feel good about eating” again. The visual appearance is also appealing and welcoming. With a sky-high, sloping roofline and outdoor patio with comfortable seating and a communal firepit that is perfect for people watching or to spend time with family and friends.

The second you step into Sharky’s, you will notice the open and welcoming space. With 20-foot ceilings, cozy booths, a dining bar with prime TV viewing, or a community table, you have many seating options depending on your needs on any particular visit. The Northridge location is at the corner of Nordhoff & Reseda Blvd and is within walking distance from Cal State Northridge. I can totally see this place being packed by students either waiting for classes to start, taking a lunch or dinner break, or after classes to relax and hang-out. I know I would be making this my go-to spot if I were a student at CSUN or worked super close by!

A couple other things you will notice; the fresh salsa bar and the beautiful bar which serves craft beers, Sangria & kombucha. I loved the Sangria, look at all of the fruit inside!

Who would of thought that kombucha would be served at a bar at a Mexican restaurant? The Kombucha has been a successful addition according to David Goldstein, who is Sharky’s COO. I chose to stick with my fruity sangria though. 😛

The menus are easy and fun to read. I love all the lower fat and lower calorie options, and off course I had to order a nice refreshing white sangria. It was hot outside!

Looking for some non-alcoholic options? There are plenty of other drink options here. Of course you have the standard soda & water, but there are also many lemonades to choose from like; Watermelon Basil, Pineapple, or Strawberry Cilantro lemonade! Then you also have organic milk, organic Honest Kids drinks, or aHibiscus Ginger Green Tea! My favorite was the Strawberry Cilantro Lemonade (the one on the far right below).

Everything was served up fresh, flavorful & tasty, and the guacamole! The guacamole was perfect, and with some chips and the lemonade….I could have easily just filled up on that!

Next, we had the Harvest Quinoa Salad, which I loved. On super hot summer days I hate having anything too heavy, so this salad was the perfect choice. Organic red and white quinoa, organic baby greens, apples, strawberries, dried cranberries and blueberries, golden raisins, pecans, almonds, goat cheese, a sprinkle of toasted flax and chia seeds, with a sweet lemon vinaigrette dressing make up this delicious and light salad.

My favorite was this though. The Wild Salmon “Lite” Burrito off of the “Get It Naked” Menu. It contains grilled wild salmon, nori seaweed, organic poblano brown rice, avocado, cucumber, cabbage, chili sesame aioli, and is wrapped in a low-fat whole wheat tortilla. This fun menu (I love the name! Ha ha) is loaded with items that are lower in fat & lower in calories. But don’t let the “lite” name fool you, it sure isn’t “lite” on flavor!

Then of course you have the tacos! We got ours served up Fajita style (with grilled veggies, onions, avocado, and cheese). I loved all the fresh avocado that they were topped with.

Another great choice are the power plates that come with 2 or 3 sides. Pictured here is the Wild Caught Wild Salmon with Organic Quinoa and Veggies and the Organic Mexican Style Rice. The food, the drinks, the warm and welcoming ambience, I’d say we had a very memorable and tasty experience at Sharky’s! To check out Sharky’s for yourself and for more information on Sharky’s Northridge or to find a location near you (they need to make one in Long Beach next! *Hint*Hint*) 😉 then check out their website here.