It’s big, it’s green and it packs a mighty punch. No, it’s not the Hulk, but according to Fernando Cordova, owner of Pure Healthy Eatery in The Woodlands, his popular Green Monster juice is the perfect blend of super foods.

From the restaurant’s oatmeal-and-banana pancakes to its grilled bison burger, the food at Pure is healthy. As in, really healthy. You won’t find anything on the menu that contains white flour or added sugar and nothing is fried. Pure even provides organic condiments in tabletop baskets. Cordova believes his restaurant is different from others in The Woodlands and Spring area. “I don’t know of one single restaurant that doesn’t use white flour in their menu.”

Popular items include chicken dishes, the chipotle bean burger and the fusion roll, which is a whole-wheat wrap with chicken, brown rice, chipotle mayonnaise, avocado, pico de gallo, cucumber and soy sauce. Cordova was also quick to point out that the chicken and bison on the menu are hormone-free.

For those who like to enjoy a beer or glass of wine with their meal, Pure offers a happy hour from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. every day except Sunday, with $4 wine and $2 beers. “Since we decided to sell beer and wine, we chose brands that are not common,” he says. “We have gluten-free beer, organic beer and different blends. It makes it more interesting than regular beer.”

Cordova purchased the Pure Healthy Eatery on Research Forest two and a half years ago and has since opened a second location five miles away on Sawdust Road. As I sat across the table speaking with Cordova inside the Sawdust location, he motioned towards the busy nearby street. “There’s a lack of competition of healthy restaurants in the area. It’s all fast food around here.”

For those who don’t live in The Woodlands, Cordova is eyeing other areas to expand his restaurant. At the top of his list: Houston and the Energy Corridor.

Pure’s menu is moderately priced, with wraps and salads $10 or less. Burgers and entrées are only slightly more.

As a regular customer of the restaurant, my preferred dish is the Pure Caprese sandwich on whole-wheat Ciabatta bread (although you can also make it a wrap). The best part about the sandwich? The balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over the bread and the side salad. 

Cordova says the Green Monster is his favorite item on the menu, and after some convincing, I agreed to try it. I had previously seen customers sipping the bright green drink, but my curiosity never convinced me to order one. I love salads and I love juice, but the thought of them being one in the same made my stomach turn.

After one sip, I understood the green drink trend. The Green Monster, which was the same color as the walls in Pure Healthy Eatery, is phenomenal. It’s sweet, thanks to the green apple, but it has a wonderful hint of celery and cucumber. I left the restaurant wondering if maybe the drink does, after all, deserve superhero status.