(This article was written by Lisa Campos and appeared in the Explore Harlingen Magazine, November 2023 issue.)
Just Fresh is a family-owned restaurant in Harlingen that serves both healthy and delicious homemade dishes. Founded in 2018, they were known as GoodEats RGV and FueledbyFaith RGV before they changed their name to Just Fresh. They relocated from La Feria to Harlingen in January 2020.
Janie Leija-Perez, with her roots in a migrant family, harbors a deep enthusiasm for utilizing ingredients that are fresh. She runs the restaurant along with her husband Art and sisters/daughters. Their meals are homemade and prepared with the freshest ingredients. As Mrs. Leija-Perez says, “Just Fresh is all about bringing wholesome and fresh, flavorful food to the community.”
Some people think eating healthy means they are stuck with salads, but Just Fresh offers much more. They are best known for their chicken salad. They offer four types of chicken salad: grape almond (my personal favorite), cranberry pecan, chipotle, and traditional (mayo and mustard).
Just Fresh is also well known for their weekly low-calorie and portioned meal preps. Meal prep menus are usually released on Sundays for preorder and available for pickup on Mondays from 4 pm to 6:30 pm. Keto meal preps are available for an additional fee. I have also eaten many of their weekly prep meals, with some of my favorites being the Cajun shrimp boil, turkey lasagna, and turkey zucchini boats.
Beyond chicken salad and meal preps, Just Fresh offers a revolving menu with such customer favorites as turkey plates, pancit, birria tacos, pasta salad, homemade daily soups, juices, and more. Charcuterie trays are available upon special request.
Just Fresh welcomes catering orders for local businesses and schools. Recent catering orders included the Rio Grande Valley Chapter Associated General Contractors, Lower Valley Cotillion Club, Valley Children’s Clinic, La Feria Lions Football, and Harlingen High School South Lady Hawks Volleyball and Softball. “Catering is the art of creating lasting memories through the language of food,” Mrs. Leija-Perez stated.
Hours of operation for Just Fresh are Mondays, 11 am to 6:30 pm, and Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 am to 3 pm. They are closed on some Saturdays for caterings, Sundays for church/family time, holidays, and three weeks out of the year to vacation with their children.
Just Fresh is located at 1501 S H Street in Harlingen, Texas. You can contact them at 956-230-5379 or on their website, https://justfreshhgn.square.site.