Good, healthy food, and friendly staff. I have been here a couple of times, and it's a place I would go back to when I news a good lunch quickly. The location is in Strawberry Square with inside and street entrances. Ordering is as simple or complicated as you want, with defined and built it yourself options for sandwiches, wraps, and salads. read more

Fresa Bistro - Cubano panini. - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

DISGUSTING. I ordered a chicken salad- the workers were not wearing masks. One of the guys had literally 1 glove on while handling food. I didn't realize until after I paid and midway food preparation unfortunately. After I got my food the lettuce was gross and the cucumbers were definitely rotten and old. The chicken was awful, no flavor and probably past. I threw rhe entire container away after opening it. I cannot believe I gave these people $10 for a disgusting salad and horrible service. I'm appalled they're still in business. If I could give them 0 stars I would. read more

Fresa Bistro - Old cucumbers everywhere - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I've been sitting at my table in Fresa Bistro for about 25 minutes now. I've long since finished my cup of Wild Mushroom Bisque. It was delicious, with big slices of mushrooms throughout. However, I also ordered a Cubano panini with fries. The place is busy at noon, with a constant line of 6-8 people (more now that it's 12:30) but the cashiers are cranking people through. The salad maker is scooping and tossing with alacrity. It seems like there's one person on the grill. I'm watching her grill burgers from scratch and that takes awhile. She looks harried and tired. I can't lie that I'm not feeling a little frustrated. Sandwich arrived with an apology for the wait but my panini is not a panini. A panini (and a traditional Cuban sandwich) is PRESSED. This appears to have been heated in an oven. It looks okay but there's way too much mustard and not enough pickle. The mustard its oozing out in glops. The pork is pulled, not sliced, and is not evenly distributed within the sandwich. The fries are sparse, from frozen, and coated in orange batter/ seasoning. At least they're crispy, and I was able to find one bottle among the dozen on the condiments counter, that still had ketchup in it. So the long line and the wait are off putting. The staff is friendly. The food is okay. It's a solid three for me. read more

Overview: Nice little lunch stop for massive salads, sandwiches, or soup. Food: I have eaten at Fresa many times now and have always been very happy with my meal. I particularly love their salads. The Forestiere is a particular favorite, as the roasted veggies and parmesan cheese is an excellent combination. I also really love the Cobb salad, which is nice and filling. Fresa offers several dressings but my favorite is the pesto vinaigrette. If you love pesto--get this. It's fantastic! I've also enjoyed some of their soups. The mushroom soup is a daily feature and very good! I also recently had their chicken pot pie, which although having a good flavor, had huge lumps of uncooked roux which I kept having the misfortune of biting into. I also feel it's a bit pricey for the portion size. Lastly, I have to mention how much I love their water! It's infused with cucumbers, strawberries, and lemons and is soooo refreshing. Recommend: Mushroom Bisque Forestiere Salad Cobb Salad Atmosphere: This place is BUSY. Whenever I know I'm going to get Fresa for lunch, I try to get there early as there is always a line. It moves decently, but definitely prepare to wait if you go during lunch time. Otherwise the restaurant has a decent number of tables that are always kept clean. Service: Service here has always been good! Even though pretty much always exceedingly busy, I have always been served with kindness and smiles. read more

Fresa Bistro - Cobb salad with no cheese and pesto vinaigrette - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I liked this place. I liked that you can call ahead and avoid the line. I did not like paying almost $20 for a soup and salad and parking. Maybe it's part of going downtown for lunch but this is still Harrisburg. The Fresa Salad that I ordered was more than $2 dollars than what I was expecting to pay. The salad was good but the there wasn't much to it. There was arugula, huge chunks of the center part of a romaine lettuce, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries. Adding chicken was an addition $2+ to the meal. There are a lot of options which was nice and the restaurant itself was clean. They have the smallest openings to their trashcan so it was impossible to throw your to go containers out there. In general, the place was nice but can be pricy. I will try this place again but go in expecting to pay more than their outdated website. read more

Fresa Bistro - Fresca salad with chicken - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I was disgusted reading some of these reviews. Yes Fresa is under new management, yes the menu has changed GIVE IT A CHANCE! The owner is a wonderful man who is very hard working and treats his employees with respect. I have been in there several times and have witnessed him joking and laughing with his employees. I have also seen on many different occasions walking around with his infant son, just adoring him and proud to show him off. I have had many different items off the menu and they have been nothing short of amazing. It us definitely a place that i will be returning to often. read more

