Every Sweetgreen Salad, Ranked

Sweetgreen has quickly become the current it spot for DIY-ing your own meal. The assembly line style of ordering really dates back to Subway's sandwich-making operation, though Chipotle could also be credited with popularizing the trend. Many restaurants have hopped on the build-your-own bandwagon, like Piada with its Italian-focused concept or Cava with its Mediterranean-inspired items.

Now, Sweetgreen is carving out its own lane, with a specific focus on salads and bowls made from fresh, carefully sourced ingredients. It's giving new meaning to the term casual fare, which clearly resonates with people — made evident by current operation on over 140 locations and constant crowds (at least at every location I've visited).

Obviously, the main draw here is the health factor and the ability to piece together your bowl from the ground up — meaning the success (or failure) of your meal ultimately falls on you. But for those who'd rather not play chef, Sweetgreen also offers a lineup of preconfigured salads that make your job a little easier, and these are the options we're honing in on today. I recently set out to try all seven salads currently available at my local Sweetgreen, each bringing a different flair and set of flavors to the table. I ranked them based on which offered the most creative yet cohesive blend of ingredients — something I likely wouldn't have dreamed up myself — but with an all-around taste that makes eating clean feel like a luxury.

If you're serving salads, Caesar had better make an appearance. It's a classic option that often sits on the menu and in the back of our minds as a reliable option when nothing else sounds promising. Sweetgreen doesn't deny us this staple, but it does put its own spin on the salad. As the name suggests, kale is mixed into the base in addition to standard chopped romaine. Along with chicken, shaved Parmesan, and Caesar dressing, cherry tomatoes also make things a bit more interesting, while Parmesan crisps replace the usual croutons.

It's a Caesar with some added flair, yet it still doesn't measure up to the chain's other medleys. For a salad that's usually a sure thing, it actually struck me as rather sub-par. The dices of roasted chicken felt unseasoned and underwhelming in this setting, and it didn't feel like there were enough toppings in general to balance out all those leafy greens. What struck me the most, though, was that I didn't care for the dressing. With a base of yogurt, lemon juice, oil, and vinegars, it's thin. I could also tell that anchovies were involved right away because it's extra fishy — even backed by some garlic and pepper, the taste was rather strong and teetering on off-putting.

Crunchy and savory Parmesan crisps ended up as the highlight of the salad. I could have happily eaten an entire bowl of just those.

The Buffalo Chicken salad was not at all what I was expecting. Though it has some heat to it and a smorgasbord of different ingredients, none really tasted like true Buffalo chicken. Nor do they come together in a harmonious way.

Kale and romaine team up again at the bottom of the bowl, and from carrots to pickled onions and tomatoes, I didn't have any issues with the veggies. What hits your palate more is the cilantro that's woven throughout, along with feta cheese, garlic breadcrumbs, and the combination of dressings. You have a Sweetgreen hot sauce, which tastes like an acidic and pepper-infused salsa more than anything else, and the return of the fishy Caesar — I would have liked to see a more basic ranch stepping up to the plate. Eventually, what I concluded is that this salad is trying too hard to be too many different things. You have Mexican flavors, Italian flavors, and even Greek flavors all clashing and competing against one another. Everything but the American taste of Buffalo chicken that it's trying to imitate.

A bit of a jumbled and confused mess, this pick didn't end up as one of my favorites. But it did manage to surpass the Caesar option. The blackened chicken, rather than roasted, gave it more flavor. In addition, the Caesar dressing wasn't on full display here, so its strange salty taste didn't completely overtake the salad.

Hummus Crunch is an online exclusive salad, meaning you can't just walk into a Sweetgreen location and order it over the counter. It's also one of just two ready-made salads on the menu that doesn't automatically come with chicken. But don't worry, it makes up for the lack of meat by tossing in chickpeas as a protein source and by loading up on premium ingredients, including Napa cabbage coleslaw, feta, and, of course, a dollop of hummus. These are on top of a kale-romaine blend and supporting ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil.

Pieces and parts of this salad are really good. The hummus is smooth and of high quality with clear notes of tahini, garlic, and salt. Together with the crumbly feta, it gives the entire bowl a nice level of flavor and creaminess. Pesto vinaigrette also works its way through the bowl, coating everything in a fresh, herbaceous sheen of EVOO, garlic, and basil — notably without the addition of pine nuts.

Each bite is just as bright as it is satisfying, with those clean, Mediterranean flavors taking center stage. At the same time, though, it feels like something is missing. It doesn't have the wow factor like some other Sweetgreen salads. Instead, it comes off as a more common and familiar take — just like a Greek-style salad you can find at just about any restaurant. So, it jumps the Caesar and Buffalo Chicken but settles here closer to the back half of the taste test.

Now, this is the kind of salad I could eat on an everyday basis. I will, however, manage expectations by noting first that there is no actual guacamole mash included in this dish. Instead, the name must be referring to the lump of plain avocado that's thrown in (mine did not come diced as it's shown on the picture available online). Even without the guac, though, it still turns out to be a very tasty, Mexican-inspired chicken taco bowl — and one with a bit more oomph to it than the Hummus Crunch.

