Sweetgreen

Prior to 2006, when people thought fast food, or fast casual, in the US, they didn't really think of salads.  Maybe Panera would come to mind for the soup/salad/sandwich lineup, but besides that, salads were not what people made a point to get while out and about.  And then ... Sweetgreen, and a few others, entered the scene.  They started in cities, aimed at office workers looking for a healthy and easy lunch option, and just exploded from there.  While you can't find Sweetgreen everywhere (in fact, they only have stores in 13 states), most US cities have them now, and my neighborhood in SF even has two, within a few blocks of each other.  Basically, where there is density of health conscious office workers with decent food budgets ... there is Sweetgreen.

Sweetgreen is a pretty simple concept, basically, salads.  They've expanded to do some "bowls" with grains as a base instead of salad greens, but besides that, they don't offer much else.  No extensive line up of sides nor desserts (a single dessert was just added to the menu in December 2022).  Salads are assembled to order, Chipotle style, or you can order in advance online or through their app.  A main focus of the business is fresh ingredients, and most everything is locally sourced, as they have strong partnerships with farmers.  Everything is prepped fresh at each location daily, including chopping veggies, roasting veggies, and making the slew of dressings.  The freshness and quality are evident.

I really wasn't a salad person until the past few years, but, I've turned into one, and Sweetgreen is a reliable, albeit pricey, excellent option.

Salad Bowls

Sweetgreen is, essentially, a salad shop.  If you want to make things easy on yourself, you can just order one of their predesigned bowls.  The menu features a number of regular salads, plus seasonal specials, and a handful of exclusive bowls for online orders only.  You can customize any of them (although there are limits on how much you can modify), or, just opt to build your own custom bowl entirely, which is what I do most often.

The format at Sweetgreen for bowls is pretty simple: select base, add regular toppings, optionally add premiums, and then dressing.  Salad bases are all the usual suspects: romaine, arugula, baby spinach, spring mix, or kale.   Regular toppings are a mix of raw veggies (carrots, cabbage, cucumber, beets, tomato, etc), cooked veggies (roasted sweet potato, spicy broccoli), fruits (apples, seasonal peaches), legumes (chickpeas, lentils), herbs, and crunchy things (sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, crispy rice, and more).  Premiums cost more, and include proteins (salmon, turkey meatballs, hummus, blackened or roasted chicken, tofu, hard boiled eggs), cheeses (blue, goat, parmesan, seasonal burrata), premium veggies (avocado, seasonal corn, seasonal heirloom tomatoes), and different seasonal roast veggies (brussels sprouts, curry roasted cauliflower).  The dressings are all homemade, and there are 15+ at a time, so I won't enumerate them here, but they range from creamy green goddess ranch to light vinaigrettes.  Every category, except the base greens themselves, have seasonal offerings that rotate through every few months.

The pricing model makes it very easy to create a $20+ salad, but if you stick to the pre-made bowls, you'll at least not be surprised at checkout (most are ~$15).

Custom Bowl:
Base: Baby Spinach / Kale.
Regular Ingredients: Spicy Broccoli, Red Onion, Tomato, Chopped Pickles (Seasonal).
Premium: Pickled Carrots & Celery ($1.25), Warm Portobello ($2), Miso Root Vegetables (Seasonal, $1.25).

My first bowl was a salad base, spinach and kale.  I also added 4 included regular ingredients, and splurged for 3 premiums.  The bowl was really loaded up.

In addition to a few menu staples (spicy broccoli, pickled carrots and celery), I picked a few winter seasonal items that were about to be removed from the menu (chopped pickles, miso root vegetables), and tried the warm portobello mix.  The juicy looking tomatoes also called out, I think I was craving them.

I was quite pleased with my pile of ingredients, not quite a "salad" but I didn't intend it to be.

Spicy Broccoli
"Broccoli, kale stems, sunflower oil, umami seasoning, crushed red pepper."

The spicy broccoli I enjoyed, although I didn't find it particularly spicy, and my scoop was *tiny*, like, really tiny.  That said, the broccoli was cooked nicely, not too soft and mushy, not too crisp, and, well, I was in the mood for broccoli.  It is served chilled, but sometimes I get it and warm it up to have alongside my dinner as a side vegetable, and it works well that way too.

I get this regularly, and usually go for a double scoop.  ****.

Red Onion

The image on the website shows rings of red onion, but instead, this was diced.  And there was little of it.  I'd leave it out in the future, just too minimal to be worth a topping slot. ***.

Tomato

The tomatoes were fine, grape tomatoes, cut in half.  They seemed quite vibrant for the time of year (March), and were kinda in a thing of water that I think made them look more juicy than they really were, but, they tasted fine actually.  Not mealy or anything. ***.

Chopped Pickles (Seasonal)

"Cucumbers, water, distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, black pepper, mustard seed, dill seed."

The chopped pickles were a winner.  Just classic dill style pickles, but I liked the large size chunks.  Also, I kinda adore pickles.  I'd get this again. ***+.

Pickled carrots + celery ($1.25)  
"Carrots, celery, salt, white wine vinegar."

The pickled carrots + celery were fine, a mix of equal parts crunchy carrot disks and celery.  Nice crunch and acidity, but still a bit more boring than it looks. **.

Miso Root Vegetables ($1.25, Seasonal).

"Carrots, winter squash, sunchokes, scallions, umami seasoning, miso sesame ginger vinaigrette."

I was really, really excited for the miso root vegetables.  I love root vegetables, particularly sunchokes and winter squash, which this had.  I love miso.

But I was pretty disappointed by my scoop.  It was *tiny*, and mostly carrots.  The miso flavor comes from their miso sesame ginger vinaigrette, which you can get anytime, and I mostly find ... unremarkable.  I don't like cooked carrots.  I did get a few pieces (2?) of sunchoke, but, eh.  Same with the single piece of squash.  Eh.  I wouldn't get this again. *+.

Warm Portobello Mix ($2)

"Portobello mushrooms, button mushrooms, sunflower oil, umami seasoning."

And finally, the mushroom mix, served warm.  A huge splurge, at $2 additional.

