2025 Portland Salad Week Recap: The Good, the Surprise, and You

And there you have it—Salad Week 2025 has come to an end. We had a great time planning, researching, tasting, and enjoying salads in the Portland metro area, and sharing it all with you. Here’s our 2025 Portland Salad Week recap, plus our readers’ salad recommendations.

We hope you enjoyed this salad-centric week!

Portland Salad Week Recap: The Week In Review

Day 1: We offered examples of specific salad types you can find in the area, and shared the salads that local restaurants presented for Salad Week.

Day 2: A day of salad royalty, AKA “destination salads.” Plus some recipes from local restaurants and restauranteurs past and present.

Day 3: All about kids and salad! We learned how to make a candy salad and a fruit salad from Edie and Layla’s kids.

Day 4: Our local influencers and food writers share their salad interests, plus our very fun Portland deli salad battle!

Day 5: Reporting on our salad tasting at five spots in the Willamette Valley wine country, along with this recap, including reader favorites.

Portland Salad Week Recap: Best Bites and Unexpected Favorites

Here are the salads that both surprised us and delighted us with their tastiness and inventiveness.

Cucumber and Snap Pea Salad From Steeplejack

I stopped in to Steeplejack on Monday night for their Zucchini, Tomato, and Corn salad, but they had run out. So, I picked another one on their menu, and that was the Cucumber and Snap Pea salad (I also added grilled chicken ). I wasn’t sure about it at first, but when I took a bite, I was glad I chose this salad.

It was very fresh, made with arugula, mint, microgreens, and Aleppo cashew, with a Green Goddess yogurt dressing. There were big chunks of cucumber on the bottom covered in the creamy dressing. The arugula was a little peppery, the mint added a brightness and its signature herbal essence, and everything worked well together. I loved it.

2400 NE Broadway, Portland. Steeplejack website

Tomato Panzanella Salad From The Pocket Pub

Thursday night my husband and I headed for a kind of birthday dinner (my birthday fell during Salad Week this year) at The Pocket Pub, and I knew we had to order the panzanella salad. It’s made with cherry tomatoes, burrata, focaccia croutons, red wine vinaigrette, basil, and saba, and boy did it impress.

The tomatoes were flavorful with both acidic and sweet notes—and juicy. The burrata was creamy, and the herbs were a nice addition. The focaccia soaked up the delicious vinaigrette. We both really enjoyed this salad. P.S. Their seasonal pizza made with cherry tomatoes, herbed ricotta, Pecorino, preserved lemon, arugula, and EVOO was kind of salad-like, too—think of the pizza as a giant crouton with greens and seasonal vegetables accompanying it.

2719 NE 7th Avenue, Portland. The Pocket Pub website

Curry Chicken Salad From Red Hills Market

This was in a grab-and-go container at the Red Hills Market counter, and did not look like much. But once Judith and I tasted it, we were blown away. The chicken was so tender, the seasonings were balanced, and the dressing was just right. Judith and I agreed that we would absolutely seek this out again.

155 SW 7th Street, Dundee. Red Hills Market website

Thai Noodle Salad from Fred Meyer

Bryan, Judith, and myself were not prepared for this to be as good as it was during our deli salad tasting. Texture, flavor, aroma, and look were all on point. I was ready to go out and get myself a half pound of it for the weekend. Highly recommended.

3805 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland. Fred Meyer website

Broccoli Kale Salad From Market of Choice

Again, from our deli salad tasting, this vegan salad was so good! What a great salad for those who are not consuming animal products. I especially liked how the broccoli was not undercooked.

1090 SE Belmont Street, Portland. Market of Choice website

Meatball Salad from Gin Thai

The week before Salad Week, Judith and I did a tasting of salads at Gin Thai (Note: Our meal was comped, but our opinions are our own). First, the place gave me Queens vibes in the best way; it reminded me of someplace you’d find in Elmhurst, where Thai restaurants and shops abound. We were served their Meatball Salad, not knowing much about it, and wondering how meatballs could be a salad. But we loved it and are total fans now.

The meatballs were made of chicken and were kind of springy, reminiscent of the texture of fish balls. The glass noodles were bound up in a tasty dressing, and the crunchy pieces really added a nice … well … crunch. A little spicy, a little sweet, a little savory—truly delicious. Tip: the Thai Iced Tea soft serve is a really nice way to end a meal of salad (or really anything on their menu).

3176 NW 185th Avenue, Portland. Gin Thai Brasserie website

Portland Salad Week Recap: Reader Choice Favorites

Here are salad recommendations from Bridgetown Bites readers—lots of good options here.

Burmese Delight Food Cart at Hawthorne Asylum: Shan Tofu Salad. “Burmese salads are something different; cold dishes with noodles, tofu, tea leaves, and more. They make a great balance of soft, crunchy, salty, sour, savory, funky. Burmese Delight is especially good at them, and I like the “shan tofu” (which is made from chickpeas) the best.” -Josh B.

1080 SE Madison Street, Portland. Burmese Delight website

Note: Josh also prepared a couple of salads at home in honor of Salad Week: Persian Onion Salad and Greek Watermelon Salad. He shared the link with me, and you can find those recipes on his website, FuzzyChef Food & Pottery.