It does fulfill its green promises and ditches the kale to mix romaine with spring salad mix. Roasted chicken is the protein source, while tomatoes, pickled onions, and red cabbage add some color. Everything works together really well, especially when you get a bite with chicken, buttery avocado, and a little crunch from the tortilla chip fragments. The dressing of choice is also very fitting. As it combines lime, cilantro, and jalapeños, it's chunky, zesty, and a bit garlicky, much like a mild salsa verde. Between that and the spritz of lime juice I squeezed on top, every forkful felt vibrant and flavorful.

My only wish is that the sauce carried just a touch more heat. Either that, or that real jalapeño slices or even pickled jalapeños were added in. These upgrades could have made it pop a bit more. But, as is, it falls behind a few more noteworthy salads.

Chicken Sesame Crunch is the latest salad to join the Sweetgreen lineup, introduced in March 2026. Co-founder Nicolas Jammet said the addition had been a long time coming, and that it was his new favorite on the menu. Could he just be doing his part in promoting the release? Perhaps. But I could also see how this could be a top pick for him, because it was one of my standouts as well. It's just not as standout or unique as two of its long-standing salads.

It has a classic, Asian-inspired sesame build with roasted chicken, multiple kinds of cabbage, raw carrots, and a vinaigrette that combines citrus and sesame. It all lands on a bed of organic kale and chopped romaine, and I like that the chain puts extra emphasis on the crunch with both crispy noodles and sesame crunch. That means no mouthful has to go without a snappy change in texture, and since the blocks of sesame are maple-infused, you get a bit of unexpected sweetness as well. This specific assemblage of veggies also makes it seem exceptionally wholesome and healthy, yet it never feels boring or bland — largely thanks to the dressing.

Predominantly made with tahini and toasted sesame oil, the vinaigrette reads almost like a thinner peanut sauce. It has a nutty quality to it, but it's also equal parts sweet and sour with a splash of tang from the addition of Dijon mustard. It really is the highlight of the bowl, along with the crunchy elements.

The Super Green Goddess salad gets its name from the dressing, but it earns its super status by doubling down on leafy greens. The nutrient-packed base consists of kale and baby spinach. It's also a vegetarian option, and much like the Hummus Crunch, it leans on chickpeas as its main source of protein, with a little extra coming from the broccoli and sweet potatoes. Toss in carrots and red cabbage, and it makes for a very lively-looking bowl.

I didn't find broccoli florets to be particularly spicy like the description claims — they're supposedly coated with paprika, cayenne powder, and crushed red pepper. But their texture was nice and tender, and they paired nicely with the flavor of sweet potato slices. Sliced almonds also deserve some recognition for their subtle crunch and light marzipan-like sweetness. Even with these high points, though, the real draw is still the Green Goddess Ranch dressing. Not surprising in the slightest. It's creamy and very much dill-forward — something I can't resist — with hints of garlic, fresh herbs, and just the right amount of tang. It's the kind of dressing you could smother on just about anything, and it would taste good. This flavor was also recreated in Sweetgreen's potato chips.

All in all, the flavors are on point. My only complaint is that the bowl feels emptier than some other options. Personally, I'd consider adding chicken (for an upcharge, of course) to bulk it up and bring more lean protein.

I'll be the first to admit that BBQ chicken isn't typically my go-to when it comes to wraps, pizzas, salads, or anything of the sort. But this particular interpretation is just different. It surprised me in the best way possible.

Like the Buffalo Chicken salad, it has a lot going on. But here, it actually works. Everything feels intentional rather than chaotic, and yes, it truly does have a barbecue backbone. That familiar sweet and smoky flavor really serves as the foundation for the entire bowl, and because the sauce takes on a thinner, vinaigrette-like consistency, it seeps into green leafy salads and all other elements. Sweetgreen also does something interesting here by pairing barbecue with its Green Goddess Ranch — a flavor fusion I didn't know I needed. With that combination of barbecue and dill-forward dressings setting the tone, it has everything you could possibly want in an entree salad. You have tender chicken that really helps beef things up, pickled onions that bring a bit of tang, and diced apples that add a touch of sweetness. Crumbled tortilla chips take care of the crunch and saltiness, while cherry tomatoes deliver some bright juiciness. What else could you need?

Based on first impressions, I counted this salad out from the beginning. However, the creative combination of ingredients makes it an absolute must-try.

For this ranking, I ordered every salad currently available at my local Sweetgreen in Columbus, Ohio — not the warm bowls that include rice or quinoa, but the salads only. I ordered each one exactly as it comes, with no changes to the predetermined ingredients (though you can absolutely customize them when ordering online or in person, if you choose). Once I got everything home, I drizzled each salad with its respective sauce, or sauces, and took a few bites of each, making sure to get a good sample of all the different components and flavors.

I know that Sweetgreen places a strong emphasis on clean, natural ingredients, and for the most part, these salads earn a stamp of approval when it comes to nutrition — even if some skew a bit higher in calories or fat, or lower in protein, than others. Because of that, I chose to focus on flavors and how well all the ingredients come together, from the base of greens and veggies to toppings and dressings.

I was looking for something with a good amount of diversity, where each component was done well and played its part. Bonus points went to salads that offered a range of taste experiences — from sweet and salty to tangy and even a touch spicy. There was admittedly a lot riding on the dressing, so it needed to be fresh and nuanced without being too overpowering. I also wanted something that felt hearty enough to eat as a true meal — something that fills you up and stays enjoyable from that first bite all the way through to the last.