Gobble Grade: Just Salad, Just Opened

I work, like many New Yorkers, in Midtown East. Lunchtime in our sector consists of picking one of several standard lunch places around the block, whether it be a chain like Pret a Manger or Cosi, one of billions of salad/sandwich/soup shops, or a local buffet-style lunch establishment that offers anything and evertyhing. Lines are always long with fellow coworkers and midtown suits, especially at the buffet-type places, where everybody is crammed grumpily into narrow aisles trying to get a scoop of chicken salad or fruit or one of the hot entrees. Buying lunch in midtown is generally not a pleasant experience, and it gets tired very quickly.

Thankfully, a refreshing new establishment opened just around the corner from my office. One of several New York locations and a Hong Kong spot, this Just Salad location is bright, clean, and spacious, and it is energized by a vibrant color palette of green and orange.


As it is new and hip, it does draw a lot of lunch-goers, but yet I have never seen it crowded or slow. Part of the reason I love it so much is its efficiency. As you wait in line, an employee takes your name and order on a slip of paper. When you get to the top of the line, you hand your paper to another employee, who puts all of your ingredients together, and passes it on to yet another employee who tosses or chops and dresses your salad for you. Then, you move quickly onto another part of the store where you are checked out. The sheer number of employees and the divvying up of tasks makes for a highly-efficient flow of customers. There are no long lines or waits, and it is fun to move from step to step as you watch your salad made.

Just Salad also earns points for encouraging its customers to go green. Instead of pushing those clear disposable salad containers, Just Salad rewards customers who pay the one-time $1 cost for a reusable salad bowl in one of their signature colors of green, orange, and white. The reward? Every time you bring your bowl back you can choose up to two free additional toppings to your salad. You also get a loyalty card which, once activated, grants you 5% all purchases before 2pm and 10% after 2pm. I picked up a bowl in bright orange. It's Princeton's color after all - I definitely couldn't pass it up!
But I haven't even gotten to the best part, which is, of course, the SALADS. So far I have been three times, and each time I have been amazed at how delicious these concoctions are. There are some traditional salads everyone knows and loves - Caesar and Waldorf to name two. What's fantastic about the Just Salad chef designed salads is that they make for unique and interesting combinations of ingredients.

For example, the first salad I ever purchased was the Immunity Bowl Salad, which was comprised of mesclun, salmon, butternut squash, dried cranberries, wheatberries, and cucumbers, and dressed in a lemon vinaigrette. I never thought half those ingredients would complement each other so well, but it was one of my favorite salads I had ever had in my life. So healthy too! Fantastic, fresh ingredients and dressed lightly and perfectly.

Immunity Bowl Salad ingredients

I then returned and, not very hungry, got the Hudson Valley Mix, which sounded very light. It's a mix of spinach, butternut squash, broccoli, apples, feta, beets, pumpkin seeds, and multigrain croutons, dressed in an awesome low fat horseradish chive dressing. It was incredibly fresh, light, and satisfying. And because I wasn't overly hungry, the salad even lasted for two meals - I had it for dinner as well!

Hudson Valley Mix ingredients

Today, the Sesame Grain Salad was calling to me. A tangy sesame roasted onion dressing tops this blend of mesclun, sesame Asian chicken, wheatberries, barley, string beans, and crunchy onions. I still have some leftover for a midafternoon snack or dinner as well - these bowls are LARGE! Which makes the $6.95-9.75 price range on these bad boys very worth it. Getting two healthy, scrumptious meals for $10 is a deal in my book.

Sesame Grain Salad ingredients

If you don't want to try one of their chef designed salads and want to throw together your personal favorite combination of ingredients, you're free to do so. A custom salad is $6.95 and comes with 4 free toppings (plus 2 more if you use your bowl); additional toppings are only 50 cents each. You have a VERY extensive list of healthy, incredibly tasty options so choose carefully and don't go overboard. But might I recommend some of the crunchy accents and whole grains that give a delightful texture to your salad? If you notice, the three salads I tried all had a crispy element - wheatberries, croutons, barley, crunchy onions.

And, though the name is Just Salad, they do offer some other things. Try a chef designed or custom-made wrap if you want a little tortilla in your life, warm up with a cup of soup, cool down with a Pinkberry-like frozen yogurt with fresh fruit, grab a pre-made grab-n-go salad if you're in a hurry, or add a healthy snack or drink to your lunch.

I truly recommend Just Salad if you're nearby, for a crisp, healthy, filling, flavorful lunch. Summer makes me crave salads more often, so I'm sure my reusable bowl and loyalty card will be put to good use.

Gobble Grade: A