I *hated* it!  It was just hunks of really, um, mushroom-y mushroom?  Yeah, I know, lame description, but I just truly did not care for this in any way.  Would not get again. *.

Super Green Goddess. $9.95.

"Black lentils, chickpeas, roasted sweet potatoes, raw carrots, spicy broccoli, shredded cabbage, raw beets, roasted almonds, baby spinach, shredded kale, green goddess ranch."

Next I tried one of their curated bowls, the "Super" Green Goddess.  This is the only Green Goddess on the menu, but I think the "super" may refer to all the protein toppings?  Anyway.  I left this bowl entirely unmodified, to try out their recipe, as this is one of their top sellers.

The base was good, fresh crisp kale and baby spinach.  Shredded carrots and cabbage were standard, a good quantity of each provided.  I liked the roasted almonds for crunch. ***+ for all of these.

I'm not really one for beets, but I at least appreciated the raw sliced beets from crunch and vibrant color. ***.  I adore the spicy broccoli, but sadly this bowl had just a small portion, mostly stems.  I had exactly 2 florets.  Tasty, but, far too little. ***+.

But the rest of the toppings ... just totally not for me.  The chickpeas were, well, cooked chickpeas.  The only time I tolerate chickpeas is when roasted and crispy, or when made into hummus or falafel, and even then, only sometimes.  The lentils were hard and dry, and, well, lentils.  I hate lentils.  Sweet potato I don't hate, but I've had Sweetgreen's version before, and I just don't care for them.  Cooked, soft, sliced thin, but, meh. **.

And finally, the dressing, I've had it before, it is herby, very, uh, "herb forward".  I really like it for dunking baby carrots, and with any other fresh veggies.  It was good as a dressing too, but I might even prefer it as a dip.  ***+.

Overall, not a bowl I'd get again, but I do understand how it is a crowd pleaser for those who like protein and want a vegetarian option.  ***.

Super Green Goddess (Modified). $9.95.

"Black lentils, chickpeas, roasted sweet potatoes, raw carrots, spicy broccoli, shredded cabbage, raw beets, roasted almonds, baby spinach, shredded kale, green goddess ranch."

What did I say about not getting the Super Green Goddess again?  Yeah, I did.  Except, I modified it:

• -lentils, -roasted sweet potato, -chickpeas
• +crispy rice x2, +extra raw beet
• +hot sauce, remoulade, lemon.

Ok, why did I do this?  Because I discovered something interesting.

If I create my own bowl, for $9.95, I get my choice of base + 4 toppings (non-premium) + up to 3 dressings.  So to get the above salad, my modified goddess, since it has 8 toppings, I'd pay $0.50 for each of the extra 4 toppings, pricing it at $11.95.

If instead I pick one of the cheapest composed bowls on the menu, such as the Super Green Goddess, it is the same base $9.95 price, but includes 8 toppings, rather than 4.  You can make 7 modifications to a pre-assembled bowl.  So ... you can essentially swap out 3 toppings (each removal and add is a modification) and add an extra dressing, same price.  So, same bowl, $2 less, just less flexibility.  Being a frugal girl, I accepted these limitations, and shaved $2 off my bowl price!

Since the Super Green Goddess had the base I was already planning to get (kale and spinach), and two toppings I was planning to get (raw beets, spicy broccoli), this meant I could double up the beets as I planned anyway, add my crispy rice that I adore - double!, remove the few toppings I didn't want (lentils, chickpeas, sweet potato), and then get a few extra toppings I didn't mind (carrots, cabbage, almonds) as bonus?  Um, yes?  Same price, double the toppings.  Not entirely flexible, but, a good tradeoff.

My creation was great, and the extra goodies I did actually like to have. ****.

Veggie Ceasar. $10.95.
(Online Exclusive).

"Roasted sweet potatoes, spicy broccoli, tomatoes, raw beets, shaved parmesan, parmesan crisps, shredded kale, chopped romaine, lime squeeze, caesar dressing."

The Sweetgreen menu has two ceasar salads on it - the "kale caesar" (which actually is a mix of kale and romaine), and this one, the "Veggie Caesar", available only if you order online.  Both have the same kale/romaine base, along with tomatoes, shaved parmesan, parmesan crisps, caesar dressing, and lime squeeze, but the regular version also includes roasted chicken, and the veggie version adds raw beets, roasted sweet potato, and spicy broccoli.  Since I don't like chicken, and adore the spicy broccoli, this was an easy choice.  Plus, it is "exclusive" and that clearly means better right?

I liked the kale and romaine mix for the base, each had a clear purpose, and since I like kale, this was a good base for me.  The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, good.  Raw beets I'm not that excited by, but I liked the crunch they provided.  Of course I liked my spicy broccoli, although I did feel it kinda clashed with the rest of the caesar ingredients, as it has the umami seasoning and red pepper in it.  The roasted sweet potatoes I disliked, as I had before, and I'll certainly leave off in the future.

The stars of this bowl for me were the large parmesan shreds, good quality nutty parmesan, and, the glorious, glorious parmesan crisps.  I loved these things, both for crunch and taste.  The parmesan flavor was soooo strong, and it was really just fabulous.

Caesar dressing completed the deal, and I appreciate that they have real caesar, with anchovies.

Overall, a good caesar salad with a bit of flair, although I'd leave off the sweet potatoes and likely add something in their place in the future.  ****.

Garden Cobb. $13.95.
(Modified).

"Avocado, hard boiled egg, roasted sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese, roasted almonds, spring mix, chopped romaine, balsamic vinaigrette."

This wasn't my order, but I share here just for visual review.  My dining companion opted to modify the garden cobb fairly heavily, as follows:

- spring mix

- tomatoes

- red onion

+ extra almonds

+ chickpeas

+ spicy broccoli

+ spicy cashew dressing

She liked it, and I tried a few bites, but, not really much here I like - I hate chickpeas (and the were just cooked chickpeas), I'm allergic to avocado, and dislike the roasted sweet potatoes from Sweetgreen.  She did add the spicy broccoli, crispy rice, and the spicy cashew dressing at my recommendation though!

