4. Restaurants

Tender Greens

110 W Broadway, San Diego, CA, 92101
  • (619) 795-2353
  • Store is closed

Tender Greens Menu

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  • Liz R.

    YUM Staff was extremely friendly and let us try a bunch of different things before we ordered. Food was delicious and generous portion sizes.

    (5)

  • Elizabeth M.

    Friendly staff. Overpriced. Food just meh and i was disappointed at the variety of vegan friendly items they had. Pretty much one plate to choose from. I was expecting a bit more tenderness... Elvis Presley style. I wanted to feel reenergized and do the Elvis dance or the stanky legg after my first bite but unfortunately the food was not music to my ears.

    (2)

  • Crystal M.

    Amazing !!!

    (5)

  • Melissa E.

    I live for their sliced avocado but today it was black. I used my whole work break to go here and didn't realize until I was at work. Extremely disappointed. :(

    (1)

  • Lisa W.

    I'm not sure if I went on a bad day or what...but does anybody know what usually is the cause of a green film on a seared ahi tuna? So I got the tuna nicoise to go like any other time. I come back to the office and start munching down, they gave like 3-4 slices of tuna. The first one was good, the second one had this green film on one end... The one you can see in the light, I'm sure it's old tuna or bad tuna. I ate it and it had this weird aftertaste... Verrrrrrry fishy. Not good fishy. The third one same thing, and the last piece was okay. I googled green film on fish and got mixed answers... Some say it's because of the seasoning or if they use garlic... Others say it's a bad piece of tuna that has been sitting out awhile. I like to believe it's a bad piece of tuna because like 30ish minutes later came the aftermath in the restroom... You can see my pic with the green film, the picture doesn't capture it all but you can still part of it. Needless to say, I will not be getting the tuna again and stick with a safer option- chicken or steak. And probably won't be coming back for awhile... Will go to Nosh or make my own salad at Ralph's with fresh ingredients. Just be careful when you bite into that tuna!!!

    (2)

  • Aiesha B.

    So it was a Tuesday night with the gals and they decided on Tender Greens Downtown. It was my first time at that location. I arrived and found princess parking just outside the door (after 6pm). They parked at Horton Plaza and walked. When they arrived we each ordered at the cafeteria style restaurant. They ordered: Fried Chicken Plates (one with mashies & one with the steamed veggies & the butter lettuce salad) I ordered the Salt & Pepper Chicken Plate (with mashies & the kale salad with dressing on the side) and a glass of Pinot Noir So don't let the name fool you...the Salt & Pepper Chicken is not "Salt & Pepper Chicken" like RM or CS...it's grilled chicken with salt & pepper lol. It was tender, as the name of the establishment implies and it was well seasoned and the potatoes were, as well. The kale salad and the grilled bread were my favorite so that being said I personally wouldn't return for dinner. It felt more like lunch to me minus the mashies & the wine. I tasted the fried chicken and it basically tasted like a chicken strip to me but I don't love fried chicken (unless my gma makes or if it's from RM or CS lol). The customer service was awesome though (thus the 4 stars).

    (4)

  • Bao H.

    Came here early one Sunday and the place was just opening. Needless to say we were the only patrons. I totally dig the concept so far. My partner ordered a green veggie smoothie while I went for the Steak sandwich with a side salad. The smoothie was very light and definitely made me feel a lot healthier as I took a sip....think Popeye and Spinach! My steak sandwich and salad was very good in my opinion. Medium rare steak between a ciabatta bread and lightly oil vinaigrette on the salad. I would say a great start to the day if I ate like this daily. In the end, the green concept is nothing new, but Tender Greens definitely brought it to the table as needed! - Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Tracie C.

    Great food & friendly service. Had the two eggs breakfast. Fresh made whole eggs. Home made fig jam for their excellent multigrain toast. The seasoned potatoes were excellent as well and the bacon perfect. Coffee from a local roaster. Can't wait to come back. Prices are really reasonable as well. Also see they have local craft beers and wine selection.

    (5)

  • Lawrence C.

    One of the pleasures of dining out is to be catered to by restaurant staff, and enjoy good cuisine, at a fair value, with good service. This holds true whether you dine in a restaurant, or whether it's take-out, to enjoy at home. Regrettably, my experience with this restaurant was not up to the level as indicated by some of my fellow yelpers. Food Quality= 3.5 stars Food Value= 2.5 stars (as others have commented on this site...portions were small) Customer Service=0 stars I wanted to order dinner to be delivered, as the website says they provide delivery. However, when I called, the staff informed me that I must place my order with a 3rd party, postmates. I reviewed the menu on the restaurant website, and confirmed with the staff the offerings. As I have used many local service/delivery platforms, and had already loaded the postmate app, no problem I thought. It's only yet another company to use in my new home town. After placing my order on the postmates app, I again called the restaurant to insure that my "hot" vegetable order would not be placed in the same bag as my two salads, as it would cause the salads to wilt, as I have experienced elsewhere. I was assured that they would do as I requested. The delivery arrived. All items were in one bag. The "hot" vegetable was ice cold. There was a 10% "Processing Fee" charged by the restaurant, in addition to the regular postmate charges. When I telephoned the restaurant manager about this the next day, he acknowledged that they charge this 10% fee, as their contract price with postmates is for a reduced price from the menu listing, and they have a mark-up that they must maintain; thus they charge me an extra 10% to make up the difference. Mind you, this was never discussed or mentioned anywhere on their website, nor when I spoke with the two restaurant staff members on the phone when reviewing the menu offerings and later verifying the order. The manager was not sympathetic to my circumstance, and did not make any attempt to rectify the omission made by their staff or website. So, my food order of $28.50 ended up costing me an additional 38%, including ALL fees, before tax and tip. Needless to say, I won't be succumbing to delivery orders from this restaurant again!!! And based on the poor level of customer service from staff & management, I may not venture into this restaurant on foot either.

    (2)

  • Rachel C.

    Finally got to try this place for lunch. It was really really good. Everything on the menu pretty much is $11.50, which makes ordering super easy and worry free. You have your choice of a "hot plate" with a protein and 2 sides or a big salad with a protein on top. I got the tuna sashimi with the squash and roasted tomatoes, and the arugula salad. At first, I though $11.50 was a little high for lunch until I saw the quality of the ingredients. Everything they serve is organic and tastes incredibly fresh, so I am certainly willing to pay for quality ingredients. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Jessica L.

    I ordered the southern fried chicken salad and swapped romaine for tender greens! It was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the albacore tuna as a meat, and it smelled a bit fishy to me. Other than that, all the ingredients were super fresh. I wish there were more toppings that come with the salads, and more variety of toppings in general. If you order a big plate with a simple salad, you don't get any toppings at all. I would love if they had a build your own salad option. The staff here is also very nice and accommodating. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here and can't wait to be back!

    (4)

  • Nicole S.

    Let me start off by saying I have a problem. I am addicted to Tender Greens. I work downtown and it is sooo nice to have Tender Greens here. It's way too easy to have garbage everyday during lunchtime. They have incredible fresh, seasonal ingredients. For the vegetarian or meat and potatoes fanatic! It's a bit pricey but it's worth it. I'll admit it, I often come multiple times during the week. Yesterday I had an issue with my order so I wrote a letter to the manager on their website (yes, I'm that girl). The food was just sub par to what I have become accustomed to and their were some really odd mistakes made like my hummus and Tabbouleh being mixed together. who does that? Strange. I figured it was a "new hire" error. You pay $20 for an epic salad, you should get just that. As I previously mentioned, I'm addicted to this place. The mistakes made yesterday were certainly not significant enough to keep me away from this place sooo... Tender Greens it is for lunch today!! I ordered and paid online (best way to go if you're short on time. You'll skip the massive line) and when I showed up to pick up my order Leanna, the manager was waiting to greet me. I wasn't expecting any kind of reaction or response to my email and there she was. lol! I was so incredibly blown away by the service, care and attention I received from Leanna and this establishment. Hence the full-blown 5 star review. They were ON IT. She insisted on refunding me for my lunch today and really showed that T.G's actually gives a sh*t about their customers. I know this review highlighted the service I received. The food will speak for itself.

    (5)

  • Kris G.

    This is the place that I go when I want to have a good tasty non-table service lunch. I can only go like once every couple of months, because I can't afford to drop the $12 plus drinks or dessert (which I typically do not get) on lunch on a regular basis. If I could, I would come here more often. I always get the same thing, the Herb Brushed Albacore plate with mashed potatoes. So Good!! The portion size seems to be smaller the last two times I have come here, but the flavor is still delicious. I really want to try the fried chicken and the steak, but I can't not get the albacore. Maybe one day I'll get a friend to go who will want to share with me and I can try theirs. ;)

    (4)

  • Jacquelyn B.

    Had an awesome experience. My first time there the waitress was super helpful. She really took the time to explain the menu to me and even let me test the vegetable sides. She was very helpful and kind ***I love how I got to eat a healthy meal for a great price and it was quick. The food tasted great. I had the hot plate, stake with baby spinach salad and roasted eggplant. So good. And for a great price. The busser was overly friendly but I won't let that dictate my experience overall.

    (5)

  • Justin P.

    If I could give 10 stars I would. I got a hot plate, but all of their food is excellent, along with speedy, great service. Everything on the menu is 5 Star, they don't set the bar they are the bar. This place can compete with the best, their fresh excellent food is bar none, the best. Tip well, that mean 15% or more, they work hard and deserve a good tip. I recommend this place, killer food. -one love-

    (5)

  • Crystal B.