Fresa Bistro - Chicken and rice - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

the owner had great customer service and banter with customers. made some great recommendations for dinner choices. recommend before hitting the theater. read more

Worst service ever. As I was waiting in line I got smacked in the elbow by a guy carrying boxes from a delivery. Who gets deliveries at lunch time? I ordered a wrap...not that hard. One of their standard menu items...you would think it wouldn't take 40 minutes to get my wrap. Guaranteed it was busy as a lot of the businesses around were closed for the holiday...but 40 minutes? I wasn't the only one. Then when I went to the cashier and asked to cancel my order and get a refund she said that she couldn't do that. The manager was apologetic, but didn't explain what happened. She only vaguely stated that she knew what happened. She refunded me anyway and gave me my wrap that had just got done for free...that's why she's getting two stars instead of one. The food... nothing to write home about. It was a standard Turkey Bacon wrap...for $9 I was expecting better than average. I didn't get that. If you are thinking of getting the home made chips, don't....go out the capital side of Strawberry Square and go about a block towards forum place for the home made chips at the Grilled Cheese place. Theirs are so much better. The ones here are bland and taste overcooked In fact just go eat at the Grilled Cheese or the Philly cheesesteak place. They have better customer service and yummier food. read more

Fresca Bistro is a much-needed healthy restaurant option now available in downtown Harrisburg. Their menu prices, ranging from $6 to $12 are affordable and their portions are very generous. The food tastes delicious too. I enjoyed being able to completely customize my salad or sandwich. Their flavor infused water is also really yummy. The restaurant is incredibly busy though. I don't know if it's because they just opened, or if they will maintain that level of busyness. read more

Fresa Bistro - Custom salad & ciabatta roll ($6) with added grilled chicken (+$2) - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I loved Grilled Chicken Salads, and this place did it well. They loaded it up with almost two grilled breasts (over serving customers is common for new restaurants, so get in here before they decrease the portion sizes). My only complaint is that the chicken is cold. It is that way by design (grilled then refrigerated), but I love hot grilled chicken on a salad. But, at $8, I really can't complain. If they want to compete with Home 231 and Cork & Fork, they just need to add beets and goat cheese to the a-la-carte menu, and give you the option to throw the chicken on the grill for a quick reheat. read more

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We chose Fresa as we walked through Harrisburg for the first time as visitors because we were looking for something fresh and a, hopefully, healthier option. My wife chose a salad and I went in on a sub. The sub, was passable--though there was a lot of bread in proportion to the very light serving of meat and vegetables. My wife's salad, on the other hand, was a completely different story. It would be fantastic if you didn't serve salads with just wilted lettuce and soggy cucumbers. It would be even better if, when your employees took that salad back into the shop to replace the lettuce, they actually came back out with fresh lettuce and cucumbers--not just more wilted brown lettuce and soggy cucumbers. Even if new to her plate, still wilted and soggy. Instead of just issuing a refund (only $8.99, not including tax) for a salad--because you messed up twice--we were told to wait one minute and the server/cook disappeared. After some time, we went inside. We were told to wait again. That cook, just a guy struggling behind the counter, was afraid of making a scene. He really didn't want to tell us that the owner, who wasn't even in that location, decided over the phone NO REFUNDS EVER. And, if we wanted to contest it, we had to walk down to another one of his restaurants to talk to him directly. No, Sir. NEVER AGAIN. Awful service. Awful--inedible food that was returned to the counter. And, denied a refund despite not being touched. You, sir, have a lot to learn about running a business. I know it probably doesn't matter to you because we are not locals. But, I will be sure to post my review to every social media, yelp, and whatever review system is available so that everyone that visits Harrisburg knows how awful you are and will avoid you. Good day, sir. read more

Food is good, and healthy. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, I would recommend taking your order to go. They always have their smart speaker, which is right on the counter in the faces of customers, blaring their tinny hipster music at full volume. It's a bit much. Love the grilled veggie wrap and house-made chips though! read more

I really enjoyed my Greek Salad with grilled chicken today. I'm still full 8 hours later. The manager was friendly. I felt bad that there was no one else there due to the stay at home order but being my first time getting takeout for lunch at work after being stuck at home the past 6 weeks, it made me appreciate what I had taken for granted so long. I had visited many times in the past prior to the shutdown and was always pleased with the fresh ingredients and quality of the salads I ordered. Keep up the good work. I hope to visit again soon. read more

Great spot for a quick bite. I always order the Thai shrimp salad to go, and they never disappoint.