Custom Bowl. $8.95 base + $10 (!) extras = $18.95.

Another day, another custom bowl from me.  I went back to fairly reliable items, plus got a chance to try one new seasonal addition.

My lineup:

• Base: Kale, arugula
• Toppings: Spicy broccoli, shredded cabbage, red onion, raw beet (not pictured: crispy rice, spicy sunflower seeds, $0.50 each).
• Premiums: Roasted brussels sprouts ($1.50), curry roasted cauliflower ($1.50), 
• Pickled carrots + celery ($1.50), roasted steelhead ($4.50).
• Dressing: (Not Pictured) Green goddess ranch + SG hot sauce.

Total:  $18.95!  Yes, this was a pricy salad. It was reasonably filling though, 695 cals including dressing, 460 without.  I asked to have the crispy toppings on the side, so that they wouldn't get soggy, as I wasn't eating it right away.  This was easily accommodated, just like the dressings on the side (default if you are getting togo anyway).

Since I've reviewed most of these elements before, no real need to comment, besides that the raw veggies were all fresh and crisp, I liked all my different bits of texture, and although my premium toppings and extra crunch added up ($10 in just those!), they all really elevated this from "just a salad" to a very enjoyable meal.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Seasonal)

This was my first time trying the seasonal brussels sprouts, and as a brussels sprouts lover, I was thrilled to see them on the menu.  I do like biting into a full or half sprout, and the mostly shaved form here lost that aspect, and I definitely prefer my sprouts warm/grilled even when in salads (I roast up big batches and throw into my panini press to grill them while I'm making a salad!), so, the cold form here wasn't what I'd prefer.  Still, I was glad to have them.  They were lightly seasoned with the signature umami seasoning.  ****.

Curry Roasted Cauliflower (Seasonal)

My second time having the cauliflower, which is seasoned with both the umami seasoning and additional curry powder.  Previously I had it as a side dish (one of the only sides offered by SG!), so this was my first time adding to a bowl, but, I eat roasted cauliflower in salads quite regularly (although, much like brussels sprouts, I prefer to toss them into the panini press to serve warm).  Unlike the brussels though, the cauliflower worked equally well cold.  The curry seasoning is great when I had it as a side dish, but did conflict a bit with my other flavors and dressings, since, well, curry is a pretty aggressive spice.  Still, glad I got it.  ****.

Roasted Steelhead

I know I've had lackluster reviews of the steelhead before, but, I do need protein, and I dislike chicken, and don't care for their tofu, so, fish it is.  I really wish they'd offer shrimp or cheeses like halloumi or paneer ...  

Anyway, the slice of fish broke in half as my server was picking it up, and she kinda just dumped the other half into the corner of the bowl, as pictured here.  Not exactly the best presentation, but, hey, its a salad bowl after all.  The fish was fine, kinda dried out, but, nice flavor.  ***.

Create Your Own. $8.95 base + $9.50 extras =  $18.45

Another day, another custom bowl.  I went back to fairly reliable items, and double/tripled up on ones I knew I wanted more of.

My lineup:

• Base: Baby spinach + arugula
• Toppings: Spicy broccoli x3, shredded cabbage, raw beet x3, tomato ($0.50 for the extras).
• Premiums: Roasted brussels sprouts x2 ($1.50 each), roasted steelhead ($4.50).
• Dressing: (Not Pictured) Green goddess ranch + SG hot sauce, fresh lemon.

This bowl was a strategic order from me - not intended to be eaten as a salad right then, hence why I went a bit crazy on the double/triple toppings, and why I didn't include any crispy things, even though I adore those.  The steelhead and spicy broccoli I planned to have with a few other leftovers for a warm dinner, along with the lemon to drizzle over.  3 scoops of spicy broccoli makes sense in that context!

The brussels sprouts I also planned to use with another dinner, shepherd's pie leftovers, so I could have some veggie additions to it.  Again, 2x makes sense in this case.

The rest I did use as a salad, along with a bunch of ingredients I had at home (carrots, radishes, onion, roasted squash, prosciutto, etc).  See, it makes sense now!  Sweetgreen for me is more than just a salad shop ... its an ingredient shop, great for easy meal prep.

Everything was fresh and good, and I've reviewed all these components before, nothing new to say.  I was pleased with my order, but, $18.45 really is pricy for a salad ... good thing for me it was a salad AND a dinner!

**** overall, all reliable ingredients I'd get again.

Peach & Burrata (add blackened chicken, $3). $13.95.
(Summer Seasonal 2021).

"Peaches, burrata, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, mint, roasted almonds, spring mix, shredded kale, balsamic vinaigrette."

Sweetgreen adds seasonal specials several times a year, and in the summer, the special bowl features all the great abundance of summer, including local fresh peaches, which is a great treat in the SF area.

The base recipe for the seasonal Peach and Burrata salad uses kale and spring mix blend, topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, mint, DOUBLE peaches, plus a mound of burrata and tub of roasted almonds.  So many good things.

This is a very good salad.  Thought was put into the base recipe, and it needed no modification, even from picky me.

I love that it includes basil and mint, both wonderful pairings with both burrata and peaches, and they added a lot to the salad, even if "just" herbs.   They just accented all the other wondrous ingredients.  The star attractions, the peaches and burrata, actually blew me away - both were perfectly ripe, the peaches juicy and flavorful, the burrata creamy and luxurious.  Quality bar was high. **** for all of this.

While tomatoes may seem a bit odd, I've had very successful caprese salads before with tomatoes and peaches, so this didn't scare me away at all.  In this case, I sorta wished they weren't there, but the double peaches mostly overwhelmed them anyway, so, it was not an issue.  Kudos for having a base recipe with double peaches too!

The toasted almonds were great for crunch as always.

I don't normally want balsamic vinaigrette, but this was an exception to my standard: clearly, a heavy creamy dressing like ranch would have no place here, and balsamic truly is the right thing to pair with burrata, and with tomatoes, and, yes, with peaches.

Overall, just a winning salad, and I'd gladly get it again.

