The Best Salad Chain Caesar Salads, Ranked & Reviewed

• What It Is: romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, shaved Parmesan cheese, croissant croutons, Caesar dressing
• Price: $11.79
• Other Caesar Options: Caesar Salad ($8.59)

How’d the salad chain of my adolescence fare, you ask? ILY, Panera, but I have to put you in last place. The greens were crisp, cold and easy to scarf down due to their size. The dressing was intensely cheesy and peppery compared to competitors, but more mild on the anchovy front (although it was in the mix). I enjoyed the buttery nuance of the croissant croutons, as well as their flaky crumble; however, they went soggy very fast. The chicken was my least favorite component, as well as my least favorite protein overall; it had a strangely soft texture, and its appearance took me back to the days of eating precooked Tyson grilled chicken strips that my mom always bought.

TLDR? The Caesar salad from Panera may satisfy a craving, but it’s arguably not as enticing or high-quality as the others on this list, despite its slightly lower price.

The PureWow Rating:

• Value: 8/10
• Freshness: 8/10
• Texture: 7/10
• Dressing: 7/10
• Toppings: 7/10

Average: 7.4

• What It Is: romaine/iceberg blend, grilled chicken, sliced egg, Parmesan cheese, housemade croutons, classic Caesar
• Price: $13
• Other Caesar Options: Southwest Chicken Caesar Salad ($13.50)

Saladworks is one of the oldest salad chains, and its menu reads to me like a blueprint for today’s more outrightly bougie alternatives. Its Caesar salad was very easy to eat because the greens and toppings were chopped small and well-coated with dressing. The biggest con was that the greens were browned throughout, mostly the ribs of the iceberg and frilly edges of the romaine. The chicken was tender, while the egg felt like a strange addition; however, I didn’t mind the barely perceptible protein boost.

The croutons had honey wheat energy with a whisper of sweetness, but didn’t strike me as much different than supermarket croutons. Likewise, the dressing was very creamy but mild in flavor. I loved getting bread and real butter on the side though, which felt decadent compared to a slice of healthier-than-I-want multigrain whatever that some competitors serve. This Caesar was the definition of no-frills—nothing OTT, but still solid if you’re craving a bare-bones Caesar. If your greens are fresher than mine were, you’re in business.

The PureWow Rating:

• Value: 7/10
• Freshness: 7/10
• Texture: 8/10
• Dressing: 8/10
• Toppings: 8/10

Average: 7.6

• What It Is: curly kale, roasted chicken, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, seasoned croutons, shaved Parmesan cheese, lime, breadcrumbs, Caesar dressing
• Price: $12.54
• Other Caesar Options: Classic Shrimp Caesar ($13.35)

Confession: I love kale Caesar salad. It’s a more flavorful, nutritive green than romaine, so if I’m doing the virtuous thing by having salad for lunch, I want to make it count. Enter this Honeygrow option. I was psyched for the kale, but it was veryyyy squeaky, dry and tough. If it’s not massaged, steamed or softened in some way, I’d have preferred it to be chopped into smaller pieces. The chicken seemed freshly made and was chopped in asymmetrical, hefty pieces, rather than uniformly (read: eerily) sliced like precooked chicken strips.

I didn’t particularly care for the tomato or cucumber in my Caesar, but I really loved the bright acidity of the lime. The breadcrumbs retained their crunch, while the cheese was the weakest link with an almost plasticky texture and mild flavor that was eclipsed by the dressing.

• Value: 8/10
• Freshness: 9/10
• Texture: 7/10
• Dressing: 8/10
• Toppings: 7/10

Average: 7.8

• What It Is: romaine lettuce, kale, artisan croutons, aged Parmesan cheese, grilled chicken
• Price: $12.68 ($9.19 without chicken)
• Other Caesar Options: Mexican Caesar Salad ($9.19)

You know how I said Saladworks has sort of the basic model of the O.G. Caesar (minus the eggs)? Chopt offers the modern-day equivalent, IMO, with the same components but upgraded for our collective wellness era. Kale led the charge, even though there was still lettuce in the mix; I appreciated that the kale was tender and chopped small for easy noshing. These were some of the best croutons, if not the best, of the entire taste test, thanks to their wheaty nuance.

The chicken was very moist and soft, but not in a creepy way (texture people know what I mean). The main con was that the dressing was milder than I’d hoped, despite being so well-dispersed throughout the salad. If I were to ask for extra next time, it’d likely check every box for me.

• Value: 8/10
• Freshness: 9/10
• Texture: 9/10
• Dressing: 6/10
• Toppings: 8/10

Average: 8

• What It Is: organic shredded kale, chopped romaine lettuce, roasted chicken, garlic breadcrumbs, Parmesan crisps, shaved Parmesan cheese lemon, Caesar dressing
• Price: $12.50
• Other Caesar Options: no alternative Caesar salads

Sweetgreen is arguably the gold standard of chopped salad chains. Its Caesar shows why: It boasts all the essentials with a touch of refinement. The kale is feathery and massage-tender, instead of fibrous and tough to chew. The lettuce looked slightly less fresh, but it wasn’t as brown as Saladworks’ lettuce. As for the dressing, it was very evenly applied and generous, but still only coated the greens, not drowned them. It’s a bit punchier and pepperier than other Caesar dressings out there.

Instead of bulky, retro-looking croutons, there were punchy, salty Parm crisps and crunchy breadcrumbs. The chicken was among the tastiest of them all; it was moist, well-seasoned without being overpowering, and fresh. I also appreciated the contrasting chew of the Parmesan cheese. The main con was that the crispy ingredients went soggy very fast (it makes sense, considering how small breadcrumbs are versus croutons); part of my order wasn’t ready when I arrived, so I dug into the salad later than intended. If I’d had it fresh, I think I would’ve had even fewer notes.

• What It Is: romaine lettuce, shredded kale, oven-roasted chicken, shaved Parmesan cheese, garlic butter croutons, fresh lemon, creamy Caesar dressing
• Price: $12.99
• Other Caesar Options: Autumn Caesar (limited time only, $12.99)

Just Salad and Sweetgreen were neck and neck in my estimation. But I tip my cap to Just Salad for serving a scrumptious Caesar salad without reinventing the wheel. Sure, they souped up the greens with the addition of kale—which was the freshest of the six stores, based on my experience. However, the croutons, cheese and dressing were exactly what the average American would likely want in this dish. I’m, admittedly, a sucker for fresh citrus, so I appreciated the single creative flourish. The lemon amplified each and every component just right, making the dressing more vibrant and funky and cutting the richness of the croutons and cheese. While the croutons lost their crispness rather quickly, I can’t imagine you’d take long to devour them anyway.

• Value: 9/10
• Freshness: 9/10
• Texture: 9/10
• Dressing: 8/10
• Toppings: 8/10

Average: 8.6