    I am obsessed with Tender Greens. That is ALL that really needs to be said for TG but I can continue.... EVERYTHING here is delicious. Seriously, everything!!!! I have had every single salad and have loved them all, but my favorites are the Chipotle BBQ chicken, the Southern Fried chicken (add avocado, it's so much better) and the other salad I love to just ask them to make is a Caesar salad with Albacore on top. The drinks they have and the desserts are also amazinggggg and so worth trying as well. I like where this location is because it is really easy to get to and even though it's usually always busy, they move really fast through the line. The staff is also SUPER nice, always friendly and quite helpful. My family loves TG so much that we eat at one of the locations in SD at least 2-3 times per week for dinner too. I have also read that they have breakfast at this location which I really need to try!

    (5)

  • Topher W.

    So... Good; kale salami salads,the carrots are fabulous. It is super reasonable and good for downtown. If you feel that there are too many options downtown SD do your self a favor and stop in. It is an easy choice.

    (5)

  • Laura S.

    I've been waiting way too long to post a review! My boyfriend and I are going to this place, not to lie, almost everyday for the past 6 months. We are French and very picky when it comes to food. Tender greens is the best place we've found in San Diego so far! We like to eat good quality food and tender greens downtown has a different "special" everyday (ask for the dinner special) it's just every time a blast! Congratulation to the chef, you are the best! We give you a Michelin star! Not just talking about the special, the regular menu is also always a good choice! So fresh and healthy food. They also make their own drinks made with fresh fruits! I love the watermelon one! Another reason why we always come back is we are always so well received by the staff. You guys are the nicest and the sweetest! You always make us having a great time! Thank you the team Tender Greens Downtown, you're THE BEST!

    (5)

  • Sally B.

    Great service and the food is the great, red velvet cake is a must I had the lemonade which wAs delicious it has a minty taste to it which makes it refreshing. For dinner I had the steak salad added chalula to it-with the potato wedges on the side!!! Yummy

    (5)

  • Alex A.

    I usually love tender greens, and come eat here all the time. I am a very loyal customer. Today I went looking forward to their regular portion of their amazing fried chicken. Much to my dismay, I received two minuscule chicken tenders. Shocked by the size, I asked " is this a regular portion?" I receive the harsh reply of " yeah, we weighed it out!" ( This is not a regular portion!) I asked if they could check. Obviously, it was evedent I was upset. It would have been very easy just to replace my chicken with large pieces. Tender greens has become so jaded and egoic about its food, they are treating their loyal customers like garbage. If you are gonna charge an arm and a leg for a plate of chicken, you better make sure it will feed a full grown adult. Not a kids meal portion! Very disappointed. You give good food a bad face!

    (1)

  • Lisa B.

    Found this joint during a business trip in San Diego last week. I guess there are more of these spots in L.A.??? Reminds me of a less corporate Lemonade. Not as many choices and feels more like a place you'd find in your favorite college town, but that's just alright with me. I loved how sweet the employees were. We had no idea what we were doing when we walked in. The girl at the register, quickly filled us in on how the menu works....pick your protein and how you want it...on a plate with potatoes or in a salad...what kind of greens you want. She directed us to the daily specials on the board next to the register with daily soups and other plates. I took a chance and ordered the seared albacore and had it on a plate with mashed potatoes and boy did that hit the spot. The albacore was fresh and perfectly seared. I ordered that up with spinach greens which they added hazelnuts to. We also ordered a carafe of white wine with what they called the "Charc" board. It was a generous charcuterie board with several different types of salami, olives and bread. We also took a couple of pack so their homemade cookies to go with us for our afternoon meeting. There were these white chocolate chip babies in there with large salt crystals on them that were surprisingly yummy. I will be looking for one closer to me here in L.A.

    (4)

  • Carmen F.

    I've been here twice, the first time (4 stars) I ordered the Salt & Pepper chicken hot plate and a mint lemonade and the second time (0 stars if I could) I ATTEMPTED to order a mint lemonade and a lemon ricotta bread. I say attempted because the cashier was incredibly rude. I understand the music is pretty loud so as a customer you must listen carefully, but as the cashier announcing names and communicating with customers you really need to speak up. I asked if I could order a mint lemonade to go and she proceeded to pour it into a glass. I repeated slightly louder that I was ordering this to go, since she had already poured the glass she huffed in a highly annoyed fashion and poured the glass into a to-go cup. When I went to pay she didn't tell me a total and just swiped my card. I told her the total was incorrect, she relayed the order and I explained that wasn't my order. She was visibly irritated and stated she called a specific customer so why did I respond. Unfortunately I didn't hear her correctly when I heard "Next" she was calling "Naomi", so I was charged for someone else's meal, plus my drink and bread. I explained this to her and she repeatedly said she had called "Naomi" and continued to mutter how I shouldn't have responded if that wasn't me. Eventually I was able to get my refund ($21.87 for a $2.47 drink?!?) after a chef came over, however by then this woman's attitude had completely changed my feelings on remaining a customer. I declined to purchase anything except for the lemonade (what can I say it was hot out, and I walked from work). So as much as I initially liked this place, sorry I doubt I'll be back. Disappointed. **Edited to add my refund was NOT processed, I had to call back and speak to a manager. Purchase made on Saturday, refund posted to my account the following Friday.

    (2)

  • Stasj T.

    We were on our way to a Padres game, but as I am helping out someone on a diet, I mentioned that we should probably do dinner prior to going to a ballpark full of temptation. So we ended up at Tender Greens. The downtown location is average, nothing was really speaking out to me. The ordering processed needed to be explained to me, for some reason, it wasn't intuitive to me. I ordered the chipotle chicken with two sides of roasted vegetables. It took a bit of time for them to prep the dish, so we just picked a spot to sit whilst they brought over our food. The chipotle chicken was really tender, and while I was very disappointed at the serving size for TWO sides of veggies, they were tasty. I'm a HUGE vegetable person, so when I order two sides of the good stuff, I expect half of the plate to be full of veggies. No one eats their vegetables, so when someone actually orders them, don't be stingy! Also, while the food was good, I left still hungry. Granted, it is more of a lunch place (we went for dinner), but again, had I more roughage on my plate, I would have left more satisfied.

    (4)

  • Frida Sofia R.

    I love Tender Greens, my go-to place when I am too lazy to cook and I just want to walk somewhere close by. Staff is kind, place is clean, food is amazing and healthy. I am absolutely in love with Tender Greens' roasted veggies, yum-yum! I love their red velvet, its pretty delicious and moist, I always get chicken and its always so fresh. The salads are so good especially the one with hazelnuts, kale one is also really fresh and delicious. Thank You Tender Greens, for being delicious and conveniently close to home!

    (5)

  • Rebecca C.

    Popped in for an El cheapo breakfast after two days of hotel buffet which as everyone knows can get a little out of control (hello pancakes). The ordering system seemed a little fiddly to me - order here, slide around the corner and all the way down where you can then order more pastries then pay, pickup a tray that has everything but your food then go sit down for someone to bring the meal over but then, maybe it's usually more busy and this ridiculous system us efficient. Either way the staff was delightful and cheery and the bacon and eggs I ordered were cooked perfectly - what is it with Americans and fried food I swear the fried potatos here were crispy golden brown, so effing yum! Nailed it. I'd certainly return!

    (4)

  • Kat R.

    I really like this company, love the concept of farm to table eateries! I tried out their UTC location the first time, but I work downtown so its nice to have something closer. The food is delicious! I am a huge fan of their hot plates, the marinated steak with the baby spinach is my go to. For dessert, the carrot cake muffins are so amazing!! The only thing is it is Downtown, so parking sucks. But other than that, I'm a fan =)

    (4)

  • Kelli D.

    The food is pricey for what we had.. Ordered a Cobb salad, BBQ chicken salad and a coffee and our bill was almost 30 bucks! I get the it's uber healthy and what not but the salad could have been cheaper. Not to mention it was drenched in the dressing. Staff was nice and friendly but overall I would encourage management to lower their prices!

    (3)

  • John F.

    I've visited several Tender Greens locations in the past (UTC, Liberty Station, Santa Monica, Hollywood) and have usually enjoyed my meal. Last night we went to the downtown SD location and I was served the fattiest, chewiest pieces of lamb I've ever eaten. If something is advertised as a "daily special," I think it should be of higher quality than what I was sold. The only redeeming part of the meal was the very friendly busboy who came to our outdoor table a few times offering refills and help with dishes.

    (2)

  • Roy S.

    I can tell I am back in San Diego after vacation and dealing with the mentally challenged GED crew at their clown town, I mean downtown location. Upon entering I smelled excessive smoke and asked the counter person if their exhaust system was working as I did not want to come down with mesotheliomia. After I assured her I was serious, not joking, she looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language, which I was--College level English. Then, when I went to pay for my meal at the cashier, I noticed the amount was wrong which means they got my order wrong. The cashier, told me I needed to do a better job explaining to the other person taking my order because she was still in training....really, I--the customer--am supposed to take on the role of training Tender Greens employees?....what else, am I supposed to clean the bathrooms while I'm at it?. Moron. When I told the cashier I'm not the Corporate employee trainer, she took it personally by throwing a typical hypersensitive San Diego 3 year old hissy fit (my feelings are hurt) and couldn't give me my change fast enough which prompted my wishing her a great day. Finally, I found someone who works there with a brain who opened up a few doors to deal with the excessive smoke issue. Food is good here which is why I am giving them 2 stars but it really is hard to find half way competent help in this mentally challenged 'city' where IQ's Max out at 12.

