Portland is bursting with reasons to explore what it has to offer, and its exciting food scene tops the list—especially when it comes to Portland’s greatest salads.
The Bridgetown Bites crew had a blast curating this lineup of must-try salads, featuring everything from beloved classics at iconic restaurants to creative newcomers and even standout food carts. You never know where you’ll discover the salad of your dreams, so we invite you to dive into this list all summer long and share your favorites with us, which may or may not be included below.
Caesar Salad at Apizza Scholls
What’s in it: Whole leaf romaine, Parmigiano-Reggiano, housemade croutons, house Caesar dressing. $16.
This classic take on the Caesar salad contains all the usual suspects but the beauty lies in its flawless execution. The salad is made with excellent fresh ingredients, large shavings of cheese, and the luxurious dressing just ties it all together.
4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland. Apizza Scholls website
Colossal Cobb at Garden Monsters
What’s in it: Romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, black olives, free-range chopped egg, bleu cheese crumbles, and croutons, with an avocado ranch dressing. $10.50 half, $13.50 whole.
Also featured in our Portland Salad Week Restaurants Specials roundup, this salad packs a lot in one bite and can easily feed a hungry Portlander (or two). Although salads sometimes get a rap for not being filling, this protein-packed bowl will surely keep you satisfied.
5029 SE Division Street, Portland. Garden Monsters website
Butcher Chop Salad at Laurelhurst Market
What’s in it: Arugula, iceberg, deli-sliced smoked turkey, salami, red onions, giardiniera, provolone, and toasted sunflower seeds, with a housemade creamy vinaigrette. $15.95.
This is a fun take on a deli sandwich, but in salad form. It’s wonderfully zesty and a little spicy from the giardiniera, and offers another protein-rich salad option. Note that it’s served during their lunch service only.
3155 E Burnside Street, Portland, Laurelhurst Market website
Cabbage Salad at The Sports Bra
What’s in it: Shredded mixed cabbage, lemongrass vinaigrette, orange segments, hazelnut chili-crisp, topped with herbs. $13.
This fresh, zesty salad is perfect for summer—light enough to keep you feeling energized, yet full of bold flavors and textures. It’s the ideal food to enjoy while cheering on your favorite women’s sports teams, like soccer!
2512 NE Broadway, Portland. The Sports Bra website
Ensalata Bomba at G-Love
What’s in it: Baby lettuce, peach vinaigrette, avocado, apple relish, and aged Gouda. $21.
This salad is a true show stopper with its beautiful ingredients, which come in a variety of colors, topped real high. While Ensalata Bomba is more veg-forward than protein-rich, it’s still hearty enough to satisfy—plus, the generous portion makes it perfect for sharing.
1615 NW 21st Avenue, Portland. G-Love website
Hønsesalat at Broder
What’s in it: Creamy chicken salad with celery, dried cranberries, chives, Jarlsberg cheese, and butter lettuce, on butter Nordic rye bread. Served with green salad and lingonberry vinaigrette. $17.
Enjoy this Nordic rendition of a chicken salad with some of Broder’s signature touches including thin, earthy dark bread, and slightly sweet yet tart lingonberry vinaigrette. You can stack the ingredients on the hearty bread or eat it alongside the green salad if you so choose.
8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland. Broder Soder website
Bay Shrimp Salad at The Deck
What’s in it: Crisp romaine, bay shrimp, diced tomato, cucumbers, scallions, served with your choice of dressing on the side. $20.95.
This is a simple and fresh salad that will appeal to shrimp lovers—and in my case, those who like shrimp flavor but can’t get over the texture of full-sized shrimp. The bay shrimp is so tasty here among the lettuce and other vegetables, with your choice of dressing on the side. It’s a substantial salad and great for sharing. Plus, you can’t beat the atmosphere of their floating restaurant right there on the Columbia River. Note: they are only open during the warmer months, so enjoying this bay shrimp salad in summer is what you get to do. (MC)
2901 NE Marine Drive, Portland. The Deck website
Any Seasonal Salad at Fresh Love
It is hard to say which one of their seasonal salads (it changes four to six times or so a year) are the best, so I won’t put myself through that. What I can say is that their salads are works of art, and definitely destination-worthy. Each time a new salad comes out I feel the need to head over and enjoy. They use seasonal ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, pickled items, cheese, and more. I recommend adding avocado if it’s not already in the salad, and turkey if you are an omnivore. (MC)
7434 NE Fremont Street, Portland. Fresh Love website
Kale Caesar Salad at Life of Pie
What’s in it: Kale and arugula with Parmesan, and toasted breadcrumbs with a honey/lemon vinaigrette. $7/$14.
