Sample salad: The Texas Po'Boy with fried chicken, red onions, white cheddar, and romaineĭefinitely not associated with that Food Network show where people make desserts out of pig blood, Chopt is set up like a Chipotle: Stand in a line (that usually stretches out the door) while patrons choose from pre-arranged salad mixes like the spicy Santa Fe with avocado and romaine or the Mediterranean Falafel, which is kind of like a Greek take on a burrito bowl. Maybe it means finecasual dining? ChoptĬurrent locations: 39 in New York, Connecticut, Washington, DC, and North Carolina That doesn't even sound like a salad! When you can make a salad that doesn't look or taste like a salad, you're doing something right. Lest that sound too fancy, there are more straightforward - but equally delicious - offerings like a fried chicken-loaded number with spinach and butter lettuce. Balistreri. The Tuna Nicoise has grilled rare albacore and a freakin' quail egg on top. The "big" Salami & Kale salad uses salami from SoCal legend P.
THE BIG SALAD FRANCHISE FULL
And the longer preparation time allots some idiosyncratic dishes full of unusual ingredients that go the extra mile and make the longer wait times worth it. This is the option that blurs the line between fast food and an actual restaurant, but it warrants inclusion because the salads are banging and what even is "fast food," anyway? With its hanging bulb lights, minimalist seating options, and heavily styled dining areas it doesn't look like fast food: It's more like a trendy youth hostel in Sweden, actually.Īs far as the food, the veggies come fresh daily from Oxnard, California, so you aren't getting weeks-old romaine. But really, it's just PR-speak for a fast-food restaurant that holds more stock in quality than quickness. This venture backed by Danny Meyer (the world-class restaurateur maestro behind the smash-hit Shake Shack) has coined itself as "fine casual dining," which just brings up images of Olive Garden. Sample salad: The Chipotle Barbecue Chicken with romaine hearts, queso fresco, cilantro lime dressing, and avocado Despite only existing in Arizona, it's a big step towards a true, dedicated fast-food salad chain. Despite executing salads with complexity, it does it at a high clip, delivering the freshness in the same time it'd take to get a 20-piece nuggets. But it has pre-loaded options like the Roasted Sweet Potato & Strawberry with mixed greens and romaine, quinoa, goat cheese, and Champagne vinaigrette. There's not a ton of room for customization here, as it's operating at drive-thru speeds.
THE BIG SALAD FRANCHISE MAC
It even brands itself as "America's replacement for traditional fast food." That doesn't just mean throwing together some kale and leftover chili from the Wendy's next door, either: It's doing super-fast salads that are actually worth skipping a Big Mac for. Salad and Go is totally embracing the concept of making healthy food fast on the cheap, right down to the drive-thru. Sample salad: The Southwest Caesar with kale, romaine, pico de gallo, pepper Jack, and tortilla strips Salad and Go.Ĭurrent locations: Six locations in Arizona It's a little more expensive and time-consuming, sure, but it's also memorable. And the menu is a checklist of local purveyors, so don't be surprised if you see some names from your area's premier farmers market pop-up on the roster. The Harvest Bowl adds hot organic rice to a mixture of kale, chicken, and toasted almonds. It also single-handedly solves the "I don't want salads in the winter" conundrum by offering warm bowls that don't taste soggy or forced. Look no further than the Kendrick Lamar collaboration, "Beets Don't Kale My Vibe." And yes, it's seriously called that (and has kale and beets, natch). You can create your own salad, but the curated offerings are just too uniquely crafted and balanced to skip - and the puns are just too fun to say. If the contemporary farmhouse design - complete with reclaimed wood and shared-seating benches - doesn't give it away, the lines of uber-hip eaters wrapping around the shop like it's the entrance to Space Mountain will do the trick.įounded by three Georgetown graduates who were simply trying to answer the question "why are there no great fast-salad options?" Sweetgreen works on a Chipotle-style set-up. Right off the bat you should know that Sweetgreen is almost definitely the bougiest option on this list of primarily bougie places.
Sample salad: The Rad Thai with organic arugula and mesclun, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, citrus shrimp, and spicy cashew dressing
Current locations: 64 in Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Washington, DC
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