    (2)

  • Tammy C.

    A dear friend of mine treated me to lunch here yesterday. The restaurant reminded me a little of Burger Lounge. We were both a bit confused with the ordering system. It's not clear at all. We figured it out though. So we ordered...I got the Backyard Steak Salad w/horseradish dressing. My friend ordered the fried chicken salad. There is an area that you wait for your food. It's a seat yourself type of place so it's set up in a fast food fashion. We picked up our food and we sat down. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all for a Saturday at noon. Ok.. the food...It was pretty good! Very, very healthy. I like that it was made with fresh ingredients and it was on the lighter side...Taste wasn't exceptional though.... My friend's salad looked delicious. She enjoyed it. Overall, I like this place as a healthy option. They have salmon, tuna, steak and chicken options to add to a salad or you can have it separately and add grilled veggies and mashed potatoes as a meal. This place is a little pricey... and the ambiance is very new age. I think that this is a good place to go if you are on the run and want a healthy bite to eat. I . I would consider returning if I was in the area and didn't have have a whole lot of calories to spare for the day. (maybe a non-work out day).

    (3)

  • Christine C.

    I am ONLY giving this place one star because they got rid of the best item on the menu :'( I go to tender greens mainly for the roasted veggie salad...walked the 8+ blocks from my office to get a great lunch last week to find out that it's gone! Needless to say, I walked out and did not eat lunch that day.The substitute they offered was a salad with roasted eggplant-yuck. Please bring this menu item back!

    (1)

  • Jack M.

    I had a well rounded experience here, hence the five stars, from the execution of the food, friendly service, and cleanliness of the eatery. The day's daily special was a smoked albacore sandwich with a side salad which I enjoyed with some crostini, an iced green tea, and a large peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… ). I know, lots of food, but I like to eats! The smoked albacore was served up on a warm Ciabatta which was good because the sandwich needed something firm to hold up to all the ingredients, especially the generous amount of smoke albacore they placed in the sandwich ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… ). The smoke albacore had an ever so gentle smoked flavor and even more gentle light texture. It tasted great and combined with the aioli, Shishito Peppers, and tomato and red peppers spread ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… ), but what made shined with the albacore, since the fish was so mild, was the herb aioli ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… ). A perfect combination of flavors. The side salad was just what the doctor order, not only for the health benefits, but it also help balance the richness of the aioli of the sandwich ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… ). It was appropriately dressed with a flavorful vinaigrette. The peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie was bliss. It was large and came filled with a great peanut butter flavor and semisweet chocolate chip morsels that melted and dissolved the moment they touched my mouth ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… ). Great cookie. Service was terrific and the girls working the counter all had great senses of humor. They checked up on me several times and offered me refills; even a to go cup! Well done.... By the way, that side of Crostin, amazing...( yelp.com/biz_photos/tend… )

    (5)

  • Janel P.

    Menu is simple and I wish there were a few more vegetarian options but it was delicious. My bf & I came for a casual healthy dinner. If I didn't live 10 blocks down I would eat here often. Kale salad was AMAZING. It was fresh, simple, and the perfect portion. Service was great.

    (4)

  • Vickey T.

    Favorite quick-stop place for lunch and dinner in SD. You really can't go wrong, service is GREAT - everyone is so friendly and smiles at you. Hands down in support of Tender Greens expanding and coming out to the East Coast.

    (5)

  • charisse a.

    I cannot explain in words how much I love Tender greens! (Fat ass much? Lol). Their food is always fresh and made quick for you. This location is right across from chipotle, chase and Horton Plaza. My favorite spot to eat is in their little patio area. Their staff here are ALWAYS so friendly, despite how busy it can get. Highly recommend you try the mint lemonade, it's perfect with a steak hot plate with mashed potatoes and arugula salad!

    (5)

  • Kimmy C.

    $11 fancy salad. This is the place to go if you're downtown near Horton/ courts. A favorite place for the businesses in downtown and for the jurors that get a short lunch break. They are efficient in creating your green creations and you feel a little less guilty for eating here versus Wendy's or Chipotle. My favorites so far have been the steak with butterleaf lettuce and the octopus salad (which has a slight asian twist on it). The fresh lemonade and drinks are fantastic. Definitely get those in a to-go cup and you can make sure to leave with a full glass (yes - you get refills!). The cookies and baked goods are to die for.. but it'll nullify x100 the healthy green eats you have enjoyed. A little pricey for what it is.. but the quality meets the price and convenience. You'll find me here often enough to enjoy the tasty eats. If you're in a rush.. look up the online ordering and/or call in. Totally worth it and a great place to meet clients/ colleagues.

    (4)

  • Jeremy S.

    This is a really good Tender Greens location right near the courthouse in downtown San Diego. I stopped in for lunch one day and it was great! The sandwiches are prepared fresh and the service is friendly and attentive. You can tell that this place gets a ton of foot traffic, but if you want relaxing and fresh, downtown, this is probably your best option... Grab a sandwich, an iced tea and find yourself seat outside to enjoy some people watching... Pros- Freshness Selection Service Location Cons- Parking Crowded at lunch

    (4)

  • Dayleen R.

    I look for tendergreens in every city I go. This is how my family and I eat most of the time at home... How the food is cooked here, where they get their veggies, meats, poultry, etc. is how we love to eat. My body is constantly wanting nutritious food that once it has it, it's more than satisfied. When we eat out, we go here often. Clean eating.. My only complaint is, tendergreens is not in every city!!!! Hopefully soon.....

    (5)

  • Victoria C.

    This is easily the best salad/sandwich place I've been to in my US travels. Such fresh & quality ingredients, generous portions & lovely staff. The first time I went I had a grilled chicken salad & my bf had the fried chicken (which was amazing) & we shared a mint iced tea (also delicious). My salad was healthy & fresh which is what I wanted & my bf was filled up from his which is very rare as he's a big eater. The second time I went I had steak & kale salad which was also excellent (& I've added a picture). There are tonnes of options to suit everyone - you can make anything into a sandwich, have a soup & there were even really great looking homemade desserts. I highly recommend this place. Staff were delightful & fit out airy & bright.

    (5)

  • Amy S.

    Awesome place to check out if you are looking for something healthy, with options. There are a lot of options and I have never had something that was bad. Seared Ahi Salad was flavorful and filling. The broccoli and cheddar soup was also up there on the tasty scale. Be warned that it is green, like really green. My husband was freaked out by this, but he ended up loving it. It's a little weird when you order. There is no menu on the wall except for their specials, and the menus you can look at are at the front counter. So, you have to walk past everyone in line to grab a menu and you get some, "Don't you dare try and cut me" looks. I survived, you will too. Totally worth it in the end!

    (4)

  • Lec S.

    The beef, salad and mash potato combo is incredible. Their raspberry cheesecake is so fresh and their carrot cake is the perfect afternoon treat. I love Tender Greens!!

    (5)

  • April B.

    My buddy had already tasted of their organic fare before we two went tonight. So good. Organic some specials will run out. I opted for greens and steak. You will need to beg I mean ask for butter separately. No, TG nothing TV television. Street parking only or one of the public parking structures in the area. I mean, it's Downtown, San Diego. That is what I expect. I enjoyed our bread. It had texture, taste, and character. SWEET and tasty TOMATO SOUP! Wish there were more locations throughout SoCal! (hint, hint)

    (5)

  • Julianne M.

    I try to never give bad reviews in case it was just on off day, but this place is a chain, so there really shouldn't be an off day. This place was so bad, it was offensive. I ordered delivery through eat24. I got the chicken soup, broccoli (soup of the day), fried chicken plate, and Caesar salad. Chicken soup - literally tasted like nothing. No flavor to the broth, no flavor to the carrots, no flavor to the noodles. I could feel the textures in my mouth, but tasted nothing. And, the chicken was gross and rubbery. Broccoli soup - a watery mess, the flavor was bad, but at least I could taste it Fried chicken - the chicken was not trimmed, all fat! Inedible. My dog enjoyed getting to have his own restaurant meal, though Caesar salad - how do you mess up a Caesar salad? They did I ended up wasting 40 bucks, and just threw it all in the trash. I will never ever come back to this place.

    (1)

  • Ashu C.

    Fantastic sandwich shop! The desserts here were also very tasty. The only negative I had was the lack of many vegetarian sandwich choices on the menu, but perhaps they can make most things vegetarian if you ask? I would give it 4.5 stars. The bread and ingredients were fresh and very well made, and I plan on coming back soon!

    (5)

  • Yvette C.

    This is one of my favorite places to eat. If I could afford to eat here every day I would. You order at the front, then walk past all of their amazing dishes only to begin planning what to order next time. Once you reach the end you add on any deserts and drinks. I (surprisingly) can't get enough of the salami kale salad. If that's not your thing then their beef stew and fried chicken are also very tasty. For desert if you happen to catch the banana cream pie then order it! This is the BEST banana cream pie I have ever had. I highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • Hali A.

    This place is simply delicious. The salads, the plates, the sammiches. Yum. My fave if the fried chicken anything...but I often deny myself that pleasure and go for the salt and pepper chicken, which is divine. Besides the sumptuous grub, I also love the fact that this place serves beer and wine. Winning!!! The perfect compliment to my salad! The one negative about this place--and it's not really even a negative, is that they serve delicious-looking desserts. That's just cruel. If I'm taking the initiative to get a salad for lunch or dinner, ain't no way I can have a dessert!! Yet they sit there staring at me, taunting me, tempting me.... Tender Greens should do everyone a favor and get rid of those delicious little desserts!! For reals...