****.

Warm Bowls

While most people think of Sweetgreen as a salad shop, they also offer up a handful of warm bowls, using warm grains (quinoa or wild rice) in the base rather than just salad greens.  These bowls often have warm veggie or protein toppings as well, but the toppings are all the same as those you can get for a salad, as are the dressings.  So really, the only difference is the warm grains as part of the base, and a few specially curated bowls that are designed to eat a bit more like a hearty meal rather than salad.  They also experimented with cauliflower rice as a base, but somehow that trend didn't stick, even though other places, like Trader Joes, went all in on the cauliflower bases.

I've tried several of these bowls, but, given that I don't really care for grain bases, these aren't for me.  

 Crispy Rice Bowl. $13.45.

"Blackened chicken, raw carrots, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro, roasted almonds, crispy rice, warm wild rice, arugula, lime squeeze, spicy cashew dressing."

This is the first non-salad bowl I tried, although the base is arugula, it is considered a "warm bowl" as it has a scoop of warm wild rice on it.  Or, well, it is *supposed* to have a scoop of warm wild rice.  I'm not sure why mine did not.  And mine came with a bonus scoop of regular roast chicken, which I think was added instead of the rice?  I think a mistake was made here, but I didn't notice until I had left.

The arugula base was good, crispy, peppery, fresh.  But just arugula for a base is a bit too strong, I would have preferred to mix in another fresher juicier green, but the wild rice was supposed to count for the second base.  Oh well.

The carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro were all standard, fresh, good quantity provided.  The "lime squeeze" made me laugh, as actually an entire half a lime was provided, so I could squeeze myself.

The crispy toppings are what made this bowl, the roasted almonds were fine, but the crispy rice is what took it over the top.  Love that crispy rice.

The standard dressing for this is my favorite, the spicy cashew, and I adored it as always.

Overall, a fine bowl, but I'd rather customize something a bit more to my liking (and I still wonder what the wild rice would have added to it ...).

***.

Fish Taco.  $14.45.
(Sub wild rice for quinoa, sub carrots for cabbage).

"Roasted steelhead, avocado, shredded cabbage, cilantro, tortilla chips, warm quinoa, arugula, sweetgreen hot sauce, lime cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette."

My second non-salad bowl, picked because I was really craving salmon, even though I had had the roasted steelhead previously, and not really cared for it (that was on the east coast, I thought it might be different), was the "fish taco".

The arugula base was perfect for the taco salad vibes, adding pepperiness.  I swapped in carrots for the cabbage, just because I was really in the mood for carrots, and had kinda over dosed on cabbage recently, and it worked well too.  I swapped out the normally included quinoa for wild rice, hoping I'd like it more than quinoa, but alas, I wasn't really into it.  It was prepared fine, not mushy or anything, but I'm just not one for rice.  It was colorful though, and a nice assortment of grains.

The tortilla chips were crumbled, and fairly standard, but they helped complete the "taco" vibe.  They were however a bit soft/soggy.  I asked for no avocado, as I'm allergic, but somehow it wound up in my bowl anyway.  Avocado is not an addition to this bowl, it comes standard, hence the higher price.  It was a full half an avocado, sliced, not brown, clearly fresh.  

Finally, the thing I was after: the fish!  Alas, it was just like before ... a decent sized filet, but, cold, cooked salmon just is not my thing.  Alas.

The included lime cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette was zesty, cilantro forward, and, if you like vinaigrette, likely a great pairing.  I ended up using my favorite salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream, instead.  I also subbed in refried beans at home, as I didn't care for the steelhead.

Anyway, clearly not something I'd get again, but I did enjoy my final creation.  **+ as is, though.

Custom Bowl:
Base: Wild Rice, Cauliflower Rice.
Regular Ingredients: Spicy Broccoli, Corn, 
Spicy Sunflower Seed, Crispy Rice (on side to stay crispy)
Premiums: Pickled Carrots + Celery, Kale-Cabbage Slaw, Roasted Steelhead.

You can also customize hot bowls, which I did one day.

First, my bases.  Rather than a salad, as I always do, I went for hot grains.  I really did want to try the cauliflower rice (now discontinued), and went for wild rice too in case I disliked it.  I'll admit, this was my first time having cauliflower rice, despite the fairly ridiculous uptick in places offering it (I've had my share of cauliflower mash, and have been generally annoyed by it, as I really just want regular mashed potatoes, and I haven't really been a fan of cauliflower gnocchi, cauliflower thins, etc either).  I do like my legit carbs.  But, I really have been thinking about trying cauliflower rice, and this seemed like a good place to give it a try.

Wild Rice 
The wild rice, my backup plan, was ... meh.  I mean, it was just, uh, wild rice?  Moderately warm. I forgot I had tried it before and not really cared for it.  Definitely not my thing, but if you are a healthy rice eater, and want a warm grain bowl, go for it.  190 calories per scoop, adds 4g protein.

Cauliflower Rice.
"Riced cauliflower, kale stems, red onion, garlic, salt, evoo, sunflower oil."

But I didn't need that wild rice backup plan anyway.  Because the cauliflower rice was awesome!  Yes, it is trendy these days, but whatever.  I loved it.  I'm in.  Too bad Sweetgreen ditched it.

And yes, this really was just riced cauliflower, tiny little chunks, that result in a texture like ... crumbled falafel?  I liked it though.  The flavor, although clearly cauliflower, definitely isn't as intense as eating cauliflower florets, or a cauliflower steak.  Definitely more muted.  The seasoning was good too.  It really, well, it ate well?  Nice texture, nice flavors, and, if you can imagine enjoying warm crumbled up falafel that doesn't taste like chickpeas but tastes like cauliflower instead, that is what this was for me.

I really liked, and would gladly get it again (not as a salad bowl, and not mixed into my salad, but as a side on an entree plate).  I see why people like it for health reasons, the scoop is only 55 calories, although not that much protein to it either.

