Drink a Star Wars flight or eat one as a reminder of home at Woodlands Cafe: HHJ Eats

4.5/5

Fruity drinks from another galaxy? Or comfort food reminiscent of the state of Georgia?  Woodlands Coffee Roasters and Cafe has both, and I sat down to try both for lunch this weekend.

The Georgia Picnic flight included a chopped cheese sandwich, pasta salad, and two cookies, one chocolate chip and one sugar. The sandwich had seasoned chopped beef, caramelized onions, melted provolone cheese and was finished with their famous comeback sauce, which reminded me of a smokier Thousand Island dressing.

Woodlands says it’s reminiscent of Georgia summers, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t remind me of childhood.

The sandwich was the star of the show. The beef was well seasoned with a straightforward salt and pepper flavor profile. I could tell the beef was fresh, not frozen, and it had the consistency of a thinner smash burger.

The caramelized onions gave the sandwich a nice sweetness and crunch. I didn’t get much from the comeback sauce. It felt like the sauce wasn’t even there. It was most likely overshadowed by the savory beef and sweet onions. 

I don’t really prefer cheese or onions on my sandwiches, but both weren’t too overbearing and complemented the beef quite well. I’ve always liked pasta salad and cookies, so they were welcome additions to the meal, but they were standard and nothing special. 

The Flight of the Mandalorian was four fruity non-alcoholic drinks, each representing a character from the latest Star Wars film, “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” These drinks were mango pineapple, green apple lime, blueberry blackberry, and strawberry coconut flavored. 

The drinks were carbonated but weren’t overly sweet. Each felt bubbly on the palate and tasted exactly as described. 

My mom has hyped up Woodlands ever since they opened, so I was glad to finally go for the first time with her over the weekend. My favorite drink was the mango pineapple. Mango and pineapple are two of my favorite fruits, so the other drinks were hard to beat. My mom’s was the strawberry coconut. She loves coconut and said she could “drink a whole glass of it.”

Even with splitting both flights, our appetites were satisfied. I ate the full dessert, half of the pasta salad and half of the sandwich. It looked quite small, so I wasn’t expecting it to fill me up, especially with splitting it, but the carbonated drinks helped fill us up and we finished them before the food.

The aesthetic walking in felt like I was in a modern, yet rustic farmhouse. Almost every wall had artwork and signs with confidence-boosting phrases such as “You Are Loved.” The atmosphere was very welcoming and the service was very friendly. I appreciated how willing the counter staff was to strike up a conversation with me.

I was fascinated by a huge wooden door leading to the Legacy Room, a space you can rent for events. The size of it looked like a barn door. It was open but full, and we decided to sit somewhere else. 

There’s inside and outside seating, and private events are held upstairs sometimes. Inside, you could see people either working alone with their coffee or couples getting a bite to eat.

Each flight costs $10. With the tip, the total cost for both flights was $25.40. For what I received, it was worth it. However, a flight of drinks did seem pricey. I would have liked to see them priced around $7-8.

I would definitely recommend checking out the Woodlands to try the flights, or just in general.  It’s a shame I have never been before, but after my experience, I’ll definitely be going back.