The Salad Bar

First time eater /​long time observer.
Ate at The Salad Bar today for the first time and couldn’t be more impressed.
Loved:
— the chopped/​mixed salad concept
— price (had a large enough portion to fill a hungry person or 2 small servings)
— variety and quality
If I worked nearby, I would probably do lunch here 2 – 3 times a week for the health and price benefits. Line moves quicker than you think.

This place has a very prominent space in the skyway that intersects multiple buildings. That’s both good and bad. The noise level and traffic, along with the chopping and banging of metal bowls makes for a trying experience while ordering. Simply put, no one can hear. Despite that, the staff is nice, food is fresh. Maybe some sort of ordering kiosk would help or filling out a paper order?

I really wish there was a 6^th star for this! Fast, healthy, sooooo good, and fantastic service! I found a new lunch spot!

Love this place. I’ve been there 3 times and my experience has always been great. They have a great selection of greens, veggies, and toppings. The food always looks amazing and tastes incredibly fresh. My favorite salad is the buffalo chicken with the spicy chipotle dressing. I was a bit nervous to jump in line my first time there since it was pretty long, but it moves quickly. The staff was well trained and really friendly. If you’re ever in the downtown skyway, I recommend you check them out.

Three stars for the salads (your average salad bar fare) but zero stars for customer service. Last time I was there I was overcharged for two proteins when I didn’t have any proteins, only «premiums». Today I noticed after the fact the dressing used by the salad barista said Asian which was not what I ordered. I asked him about it and he lied and said it was the Caribbean mango dressing I ordered. Bringing it back to my office to eat, I can confirm it was in fact the wrong dressing. In the future I will get my salads from a place where the employees are honest.

If you’re looking for a quick, healthy, and customizable lunch I’d definitely recommend this kiosk. It’s popular, yet the line moves super quickly. There is a small menu of salads but the best part is making your own. First you choose your leaf base: spinach, arugula, or romaine, then you move on to the toppings and then the dressing. There’s a pretty wide variety of choices and I believe you get 4 toppings for the starting price and then its .50 more for each additional one. The ingredients are fresh and they employees chop everything up and mix in the dressing for you unless you choose to have it on the side obviously. A refreshing, chopped salad is always an easy lunch option as opposed to fast food. I’d say its fairly healthy and delicious. There are also a few plastic tables if you don’t want to just «grab-​n-​go».

I really like this place, but I ran into a gross situation recently where one of the employees, with his gloves on, exchanged money at the register with a customer and then came back to chop salads without changing his gloves. Again, I like this place but don’t want germs or other bodily fluids from someone’s dollar billz to be transferred to my salad :/

I am in love with The Salad Bar!
They have a fantastic selection of salads that are all made right before your eyes. I found ordering a little tricky the first time around (you tell the the kind of salad you want and meat selection), but after you get the hang of it, you’ll be a pro.
I’ve found it difficult to try the different salads on their menu simply because I just can’t get enough of their Santa Fe salad (which averages a little over $ 10). One of the things I like best about this place is that they combine all of your salad ingredients (including dressing) and then toss and chop them right before your eyes. The end result: A salad that is mixed to perfection and every bite is good from start to finish. And the salad’s are huge!
Oftentimes there is a pretty big line outside their kiosk, but don’t be fooled: the team is friendly and quick. I have only waited about 5 minutes or so before being served, so it’s definitely an optical illusion.
Check this place out! Fresh and super tasty!

I’m being completely honest when I say I would legitimately be 10 lbs heavier if it were not for this salad bar. This is the much needed barrier between me and the Chipotle right down the skyway. Don’t let the long lines deceive you, these workers are incredibly speedy and prepare your salad with a smile on their face. During peek hours, the ingredients are fresh and and you can get eggs and walnuts on your salad without an additional charge– always a plus for me. I will warn that going nuts on the premium toppings like cheese, proteins, and avocados will spike your bill but I still manage to get yummy salads for under $ 7.

The Salad Bar is a perfect combination of service, speed and flavorful ingredients. Tasty options include walnuts, craisins, tortilla chips and Asian sesame dressing. I went right at noon and walked away from the register less than five minutes later. Kudos to the Salad Bar for a la carte pricing. This place understands the vegan veto: People who don’t add meat and cheese don’t pay for it! Can’t wait to go again

The lettuce, and most of the other vegetables look/​are pretty fresh (as they should be). However, the corn is obviously canned corn, which is disappointing to say the least. I also chose the salmon today which was very dry and flavorless. I don’t think they added any seasoning (not even salt or pepper) to the salmon. I won’t be going back to The Salad Bar. Macy’s and Panera are nearby and far better choices.

First, the good: fresh greens, nicely chopped and tossed in a large bowl… easy to eat without getting lettuce EVERYWHERE. Now the not-​so-​good: as a first-​timer, I was trying to figure out what I wanted. The unhelpful, unfriendly team did NOTHING to guide me, even though I was the only one in line. The guy chopping and preparing my salad asked me what dressing I wanted, and I said «just a little honey mustard.» He proceeded to drench it like he was on auto-​pilot. Yuck, it was dripping wet.
I’ll stick with Allie’s Deli. I’ll gladly wait in line for a smile and a «thank you more!»

I like the concept of this place, but it’s not living up to its brand for me… When it is busy they start tossing on your extra veggies when you are still around the corner and can’t see what they even have to offer (recommend adding a list of veggies right by the lettuce to help things move along). The first salad I had included chicken and it was horrible. It tasted processed and was very dry, nowhere close to fresh (I’ve never added meat since). When it comes to chopping or tossing, this is where it goes downhill for me. There is either not enough dressing or they chop when you asked for it to be tossed or they don’t toss it at all. I think they are so accustom to being rushed that they are on auto pilot… Why do I keep coming back? They have arugula. So I am optimistic that as they grow they will work out the kinks.