[ Update Review: I had it again, only a few days later, and really wasn't into it.  Was just like, "meh, cauliflower". Will need to try again to see what I think the 3rd time ... ]

For regular ingredients, I skipped all the standard raw veggies of which there were many (I'll spare you the details), and went just for the special seasonal corn, and the only real interesting sounding veggie: the spicy broccoli.  I also skipped the legumes, fruits (although the strawberries did look ripe and decent), and opted for some fun crispy toppings, which I had on the side (more on those soon).  The za'atar breadcrumbs looked great too, but alas, I had to narrow down *some* choices!

Spicy Broccoli
"Broccoli, kale stems, sunflower oil, umami seasoning, crushed red pepper."

One I was fairly excited to try, not that I like broccoli much, but, I do like broccoli salads (hello, Whole Foods broccoli crunch!), and this sounded potentially fun.

I liked it.  It wasn't actually very spicy, but, the addition of kale stems, along with the stems of the broccoli, gave it great textures.  I liked the mix of florets and stems. Good crunch.  Another one that "ate well".

So not spicy, but still flavorful, and enjoyable to eat.  I'd get it again, maybe double portion.  ***+.

Corn
The corn was just corn, but, it was at its prime.  Very, very good, sweet juicy corn kernels.  Definitely worth getting.  ****.

And lastly, the fun category, where Sweetgreen gets dangerous: the Premiums.  I didn't want any of the cheeses, so that was easy to rule out, nor most of the proteins (cuz, eh, chicken, tofu, egg), but I wanted many others.  I settled for 3: two chilled veggies and a warm protein.  I really did want to try the warm portobello mix too though .....

Pickled carrots + celery  
"Carrots, celery, salt, white wine vinegar."

This was fine.  Lightly pickled carrots and celery.  Mostly celery.  Nice crunch, touch of acidity. ***+.

Kale-cabbage Slaw
"Kale, cabbage, carrots, green goddess ranch, lemon juice."

I quite liked this, and then laughed when I saw what it was made of.  Literally all just ingredients from the menu, just combined.  In fact, you could literally design a salad that is this, just, full size (e.g. kale base, cabbage/carrots as the only ingredients, and green goddess ranch and lemon squeeze as your dressings).

Also strange is that I didn't care for the green goddess ranch dressing at first, but liked this.  Huh.

Anyway, yes, it is just a slaw, but it was fresh, crisp, and flavorful.  I wanted more, I wanted a giant scoop of slaw, really, I wanted a side dish of slaw, and would gladly get 2x-3x portion of this.  Or, you know, design a whole bowl that is just the slaw.  ****.

Roasted Steelhead
"Steelhead, oil, and umami seasoning."

I was skeptical about this one, as I generally do not like cooked salmon (or steelhead).  I like it raw, I love a beautiful mid-rare king salmon, but a pretty generic, even well prepared, standard cooked salmon just isn't my fish of choice.  And what did I expect from this pre-made one?

I did expect it to be warm, and it wasn't?  Is that normal?  It was stone cold.  I wasn't expecting that, although cold salmon on salads is a thing.

It was fine, for what it was.  A decent sized piece, although definitely not what you'd think of as a salmon entree or anything.  A compliment to your bowl, but not the real main dish.  Seasoning was nice.  Cooked well.  Not too fishy.  Flaked nicely.  ***.

But it was still fully cooked salmon, and just not my thing really.  But, besides being cold, really nothing I can say bad about it.  Average piece is 150 calories, 21 grams protein, for 86 g piece (3 ounces).

Elote Bowl (modified). $13.95.
Summer 2022 Seasonal.

"Warm quinoa, arugula, cilantro, shredded cabbage, tortilla chips, sunflower seeds, goat cheese, roasted corn + peppers, heirloom cherry tomatoes, lime cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette."

In the summer of 2022, Sweetgreen ran a promotion to encourage people to order the seasonal Elote bowl.  Order it during a specified week, and you'd get a $7 credit on your next order, basically, making it half-price.  I can't resist a good deal, so I went for the Elote bowl, even though I never would have ordered it normally.  That said, of course I modified it, keeping within the regular parameters of no more than 5 modifications and swapping like for like, so it wouldn't have any additional charge.  

This is supposed to be a warm bowl with a quinoa and arugula base, but, I didn't actually want any grains, just a salad, so I asked to have kale instead of quinoa.  No problem.  I really do like the Sweetgreen curly kale, always very consistent.  Together with the arugula it creates a hearty, peppery base.  **** and my favorite base combo most of the time (unless I want juicy romaine, in which case, romaine and kale it is).

I kept the shredded cabbage, but asked to sub out the other regular veggie topping, cilantro, for the spicy broccoli.  I don't hate cilantro, but I certainly don't love it, and I do love their spicy broccoli.  Both the cabbage and broccoli were good, as always, and nice for additional crunch.  ****.

I also kept the other regular priced crispy toppings, the sunflower seeds and tortilla chips (the later I asked to have on the side so they wouldn't get soggy), although I would have preferred others like the crispy rice or toasted almonds, but, I didn't want additional charge, so left those alone. *** for these, not my favorites, but I knew they wouldn't be.

Finally, the premium toppings, I left the included seasonal roasted corn + peppers and heirloom cherry tomatoes, but removed the goat cheese, as I really don't like it.  I got an extra scoop of the corn + peppers instead.  The heirloom tomatoes were a noticeable improvement over the regular tomatoes, they were considerably juicier, and far more vibrant, assorted colors of red, orange, and yellow, rather than just red.  When tomatoes are in season, these are worth springing for the premium price.  As always, I appreciate that Sweetgreen cuts the tomatoes in half for easy eating.  The corn + pepper mix was a first for me, and I was thrilled with it.  I mean, I love summer corn in general, and this was just roasted corn, with a few bits of roasted red pepper and the signature umami seasoning on it, but, it was very satisfying.  I'd definitely get this again too.  **** for both these toppings.

Oh, and I ditched the lime cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette, as I'm more a creamy dressing girl, and got the goddess and caesar, both of which I really like.

Overall, I liked my bowl quite a bit, but, it really wasn't the Elote bowl at this point. ****.