Fresa Bistro used to be a great place to eat. I came to this establishment every time I visit Harrisburg on business. I'm not sure what happened to the place; but, it is awful!! It's under new ownership. The owner was the cook the day I was there and he can't cook! I ordered the southwest salad. The salad was not southwest. It was a tossed salad with grilled chicken that tasted like a wet rag and southwest dressing that tasted like French. I informed the owner of my dissatisfaction. He stated he would give me a free meal the next time. When I informed him I wasn't coming back, he handed me a $10 bill and snatched the receipt out of my hand. Never again!! read more

this is a great place for a custom salad -- only $6 for greens + 6 toppings + $2 for a protein. everything's very fresh! besides the salads, there are made to order or pre-made wraps, yogurts, fruits, soups--just a lot of options for lunch! i am giving it 4 stars because for the 2nd time in a row, i ordered & paid for a protein and they forgot. i had to bring my salad back and ask for it. today, thinking that i had gotten everything straightened out, i found out they missed another topping...but i'm already back at my office. arg! i suggest coming before or after the lunch hour to avoid the long lines, however, they're fast! i also recommend you to shuffle through your stuff before you walk out of the restaurant, they tend to miss things (and i've let people go before me in line to get their delivered orders fixed bc of the same reason too, so i know i am not the only one). read more

Fresa Bistro - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

I am traveling from out of town and was looking for a good salad place and decided to give this place a try. Large portions and fresh ingrediants. I will definatly good back next time im back in town. read more

Best lunch spot in Harrisburg! I was waiting a while to write a review because I thought maybe they were on their best behavior as a new restaurant....but nope! They are still amazing and I go at least once a week! Amazing food! Build your own salads with every topping you can think of, cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, homemade chips, soup, pasta salad, fruit, coleslaw. They have a special soup and special sandwich or other entrée every day, too. Portions are HUGE! Price- very reasonable! Daily special is usually 9 dollars, and that comes with a side. Build your own salad is only 6 dollars- it's a huge salad with 6 toppings. You add more for proteins, but they give you SO much of it. Avocado is not extra, which is always refreshing! Wait- it's always very busy around lunch time, but the line goes very fast! Sometimes it takes long to get your food, but you can see everyone working hard so you can't blame them for being busy. Environment- best part about this place is that the employees seem genuinely happy to be there, and are extremely nice! Especially the ladies at the cash register! There's also always a woman in plain clothes working- owner or manager? Either way it's always great to see management bustin' their butts with everyone else. read more

I have visited twice and both times i loved my food. For my first visit I had a taco salad and substituted the chicken with shrimp. They were the largest shrimp I have ever had and they were cooked well. Very delicious. The 2nd visit I had a chicken Waldorf salad. Everything was fresh and it was so good. I usually get tired or bored with a salad but my food was so good that I ate it so fast! Def a great and quick lunch spot for downtown harrisburg! Ive been looking for a fresh and healthy spot and this is it! read more

Fresa Bistro - Waldorf chicken salad - very fresh and crisp - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Terribly overpriced and the food is just average. I wouldn't waste my money there again.

Great salad place in downtown Harrisburg. Clean, well lit, great staff, long line but quick, and fresh. They have sandwiches too, but I went with a Waldorf salad. The blue cheese crumbles, fruit, chicken, and walnuts had flavor. Harrisburg feels like a larger city with lunch food this good. read more

We had an order for 6 people before the lunch rush. 2 of the burgers were burnt, the avocado in the salads was brown and one of the orders was wrong. We won't be coming back again. Too many other places to eat for lunch in the area and if it had only been one thing wrong with our order but there was not enough done right for us to go back again. read more

I called ahead for the Chicken Waldorf Salad and walked here over my lunch. This was my first visit and the salad was flipping amazing. Portion was big with lots of delicious freshly grilled chicken breast along with grapes, craisins, apple slices, blue cheese chunks, walnuts, and mixed greens. Dressing on the side! I can't wait to go back and try one of the sandwiches. prices are reasonable too!! read more

This is an awesome new restaurant in downtown Harrisburg! Great menu, friendly service and big portions of fast, fresh, delicious food! For my first time there today I ordered the fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwich w/ fries and it did not disappoint. read more

While I generally like this place, sometimes the food is hit or miss. Sometimes they run out of ingredients to make their salads which is pretty disappointing for how much the salads cost. Occasionally, the staff gets really loud...I wouldn't recommend if you are looking for someplace quiet. The tables are always dirty. I've had to use napkins and hand sanitizer lots of times to wipe off my table before sitting down. read more

Great salads but they need a dedicated pickup section for call-ins/take outs so I don't get the nasty looks from people who think I'm cutting the line ... read more

