Living in Austin means that it’s pretty easy to find some amazing food. We live in a city of great Tex-Mex, unreal barbecue and trucks that exist to cook and serve delicious food. But what about salad? Salad doesn’t deserve to take a backseat to any of these dishes. Don’t worry though — if you’re looking for a crisp and flavorful salad, try these places out.
1. Leaf
Photo courtesy of austinot.com
This place is the holy grail of salad places in Austin. The lettuce is fresh, they offer shrimp that’s grilled to perfection and they don’t skimp on the avocado. It’s a small place with limited hours (11am – 4pm) and is closed on Sundays. Previously located in the Second Street district, it is now located on Sixth Street. After just one bite from a salad here, you’re going to be craving this place every day of the week (especially on Sundays).
2. Salata
Photo courtesy of salata.com
Salata comes in second to Leaf, but it’s a close one. With their colorful bar of unlimited toppings, four types of chicken (Asian barbecue, grilled, pesto and spicy chipotle), vegetarian protein options, soups and delicious rolls, Salata is hard to pass up. They even offer a student discount — what’s a better deal than that?
3. FoodHeads
Photo courtesy of foodheads.com
Don’t be fooled by the looks of this small cafe, because once you’re inside, you’ll see it has a large menu with ample amounts of flavor. Located just three minutes from the University of Texas campus, FoodHeads is a go-to for fresh salads topped with delicious ingredients including chicken, steak or fish. But if you’re not feeling like a salad, no worries, because FoodHeads also has specialty sandwiches, fish tacos or smoked salmon bagels. With this much variety and flavor, you can’t go wrong.
4. Snap Kitchen
Photo courtesy of snapkitchen.com
Although there are limited locations in Austin that feature the salad bar, it is well worth the drive for the ones that do. The salad bars offer any ingredient you could possibly want — from green beans to strawberry chunks to pumpkin seeds. If you’re indecisive, you can order one of their signature salads, which has all the ingredients already picked out for you. You can stay and eat your salad while you check out all the other healthy, pre-made meals they offer, or take it to-go with no hassle.
5. North Italia
Photo courtesy of localhoustonmagazine.com
Although they’re known for their delicious pizzas, this Italian restaurant also serves up some delicious salads. Their seasonal vegetable salad contains an array of fresh veggies like brussels sprouts and butternut squash. Love beets? You’ll be amazed by their Heirloom Beet Salad. You can even find traditional salads such like Caesar or chopped salads.
#SpoonTip: Add chicken or salmon for additional protein and yumminess.
6. Galaxy Cafe
Photo courtesy of austin360.com
Galaxy Cafe has a seriously incredible menu, and they don’t skimp on the salads. The lunch menu alone has six different salads that could tempt your meat-eater friends. For affordable prices, they offer hearty salads such as the Thai Steak Salad, the Asian Seared Tuna Salad and the Hot Shrimp Salad with baby spinach.
#SpoonTip: Order their sweet potato fries for an experience that’s out of this world.