This place has been all the buzz while we looked at the «Coming Soon» sign for months and anticipation was building. The City Center has experienced some rough times and has lacked good healthy lunch choices for some time. I was personally excited for this place to open because it was very close for me to run out at lunch and get back to the piles of work that I so love. Usually the quick option would be Leann Chin’s or Au Bön Pain and well, those places you face a challenge with making a healthy choice.
The line is a bit long at prime time, so it is best to wait until after 1:00 p.m. I see this place as the Subway of Salad Bars. They are very slow moving the line, probably due to newness and training, so I am lenient for now. They have a good choice of ingredients but the meat products are not the best quality. As one co-​worker put it «gas station chicken.» I agree, the chicken seems to have a strange consistency, but it tastes OK.
Overall, I encourage people to give it a try, but the Macy’s Sky Room Salad Bar remains on the top of my salad bar list and it is less expensive if you like a lot of ingredients. The Salad Bar can get you if you like a lot of «stuff» with your lettuce. Oh, and one more thing, they do not have any Light or Fat Free dressing. Might as well go get some cookies and cupcakes at Au Bön Pain.

Tried the Salad Bar for the first time today and was quite satisfied with the entire experience. Although it was busy when I went at noon, the line moved quickly. I opted for the ‘Asian Chicken’ premade bowl and was impressed with the freshness of the ingredients and taste — although some of the other lettuces also out looked wilty and brown. It was difficult to hear the employees over the din of the City Center, so I wasn’t really sure what options they were presenting to me — a ‘yes’ seemed to do the trick, though. I gave The Salad Bar 4 stars because the taste & experience exceeded standards.

Kind of a big average for me. It’s pretty much like any other salad bar line. Fresh ingredients, good vegetable and protein selection, and option of tossed or chopped. Generally your salad is as good as the components you put in it. With that said, a key component of a salad is the dressing and I feel that this is an area where they are lacking. Better caesars and vinaigrettes can be found at other establishments.
For my money (and time saved not waiting in line), I’d rather get a salad from Allie’s, au bon pain, or Macy’s. Zelo’s has some great salad options as well. I’d probably visit again, but it wouldn’t be my first option.

I’d heard that the line is pretty long since this place is still new and hyped, so waited until 1pm to check it out. The line wasn’t too long, but the process still took quite a while…
It’s pretty straight forward: Pick your greens, pick your toppings and pick any extras you want. However, I noted that several items visibly available weren’t noted or listed on the pricing grid above (one was Ham and the other was Artichoke Hearts — not too obscure of items). I had to ask if the artichoke hearts were a normal topping or premium ($ 1) — it was a normal topping. Not a huge fan of having to ask pricing when it should be included on the pricing table. Probably getting picky on my part, but it was sorta awkward.
You’re supposed to be able to choose if you want your salad chopped or tossed at the end. I wasn’t asked and he just started chopping away. Luckily, I probably wanted it chopped anyway. He was generous with his dressing pour (I got lemon juice and olive oil), which was nice. I also note that, although I think most of the Premium toppings aren’t worth the $ 1 (roasted tomatoes, quinoa, kalamata olives), I think it’s very fair to get half an avocado for $ 1. Unfortunately, they were out when I asked for some on my salad…
When I sat down to eat the salad, pretty much a basic salad. Which is fine, I didn’t have any crazy expectations. Though, I got the «fresh» beets and they were like big sticks. Seriously, hard and super crunchy sticks. Not cool. I love beets. Sad face.
Overall, I’ll stick to Allie’s 9 times out of 10. I liked that The Salad Bar offered Arugula as one of the green choices and Avocado for $ 1, but Allie’s overall offers just as many toppings and a straight forward and reasonable pricing — and always friendly and efficient employees («Thank you more»).
Sorta bummed, I’m always on the hunt for a good new salad place.

A salad is a salad, right? But for some reason, this salad was better than most! They offer great options (lots of meat options, nuts, fruit, veggies, etc), and their signature salads are also a nice option when you can’t handle the pressure of all those ingredients…
Great product, fresh ingredients, good value, and friendly staff. A nice alternative to Macy’s, Dave’s Downtown, Allie’s, etc.
Definitely adding to the skyway/​downtown lunch list!

I’ve found my groove with this place. There is a certain salad I get now that I really like and is consistent across my visits. The positives of the location and experience combined with a good salad make this now a fairly regular lunch stop.
I do stick with my original comment that they should explore more seasoned or prepared veggies, as opposed to raw veggies (still struggling with the raw beets!). Last week I went to a place in DC with an identical concept (Chopt) and got a salad with soy marinated baked tofu, roasted broccoli, pickled beets, and other prepared toppings. Those kind of ingredients elevate the salad beyond what you might find at your local grocery store.
I also support providing some nutritional information, particularly on the dressings.

FINALLY! A place to get a custom salad (other than Allie’s). Quick line, lots of options, everything looks fresh and tastes as such. Good options for vegetarians, aka tofu (although its just raw tofu, so its not the tastiest of treats!
And its pretty darn affordable, though I imagine you could put quite a bill together if you were the kind of person who wants like 4 types of cheese!
I do wish they would have some information out indicating which of the dressings were healthier choices. Also, I wish they would go a smidge lighter on the lettuce (s) and a bit heavier on the toppings, but all in all a good salad!
As with most new places in the skyway, best to go early or late to avoid the rush until the newness wears off. That said, the salad bar is definitely going to be a regular in the lunch rotation.