Musclemaker Grill is a smaller chain (spanning 3 states) that specializes in 'healthy' versions of your favorite foods. Wraps, salads and pasta are on the menu and they also tell you how many calories each entrée will set you back. One thing to note…many of the dishes are two servings…so you might be eating double the calorie count you think.
The restaurant is located in a strip mall in Deerfield Beach off of US1. The inside has the feel of many of the 'fast-casual' restaurants gaining popularity. You order at the counter, pay and they bring your food to your table. Drinks are bottles and available at the order counter (sorry…no free refills). The décor is red, blacks and some chrome/silver. There are a few 'booths' but they mostly have table seating. The kitchen is 'open' so you can see them prepare your food. You can also catch the game on one of the few flat screens hung around the dining area.


(Musclemaker Grill - Inside)

Ordering was easy and the guy working the register was nice. He looked more like the owner than just the 'cashier'. We sat down and relaxed while our food was being prepared. It took maybe 10 minutes for our food to come out…not too long…not too quick. If you dine-in, you will mostly be eating off of real plates and silverware. That is actually a nice touch. We both went for salads. I chose the Mardi Gras Grilled Chicken Cajun Salad and Jeff went for the Turkey Taco Salad.

The presentation of each salad was nice and everything looked fresh. The Mardi Gras Grilled Chicken Cajun salad is made with romaine and is topped with turkey bacon, grilled chicken with Cajun seasoning, tomatoes, onions and a low carb salsetta dressing. The romaine was fresh, crisp and didn't seem like it was the 'in a bag' version. Everything came together well in this salad…with one exception. The 'Cajun' seasoning was a little milder than I expected. Other than that…it was a great choice.


(Musclemaker Grill - Mardi Gras Chicken Salad)

Jeff's Turkey Taco Salad looked really good too. It was made with romaine and topped with reduced fat cheddar cheese, tomatoes, scallions and fat free cream cheese. Topping the salad off was a mound of turkey chili. The chili was nicely spiced and I even liked the beans that were in it. Jeff loved the salad. In fact...we had a choking incident! The poor guy was eating so fast…he inhaled some chili 'down the wrong pipe'. I really thought I would have to use the heimlich …but it all worked out. He even continued to finish the salad. Now if that doesn't tell you it's a good salad…I don't know what will.


(Muslcemaker Grill - Turkey Taco Salad)

The total for the two salads and two drinks came to $23.05. Not a bad price for fresh, good tasting food. I also like the calorie count on each menu item. I wish more restaurants did that. We did have a coupon for $10 off…so that was really a steal. We'd definitely stop back into Musclemaker Grill and maybe try some of their other offerings.


(Musclemaker Grill Bill - $23.05 prior to $10 discount)



Musclemaker Grill location:
230 S. Federal Hwy
Deerfield Beach, FL

FTLToday Score: B