10 Fast-Food Restaurants That Serve the Best Salads
Salads are a great meal option whether you're looking to eat healthier and fill your diet with more veggies. They're also perfect if you just want lighter lunch and dinner options. However, while salads can be filling and taste delicious, they can sometimes be both costly and time-consuming. That is where fast-food salads come in.
Fast-food restaurants may not be the first place you think of when you're in the mood for a salad, but, believe it or not, there are a few fast-food chains that still carry delicious salads. Although some big-name fast-food chains have dropped salads from their menus in recent years (we're looking at you McDonald's and Burger King), a handful still whip up delicious protein and veggie-packed salads that are just as satisfying as a burger.
Plus, some spots have seriously creative combos. You can expect some traditional options like Greek salads and Caesar salads, as well as options that are a bit more unexpected. Wendy's unique Apple Pecan Salad, for example, features a lip-puckering pomegranate vinaigrette dressing that you may find yourself craving at all hours.
From salads that incorporate fruits, cheese, and a whole array of veggies to others that come topped with protein-rich meats and grains, here are seven fast-food restaurants that serve the best salads (as well as a couple we wish would bring their salad options back).
The Habit
Burger chain The Habit has some seriously delicious salads on the menu, the most popular (for good reason) being the Santa Barbara Cobb. This iconic salad is made with shredded iceberg and Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese crumbles, hickory-smoked bacon, and egg, tossed in a red wine vinaigrette and topped with slices of delicious chargrilled chicken breast. You can then add your choice of the House Dressing (balsamic & olive oil), House Ranch, Sweet Mustard, Thousand Island, Blue Cheese, Vinaigrette, Caesar or fat free Italian. The other salads on the menu are BBQ Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Chicken Caesar, Caesar Salad, and Garden Salad. Fans rave about the salads, with one Redditor saying, "I get the cheapest garden salad and add fried chicken. It's like $9."
El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco's menu features the Double Chicken Tostada Salad, the Classic Tostada Salad, and the Double Chicken Avocado Salad, although you should keep an eye on the company as it frequently introduced new seasonal options. The Double Chicken and Avocado is a protein powerhouse with 54g of protein and 13g of carbohydrates for just 430 calories. There's also a Loco Side Salad available for those who want just a little bit of veggie crunch with their meal. "Give me a double chicken avocado bowl, with extra avocado sauce!" one Redditor said. "So delish yummy! Try their churros and horchata as well," another responded.
Culver's
Culver's stringent commitment to freshness makes its salads well worth trying. Pick between the Chicken Cashew Salad, the Cranberry Bacon Bleu Salad, or the Garden Fresco Salad. The Cashew is made of mixed greens topped with delicious grilled chicken breast, whole roasted cashews, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and shredded real Wisconsin cheddar. "Like the others have said, my go to is the Cranberry Bacon Bleu salad or the Strawberry Fields salad when in season," one Redditor said. "There's a huge protein gain from the grilled chicken, and in the case of the Cranberry Bacon Bleu, I find the carb gain from the sweetened cranberries is negligible or you can pick them off or order it without."
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen has two salads on the menu—a simple side salad, and the popular Crispy Chicken Strips Salad, which is made with lettuce, diced tomatoes, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and topped with 100% white meat tenderloin crispy chicken strips. "If you're in the mood for a salad but want something that's bursting with flavor and packed with protein, look no further," DQ says.
Dominos
Dominos offers two salads: the Classic Garden and the Chicken Caesar. "Lunch or dinner, weekday or weekend — there's never a time that a Caesar salad doesn't hit the spot," the company says. "It's been a favorite of diners ever since its invention in the 1920s by restaurateur Caesar Cardini. When you add chicken, a Caesar salad becomes a meal. At Domino's, we use roasted white meat chicken for our Caesar salad. It's tossed with a blend of iceberg and romaine lettuce, brioche garlic croutons, and Parmesan cheese. If for some reason you don't want Caesar salad dressing (ours contains anchovy), no problem. You can ask for a side of Ranch or Balsamic dressing instead."