    (5)

  • C K.

    Service was friendly and choice of food tasty. Atmosphere is cafeteria-like, definitely not cozy. Even though the taste was good, it was severely overpriced. It was almost like healthy choices should be expensive and they appear to operate under that premise. $11.50 for a plate with 3 oz of fish and greens. The greens were the cheap kind, not spinach or the mixed greens. I was disappointed. It was not worth that. It was more a $8 plate of food. Such a shame that the value is not good for the money, otherwise I would have returned

    (3)

  • Tara G.

    Love the food here!! A bit pricey but worth every penny! I have been several times and have yet to try something bad. Always order a special or chefs choice salad, you can't go wrong here at all! Even the desserts are amazing!

    (5)

  • Ray C.

    First time getting a meal here. It was not busy at 2:00 pm. They completely messed up my to go order. The ticket and bill matched but the food was wrong or I got someone else's order. Asked for salt & pepper chicken on a heart of romaine salad. I received a spinach salad and no chicken. Paid $12 for $2.00 worth of greens. How do you mess up such an easy order. Not going back there.

    (1)

  • Melissa P.

    Tender Greens is a great concept with a nicely designed interior. This location also has online ordering. Everything on the menu can either be ordered as a plate, sandwich or salad. We opted for plates, splitting the fried chicken and the salt and pepper chicken. For sides we got the mashed potatoes and fingerling potatoes. The plates include a small salad, and we chose the arugula and caesar. Everything was good, but next time I would not get the fried chicken. It was more breading than chicken. As others have noted, they have a great pastry/dessert section that you see while you're waiting to pay. I caved and got the carrot cake cupcake. It was decent, but I'd definitely try something else next time.

    (4)

  • Kevin T.

    Called them and told them about the issue. The manager, Katy, took care of it. She made my salad herself and the chicken was on point. Moist and cooked perfectly. Great customer service and really nice about it; I will definitely be returning.

    (5)

  • Lisa A.

    A friend and I were seeking out healthy dinner options before seeing Book of Mormon. We stumbled upon Tender Greens (just kidding, I found it on Yelp the night before and we made plans to come here) a few blocks away. There weren't too many people there when we arrived (around 5:45 PM), but a line began forming shortly after. After dissecting the menu (so many options!) I decided to get the Herb Brushed Albacore on Kale. The albacore was grilled rare and had great flavor. The kale tasted better than I can ever get my kale to taste *womp womp*. The waitstaff was very on top of refilling beverages. If you are looking for a place to grab a healthier meal, Tender Greens is a great option. Also, I didn't buy any, but their baked goods looked incredible...just saying.

    (5)

  • Lisa K.

    For years we have been coming here for a healthy satisfying dinner to go! But today I saw a new item on the list. KALE SALAMI SALAD. Oh wow guys. This is your best big salad by far. Also tried the beef stew today. Perfect :)

    (5)

  • Vicki L.

    The service is quick enough to make it a good lunch place (it's cafeteria style), but the food is delicious enough to make it a good dinner place.

    (5)

  • Terry R.

    First experience here. There are a lot of really tasty and good size salads. This is a good place to eat light and for those who are health conscious. It's a little pricey. People and service was surprisingly good they don't believe in having trash cans so you have to either leave your trays and trash on your table or bring it to the counter. The mint lemonade is really good! They also have some good natural desserts

    (4)

  • Margaret L.

    A quick and healthy option- higher end than your usual fast lunch fare, and definitely delicious. My only tiny gripe is that I wish they had more vegetarian and vegan options, and it's damn expensive to eat here consistently. I ordered the vegan salad and it was delicious and huge- more than enough to two small meals. Beware of the super tempting pastry case: if you lack in the willpower department, you might walk out with an entire bag of cookies (I speak from experience). If you actually WANT to walk out with a bag of cookies, go for the white chocolate and sea salt ones, AKA crack cookies. 6 huge cookies were demolished by me and my boyfriend in a matter of minutes.

    (4)

  • Erica G.

    Great customer service! Got the chopped chicken salad - good. Easy walk from Gaslamp Westin.

    (4)

  • Amanda H.

    This place was better than I had expected, and different than I expected. I was expecting more of a vegan/gluten free menu but it was a more farm-to-fork menu. The set up has you order your food at the front of a line of what looks like a school cafeteria set up of food. Since I wasn't very familiar with the menu it was a little intimating. The girl who took the order was very helpful and let me kind of create my own salad. I created an arugula salad with chicken and ordered a small bowl of their chicken and squash soup. The chicken was so tender and delicious, and it worked great with my salad. The soup was fantastic, and I still crave it! Tender Greens has a great outdoor seating area facing Broadway which made for a perfect place to eat dinner after a very long day of traveling. Although this is not a typical restaurant with waiters I was checked in on several times by employees. All in all this was a total YAY for me! I look forward to going back again when I head back south. Just a warning, parking is terrible. It is best to just walk here if you can.

    (5)

  • Evening Star B.

    I don't know what all the great reviews are for this place, it was just "meh." While the staff are super nice and friendly, they are the only reason this place gets 2 stars, it certainly isn't for the food. My soup was luke warm and my salad was nothing special, and for 11+ dollars I wanted something a little more glamorous than leaves and some under-done chicken. I can't speak for anything else on the menu but I was underwhelmed and can get a much better meal across the street from Specialties.

    (2)

  • Isaac F.

    Don't waste your time with this location. I'm sticking with Pt Loma and I highly recommend that location as well.

    (2)

  • Ashley K.

    Delicious and consistent, BUT beware this location is a zoo during the weekday lunch hour (as expected due to its proximity to a million bazillion office buildings in downtown San Diego). If you aren't walking there from your work, parking is a nightmare. There is almost always a line between 11 and 3 so just prepare yourself. It's cafeteria style so you order at the beginning and the person behind the counter takes your order and loads your tray with all your goodies and then you pay at the end and order your drink and can oogle the dessert trays for last minute add-ons. They have HUGE cookies and even a couple gluten-free options. I've only ever had salads from here, but you can also get plates (hot or cold) with salad/veggies/mashed potatoes, etc on the side so maybe I'll try that next time. All the salads are $11.50....which is fairly priced for some but way overpriced for others. I think they should price them individually, as a salad with no protein source should not be more than $7.00 in my opinion. I've had: Tuna Nicoise Salad- Very good...but they are REALLY skimpy on the tuna. Salami and Kale Salad- Tons of flavor and would definitely order again. Backyard Steak Salad- Probably my favorite...the golden beets really put this salad on top. There is tons of seating and people are in and out of here constantly so you shouldn't be hard pressed to find a spot to inside to grub (I think there is a patio with seating also, but I could be mistaken). I come here once a month and will continue to, I just wish it were a tad less expensive.

    (4)

  • Jason W.

    This was my third time eating here. I highly recommend it for quick home style food. Service is fast here, like the cafeteria lunch lines when we were kids, but you won't find any fast food. I had a chicken Cobb salad with green tea. It was delicious and very fresh. Filling too. The salad had plenty of chicken, bacon, and avocado on it, among other things. Heads up this place is also good for gluten free foodies. Just ask the cashier and they'll take everything out that is not safe. I didn't ask about cross contamination.

    (4)

  • Allie A.

    With competition like Panera Bread and Zupa's, Tender Greens comfortably blows them both out of the water. I recently visited California and was looking for a sandwich place to settle my lunch needs. Tender Greens was under the hotel I was staying at so I decided to try it. We were greeted immediately with friendly hellos. Clear crystal orbs hung over the light brown tables lined with green chairs. The menu was reasonable, with choices varying from soups, sandwiches and salads with various meats and greens to choose from. They also had a delicious looking dessert selection. I ordered the Backyard Marinated Steak on a ciabatta roll with light aioli sauce. A side salad came with it and I chose the romain hearts salad with balsamic dressing (basically a Caesar salad with chewy croutons). You order at the front and pay at the end, having the chance to watch them prepare your meal. When I bit into my sandwich I was overwhelmed with the tenderness of the meat and how well it mixed with the aioli sauce. I was very pleased and the salad was great as well. I loved the cheese, croutons and the balsamic dressing. My boyfriend ordered the chipotle barbecue chicken sandwich with mashed potatoes, which were fabulous and fluffy. The chipotle bbq chicken was also very tender and flavored nicely. I highly recommend this to anyone traveling to California. I am a huge fan! My only concern, the price!

    (4)

  • Antonia M.

    I was in San Diego attending a 2 day conference and I was looking for some green food to eat. A lady on the ferry recommended this place and I was not disappointed ! The ingredients on the Asian Chicken Salad were fresh and the dressing was not drippy. The salad was the perfect meal after a couple of long conference days. I will definitely keep this place in mind if I come back to San Diego.

    (5)

  • Dan M.

    I enjoy a nice salad place, and this place makes a good fresh ingredients salad. The menu has several prefixed salads, but they don't give you much direction on how to customize/make your own as you can at other competing high-end salad places. I found that you just need to ask, and they will customize for you. I went for the Harvest salad which was quite good with the seasonal peaches, grapes, and granola. I swapped the feta cheese for beats and this was a winner for me. Note that the salads are pricey at $11.50, but they are quite large and filling. They also have several meat plate and veggie options that look fresh. The soups looked good too, so maybe next time. The lines are long out the door at lunch, but move fairly swiftly. Staff are friendly, helpful, and efficient.

