I have a confession to make; I am in love with a salad company. Yes, I am indeed in a committed relationship with the popular salad chain Chopt. It’s going pretty well, thanks for asking. As one of their frequent customers, I decided to step out of my Mexican Caesar Salad comfort zone and try some of the other 19 signature Chopt dressings. And you know what? I didn’t hate it. Here are all of the Chopt dressings ranked from “OK” to “I could drink this.”
#SpoonTip: Chopt, unlike other salad chains, locally sources their ingredients for their salads and their dressings, so some of these may be available to you, while others may not. These were tested in Mt. Kisco, NY.
19. Dijon
Nope. I’m sorry, but this does not taste good. Plain and simple. Maybe I’m just not mature enough to “appreciate the complexity of this dressing” but to be completely honest, I don’t want to. I’m very OK with my childish caesar tendencies.
18. Balsamic Vinaigrette
I know some people genuinely like this stuff. You either love it or hate it. I personally think those who love it are delusional. Balsamic anything is bitter and sad and I don’t want it anywhere near my salad or my clothes, which is where it will likely end up if I order it.
17. White Balsamic Vinaigrette
This is slightly better than it’s predecessor. “Slightly” being the key word, though. White balsamic has less intense, sharp, and acidic flavors than regular balsamic. But again, I still want it neither near me or my salad. (But it is also slightly less prone to terribly obvious staining on clothes.)
16. Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese is surprisingly a quite delicious sauce and I have nothing against it. But I’m a firm believer that blue cheese dressing belongs on only one thing, and that is chicken wings. It’s not my first choice for a salad dressing, but there’s no denying this garlic-y, creamy sauce is divine.
15. Buttermilk Ranch
Similar to caesar, ranch will taste the same anywhere you go. I personally don’t believe that ranch belongs on salads, though. I like it as a dip or a sauce on a sandwich, but you do you.
14. Greek Yogurt Tzatiki
It’s a pretty non-traditional salad dressing, as tzatiki is often used as a dipping sauce or a marinade. It was light and airy, but I’m not really a fan of Greek yogurt, so this definitely would not be my first choice.
13. Sriracha Tzatziki
Pretty much the same as regular tzatziki, except tears were streaming down my face because it was so spicy. I’m not really a Sriracha fan, so I’ll be avoiding this one forever.
12. Lemon Tahini
This dressing is giving me a major Middle Eastern/Mediterranean vibe. When I tried this, I wanted to put mounds of it onto some falafel. It has a similar taste to hummus, but somehow remains light and complements the dishes inspired by these flavors, like the Mediterranean Falafel salad.
11. Chili Cashew
If you’re looking for something on the sweeter side, this should be your go-to. There’s a hint of spice, but the cashews add a sweet, yet nutty flavor that I’ve never had in a salad dressing before.
10. Tex Mex Ranch
This dressing is very basic and simple. It’s pretty much just spicy ranch, and what could be bad about that? It has the milky texture of ranch, but a lot of added heat from the peppers and spices.
9. Caesar
Caesar is a classic. You can find a caesar salad at a ton of different restaurants. Sometimes it’s creamy and smooth, and other times it can be light and refreshing. The caesar dressing at Chopt is flavorful but isn’t overwhelmingly thick, which is often that combination that I like for my salad.
8. Spicy Tahini
Holy hell on earth, this dressing is spicy. Getting over the heat radiating from my mouth was tough, but every time I drowned my tongue in water, I wanted more of this dressing. With the right ingredients in your salad, the results could be amazing.
7. Basil Mint Vinaigrette
This dressing tasted like mint with a speck of basil. You have been warned. However, it was very tasty and has a slight similarity to pesto in its flavor and texture. But don’t think that you’re getting pesto, because the real star here is the refreshing mint.
6. Chimichurri Ranch
I was pretty surprised that I liked this because I’m not usually a huge fan of chimichurri, but it packed a ton of flavor. Just be prepared for cilantro, because that’s the main flavor that comes through. If you don’t like cilantro, I’d advise staying away from this dressing.
5. Smokey Bacon Russian
This is the “sorry not sorry” dressing. I’ll choose this dressing when I want to pretend that I’m not eating a salad. It is thick and luxurious and creamy, plus it’s loaded with bacon bits in every bite, so there’s literally nothing bad about it.
4. Sweet & Smokey Chipotle Vinaigrette
Warning: THIS IS HOT! Like, running a marathon in the Sahara Desert type of hot. However, once the heat subsides you’re left with a really nice, smokey aftertaste. But, seriously, there is nothing sweet about this dressing.
3. Hot Honey Vinaigrette
This dressing really surprised me. Aside from the fact that I’ve never heard of it before, I thought it was going to be thick and gooey like honey. However, this dressing is light and sweet, but has so much flavor packed within.
2. Mexican Goddess
The first word that came to my mind when I tried this popular dressing was “fresh.” It’s light, cool and you can taste each ingredient and the harmonious mixture can make a boring salad into an amazing salad.
1. Mexican Caesar
This is the best dressing at Chopt. That’s it. I tried to expand my horizons, but I stay loyal to my bae. Yes, it’s simple. It’s just a spicy caesar dressing, but you know what? Sometimes less is more and this dressing can complement any salad combination beyond the classic Mexican Caesar salad.
Deciding to try all of the Chopt dressings was a daunting challenge to take on at first. (For real though, when I asked the chopper behind the counter for all of his dressings, he looked at me as if I had some weird dressing fetish or something.) After pretty much taking shots-worth of salad dressing, it came down this ranked list. Now you might not agree with my list, but that’s OK. I’m an unwilling-to-budge-Mexican-caesar-dressing-enthusiast, and I wear that badge with pride.