While simple, this classic salad is executed perfectly and is the gold standard—yes, one of Portland’s greatest salads—as far as kale salads go. The piece de resistance is its zesty dressing which is bright, a little fruity, and also sweet. I love how well it pairs with the more robust kale and the salty parmesan, producing bold unapologetic flavors. Enjoy it alongside Life of Pie’s Margherita pie.
3632 N Williams Avenue and NW 23rd Avenue, Portland. Life of Pie website
Khao Yum at Hat Yai
What’s in it: Southern Thai rice salad, shrimp powder, mango, green beans, and Thai herbs. $12.
It’s great to pair this no-lettuce salad with Hat Yai’s signature fried chicken, which can be quite rich on its own. We love how this salad takes simple ingredients and transforms them into something special, with signature Thai flavors that add depth and umami.
1605 NE Killingsworth Street and 605 SE Belmont Street, Portland. Hat Yai website
Tea Leaf Salad (Lahpet Thoke) at Rangoon Bistro
What’s in it: Minto Island green tea leaves, peanuts, fried fava beans, chana dal, tomato, garlic oil, fish sauce, and shredded cabbage. $14.50.
This vibrant Burmese salad bursts with unique ingredients and deep umami flavors thanks to chana dal and fish sauce. What really makes it shine is the diverse mix of textures—crunchy peanuts and crisp shredded cabbage add a nice bite. For a balanced meal, pair it with one of Rangoon Bistro’s richer dishes, such as the fried chicken or a comforting curry.
2311 SE 50th Avenue and 3737 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland. Rangoon Bistro website
Insalata Nostrana at Nostrana
What’s in it: Radicchio, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Caesar style dressing, and rosemary-sage croutons. $18.
Truly one of Portland’s greatest salads—the A-list celebrity of Portland salads! This one’s so iconic it’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t tried it, fallen in love, or tried to recreate it. We love its vibrant mix of colors and flavors—everything just works in harmony, from the peppery bite of radicchio to the salty cheese and those earthy, crunchy croutons. The bold, balanced flavors sing, and the salad pairs beautifully with almost anything on Nostrana’s menu, especially their housemade pastas.
1401 SE Morrison Street, Portland. Nostrana website
Arrosto Chicken Salad at Arrosto
What’s in it: Shredded Arrosto chicken, baby arugula, escarole, radicchio, pickled red onion, shaved pecorino Romano cheese, and herbed breadcrumbs with their Arrosto dressing. $16.
A well balanced salad, this one has it all: protein, a variety of greens, pickled veg, and carbs. It’s such a great way to try their popular wood-fired rotisserie chicken without committing to the whole thing. Their signature Arrosto dressing is legendary and worth purchasing by the bottle. I keep one at home and end up putting it on everything from chicken, burgers, grains, french fries, tortillas—and just about anything you can dip.
2340 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland (inside Providore Fine Foods). Arrosto website
Wedge Salad at Clyde’s Prime Rib
What’s in it: Iceberg lettuce, bacon, bleu cheese crumbles, boiled egg, fried onions, and scallions with house dressing. $9.
The wedge salad might seem like a throwback to an unremarkable mid-20th century menu, but IMO it’s just a really good salad. Based on a wedge of iceberg lettuce (some places get fancy and use Little Gems lettuce), which despite its reputation as filler lettuce has a significant amount of vitamin K in it, it is topped with all sorts of tasty things, including bacon. At Clyde’s Prime Rib, along with the bacon there’s crumbled bleu cheese, hardboiled egg, fried onions, and scallions, with their house dressing that has a little bit of a kick from the horseradish. I have a hard time not ordering it every time I’m at Clyde’s. (MC)
5474 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Clyde’s website
Any Salad at Ruthie’s
Ruthie’s is all about local and seasonal flavors, so their salads change often—and that’s perfectly fine by us, because we’ve yet to meet a Ruthie’s salad we didn’t love at Bridgetown Bites. Right now, they’re serving up a summery cucumber salad tossed with poppyseed dressing, juicy strawberries, pickled shallots, fresh herbs, and crunchy hazelnuts. Pair it with something hearty like their pork coppa to balance the richness with some local freshness.
3532 SE Division Street (inside THE END), Portland. Ruthie’s website
Any Salad at Lovely’s Fifty Fifty
Lovely’s Fifty Fifty might be famous for its wood-fired pizzas, but don’t skip their salads—they’re just as delicious. Sourcing 100% organic, farm direct produce really pays off, and you can taste the difference when you order their salads, which are simple yet vibrant, and thoughtfully constructed. Their current menu features everything from a crisp Little Gems lettuce salad to a new potato salad with asparagus, plus their take on a market salad loaded with local hazelnuts and Point Reyes blue cheese.