    (4)

  • Cristina C.

    Great organic food! My sandwich was perfect . The place is very friendly and great for people who like beer. I didn't drink when I was there because I was driving but they gave me a free soda which was very nice. My only con is for parking . It is hard to park so you need to be patient to find a spot. Great place.

    (5)

  • Ernesto C.

    everything is relative and given the price points for this Cali chain, it's 5 stars indeed // wifey loved the spot in La Jolla so she dragged me into the downtown SD location on Broadway this Saturday, for a 'healthy lunch' - these 3 entrepreneurs, formerly food folks @ lovely Shutters in Santa Monica, have hit the nail on the head and in tender fashion this is good & 'for real' fresh, for a casual meal - her, the octopus salad - nice // me, the best salad niçoise I've had in these parts. No nonsense fresh food and delicious // if you have a chance, go on their website & have a read on the downtown SD location chef - this is a cool local SD dude that has a good thing going @ Tender Greens on Broadway I'm a fan and you will be one too

    (5)

  • Diandra V.

    So fresh, so simple, so good. You definitely don't feel like crap after eating here. Their food is tasty and their mashed potatoes are perfect.

    (4)

  • Tabitha J.

    We popped into Tender Greens last night after getting terrible service from the hostess across the street at Sushi Deli (so terrible we decided to take our business to Tender Greens instead). You order at one counter, and then your food is brought to the register, where you pay and can order drinks. I had the Pizza Port Wipeout IPA. For food, I had their steak plate with arugula salad. The plate was served with mashed potatoes. I typically abhor mashed potatoes, but I really liked these ones. They were creamy and very flavorful. I found that combining the steak, potatoes, and bits of arugula really made such a scrumptious bite. I definitely want to come back to try more of their food. Their salads looked delicious. I also love that healthy, mindful, and responsible food is becoming easier to find at these more casual restaurants.

    (5)

  • Reno H.

    Tender Greens has been one of my favorite lunch spots for over five years when I enjoyed eating at their Liberty Station location. The food is fresh and delicious, the staff is lovely, the decor clean and uncluttered, the prices reasonable. There was a time when I told every person that asked for a lunch recommendation to go Tender Greens. All that having been said, the wait time at their downtown location for lunch is unacceptable. I always call my order n in, and no matter how true to the phone time estimates I try to be my food is never ready, and I routinely wait 10 or more minutes past the quoted time. For anyone that has a lunch hour, this obviously doesn't work. The ownership should fix this problem.

    (1)

  • Kelley D.

    Best lunch place in the world. I go every day! The salads are amazing and the sandwiches are unreal. The staff are always so friendly. I love this place!

    (4)

  • Rachael C.

    I'm not sure why anyone thinks people are getting bribed to write good reviews, or that they are fake. As if yelp pays people for good reviews, or the owner does...Damn I wish yelp would pay me. The money that could be had...Anyhoot I came here finally after everyone kept going on and on about the place. Downtown eateries don't really impress me much, but when you add the words 'free birthday lunch' in with your conversation, how can one say no? I ordered the backyard steak with mash potatoes and arugula salad, because I am not one of these health freaks that just likes greens on a plate, and smiles and acts like it is heaven. (I love you health freaks) It was $11.00. That is yes, sort of pricey for lunch, but also pretty damn tasty. It is cooked medium rare, and you get about 4 decent sized thin pieces. I guess you have the option to have your steak burned to your liking, to which I feel sorry for the poor cow that had to die so you could eat cardboard. I liked it just fine the way it was. The mashed potatoes were very tasty and the salad nice dressed. For dessert I had a flourless cake which was pretty good as well During my trip, I didn't smell anything awful emitting from my food that someone had said people were complaining about, and I certainly didn't review a place that I actually didn't eat at (Ok once, but they were super rude) It is not a go back 3 times a week sort of place (I am only in admin after all), but I was pleased and enjoyed a very homey meal. I would recommend if you work or live near the area Sidenote: IT GETS VERY BUSY

    (4)

  • A E.

    Pros: Fast service. Healthy. Best lunch you might ever have. Affordable. Clean Cons: There aren't any. Come here soon, and as much as possible.

    (4)

  • Mark H.

    I was staying in a hotel nearby, so I was a frequent visitor... This place totally and completely rocks. Extremely highly recommended! Food is very simple, delicious, local, fresh, in a word, perfect. Everything I've had (and I've been here at least a dozen times) has been absolutely delicious. Grilled, marinated steak on a plate, with buttery yukon gold mashed potatoes? Check. Salt & Pepper chicken sandwich on ciabatta with aioli and roasted peppers? Check. Spinach salad with walnuts and goat cheese? mmm Local beer and wine ON TAP? I love this place to death and believe in what it's doing for "fast" food. Bravo!

    (5)

  • Kareem P.

    I was in San Diego city heading to the courthouse and happened upon this lil beaut. I will have to admit that parking in the area is a real pain in the butt; but that's just how it is in the city. Upon entering this fine establishment there was a feeling of earthy warmth. At first I thought it was a "buffet style" salad joint, similar to SoupPlantation (I still love that place as well). But instead of that "chain" feel, I realized that it is distinguishable amongst other establishments offering similar menus. Tender Greens has an extensive menu that offers a plethora of scrumptious salads, succulent soups, hearty meats, various veggies and delicious desserts. You order is taken at the front and your meal is prepared before your eyes and served to you at the end. Although the seating is a little hard, they have plenty of space for groups, A/C and they were playing a variety of world music; including Bob Marley and Steel Pulse (reggae music). Overall, if you want to eat healthy and pay fair prices, you HAVE to give this place a try. Thumbs Up!!

    (5)

  • Lainey S.

    Huge fan of Tender Greens! I've been to one in Liberty Station quite a few times, so I was excited to hear they had opened up another location- especially since I'm downtown a lot more than I am at Liberty Station. I tried the downtown location for the first time this week. I came around 11:00 and the place was completely empty. I wanted to get some studying in before eating. It sounded like a good idea, but it wasn't. No outlets for laptops or electronics, and there's not a lot of big table seating, and I didn't want to be the jerk to hog the 6 top table when it's just little ol' Lainey. As soon as noon hit, the place packed up reallllllllyyyyy fast. The line was out the door and it just kept getting longer and longer. Don't let the line discourage you though, it goes by very fast! You walk up to the counter, give your order, and you can watch them make it. They make all the plates in front of you. I love this because you see how it's made and helps have peace of mind that someone's not messing with your food. They are very clean! Once your plate is made, you order your drinks, they have a great selection of tea, beer, and wine, and offer a daily aqua fresca. When I went, it was persimmon-grapefruit. Sooooo good! They have a great menu full of fresh, organic ingredients. They offer seared albacore, tri-tip steak, and two different kinds of chicken. You can have the protein served as a sandwich with lemon aioli and roasted peppers on a toasted ciabatta, or atop of their many salads, or as a hot place, with a side salad and mashed potatoes. I always order the seared albacore. It's cooked perfectly. I got it with the Mediterranean spinach salad- which was awesome. The salad was tossed in a lemon vinaigrette with feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalmata olives and served with a side of bread. It was perfect. It's definitely a nice quality place downtown when you're looking for a fresh, organic and healthy option.

    (5)

  • Dustin G.

    A solid farm to table experience.. It's nice to know that some places are still serving healthy options with all these looming gmos out there trying to breed cancer in your innards.. The drinks are fantastic.. The Komucha tea, awesome, the lemonade, scintillating.. The backyard steak sandwich or plate is my favorite order.. Are here like 50 million times so I'm kinda over it right now, but I'll be back..

    (4)

  • Lisa D.

    This is a great Tender Greens location! The staff were friendly and helpful and really patient with everyone who had trouble with the menu. I went out for the weekend and ate there four times. I had a chicken tart special...which was very yummy...and went back the next day for the beef and lima bean stew. That was great, although the beans were slightly crunchy. Their seasoned bread was really tasty. And I had the chicken soup for dinner. It was great. I would have gone back of lunch the next day, except that the line was too long and I had a meeting. At the lunch rush, it was really noisy, but every other time I went in, it was quiet.

    (4)

  • Shanel S.

    I'm sorry but I still can not give this place a full five stars because of their outrageous prices for a soup, salad and drink. It never fails that I pay $20 for lunch. This Tender Greens experience was the best though thus far. I got their seasonal salad on my recent visit and it was filled with amazing flavor combinations. I believe they named it but I can't recall what exactly. It had almonds, cranberries, a tart berry vinaigrette that was possibly the best dressing I have ever had, spinach, arugula (basic spring mix I believe), goat cheese, and give or take a couple other toppings. It all just meshed perfectly and my tastebuds were soaring! I paired it with their Chicken Pozole. That was the first time I have ever had chicken instead of pork in a pozole. I must say that is the way to have it. It tasted pretty much like mom or grandmas. However I did find a piece of a small bone in my chicken, but it happens. Lastly, I washed it all down with their mint lemonade. I have to have it every time!

    (4)

  • cindy b.

    I their steak sandwiches, mint lemonade. It's sweet but good. Add a spinach salad or the mashed potatoes. their food!!!!

    (5)

  • Gail I.

    One of my favorite lunch spots but make sure you get here early as it gets really crowded with jurors and folks from the courthouse. Located a short distance from Horton Plaza and a much better option than the Horton Plaza food court during holiday shopping. I always try the specials and am also a huge fan of their daily soup.

    (5)

  • Lori N.

