With today's debut of Lemonade in the Metreon's former La Boulange space (781 Mission St.), Yerba Buena residents, workers, and tourists have a new option for a hot meal on the go.

Lemonade Yerba Buena is the 22nd location for the SoCal-born chain—named one of the "Fastest Growing Small Chains in America” last year by Restaurant Business—and the first for the Bay Area. Future locations will include West Portal and the Inner Sunset, as well as Palo Alto, Walnut Creek and Burlingame.

Navigating the casual, cafeteria-style restaurant is simple. Grab a tray and make your way to the line, which is broken into five sections: 

• "Marketplace," offering nearly 20 different seasonal vegan, vegetarian and meaty "signature salads" ($2.95)
• "Leafy Greens," where you can grab a plate ($7.95) or side ($4.50) of tossed leafy salads—a new addition for Bay Area locations
• "Land & Sea," your stop for chicken, beef and fish dishes ($6.95)
• "Sandwiches," where you can place an order for a toasted sandwich ($7.95)
• "Hot Dishes," which offers even more meats and veggie dishes, as well as soups, sides of rice, mac and cheese and more ($4.50-$10.50). 

Mixing and matching dishes is encouraged. Popular combinations include two Marketplace salads and an order of Land & Sea ($12.75), a sandwich plus a Leafy Green side ($11.95), or a full plate of Leafy Greens plus a Land & Sea order ($14.95). If you can't decide, ask for a sample—it's also perfectly acceptable to jump the line.

Once you get to the register with your items, you'll have to decide whether you want to add one of the many baked-in-house desserts ($1.75-$6.25)—like a cupcake, giant macaroon or slice of cake—to your tray. You can also grab a cup of flavored lemonade ($3.50).

Photo: Victoria Pearson/Lemonade

The seasonal menu will change four times each year. The vast spring selection features items like watermelon radishes with seared ahi tuna, New Mexican-style roasted butternut squash, coffee-ancho rubbed skirt steak, and a buttermilk baked chicken sandwich.

Lemonade Yerba Buena is now open for lunch and dinner from 10am-9:05pm daily. Expect a breakfast menu to follow sometime in June.