Salad World

What’s up with Salad World?   It’s a little restaurant in the middle of downtown Portland but it’s only open for lunch… on weekdays.  How could it possible survive? Sak’s Fifth Avenue went out of business just a few blocks away.  How does this little business stay afloat working only a few hours a day?

Could it be a front for underground crime?  Is the Portland mafia hiding behind the sparse salad bar?  My friends and I have joked about it for years, so this week…. I decided to investigate.  Me and the iPhone when undercover.

That’s  right.  I ate at Salad World.  Not just once.  But twice (in the spirit of science, of course.)  And it was pretty good.  As many of the Yelp reviews say, it’s basic, no nonsense food.  Lots of options for salads: a few types of lettuce, about 30 toppings and a dozen dressings.  Plus there is a small hot food selection, I tried the egg rolls, teriyaki chicken and fried rice.  All of which I’d eat again.

There’s also a small selection of pre-made salads, plus a selection of fruit and a tray of sushi.  I’m not a sushi eater so I can’t weigh in on it’s quality.  One note, you can see in the photo that many of the trays are empty or nearly empty… there is a lady who walks around and restocks everything, but  she only puts a little bit in each tray.  I’m not sure is this is quality-insurance or a cost-cutting measure.  Or maybe it’s just because I take my lunch at 1pm rather than noon.  Everything seemed fresh.  I doubt anything is organic, but if you just want a quick, cheap and healthy lunch, this is a pretty good option (for downtown).  Everything is $6.25/pound so my lunch today was only $5.34.

Doesn’t that look delicious?

Is this place a front for the mafia?  I can’t answer that.  But, if you can resist the delicious egg rolls and fried fish, it is a pretty healthy meal.  Who cares how the place stays in business.