    YUM! When you're sick of fried foods and burritos, this is the place to lunch! Salads, sandwiches, & soups that are all made fresh daily, as well as delicious lemonades/teas & desserts are waiting for you here. Salads are all about $11 & are big, hearty salads. They have a lot of really good selections that include steak, chicken, & fish, as well as a build you own option. You can also have the sandwich equivalent of the salads, or make your own as well. I had the steak salad with butter lettuce & beets, which was very filling. We also tried both the cheese & charcuterie boards & I must say I wasn't impressed with the cheese one, but the meats were good. Their bread is also SUPER buttery & delicious, so you can indulge a little even though you're eating salad. This place is very casual, order at the counter & self seating. Parking is probably typical downtown parking & I imagine it gets crowded during lunch time during the week. But if you happen to be shopping at Horton Plaza or something & want a healthy meal, this is your spot!

    (4)

  • Philip R.

    I've been to the Point Loma location and am a huge fan of Tender Greens after eating there. The inside seating for the Downtown location seems bigger, but the drawback is that parking can be hard to come by here compared to other locations especially since the meters nearby run till 8PM. Luckily the Horton Plaza parking lot is nearby. Since I've previously reviewed Tender Greens, but at a different location I'll just talk about the reason I came to this location. FRIED CHICKEN (hot plate with their amazing mashed potatoes and kale salad). The chicken was as good as people kept telling me. The chicken was really crispy and they used white meat. It wasn't oily and just the right amount of salty flavor. It might be the healthiest and tastiest fried chicken I've had yet and those two words rarely go together when describing fried chicken.

    (4)

  • Axn J.

    I couldn't say enough wonderful things about this place. Everything is so fresh. It's healthy and delicious to boot. The staff is awesome and despite the quality of the ingredients being used it is very reasonably priced. I try to eat here at least once a week and often end up coming in more than that.

    (5)

  • Randolph L.

    Best steak sandwiches ever kind attentive staff cool atmosphere quick service great place!

    (5)

  • Corey L.

    So I really wanted to love this place, but it didn't work out as I'd planned. First, it's great that healthier options are popping up. So, this place is busy. Long lines and takes a bit. I got a grilled chicken Cobb salad, dressing on the side. Also a butternut squash soup. And finished w a peanut butter flourless chocolate chip cookie. They messed up the salad by putting the dressing in, so that took longer. After, the salad was big, had a decent amount of the ingredients that mixed well. However, the chicken was awful. It was super fatty. Most of the chunks. Also had no flavor. Super cheap. I was really disappointed. Also grossed out. My friend got a big salad - and they seem to LOVE pouring on the salad dressing The soup was fine, but not great. But there wasn't oil floating on top, so that was good. The cookie was good. It was thick, flaky (seemed mostly held together by peanut butter), and I'm glad I got it. Overall better for you than a burger and fries, but not low calorie and the meat I got was cheap and fatty

    (3)

  • Salma M.

    You can never go wrong with Tender Greens. This location is perfect for me because it's walking distance from where I live. I'm not sure how easy parking is, but given it's Downtown San Diego, it's probably hard. It's usually not busy at night - great place to grab a quick healthy meal!

    (5)

  • Rachel M.

    I love, love, love this place!! This is where nutritious meets delicious! Tender Greens believes in slow food made quickly with fresh ingredients from local farms. I really like their Harvest Salad and Chinese Chicken, but the Salami and Kale is my "go-to"! Have a picky palate? No problem, you can also create your own. Not a salad eater? No problem, they have sandwiches too. With Nutrition Awareness and an increased prevalence in allergies, they provide all their nutrition and allergy information online. Check it out here: tendergreens.com/nutriti… They have 3 locations in San Diego: Downtown near Horton Plaza, Liberty Station and UTC. I can't wait until they open more. We need more restaurants that care about the health of our people and our planet.

    (5)

  • S Y.

    This Tender Greens needs a lot of help. Breakdown of my previous 3 visits... Last - Ordered online, arrived at restaurant to pick up. Waited 15 minutes while staff fumbled to get order together. 8 other people standing at the front also waiting super pissed. 2nd - Got take out, arrived home to find mashed potatoes missing (again). Drove back super pissed to talk to "manager", which was a 20something blonde girl who shrugged her shoulders like I was scolding her for forgetting to do her homework. 1st - Got take out, order was missing mashed potatoes, called & manager said she'd issue a gift card for order being wrong. While on the phone asked if the topping on the flourless chocolate muffins was peanuts, my friend is allergic. Was told no, then girl came back on the phone (after my friend took a bite) and said OOPS YES it's peanut. My friend knocks herself out with benadryl (Found out at next visit it's coconut). Portions are super inconsistent, staff is helpless. I won't ever come back here again which sucks because I live downtown.

    (1)

  • Amy D.

    If you have never been here before grab a menu at the door. Tender Greens offers a menu of local and carefully selected items. The name made me think it would probably offer mostly vegetarian fare but there are many meat-containing offerings. I had the special which was braised beef with a side salad containing pickled onions and local grapes. It also came with Parmesan risotto. The beef was excellent- perfectly cooked and flavorful. The salad was ok; it tasted like it was missing an element. The risotto was good but a bit over cooked. I also had a side of warm tangerines with Gorgonzola, kale, and walnuts which was very good. I would recommend their hibiscus tea; it is delicious without being overly sweet. I applaud the local effort here, and the food is pretty good but not quite perfect. I am sure there are healthy options here but overall I would not call this a health food spot- real food, but not quite health food.

    (4)

  • Katy C.

    Excellent, whole, clean, and delicious! Kale salad and beef roast were excellent! They do smoothies and desserts too! Eat in or take out a whole well rounded meal !

    (5)

  • Whitni P.

    This place was pretty good. The steak was pretty awesome. So were the veggies and the salad. I would just say the price is probably more than I would want to spend again. I would say I would either want the price lowered or more food at the current price. Probably more food cause it's pretty good.

    (4)

  • Ieisa N.

    I ordered my food online. As soon as I got there, i was greeted with hello. I let the young lady know that i placed a order online...i gave them my name and the food was passed on to me. Everything was tasty and seasoned real well. I think next time, I'll eat there.

    (5)

  • Abu Mus'ab A.

    The food is very good. Haven't been disappointed at all. The staff is very friendly. They will help you through selections on the menu. I normally get the steak and spinach salad with goat cheese. The set up is more like a cafeteria and fresh fast food. I normally go there for dinner take out. Would be great if it has a full service section when I want to eat in and not feel like I'm at a cafeteria.

    (4)

  • Melissa V.

    Beware: you will become addicted to this place!! If you are going for lunch, I would suggest ordering online so you cut your wait time, as it does get busy during this time. This place is a solid 5 stars all around. Definitely worth the $$. The food is fresh and farm to table. My favorite so far is the Chipolte BBQ Chicken Salad and the Hibiscus Tea. I can't wait to try the desserts here. Customer service is always on point and the iced coffee is STRONG! :)

    (5)

  • Sam Z.

    If you have 30-45 minutes, this is an awesome, healthy place to get lunch downtown. They have the best Arnold Palmer around, and of course, great food that is totally worth the slightly greater cost. I usually get the backyard steak as a hot plate, but I've never had anything I didn't like here.

    (5)

  • Ido W.

    The bottom line: Surprisingly family friendly atmosphere with great freshly made food and reasonable prices in the middle of downtown San-Diego The good: We got a salad and a sandwich. Both were made fresh in front of us and tasted very good. We had a few vegetarian options to choose from. The bad: Despite being very pleasant to sit in there is still a fast food chain feel to the place. The specials menu is hard to read and is located just before the food line so you feel rushed.

    (4)

  • Ricardo X.

    Image you are in subway but in a way fancy restaurant. Their menu is very easy to understand and the food is good. The only things about it is the price! The price is not that bad around 10-15 for a dinner is a good deal and the enviroment is very nice.

    (4)

  • Carolina O.

    Fresh and delicious. This place is a great example of quick, casual and healthy food done right. With an open cafeteria like set-up you are invited to watch as meats are grilled, veggies chopped and as your order is created. Their salads have quickly become my favorites with fun and exciting mixes, deliciously light dressings and flavorful proteins. The steak for the steak salad is cooked and paired to perfection! Great place for lunch or for pick up :)

    (5)

  • Alan P.

    I ordered no aioli sauce because it has dairy. They messed it up and gave me ailoi. I said veggies to avoid dairy and they gave me a salad with ranch sauce. I avoid dairy mostly because most cows who produce milk are not treated humanely. Therefore I canceled my order. Management : please listen to customers requests. Some of us care about the maltreatment of animals. Thank you.

    (1)

  • Kristen R.

    Holy crap this place is delicious! I figured this place would be an overpriced salad joint but, I was pleasantly surprised with the array of fresh food options. The portions are really generous and everything was tasty. My faves were the spinach salad, chipotle chicken salad, steak, and basil lemonade. Oh and the service here was ridiculous, everyone was so helpful you'd think you just paid more than $12 a plate.

    (5)

  • Kara P.

    Best place to eat when you are on jury duty. Best place to eat to attain your, "I'm going to eat more veggies" goal. Best place to eat before a show at Spreckles. Best place to eat a Steak Salad. The Steak Salad is a signature item that is perfect in preparation for both the protein and greens. The seared on the outside and pink center are grilled PERFECTLY and the not over dressed salad is crisp and added the right amount of acidity to the dish. On a cold day, I tend to add a little tomato soup on the side. I advise that you get on your smart phone to browse the menu while you are on line. They missed the "let your eyes' do the ordering in their format of lining up to place your order. Due to this, you have people still unsure of what to order when they get up to the register causing a long queue.