Coquine: Little Gems, sugar snap peas, almond milk vinaigrette, tarragon pickled onions, toasted almonds, mint. “No one does salads and vegetable-centric dishes as well as Katie at Coquine. On a recent Monday I started my meal with the Little Gems salad. It was so good I ordered a second one as my dessert. Incredible!!!” -MsKotoin

6839 SE Belmont Street, Portland. Coquine website

DelToro Steak (food cart): Steak Salad. “It’s gorgeous, it’s super fresh, it comes in a generous portion and it features perfectly grilled steak.” -Amy M. 

3530 SW Multnomah Blvd, Portland. DelToro Steak Instagram

G-Love: Ensalata Bomba. There’s something about this salad that makes me think about it all the time—the balance is perfect and the aged gouda gives it the exact right amount of umami and salty, fatty goodness. It keeps me coming back to G-Love over and over again. -Adriana B.

1615 NW 21st Avenue, Portland. G-Love website

Gin Thai Brasserie: Yum Look Chin AKA Thai Spicy Meatballs Salad. “In Gin Thai, they are forming meatballs by hand and when combined with other authentic Thai salad ingredients, this meatballs salad has tons of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty flavors. They also mix all salad components with their house-made Chili Lime sauce.” -Amika B.

3176 NW 185th Avenue, Portland. Gin Thai Brasserie website

Luc Lac: Papaya Salad. “Probably not very authentic, but portions are large, fish sauce dressing is mild and sweet, comes with boiled shrimp, coriander, french-fried onion pieces, red onion. I buy a carry-out order. With my own add-ins (e.g., carrots, cabbage, avocado, hard-boiled egg, scallions), I can use it for 3 or 4 meals.” -D

835 SW 2nd Avenue, Portland. Luc Lac website

Oven and Shaker: Radicchio Caesar Salad. “Tastes good and not bitter” -Robert 

1134 NW Everett Street, Portland. Oven and Shaker website

Navarre: Pea and Farro Salad. “Really the best grain salad I’ve had in Portland. Farro doesn’t get used enough.” -Josh B.

10 NE 28th Avenue, Portland. Navarre website

Paley’s Place (RIP): George’s Gathered Greens. “It was just amazingly fresh greens (gathered by farmer George) with the lightest of vinaigrettes, so it was just delicious—greens with the most amazing of gauzy finishes.” -Bristol

was 1204 Northwest 21st Avenue, Portland

Pizza Thief: Market Salad. “Always fresh & unique. Never disappoints!” -Rachael

2610 NW Vaughn Street, Portland. Pizza Thief website

Pizzeria Otto: Sesame Crunch Salad. “This is really just an example of Pizzeria Otto’s seasonal salads. They do a great job of incorporating seasonal ingredients into a new salad every week or two. The sesame crunch salad was a great use of combining crunch/nutty ingredients (the sesame brittle) with leafy greens and sharp radishes.” -Josh B.

6708 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Pizzeria Otto website

Rabbits Cafe: Peter Salad. “Flavorful, great mix of ingredients.” -Ana

555 SW Oak Street, Portland. Rabbits Cafe website

Red Sauce Pizza: Caesar Salad (with anchovies). “It’s bright, lemony, crisp, hearty, and pairs perfectly with a side of anchovies.” – Sarah
Red Sauce Pizza: Panzanella Salad. “It’s made with local tomatoes and sourdough croutons!” -Patri T.
Red Sauce Pizza: Panzanella Salad. “It’s SO EXCITING!!! The ingredients are so fresh and work so beautifully together. The tomato vinaigrette is just such a bright flavor and Red Sauce just always has the best produce.” -Jessica
Red Sauce Pizza: Pub Salad. “Classic, farm dress ingredients, house made dressing—so good!” -Dee

4641 NE Fremont Street, Portland. Red Sauce Pizza website

Sayler’s Old Country Kitchen: Shrimp Louie. “It has tons of stuff on it. They use spinach instead of listless iceberg lettuce. It’s the perfect summer refreshment.” -Emily
Sayler’s Old Country Kitchen: Crab Louie. “So crisp and cold, chunks of Dungeness crab, and the perfect tangy house made Thousand Island.” -Racheal G.

10519 SE Stark Street, Portland. Sayler’s Old Country Kitchen website

Sorbu Paninoteca: Whatever is on. “Creative, fresh, seasonal, delicious.” -Amy S.
Sorbu Paninoteca: Sorbu Salad. “Chef Chris loves to eat salad so he’s really making it for himself. Always different but always a blend of pickled, roasted, crunchy, and creamy and the best of fresh farm greens.” -Farmer Ted

5011-B NE 42nd Avenue, Portland. Sorbu website

Stark Street Pizza Co.: Salad Bar. “Because salad bars are rare!” -Emily

9234 SE Stark Street, Portland. Stark Street Pizza Co. website

Tinker Tavern: Buffalo Chicken Salad (dressing on the side). It’s a salad that many places have, but like everything at Tinker, the quality is great and the ingredients are fresh. Dressing can be heavy handed, but dressing on the side solves that problem.” -Alisa K.

7980 SE Stark Street, Portland. Tinker Tavern website

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Thanks again for coming with us on this salad adventure. If you have thoughts, suggestions, and other feedback—including things you’d like to see during a future Salad Week—send us an email. I also want to thank Tim Nguyen, who designed the Salad Week logo.