Sweetgreen is a healthy casual fast food chain that is growing in locations. Presently Sweetgreen Restaurants are only available in the Mid-Atlantic region numbering 24 locations. They are becoming famous for serving up fresh salads. Sweetgreen was founded in 2007. Their goal is to deliver simple, seasonal, and healthy foods. Their website states that they believe the
“choices that we make about what we eat, where it comes from and how it’s prepared have a direct and powerful impact on the health of individuals, communities and the environment. That’s why we’re building a transparent supply network, why we cook from scratch, and why we’re building a community of people who support real food.”
Sweetgreen started at the grass roots level. They have a video on their website that explains how they got started by going to farmer’s markets and buying foods directly from the producers. I personally liked that, to see a company go directly to the source which is the American Farmer. They also state in their video, that they have kept those connections to this day.
About The Menu
Their menu choices are divided into 4 choices. Those choices are season, warm bowls, salads, and make your own. I’ll go through each section of the menu to give you an idea of what Sweetgreen offers.
Seasonal
The seasonal selections of the menu will change with each season, for the winter season they have Curry Chickpea which is made up of organic baby spinach, warm quinoa, hot chickpeas, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, cilantro, roasted chicken, raisins, roasted almonds, and curry yogurt dressing. Winter Squash and Blue Cheese is shredded kale, organic mesclun, apples, local blue cheese, roasted squash, raisins, umami walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette. The Miso Bowl which is shredded kale, organic wild rice, miso-glazed vegetables, basil, shredded cabbage, roasted chicken, roasted almonds, miso sesame ginger dressing. For a seasonal winter drink they have spiced cider.
Warm Bowls
Presently there are 3 warm bowls to choose from. The first one is called Shroomami and it is made up of organic wild rice, shredded kale, raw beets, bean sprouts, basil, spicy sunflower seeds, warm portobello mix, roasted sesame tofu, and miso sesame ginger dressing. The next one is called Pesto Portobello which is made up of warm quinoa, organic arugula, roasted chicken, warm portobello mix, raw corn, hot chickpeas, spicy broccoli, and pesto vinaigrette. The 3rd warm bowl choice is called Harvest Bowl which is made up of organic wild rice, shredded kale, apples, sweet potatoes, roasted chicken, local goat cheese, toasted almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette.
Salads
For salads you will get to choose from 6 different types. Salads are a very popular item at Sweetgreen. The 6 salad types are:
- SPICY SABZI – organic baby spinach, shredded kale, spicy broccoli, raw beets, organic carrots, bean sprouts, spicy quinoa, basil, roasted sesame tofu, sweetgreen hot sauce, and carrot chili vinaigrette.
- KALE CAESAR – shredded kale, chopped romaine, parmesan crisp, shaved parmesan, roasted chicken, tomatoes, fresh lime squeeze, and caesar dressing.
- GUACAMOLE GREENS – organic mesclun, avocado, roasted chicken, red onion, tomatoes, tortilla chips, fresh lime squeeze, and lime cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette.
- HUMMUS TAHINA – chopped romaine, shredded kale, herb falafel, local feta, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, za’atar breadcrumbs, housemade hummus, and cucumber tahini yogurt dressing
- OMG OMEGA – organic arugula, organic baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, avocado, roasted steelhead, nori furikake, and miso sesame ginger dressing.
- RAD THAI – organic arugula, organic mesclun, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, spicy sunflower seeds, organic carrots, cucumbers, basil, citrus shrimp, and spicy cashew dressing.
Make Your Own
With the “Make Your Own” selection, you will get to choose the ingredients that you would like in your bowl. First you choose your base which is up to two ingredients which are all gluten-free. The choices are organic mesclun, organic arugula, organic baby spinach, shredded kale, chopped romaine, warm quinoa, and organic wild rice.
Second, you will get to choose up to 4 of the following ingredients: umami walnuts, cilantro, bean sprouts, basil, raw beets, red onion, tomatoes, organic carrots, cucumbers, hot chickpeas, shredded cabbage, spicy broccoli, raw corn, local apples, roasted sweet potatoes, spicy quinoa, tortilla chips, spicy sunflower seeds, and toasted almonds.
Third, will be your choice of premiums which include roasted squash, local blue cheese, miso glazed vegetables, roasted steelhead, citrus shrimp, roasted chicken, warm portobello mix, herb falafel, roasted sesame tofu, avocado, hard-boiled egg, house-made hummus, local goat cheese, local feta cheese, organic white cheddar, shaved parmesan, and parmesan crisps.
Pros
- Friendly service
- Food is sourced locally when available
- Many healthy options
- They make the food in front of you
Cons
- Not yet in all of the states. Only available in the Mid-Atlantic region.
What Other People Are Saying
They Make the Food in Front of You
I love the fact that they make the food in front of you. This type of restaurant has always been my favorite kind. A lot of other people commented on how you get to select your items and watch it being made while you watch. One customer said,
“They make it in front of you, and you can customize it and/or select their own creations for salads. My favorite is the one with hummus. I find it to be very filling and tasty!”
People Share Their Favorites
There are endless choices of meals if you think about how many different ways you could mix up your ingredients. Or you can choose from the already selected menu choices. One person shared her favorite along with other choices including prices. She reported,
“I had the hummus tahina salad ($11.50) and it’s definitely my favorite. It has shredded kale, chopped romaine, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, feta, hummus, herb falafel, za’atar breadcrumbs, and cucumber tahini yogurt dressing. I typically find falafel too dry and bland but I loved the falafel here so much that I got an extra side of it ($2). My sister got the fish taco bowl ($12.50) which is a fall special. It has organic arugula, warm quinoa, shredded cabbage, roasted steelhead, cilantro, tortilla chips, sweetgreen hot sauce, and lime cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette. Both were great choices! “
What You’ll Pay
The prices are low, especially for the quality of fresh food that you get at the Sweetgreen. Dinners are under $15.
Customer Service
People commented very positively on the service that they received at Sweetgreen. You can order in or use their app to order so that your food is ready when you arrive. You can also choose to dine in or dine out.
My Conclusion
Sweetgreen had great reviews. The only downfall that I could find is that they are presently only in the Mid-Atlantic region. Sweetgreen serves up locally sourced foods with four menu categories including season, warm bowls, salads, and make your own. From looking at the companies locally sourced practices, their menu, and reading the reviews, I highly recommend this restaurant. I hope that my review has given you a new healthy restaurant to try!
For more reviews and information, check out our list of the Top 10 Healthiest Restaurant Chains of 2018.