4039 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland. Lovely’s Fifty Fifty website
Parallel Salad at Parallel PDX
What’s in it: Little gems, lemon anchovy, Fiore Sardo, lemon, and Worcestershire-cured egg yolk. $16.
Last year I wrote that the Parallel Salad was one of my favorite bites of the year. It’s a variant on the Caesar, using Little Gem lettuces, a kind of romaine lettuce that is very popular in Portland (it is a lettuce “parallel” to kale in its popularity). I remember loving the crunch of the lettuces and how refreshing it was. They use Fiore Sardo, a Sardinian sheep’s milk cheese with a smoky flavor. I liked the thin, crispy croutons, too. This salad really holds its own and is worth traveling for. For me, it really is one of Portland’s greatest salads.
3101 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Parallel PDX website
Tuna & White Bean Salad at Gumba
What’s in it: Poached Oregon albacore, marinated corona beans, mizuna, agrumato, giardiniera, quinoa, lemon aioli, and apricot puree. Served with crackers. $16.
We’re in love with this protein-rich salad from Gumba, which is so perfect for the summer. You’ll find a lot of sophisticated ingredients, but the execution is smooth as can be and whets the appetite for other delicious things on the menu. I love pairing any of their salads with their flavorful pasta dishes such as the lasagne or pappardelle.
1733 NE Alberta Street, Portland. Gumba website
Salad Rolls at Bui Natural Tofu
What’s in it: Red lettuce, basil leaves, veggie tofu, and rice noodle, with peanut sauce. $4.75.
Nothing beats a simple, fresh, and delicious salad roll on a hot summer day. We love this classic version from Bui Natural Tofu, which comes in pure veggie form as well as with shrimp for just $.50 more. Enjoy it with their rich peanut sauce, and explore some of their other menu items including Bi Chay, a fried tofu and potato dish or their signature green onion tofu.
520 NE 76th Avenue, Portland. Bui’s Natural Tofu website
Shuba at Friendly Food
What’s in it: Pickled herring, chopped onion, potato, shaved beets, carrots, chopped egg, and mayonnaise. $7.99/pound.
Many of you may be acquainted with this dish from Kachka, which refers to it as “herring under a fur coat.” Friendly Food’s version offers something more old school and comforting under its original name, Shuba. For starters, this Shuba is sold in a plastic container, which comes in approximately one pound increments—thus offering strong value for the dollar.
From what we hear, Friendly Food’s Shuba is made by a “babushka” or grandma, who’s been making Shuba salad for generations, perfecting each delicious layer. We highly encourage you to give Friendly Food’s Shuba a try, which is available on Thursday through Saturday while supplies last.
4830 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Portland. Friendly Food Yelp page
Butter Lettuce Salad at St. Jack’s
What’s in it: Avocado, radish, croutons, and herbs, with a Dijon vinaigrette. $15.
This classic French bistro serves up a delightful rendition of a butter lettuce salad, letting simplicity lead the way, and allowing fresh, high-quality ingredients speak for themselves. We love the sharpness from the Dijon vinaigrette, making this salad a perfect pairing dish with more decadent menu items such as their mussels, “rack” of petrale sole, or steak frites.
1610 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland. St. Jack’s website
Burmese Tea Leaf, Green Cabbage & Cherry Tomato at Expatriate
What’s in it: Hard-to-find tea leaves, vegetables, and crunchy fried things. $16.
We love the fun, mysterious way this salad is described on Expatriate’s menu, and that’s exactly what you’ll be getting when you order it, a delicious mystery! Fermented tea leaves are the special ingredient in this salad, which you can only find on a few select menus around town. You can guarantee that Expatriate puts their own spin on it with some added texture and local veggies to boot. Let us know how it measures up to some of the other Tea Leaf salads in town!
5424 NE 30th Avenue, Portland. Expatriate website
Now that you’ve met the royalty—Portland’s greatest salads—we’d love to hear about the ones that won you over! Drop us a comment here or tag us on social media to share which salads wear the crown for you.
Judith Rich
Latest posts by Judith Rich (see all)
- Bridgetown Bites Roadtrip: Tasting Willamette Valley Salads - July 18, 2025
- Portland Food Influencers Share their Salad Love - July 17, 2025
- Sweet Salad Success: Portland Kids Take Over Salad Week - July 16, 2025
It’s too bad that the majority of these salads have cheese! For anyone with a dairy allergy, you’d think Portland of all places would have more options.
I appreciate you pointing this out. Perhaps next year we can do a piece on vegan salads. I’ll put that on the list to consider! Thanks for bringing it up, JCL!