Crispy Toppings

If you know me, you know I'm all about crispy toppings on things.  I always add crispy toppings to salads at lunch, to curries or warm bowls at dinner, and to every dessert.  I like the crunch and texture, and of course, chance to add a complimentary flavor.  Sweetgreen offers up a handful of crispy toppings, but they are usually added right in to the bowls, so unless you are eating your bowl immediately, they do get soft.  I try to ask for them on the side whenever I order in person, but that still isn't possible through the app.  

I've tried all but the za'atar breadcrumbs, and really, really love the crispy rice.

Spicy Sunflower Seeds

"Sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, umami seasoning, crushed red pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, mushrooms, tomato, sumac, cracked black pepper, crystalized lime."

These sounded like something I'd love, great ingredients, spicy, flavorful, seeds.  I always add seasoned seeds onto my bowls and salads (for crunch and protein).

But I really, really didn't like them.  They were exactly the style of sunflower seed I dislike, too ... um, strongly sunflower seed flavor (if that makes any sense whatsoever ...).

So sadly a loser for me, and I was glad they were on the side.  I gave them to my mom when I saw her the next day.

**.

Crispy Rice (on the side)

"Crisp rice, crisp sorghum, umami seasoning, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, chilil powder, palm sugar, sunflower oil, coconut oil."

w00t Sweetgreen, w00t.  I *loved* these, and definitely not what I expected from "crispy rice" before I read the ingredients.  I thought it would just be, um, crispy rice?

It was more like rice crispies cereal (with sorghum too), but, savory flavored.  They are crispy and crunchy, and are loaded with flavor. 

I got them on the side so they would stay crispy, which I think was a great move, and found them really delicious just to even snack on.  I could barely wait to add it to my bowl.  Could I get a base of this, rather than greens or grains?

A+, highly recommend.  *****.

Update: These are now a staple of my order.  I love them.  Sometimes I even get 3 scoops, so I can save some for later.  They are delicious to just snack on, are obviously great on salads, and my recent discovery, I think are great sprinkled on top of chowder or potato leek soup, or used on a savory yogurt bowl.  So much flavor, so great crunch.  Love this stuff, and wish I could buy it individually.  *****.

Tortilla Chips.

When I got a seasonal special, the Elote bowl, it came with tortilla chips, I asked to have them on the side so they wouldn't get soggy.  This time, I was given a cardboard container with a giant scoop, rather than just a small condiment container.  The tortilla chips are actually locally made, with different ingredients in each market (for example, in Boston, New York, LA, and a few others, they have a "trace of lime", but in SF, we are lime-less).

They were, well, tortilla chips.  They tasted like any other corn tortilla chips to me, which isn't something I'm really ever into, and these were no different. **+.

Dressing

In addition to having amazing ingredients, one reason people love Sweetgreen is the housemade dressings.  Unlike most places, you can pick 3 by default, no charge, and if you want more, you just ask, and they are always happy to provide.  Pre-COVID days, you could say if you wanted your dressing mixed in or not, and they'd do it to order, and you can actually combine 3 dressing if you wish, and just specify ratios.  Now, they are always on the side, which is great, because, uh, yeah, I'm addicted to some of these, and I love having them on hand at home.  If and when Sweetgreen decides to expand in another way, I could totally imagine them bringing their salad dressings packaged for retail to a grocery store near you.

I've tried many of them, and really do love some of them.  The hype for these is valid.

Spicy Cashew Dressing.

"Sunflower oil, EVOO, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, basil, cilantro, garlic, umami seasoning, cashew butter, maple syrup, young ginger, crushed red pepper, lime juice."

Um, wow.  Wow, wow, wow. 

I know people rave about this dressing, but it took me a while to try it.  It didn't seem like something I'd be that excited about.  But, um, wow.  Its perhaps ... the best salad dressing I've ever had in my whole life?  Seriously.  Wow.

It is creamy.  It is spicy.  It has depth.  It somehow has ... everything going on.  I don't even understand.  I just know its insanely delicious, and after I tasted it that first time, all I could think about was epic salad bowls for days, because I just wanted *more* excuses to have that dressing.  I'm not joking.  It ... is life changing.

So what is in it?  It doesn't even sound that special.  The base is grapeseed oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and agave nectar.  The sesame oil in particular I think gives it a nice depth, and yes, it has added sugar.  Cashew butter brings in the cashew element and creaminess, lime juice provides acidity, and red pepper flakes bring on the spice.  Ginger, cilantro, and garlic give it more depth.  And of course, their signature "umami seasoning" adds a punch of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and salt.

Just get this dressing.  Try it.  It is ... just life changing.  No more to say.  Best salad dressing ever. ****.

Update Reviews: I've had this over and over.  Seriously, this dressing is life changing.  I actually mix it with soy sauce and ume plum vinegar, and just *adore* it even more that way. ****.

Peppercorn Tahini Dressing.
(Spring Seasonal).

I'm not entirely sure why I decided to try the peppercorn tahini dressing, a spring seasonal dressing.  I ... don't really like tahini.  Nor cumin (which is dominant).  Nor Mediterranean flavors really ...  but hey, why not try something different I guess?  That is the beauty of being able to pick 3 dressing at a time, you can always get the spicy cashew that is certain to be great, and give some others a whirl as a "risk".

The base here is entirely different from the spicy cashew: extra virgin olive oil (rather than grapeseed and sesame), apple cider vinegar (rather than rice vinegar), and lemon juice (rather than lime) for the acidity.  Dijon provides a slight zing, garlic a bit of something, but otherwise, that is it besides the cumin, salt, and pepper.

It ... well, tastes like tahini?  If you like tahini, I'm sure it is good.  It made me think of falafel, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  Which is not what I was having.  It probably would go well with feta too.  Just, not the things I tend to go for.

A fine dressing, don't get me wrong, but, not the style I wanted.  **.

Caesar.

"Plain yogurt, mayo, anchovies, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cracked black pepper, sunflower oil."

Real anchovies!  Yes!  Honestly, I get a bit ... um, grumpy, tbh, at places that call dressing sans anchovy "caesar".  Caesar dressing has anchovies. That is all.