    (4)

  • Allyson L.

    Fresh and tasty! This isn't your average sit down restaurant. It's a casual, healthy cafeteria. The limited menu means that they can cater to seasonal options. This location is a bit on the outskirts of the downtown area, but that only means that there is plenty of room to sit on the patio and that you're guaranteed refills! I got the veggie big plate: grilled seasonal veggies, mashed potatoes, grilled bread and a kale salad and an agua fresca. I also got a coconut panna cotta and a cup of decaf for dessert. My other half got a steak big salad with horseradish vinaigrette, a green tea, and a slice of orange caramel cheesecake. We were both impressed and satisfied. The bill was about $45 for everything, which is reasonable considering the quality of everything. This place is right around the corner from the Civic Center and is a definite recommendation for anyone wanting an awesome meal before a show. Note: if you an eye a favorable dessert on your way to the cashier, get it then! What's on display is what they got.

    (5)

  • Craig W.

    Five stars, no question about it. Now, I know you can get super healthy food here, and that's great, but my chicken cobb salad was about as healthy as a Snicker's bar. But that's what I wanted so that's what I ordered and I loved it. It was fresh and absolutely delicious and I would have licked the plate if I had been given the chance. Yes, it is a little on the pricey side as so many have noted. I know this will shock many Yelpers but there are price points for all consumer goods, including food. If Tender Greens costs too much for you, you can always get a crappy sammie from Subway just a few doors down for half the price. You get what you pay for. In fact, it's a little pricey for my wallet, too, but for a very filling, very nice lunch, served on nice plates with nice silverware in a nice environment, I would come back every so often.

    (5)

  • Lexi's Dad D.

    I am a huge fan of the TG model: Fresh food that is consistent regardless locations that I have enjoyed, and great service. My only complaint is that cold brew coffee is not a free/highly discounted refill. It's possible to get refills for b'fast, but not lunch. The counter has explained the reasoning, but honestly it's a customer un-friendly policy that doesn't match the rest of TG's greatness. I love TG and eat at this store and Point Loma, often.

    (5)

  • Arthur P.

    I always leave here satisfied.

    (5)

  • Olivia L.

    Across the street from Horton Plaza, I've only come during weekday lunch hour and between the hours of 12-1, it gets packed. Better come before noon to beat the rush or after 1 if u don't want to search forever for a table. I've tried several of their salads and they are generally pretty fresh. I thought it was a little dry and the chicken was kind of dry. But at least I felt healthy and everything wasn't overly loaded with sauces.

    (3)

  • Jind S.

    I love this place so much. Today I went there second time and I love it so far. They have good veggie sandwich. I highly recommend to try this place once at least. I had grilled veggie sandwich with salad baby Spinach. love it.

    (5)

  • Cass L.

    Was not crazy on this place. huge lunch line that took about 30 mins to move through. I tried the cobb salad and substituted the blue cheese for goat cheese. It came with barely any other ingrediants but salad. Very skimpy, and the chunks of bacon they put on it was chewy and extremely salty almost inedible. If you don't work down here off Broadway, save yourself the trip.

    (1)

  • Kristin M.

    Soooooooo good. Worth the wait in line. I wish we had one in NJ because I'd eat there every day.

    (5)

  • R K.

    I've been here a couple times now, and I still find myself shocked by the price of a salad and drink. It will set you back over $15 for a salad and drink. And this isn't some topping-filled heap of awesomeness. Trust me, you will be hungry in 2 hours. I don't get it. Organic doesn't cost this much. Really, it doesn't. I really wanted to like this place a lot, but I think this will be my last visit. On a side note, I've been interrupted 4 times while eating my salad by the overly helpful staff asking if I need something. What I need is to not be asked a question repeatedly with a mouthful of salad. Thanks!

    (3)

  • Kristen A.

    This is my new favorite place to eat downtown. Order the FRIED CHICKEN SALAD, it is amazing - butter lettuce, a nice dill dressing, and two large pieces of fresh fried chicken with very nice salt. The ingredients here are all fresh, natural, some organic...and it shows in the finished products. Their homemade desserts are not to be missed.

    (5)

  • J H.

    Fast, friendly, streamlined menu via counter service. Fresh, delicious meal options. Steak, mashed potatoes, spinach salad, salted white chocolate oatmeal cookies for dessert. Say no to fast food if you are near a Tender Greens...check it out.

    (4)

  • Henry L.

    This honestly is a great place when it comes to taste and service. The only thing that has brought me to give them only 3 stars is that every time I ask for a plate to go, I am one hundred percent sure that I don't get the same amount as if I were to eat in. I'm also pretty sure it costs a bit more to get it to go. I've been going to tenter greens since they only had a place in West Hollywood and my to go orders were never so shy. I come here cause the portions are great, especially when you've had a great workout and you need to be eating more. Your almost better off going to a restaurant and ask for the same thing to go, yeah you pay a couple bucks more but you get what you would have, if you would've dined in.

    (3)

  • Joe S.

    Boom......you did it. I went back for another taste. And they nailed it, also I love the relaxed music choice every time I have been of either reggae or jazz, it helps to be able to eat, relax and digest your food. Good vibe going on here. Did a plate, and I got a quality portion of fried-chicken this time around, more than 4 ounces. Again, mixed with the improvements and now a solid portion of protein, I can't complain. Solid TG's....SOLID.

    (4)

  • Maniza A.

    The food here was SO good. It's hard to find a place on the run with really healthy and delicious food so you don't feel gross after a big lunch. I gave this place four stars because the line moved really slowly. Also, when one of the employees was dipping a cup in this bowl of wine/juice (I can't remember what it was) she dipped her whole hand in there and I was thoroughly grossed out. Some Yelpers are complaining about the price of some slices of meat and "leaves" but I think you are really paying for quality. If you go to there website, you can learn about of the have partnership with local farms and all the meat is locally raised. We are used to cheap, imported, hormone pumped food but I would much rather choose this. I hope they expand to more places in the future and I hope they can figure out a faster system for the line!

    (4)

  • Leah Marie T.

    Tendergreens is the place I come to when I didn't have time to make my lunch. I've been to the location in liberty station which is just as awesome, but I work in this area. If you work in downtown and its walking distance, it's totally worth the stroll. Located on the corner of Broadway across the chipotle and Wendy's. It's downtown, so parking is always a hassle. There's meter parking available around the area. The place is clean with a earth-friendly feel. The staff is spritely, and polite. I always order their spinach kale juice drink when available, it's refreshing and very good for you. I tried their hibiscus tea, and I must admit it was a bit much for me. I was not a fan. I've ordered almost every large salad on their menu ($11), and have been satisfied with every single one. Some of my favorites include the bbq chipotle chicken salad, Chinese chicken salad, and the southwestern chicken salad. All amazing and different; you have alot to choose from and your choice depends on the style of food your feinding for that day. A wonderful place that preserves the organic factor, and a healthy alternative to fast food. The quality of their product are always fresh, and the meat packs flavor and is always cooked perfectly. The dressings and vinergarettes are also made in-house and can you have the option of them dressing your salad or putting it on the side. They ask if you want a side of bread, which you may decline to have if your trying to cut carbs. Don't forget to try one of their desserts displayed by the register, they all look and from what I hear taste amazing! My personal favorite is their peanut butter cookie. It is soft and chewy both sweet and salty with chopped peanuts rolled into them. The service is always great and this place never ceases to impress me. For good food that's good for you, this place is one you have to stop by and try.

    (4)

  • Paul G.

    Great salads and they offer a variety of other great options for sandwiches and deserts. When visiting San Diego I had lunch here 3 times. Their salads are filling and really tasty. They also have some great cookies. They have soup, sandwiches, and an assortment of salads that can be stacked with proteins, veggies, you name it and they seem to have it.

    (5)

  • Chuck M.

    Tomato soup was outstanding! A must have while here. Octopus salad, cooked perfectly, moist large pieces of squid, and great dressing. My girlfriend had the Cobb salad but they were out of ranch dressing so they offered tarragon dressing as an alternate. We both tried it; Cobb salad definitely needs ranch dressing! The salad was bland overall. A bit pricey for soup and two salads at $31.

    (4)

  • Josh E.

    Easily my favorite lunch place in San Diego. Ordered the chicken, mashed potatos and vegetables each and every time I go here without fail. Urge you to try the one in Santa Monica as well. Both are fantastic

    (5)

  • Heaven M.

    I have only been once, and I'll comment on the two things I noticed: 1) The service is PHENOMENAL. I don't throw that word around very often, but I was blown away by the way the girls treated me. So so so helpful. 2) I ordered the fried chicken. Not only was I not impressed, I was borderline disgusted. My chicken was so fatty and greasy that I couldn't even eat half. I ordered it as the plate option and my sides were decent. I definitely want to come back and try something else. Maybe fried chicken just isn't my thing.

    (3)

  • Daniel D.

    Great business model, plus this is my favorite location. Friendly quick service and the Agua Fresca (kale/veggie juice) that's not available everywhere.

    (5)

  • Joanna J.

    I wanted to like this place cause I love healthy food. Tried it again today and remembered why I didn't like it. Over $12 for spinach, chicken and dressing!!?? The chicken was 1/4 fat and that was the same as last time. Very disappointed. Only giving it two stars because of the great customer service.

    (2)

  • Alan S.

