When the weather starts getting a little sunnier sometimes we crave fresh and more vegetable filled dishes as we get out and about. Here are a few of my favorite places to get the best salads in Seattle. I’ve tried to add the neighborhoods you’ll find these places in too.
Evergreens all over Seattle
There are so many Evergreens in Seattle, there is even one at our Seattle Airport and it’s one I order often if I’m working from home (I order at least 2 to make the delivery feel ‘worth it’ and eat one for lunch and the other becomes part of dinner for the family or is my lunch the next day too.) One of my guys likes his as a wrap, I like mine as a salad and then I add warm rice if I’m getting it for lunch to make it feel a little heartier like a grain bowl. My favorite is the Waldorf or the Super Bowl but I always check the menu just in case they’ve added a special salad for a limited time. And you can add a bunch of extras like grape tomatoes (I have never figured out how these are different than cherry tomatoes-is it just the shape?)
Oddfellows in Capitol Hill
This is one of my favorite cafes in the city. Oddfellows is a place my husband and I go to when we want a quick lunch date. They have outdoor eating and high ceilings with fans indoors and good coffee and really good food. If we are feeling indulgent we get the French Toast for lunch and add a salad. I recently tried the winter grain bowl because they no longer had my favorite “Plowman’s Lunch” and it will be my new go-to on the menu.
Retreat near Greenlake
Make note of this place’s proximity to Bells Cookies one of the newer cookie shops to pop up in our city. A salad is so much better when you get it with a cookie and the ones at Bells Cookies are dense cookies and they are served warm. Retreat has been around for a while but I only went recently and I know I need to revisit soon for their harvest bowl-it was full of vegetables and couscous and it was such a flavorful and filling salad. There is free parking nearby and it makes it an easy stop in Seattle where you can meet a friend for lunch, a good cup of coffee, a walk and dessert. There is outdoor seating at this cafe too.
Crackle Mi Ballard
Crackle Mi opened recently (late 2021/early 2022) and we love their rice/ salad tofu bowls and it is hard to choose between the lemongrass and the dark soy sauce tofu. This one is easy to order online and then pickup but I think they also have local delivery too. We’ve never eaten in this restaurant but it looks like it has a lot of seating but nothing outdoors. They package the food nicely and it’s an easy dinner in between lessons and sports.
Sizzle and Crunch in the Udistrict and South Lake Union
We are so thankful that Sizzle and Crunch has a new location in South Lake Union. Their salad/rice bowls are similar to the ones at Crackle Mi and can be topped with tofu, chicken or other meats. We choose between Crackle Mi and Sizzle and Crunch based on what lessons we’re going to or what the traffic patterns are like in the area. The city has been getting busier again with concerts and sports games so where we go in the city nowadays not only depends on the food we want to eat but also the type of traffic we’ll expect at that time.
Mod PIZZA-many seattle locations and beyond
Chances are you have a Mod Pizza near you. We’ve been ordering from them for years and their pizza is simple to order and reliable. But it’s the salads at Mod Pizza that are pretty phenomenal. You can get unlimited toppings for one set price based on the size of the salad you purchase and we’ve tried a few different salad dressings here that have all been pretty good. Sometimes if we get the big family salad we have enough for salad for lunch the next day as well.
Perfect Protein Salad from PCC Markets
I love this salad from PCC Markets. I often order it from the deli and eat it on the way to piano lessons and a small container costs maybe $3. I found PCC markets posted the recipe online so I’ve been making versions of this salad at home now too. The part that takes the longest is boiling the spelt berries. (about 40 minutes)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)