Quick, healthy, and from the heart of family | Community Spirit

Downtown Tyler has a dependable lunch crowd; with a television station, law offices, churches, bank buildings, and courthouses concentrated in one rather small geographic area, there are many people searching for lunch each day. 

Sometimes those lunches are enjoyable, hour-long breaks spent chatting with friends or discussing business with colleagues at a nice table in a restaurant or coffee shop.

However, much of the time those downtown folks are too busy for a leisurely lunch; they need something quick to grab and take back to the office as they continue to work on the project of the day.

Maria and Victor Covarrubias have come along to help folks just like that, moving into the former Mr. B's space in the Bank of America building on the square.

The Covarrubias family would like to serve the downtown crowd, not only quick food, but healthy food.

According to Victor, who says, "My wife is the boss; I just work for her!" with a big grin on his face, the goal of their shop, aptly and simply named Quick and Healthy, is to serve delicious food that is good for people who are in a hurry.

The menu includes delicious sandwiches like chicken salad, smoked turkey, and chicken fajita, each of which come with a free side.

There are seafood offerings, such as Island BBQ tilapia and Honey Chipotle salmon, as well as Latin fare like beef or pork tortas, chicken burritos, quesadillas and carne asada.

Sides include vegetables of the day and fruit cups; Quick and Healthy fruit cups are not filled with "filler" honeydew melon as many of us complain about from time to time. As I was speaking with them, I watched as an employee and friend sliced open a fresh pineapple to cut into chunks for the fruit cup.

There is a bakery case with desserts, varying from cheesecake to chocolate lava cake to a delicious corn cake, which Victor kindly insisted that I try.

It was wonderful; it was rather like a fresh corn casserole with a touch of sweetness.

It is no surprise that the food is delicious and well-made from fresh ingredients; Victor has been in the food industry for years, beginning in Chicago and then coming to East Texas and working in the kitchens of both the Potpourri House and Kiepersol Estates.

Victor said that the plan is to add more items, such as homemade soups and cookies, as well as various salads and other items, to the menu.

For those who are truly looking for healthy fare, Victor or Maria will happily make fresh-squeezed juice out of the fresh fruits on hand each day for a reasonable $2.50. The menu lists pineapple, orange, carrot and celery as available for juicing, as well as for incorporating into a fruity shake for the same price.

Quick and Healthy has a well-stocked cold cabinet with the usual soft drinks and teas, as well as bottles of Starbucks vanilla latte drinks. There is also a nice coffee set up and freshly brewed tea.

Victor said that the message he and his wife would like to share with East Texas is, "We want to make this neighborhood happy; tell us what you would like to see on the menu, and we might just add it!"

Visit Quick and Healthy and the Covarrubias family Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm; call (903)372-9477 for more information about what's cooking!

Menu prices range from $1.75 to $6.99.