The city’s top 7 salad places

7 First Ave. SW | 507-280-6232 | victoriasmn.com

With more than a dozen different offerings, Victoria’s Ristorante balances light side salad accompaniments alongside heartier options (like the Insalata Di Elhassan, with grilled salmon over fresh spinach, avocado, tomatoes and bell peppers, topped with a creamy garlic dressing). In 2023, our readers voted their Mediterranean Salad (fresh mixed lettuce, grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, sun-dried cherries, apples, mangos, pecans, and almonds with honey-mustard dressing) as one of Rochester’s Top Six Salads. Want to mix in some protein? The Carpaccio Di Manzo boasts a filet of raw cured beef tenderloin, sliced paper thin with garlic, parmesan, lemon, capers, arugula, and toasted crostini. And we’re big fans of Victoria’s Express, just down the hall from Victoria’s, where you can grab to-go salads from 10 am -1:30 pm Monday through Friday. We’re huge fans of the Buffalo Chicken Salad and the Blackened Chicken Caesar. And those rolls! Oh, lord, those rolls!

Marriott Subway Level, 101 First Ave. SW | 507-361-3333 | saladworks.com

In our 2021 Best Restaurants voting, Rochester Magazine readers chose Saladworks as one of the city’s Best New Restaurants. In 2022, they took home the honors for Best Salad Place, and their Grilled Chicken Caesar was runner-up for Best Takeout Meal. So, yeah, Saladworks has quickly established itself as a Rochester go-to for downtown diners. And you can also turn any of their Signature Salads (think Smoky BBQ Crispy Chicken and the Roasted Turkey Club) into a wrap, as well. We like going a step further to the “Build Your Own Grain Bowls.” The Classic Greek Warm Grain Bowl starts with a super grains blend, before adding diced and sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onions, and feta cheese.

1155 16th St. SW | 507-516-0641 | sorellinasmn.com

With Sorellina’s, the next generation of the Victoria family delivers a modern take on the traditional Italian cuisine delivered at Victoria’s, and the salads are no different. We’re big fans of the Insalata Di Sorellina’s (ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella cheese, kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, microgreens, parsley, fennel, basil, and nuts, topped with a homemade caper vinaigrette). And you can’t go wrong with their dinner and Caesar salads. Here’s a test for a true salad buff—compare Victoria’s Carpaccio Di Manzo with Sorellina’s Steak Salad, which boasts Florentine steak, grape tomatoes, fresh mint, gorgonzola cheese, chives, microgreens and arugula tossed in a creamy garlic dressing, then drizzled with hot chili oil. Both pack a punch of flavorful plates, but with the kind of nuances that show you why these are two of the city’s top salad places.

111 South Broadway (in the Galleria at University Square) | 1217 2nd St SW | 507-289-1560 | facebook.com/saladbrothers

Whether our readers were eating at the skyway level of Galleria at University Square or at the cafe on Second Street, the fresh, familiar options at Salad Brothers drew rave reviews. The cafe has been a favorite lunch spot for closing in on three decades, and after all of these years, the Spinach Salad (bacon, egg, and sunflower seeds) may actually have gotten better. Our secret? Don’t leave your salad plate lonely. The homemade soups are always a great addition. The offerings change, but make sure you get a cup of the Beer Cheese Soup. And we will say this: The breadsticks are a top three in Rochester.

1991 Commerce Dr. NW | 507-361-5555 | fivewestrochester.com

Five West’s sophisticated menu has options that make their salads the featured star of any date night. The Blackened Chicken Quinoa starts with blackened chicken, but puts it over a bed of chopped spinach, tossed with cilantro lime quinoa, avocado, red pepper, fresh herbs, pickled chilies, feta, and both mango yogurt dressing and champagne vinaigrette dressing. And there’s a reason our readers voted that the Best Salad in our 2023 Best Restaurants balloting. We’re also big fans of the Poke Tuna salad, which boasts poke with a kick — cilantro Napa slaw, pickled chillies, avocado, scallions, sesame seeds, wonton crisps, sriracha aioli and soy ginger dressing.

3708 N. Broadway Ave. | 507-361-5144 | creativecuisineco.com/purple-goat

If you’re at the Purple Goat, you’ve gotta go with goat cheese, right? The Strawberry Goat Cheese salad (which was a runner-up in our 2023 Best Salad category) features mixed greens, strawberries, goat cheese, candied pecans, red onion, and strawberry vinaigrette. If you’re really a cheese connoisseur, step right up to the Honey Crisp and Gorgonzola salad, which boasts mixed greens, onion, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, and an apple cider vinaigrette. If goat cheese isn’t your thing, the classic caesar and garden salads are also two of our favorites.

3120 Wellner Dr. NE, 507-289-9200 | 247 Woodlake Dr. SE, 507-424-1227 | whistlebinkiespub.com

A Scottish pub with an egg roll salad? Just trust us. Check out Noi’s Egg Roll Salad: crisp lettuce, bean sprouts, chicken, onions, cucumbers, rice noodles, Noi’s famous egg rolls, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. If you’re looking for a more traditional salad, we recommend the Caprese Chicken and Avocado salad. Tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, the salad combines grilled chicken with mixed greens, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and avocado. Our secret? We get our salads on Mondays for Mystery Beer Night—draw a beer from a hat—and pay $3, regardless of the pick.