This is a good, slightly lighter style, caesar.  Still plenty creamy from both mayo and yogurt, and decent amount of cheese.  Not quite as thick as I prefer, but not a thin style either.  Well rounded flavor, decent saltiness, decent anchovy level.

It is a good legit caesar, that won't scare too many people away basically.  Its like a decent red table wine.  Sure, you want it to have more complexity, but they don't cut any major corners here.  Very inoffensive, and I gladly get it regularly.

***+.

Green Goddess Ranch.

"Mayo, plain yogurt, dill, red onion, basil, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, white wine vin, sweetgreen hot sauce, salt, garlic, pepper."

I expected great things from this one, as I do sometimes like ranch, and the herb mix and hot sauce sounded like they'd round this out great, but ... I didn't love it the first time I had it.  Didn't even really ... like it?  It had a strange, dominant taste that I couldn't pinpoint.

At least, at first.  I saved it, and tried it again later, and actually liked it.  Very herb forward and quite enjoyable.  Great paired with things like broccoli and carrots.  I'm not sure why I wasn't into it the first time.  ***.

Update: I've gotten it several times since, and always really loved it.  It is great to save the extra and use as a dip for veggie sticks. ****.

Pesto Vinaigrette / Spicy Cashew Pesto.

Pesto Vinaigrette:
"Sunflower oil, evoo, apple cider vinegar, basil, garlic, umami seasoning."

I struggled with this one.  I wanted it to be pesto.  Not pesto vinaigrette, but pesto.  The flavor was decent, although I like even stronger basil, but, it was a dressing, and thus a true vinaigrette, so it was oily, not thick, and not as intense in the pesto department.  Fine if you like vinaigrette, and fine if you want a salad dressing (which, yes, is what most people are getting it for after all), but I wanted a pesto *sauce* to drizzle over things.

It went well with the cauliflower rice from a warm bowl, and I did later use some on a baguette melt with tomatoes and melted fresh mozzarella, really quite successfully!  I've also enjoyed it drizzled over roast salmon.  ***.

Spicy Cashew Pesto: 
"Sunflower oil, evoo, sesame oil, apple cider vin, rice vin, basil, cilantro, garlic, umami seasoning, cashew butter, maple syrup, young ginger, crushed red pepper, lime juice."

I hoped the spicy cashew pesto would be closer to a real pesto, as not dubbed a vinaigrette.  As you can see from ingredient list, it also had a lot more going on, in addition to the cashew butter, it had all the spices (cilantro, crushed red pepper, young ginger, it seemed), and the maple syrup to round it out.

The cashew butter did thicken it up a touch too, but, with a base of all the oil and vinegar ... yup, it too was a dressing, not a sauce.  By design, I know.  It had a bit of kick to it, and really, it seemed like the lovechild of the pesto vinaigrette and the spicy cashew dressing I so adore (which, I think it basically was - if you merge the ingredients of both, you get nearly exactly this - only missing sesame oil).  So, pesto flavor, and cashew flavor, and a bit of heat.

It really grew on me, and I think in the end I really liked it.  But they have so many great dressings ... ***.

Spicy Cashew Pesto (2020).

When I had the spicy cashew pesto another time it was ... um, entirely different?  

It was thin.  Watery.  Had chunks floating in it (ginger?).  Was really tangy (too much lime?).

I just really didn't care for it at all.  Not sure what was up here ... **.

Hot Sauce.

"fresno chili pepper, apple cider vin, onion, bell pepper, carrot, tomato paste, nutritional yeast."

Sweetgreen has a signature hot sauce.  It is ... hot sauce.

It tastes ... like hot sauce?  Yeah.  Not sure what else there is to say.  Tastes sorta like any generic hot sauce, fairly heavy in the tomato and bell pepper flavors.  It is fine to add a bit of heat as you please, and I do enjoy having it for a bit of zing.

***+.

Miso sesame ginger vinaigrette.

"Sunflower oil, rice vinegar, miso paste, young ginger, tamari, maple syrup, garlic, umami seasoning, crushed red pepper, sesame oil."

I lost my notes on this one, but I think I recall it being a bit sweet, likely from the maple syrup.  I don't remember a great miso flavor, which is what I was really seeking out. ***.

Remoulade.
(Winter 2021 Seasonal).

The remoulade is made from a blend of mayo and yogurt for a creamy base (yogurt to make a bit healthier, like many of their dressings), their own hot sauce for kick, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar for acid, honey for a touch of sweetness, and then their signature umami seasoning, pepper, and garlic. No, um, pickles, or things I really think of as "remoulade".

It is ... fine?  But doesn't quite taste like remoulade to me, I can't imagine it with seafood for example.  More like ... a generic "special sauce" with less ketchup?  ***.

Sauces

In addition to all the regular dressings, Sweetgreen has a few sauces.  Sauces were added to the menu at the time that plates and sides were added.  These are thicker, drizzle/dipping style sauces, not originally designed for salads or grain bowl, but, you know I still wanted to try them all.  I was able to try the 2 they added for the plates.

Hot Honey Mustard.

First up, hot honey mustard.

This was ... not what I was expecting.  Introduced as part of the Hot Honey Chicken plate, normally served with roast chicken, sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc.  I was given a sample when multiple staff members asked if I'd tried it yet, and really really wanted me to try.  They all love this one.

It was *incredibly* sweet.  I know it wasn't made as a dressing, but I have a hard time imagining dipping chicken in it, even though I used to love dipping chicken nuggets in honey even.  A tiny dot of this went a long way.

I did find the underlying flavor interesting (there was a touch of spice there), but, wow, so incredibly sweet.  I used it up by using a dot of it (literally), mixed with things to dilute it, with tomatoes and sprouts and loved that pairing.

I wouldn't get it again, and I'm surprised the staff all love it so much. **.

Chimichurri Sauce.

"Sunflower oil, apple cider vin, garlic, red onion, jalapeno, parsley, oregano, cumin, salt."

The chimichurri was also added to the menu for the plates, another chicken one, the Chicken Chimichurri.