Wendy's
Wendy's is one of the most versatile fast food chains out there—not only can you get crispy chicken nuggets, hot-off-the-grill cheeseburgers, tasty fries, and refreshing fountain drinks, but you can get more out-of-the-box options too, including chili con carne, cheesy baked potatoes, and, that's right, salads.
The chain carries several salad options. The Parmesan Caesar Salad is made with a creamy Caesar dressing, an Italian cheese blend, and romaine lettuce. The new Cobb Salad is made fresh daily with applewood smoked bacon, crispy fried onions, and chopped eggs. A truly unique pomegranate vinaigrette dressing makes the Apple Pecan Salad (which boasts both red and green apples) an amazingly sweet and savory option. Finally, the chain's tasty Taco Salad is packed with diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, crisp tortilla chips, and topped with the chain's famous chili.
The Cobb Salad has a beautiful presentation and was very tasty. The lettuce was crisp, a huge plus for a fast-food salad, and the bacon had just the right amount of crunch. The ranch dressing it comes with also wasn't too mild or overpowering and brought all the flavors together.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A may be known best for its chicken sandwiches, but, as it turns out, its salads are pretty good, too. The chain currently offers three different entree-size salad choices on its menu. The Cobb Salad has freshly breaded, pressure-cooked chicken served with Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses and charred tomatoes, and crispy red bell peppers. Its Spicy Southwest option is a tangy combination of roasted corn, black beans, poblano chilies, and tortilla chips. Lastly, the Market Salad boasts crumbled blue cheese, strawberries, and blueberries.
Chick-fil-A also has a fresh side salad that was narrowly saved from discontinuation when customers' outcry on social made the company change its mind at the last minute. The side salad is perfect next to heavier fried foods and is hardly an afterthought with mixed greens, two kinds of cheese, grape tomatoes, charred tomatoes, red bell peppers, and a choice of dressing.
Although these options sound pretty tasty, the grilled Market Salad seems to be a winner amongst diners. Not only is it made healthier than the chain's other two salad options, but it is also packed with unexpected yet flavorful ingredients. I mean, fruit and cheese in a fast-food salad? How good does that sound?
Panera Bread
Panera is one of the best spots to pick up a salad if you need one stat. The fast-casual chain, which has thousands of locations throughout the country (aka you're never too far away from one), has a menu packed with tons of different salad options for you to try. Some offerings include its new Southwest Caesar Salad with Chicken, the recently relaunched Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken, a traditional Greek Salad, an inventive Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken, and a flavorful Mediterranean Bowl with Chicken.
Although many of their salads are delicious, one of the best ones to order, according to a dietitian, is the Mediterranean Bowl. It tastes great and packs in healthy ingredients, including quinoa, greens, cucumbers, hummus, and grilled chicken. It also is served with an undeniably good lemon tahini dressing.
Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box, the fast-food chain that mostly has locations on the West Coast, has a whole section of its menu called "Lighter Options," which is essentially a list of fresh salads.
You'll find tasty picks like a Club Salad with Grilled Chicken which is made with crispy iceberg and romaine lettuce and gourmet seasoned croutons. The Southwest Chicken Salad has fresh grape tomatoes, spicy corn sticks, and a creamy Southwest-style dressing. The more pared-down side salad is filled with fresh veggies, such as carrots and cucumbers, and is topped with a tangy ranch dressing.
Lisa Mikus, RD, CNSC, CDN, a registered dietitian at Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services and co-author of "Everyday Diabetes Meals Cooking for One or Two," said that the Southwest Salad is one of the best salads to order from the Jack in the Box menu. "This is my top pick out of the salad options since it provides protein from the grilled chicken and complex carbohydrates from the black beans," she shared.
Chipotle
The next time you go to Chipotle to pick up a burrito, why not try one of its salads instead? Marketed as "Lifestyle Bowls" on its site, Chipotle's salads are just as good as some of its more famous menu items. Even better? They have several different salad bowl options to choose from. The Balanced Macros Bowl is filled with chicken, black beans, veggies, and a bit of rice. The Wholesome Bowl—which is Whole30-, Keto-, and Paleo-approved—comes with super greens, fresh tomatoes, and guacamole. Its vegan Plant-Powered Bowl comes with corn salsa and sofritas, which is Chipotle's plant-based protein.
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