By Steve Thomsen / Staff Writer

By Steve Thomsen / Staff Writer

All puns and corny spelling aside, the “yum” factor is high at this hip new eat spot in downtown Riverside.

 Located right next to the Mission Inn, this walk-in eat shop has sit-down quality food at great prices with an amazing atmosphere and a full bar. What else could you ask for?

A simple eatery can go a long way with added bonuses.

Phood on Main sticks to its guns: soups and sandwiches.

But it also does the little extras that make any local restaurant worth visiting.

When customers pay for their meal with cash instead of credit (or worse yet, debit) they reward them by giving two small home made cookies.

The menu setup is also very comprehensive.

The meal choices consist of “Singles” (any one item), “Duos” (any two menu items), and “Trios” (any three items).

Customers will be able to order like a pro in no time, especially with all the delicious menu items.

The atmosphere and décor is classy, modern, and inviting.

It’s the kind of place you can eat at after class or take that special person to when you’re tired of going to Chili’s every night.

As mentioned, the restaurant claims to specialize in soups and salads and they deliver on both the good and the good for its customers.

The caesar turkey wrap was properly dressed and wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla, which is both delicious and healthy.

The soups were hearty and plentiful.

And those free cookies sure are delicious.

But what makes the restaurant brilliant is the customer’s ability to mix and match whichever they like.

They can get a “Single” menu item for a cheap price, sure. But if they wanted to know what a sandwich and soup taste like in tandem, they can go for the “Duo!”

You get a half sandwich and bowl of soup. And if you’re really hungry, there’s the “Trio.”

This could potentially land you a whole sandwich and a bowl of soup, but then again there’s always the possibility of mixing and matching this with any other menu item.

There is only one glaring flaw with the restaurant, the price system.

While at a glance is ingenious, doesn’t add up. It’s actually cheaper by 5 cents to buy two “Singles” instead of one “Duo.”

With the “Single” priced at $3.95 and the “Duo” priced at $7.95, you see that the math doesn’t add up in your favor.

It’s not that much, but there should be an incentive to buy greater quantities of food.

A good way would be actually saving money and the “Trio,” while the best value of the three, only saves you about ninety cents.

Deals are always the lure of fine dining, and there didn’t seem to be enough present here.

With those small complaints aside Phood on Main is delicious, cheap and full of atmosphere and flavor.

I like the local sandwich shops, the indie Phu dining rooms, and the small time eateries.

Having said that, the first thing that caught my attention upon entering the foyer was the decor, which was absolutely perfect.

Mahagony finishes on the walls, mirrors as high as the dining room, and a great view of University Street.

The second thing that caught my attention was the fact that they had a full bar.

It’s also close to the Riverside City College campus so next time you’re feeling hungry (and up for a short walk) you won’t find better local dining.