I really liked it the first time I had it, but for some reason, I found myself disliking it later.  In particular, I definitely don't really recommend saving any extra and using it later (unless literally within a day or two), as it got quite ... punchy, fast, and I'm not sure what in the ingredient list would cause that. ***.

Sides

Sweetgreen does not have much in the way of side dishes.  Bowls come with an optional slice of complimentary bread, and beyond that, you can order a slice of focaccia, or sometimes a seasonal roast vegetable (sweet potatoes, cauliflower, etc) with a specific sauce drizzle and crunchy topping.  The breads are sourced locally, so if you visit a Sweetgreen in New York, you'll get different bread than in San Francisco.  The roast veggies are the same ones used as seasonal ingredients in the bowls, just packaged differently.

As a primary lunch spot, I find it interesting that they don't offer probably the most common lunch side out there: chips.  However, that is very on brand.

Bread. Complimentary.

Bread is always offered, optionally, complimentary, on the side.  

I don't normally get it, as I'm not really a bread girl, but I was randomly craving PB&J, and figured I could take the bread home to make a PB&J later in the day.

My order came with two slices of sourdough wheat bread.

The bread was good quality, seemed fresh, had a nice crust to it, and was very soft inside.  However ... it had a sourdough quality to it, which I don't care for.

Just bread, but, fresh and quality.

***.

Update: I've ordered it several more times, and, well, yeah, it really tastes like sourdough.  It is still nice bread, but just not for me at all.

Cashew Pesto Sweet Potatoes. $3.95.

"Hot roasted sweet potatoes, spicy cashew pesto."

Well ... these were sweet potatoes.  Just a side of sweet potatoes, the same used in the bowls.  

Assorted colors, different sizes, skin on, soft.  Not a crispy style roast.

They were ... fine?  Not much to say about some sweet potatoes.

The dipping sauce they came with is the same spicy cashew pesto I had tried before, although it seemed thinner (see above).  There is no option when ordering online to change the dipping sauce, but I was able to ask for another in-store.

Overall, nothing wrong with these but not really an interesting item.

***.

Buffalo Cauliflower. $4.95.
Fall 2021 Seasonal.

"Curry roasted cauliflower, crispy rice, caesar dressing, sweetgreen hot sauce."

The sides at Sweetgreen rarely change, but finally, finally, in the fall of 2021, they introduced a new one: Buffalo Cauliflower.  It is just 3 scoops of the curry roasted cauliflower used in the seasonal salad, served with the regular hot sauce and caesar dressing, along with the crispy rice topping from the regular menu, but, hey, it was something new to try in this form, and I do love those crispies and the hot sauce in particular.

The rice is usually sprinkled on top, but I asked for it on the side so as to not get soggy, which was easily accommodated.  The crispy rice was, as usual, very flavorful.  I didn't really want it with the cauliflower, but I gladly used it on salads later.

Now, for the cauliflower.  First, a warning.  This dish is served cold.  I've had many other buffalo cauliflower dishes, usually lightly fried or tempura cauliflower, dunked in hot sauce, but this was the chilled roasted cauliflower they use on the salad.  So, if you are expecting hot cauliflower, this is not it.

The cauliflower was good though, very well roasted, some char bits.  Covered in curry powder, so quite flavorful, but again, nothing like what I'd expect from a buffalo cauliflower dish.  Served chilled, I think it would work great on a salad, but the side was a bit odd like this.

I brought it home, threw it in the air fryer/toaster oven, alongside some leftover cooked brussels sprouts, onion, and green beans, and made a platter with warmed babaganoush, toasted pita bread, and fresh arugula and tomato, and quite enjoyed my mediteranean-ish platter, but, clearly, I didn't eat the dish the way it was intended.

***+, as it was flavorful, I used it well, and I did love the crispy rice and hot sauce as usual.

Buffalo Cauliflower (unmodified). $4.95.

I got the Buffalo Cauliflower again a few weeks later when I was craving cauliflower, and this time, let it unmodified since I ordered online and there was no way to ask for the crispy rice on the side.

I think I got far more crispy rice this way, it seemed like 2 big scoops vs the 1 that was put on the side for me before.  Other than that, this was as before, and now that I knew not to expect fried cauliflower, I enjoyed it as is, thrown into a salad later at home (with some lovely roast maple bourbon brussels sprouts!).

***+.

Buffalo Cauliflower (unmodified). $4.95.

Another few weeks passed, and I again wanted to stock up on some buffalo cauliflower to add to my own salads at home.  I was in a rush so I ordered online, so again, no way to ask for the crispy rice on the side (grr!).

This one came with the crispy rice both on top and throughout, a very generous portion, but, alas, since I wasn't eating it right away, this meant it was nearly impossible to pick out and save it from getting soft.  But everything was as expected, I really like to grill the cauliflower and throw onto my salads, the crispies are so flavorful, and yay to sauces.

***+.

Roast Steelhead. $4.50.

This isn't technically a side dish offered by Sweetgreen, but one day I was really craving fish, but didn't need salad ingredients, and was walking by on my way home from work and thinking about what to have for dinner, so, I asked if I could literally just order a side of fish.  It was no problem, and I was charged the same as if I had added it on to a bowl ($4.50).

It was very fully cooked, and fishy, but, I was in the mood, and it hit the spot, making for an easy dinner with some roasted green beans and mashed potatoes I have leftover at home.

***.

Drinks

Sweetgreen has an ... interesting drink lineup.  No standard soft drinks, the closest thing to those are Spindrift seltzers in a few flavors.  They also offer aluminum bottled water (still and sparkling), a few varities of bottled kambucha, and their own bottled iced teas.

Hibiscus Clover Tea. $3.50.

"A refreshing blend with crimson clover, mixed berries and hibiscus."

Since I try not to have caffeine in the afternoon, I had one choice for iced tea, Hibiscus Clover tea, not something I'd normally go for.

And ... yeah.  Not my thing.  It was far too fruity for my tastes, and, well, didn't taste like tea.  I used to love peach ice tea, so fruity tea isn't that foreign to me, but, I found myself really wanting the depth of black tea to balance out the fruit.

**.