I got a Cubano panini with French fries. The sandwich was ok, too salty for me. I got it to go so the fries were soggy, but that happens when it's to go. They did give a lot of fries. read more

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Really enjoy this place, a bit overpriced. A build your own with greens, egg, avocado and ranch costs $12

Very nice place. Immaculate. Fresh tasting food. Friendly staff. Conveniently located inside Strawberry Square with an entrance/exit at street level. A real nice addition. Healthy choice menu. They have prepackaged food and made to order too. read more

Fresa Bistro - Salad Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Great paninis!!!! I could eat the black and bleu chicken one every day! Sadly I haven't tried anything else because I just keep getting the same thing over and over! Service has been nothing short of exceptional on each visit! Great addition to the area. read more

So I went to this place. Food was excellent. The woman working there was a bit bizarre tho - I took my food to the table and thought I was to pay after. She came to my table and scolded me in a shouting manner. She spoke very loud. And she pronounced each word slowly - as if I was deaf. She was embarrassing and a bit "off" ! But the food was great! read more

Passing through the 'Burg and needed a quick lunch. Found easy parking (no thanks to you, Papenfuse), right around the corner from Strawberry Square. The place looked packed even at 1:15 (post lunch rush) but the line moved super fast. Ordered the Cuban and a side salad (side note: get the Asian sesame dressing) while my friend got the turkey bacon wrap. Food was delivered within 5 minutes which in my experience is unheard of. Silverware, napkins, condiments, beverages(including fancy fruit and cucumber water), as well as to-go containers were accessible and obvious.  I should also note that there was a designated "Waiting for to-go food corral" which is great to help with the flow of the overall restaurant. Both myself and my dining companion were more than thrilled with our food (seriously, avocado on the wrap? THANK YOU), and the speed of our experience was appreciated. The manager Callie even stopped by our table to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. Absolutely will be back and would l recommend it to anyone and everyone. read more

This was my favorite new spot when it up opened in early 2017. Great service with great food. But as time went by and they build up their customer base they pulled out the disgusting trick of bait and switch. Went there twice after June 2017 and you can see portion size of protein going down. From chicken to shrimp. Also most recently the prices went up too. Custom salad allows only 5 toppings now and price went up $1.50. I seriously hoped they wouldn't do this but seems like they are like any other restaurant too. Food is still fresh but if they increased the cost they ought to keep same portion sizes at least. read more

Unless you like having your sandwich with a side of passive aggression, I suggest skipping Fresa. My co-workers and I set out for our hour-long lunch break (ending at 1 pm) and ordered basic panini sandwiches. Two of us were served in a timely manner, while the third's order was very obviously forgotten, as four people behind her in line were served before she asked if her order would be ready soon. At this point half of our hour is gone. Several more minutes go by before I speak up and am given excuse after excuse as to why their service is lacking. It's crowded, salads don't take as long, etc. Finally I insist that we just want our friend to be able to eat (since we already paid for the meal). The server at the counter takes a breath to come back *again* then doesn't. However, he gets one last dig in by saying "patience is a virtue" as he hands over my friend's meal. Other options could've been "sorry for the wait," or something similar. Instead he got in a barb at a paying customer. Bully for you, sir. You win. You get to remain both incompetent at handling a lunch rush, and when it comes to dealing with complaints. And after all that, my $10 meal was really average. Proceed with caution, fellow diners. read more

I've been going here since they opened, and I feel they're not as good as they used to be. Prices recently increased and menu items have changed (i.e. they added lunch meat to the Cobb salad, so now it's more like a chef salad. Why mess with a good thing?). Consistency is a big problem. The last time I ordered a Cobb salad, they forgot the avocado. This time, I built a salad and ordered onions as one of my choices. I received exactly three rings of onion--not even an entire onion slice. If I had wanted light onions, I would have ordered light onions. Another time I ordered a salad, they forgot the roll that goes with it. Sometimes the wait time is excessive as well. Overall, I think they built a loyal following and now they're taking advantage of their customers. read more

Not pleased at all. I emailed them from their online "contact us" to place an order only to get a reply email that asks me to call them. Then I call them to place an order from their online menu of a "chef salad" only to be informed that they no longer have a chef salad. Technology is not their strong point. read more

Wow, what a great restaurant! I have eaten at Fresa many times and have eaten many different dishes. Everything was phenomenal, made with fresh, high quality ingredients. And, something of a rare treat these days, their staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and fast. Fresa Bistro is my new favorite eatery in Harrisburg. read more