    We went during a busy lunch rush hour so that might have bearing on this review. The food was good; i had the albacore sandwich and my wife the tuna nicoise salad. Both were tasty but i was annoyed by the piddly little plate of vegetables that we paid $5 for as a side. They also doused my wife's salad with dresssing even though she asked them not to. They did make it right in rapid order so i have to give them credit for that. I think this is fundamentally a good place, they just got a bit overwhelmed during their crazy busy lunch hour. The unsatisfying serving of veggies is the only part that really annoyed me.

    (3)

  • Nicole D.

    My favorite. Everything they have here is amazing. When you are gluten free it is hard to find a place with this many fantastic choices. I'm so glad to live within walking distance. I am here a lot. The employees' attitudes are so great. The restaurant is also very clean and inviting. They know what they are doing. A guy walks around offering refills...even ones to go. I also must mention desserts. Yum! AT LEAST THREE gluten free options everyday. I've had them all. Delish. My favorite? The panna cotta.

    (5)

  • Scott N.

    I stopped at Tender Greens on a lunch break. The setting was nice and the restaurant was clean. I got a spinach salad with goat cheese, hazelnuts and vinagarette. It was fine, but probably something I could've replicated for half the price. It was, however very big and filling which was a nice surprise. Service was great. They had a guy table touching and asking if drinks needed to be refilled. My one problem is that every item on the menu aside from the simple salads is really pricey. Some of the menu items sounded great, just not for the price. One tip: Get your food "for here" if you have time, you get way more food.

    (3)

  • Gabe L.

    Not sure what happened tonight. I've eaten here on many occasions & while prices are a little high for portion size, consider it one of my go to "healthy" spots. Ordered 2 kale salads with salt & pepper chicken and was totally disappointed. Kale was huge pieces, tougher more rubbery (even for kale) than usual. Wife's salad had some iceberg in it & all the cheese was on the bottom. Hopefully this was an aberration & I'll be back to update but tonight was terrible. Won't be paying $25 for 2 salads & dealing with parking if it's gonna be like this.

    (1)

  • J. J.

    Went here while on vacation. Great quality greens, and nice meats to put on top of them. Not too many vegetarian options, but the ones that were there looked tasty. I left feeling satisfied and healthy.

    (5)

  • Paul P.

    Good food but the proteins in the salad are a bit small so if you are ordering a salad you might want to order a double protein. The problem with this though is they charge A LOT if you want double protein, almost as much as the salad itself. So forget what I said about ordering 2 proteins and just order 2 salads instead.

    (4)

  • Malcolm J.

    This may be my favorite salad (other than my baby's). Ingredients are good, great selection of leafy bases, they don't skimp on the protein, and the people are nice.

    (4)

  • Lauren S.

    Amazing! - my husband and I went here for lunch for the first time today. We wanted something light (yet satisfying) due to the fact that we will be going out to a heavy dinner. This place did not disappoint! We ordered soups and salads - it was a perfect lunch, awesome flavors, and great upbeat and fast atmosphere. We will definitely come back when ever we are in the San Diego area.

    (5)

  • Erin R.

    This is a regular lunch place of mine as it's close to my office, quick, healthy and quite tasty. If I'm dining in I fancy a hot plate of the grilled and roasted vegetables with mashed potatoes and kale salad or roasted roma tomato soup. If I'm getting my fare to go I order the Happy Vegan which is a flavorful and unique combination or grains, legumes and vegetables. I am shorting them a star for inconsistent to go salad orders, but I must say their customer service is superb.

    (4)

  • Qui C.

    I've came here both times for lunch with my coworkers and left disappointed. I've been to other TG locations in OC and LA and both were good so I don't know what's going on here. I got the grilled chicken cobb salad and the tuna nicoise salad and both were not great. The grilled chicken cobb was overly dressed and the ratio were off. I had more blue cheese than anything else, and literally a handful of romaine. The tuna nicoise was even worse. There were nothing else besides leafy lettuce greens. One quail egg and no green beans. What kind of nicoise doesn't have green beans!?

    (2)

  • John S.

    I'm crazy about this place. It has a few more offerings than the Point Loma location - same delicious farm-to-table quality. I usually order the seared albacore tuna plate with veggies and mashed potatoes. Sometimes I'm tempted order a soup of the day with that but I never can finish it all no matter how hungry I am. This place is pretty simple and quick, very healthy and a really reasonable price at $12 for most plates. They also have great coffee, teas and desserts. Parking downtown for free is always a challenge during business hours but there are plenty of paid lots nearby. You can also park at Horton Plaza and walk over with 3 hours validation (just 2 blocks). I usually like to combine lunch or dinner at Tender Greens with a trip to Jimbos at the mall on the way back to the car.

    (5)

  • Yvette B.

    I really like this place and it happens to be across from my work so it's perfect for lunch. The only reason I give it 4 stars not 5 is because I'm really picky with my chicken and I've got some weird pieces but it could just be that I'm super selective with the way my chicken is cooked. Try the red velvet cupcake OMG delicious.

    (4)

  • Maya Z.

    I ordered the backyard marinated steak (hot plate) which comes with mashed Yukon potatoes and a basic salad. So I had the spinach with goat cheese and macadamia nuts. So basic (sarcasm). The steak was cooked medium rare, and it was perfectly cooked, flavorful and tender. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and smooth as a cloud should be. And the salad was pretty good too. I tried my friends chipotle bbq chicken, and it had great seasoning and was tender and juicy as well. They also give you a piece of toasted bread on your plate. I liked it all. And the fact that they gave us a refill in a to go cup of our mint lemonades. Definitely recommend!

    (5)

  • Carol B.

    Amazing place to grab lunch! I had the Harvest Salad and a bowl of tomato soup. So fresh, so good! I also had a taste of the mashed potatoes which were to die for! Would definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Jay K.

    Tender Greens is a fast casual food chain that caters to those people who are conscious of their waist lines and how their food is sourced. This Tender Greens location is in the heart of downtown across from the NBC building, so super convenient for me. On my visit, I enjoyed their BBQ Chipotle Chicken salad ($11.88 including tax). This is a gigantic and filling salad weighing in at 790 calories (53g protein, 52g fat, 29g carbs), containing chipotle-glazed chicken, chunks of avocado, lettuce, kale, tortilla strips, scallions, cilantro, queso fresco, and a lemon dressing. The chipotle glaze on the chicken is more "sweet" than "spicy" and "smoky" but still quite tasty. Tender Greens' chicken itself is free-range and hormone-free, so can be consumed without guilt. A slice of bread is served with the salad, adding another 140 calories. Honestly, I had a bite of the bread and realized I could go without the rest. The salad is very filling for under 800 calories, and can be consumed as a complete meal. This is not haute cuisine by any means, but it is tasty, cheap, and fast. I will certainly be returning to this refreshingly clean, friendly, service-oriented spot. For all the fatty carb-laden dinners I eat when I'm out, it feels good to have a more healthy meal prepared for me once in a while that still tastes great.

    (4)

  • Jaymie H.

    Had the Chipotle BBQ Chicken plate. It was good, but it wasn't well seasoned. Would eat here again because it was pretty quick and reasonably priced for downtown healthy food.

    (4)

  • Moishiko N.

    The five stars Is for the food quality and tastem...it's awesome...customer service is ok....we are not robots but the young lady cashier forgot to give me change for $25 on a 22.58 bill....it's cool I still put it in the tip jar. ...I an it no jew. ..only by blood....oh well. The ipa was delicious paired with the chicken and potatoes and my cowboy cookie....it's really food. I like that they use organic and that makes me feel good. Keep it up...maybe there should be a big boy 300+ pounds night for us big boys and get double or triple the portions for a better deal....I prefer this over Phils fo sho

    (5)

  • Seven T.

    Eh, dont get it twisted, itsa chain-restaurant, fast food. A step up in quality when compared to the other major fast food joints, but a glance at the heat lamps keeping the food items warm, may just have you wondering... $11 a plate is fair for the portions, the foods pretty decent, the staff is either really chill and friendly or just plain glum. I mean, its decent, but it aint no 5 star good as it gets by any means! 3 stars, nuttin more, nuttin less!

    (3)

  • B D.

    During my year living in San Diego I went there quite often. I just love it. The food is great, the location is great and the service is outstanding. Always when I went there this one girl with purple hair (sorry I forgot her name) remembered me and my special dietary requirements she made me feel very welcome. The food is great, the portions are just the right size, love their hibiscus ice tea and the gluten free dessert selection is great. A very great spot for an healthy meal in your work break or just a quick stop on your sightseeing tour, the restaurant is very clean and the gentleman that clean your table are very friendly and always here to fill up your drink, bring more bred or take your dirty plate away. I will definitely miss it.

    (5)

  • Jeanine M.

    Wow! Quality tasty ingredients! Had the steak, roasted winter veggies and spinach/hazelnut/goat cheese salad for $11.50! Perfectly seasoned, with a nice piece of grilled focaccia. Yummy, will come back again.

    (5)

  • Michelle R.

    I wish we had this place here in Ventura county. They have the best salads and the best meats. It's like comfort food that's good for you! Everything is so fresh and rustic. I have to come here every time I travel to San Diego. So freaking bomb.

    (5)

  • Amber E.

    Tender Greens' downtown location is finally open! Downtown has been in serious need of a spot for delicious, healthy, quick, reasonably priced salads, sandwiches and lunches, and it has now arrived. Great concept -- you can pick a protein (marintated steak, salt & pepper chicken, chipotle BBQ chicken, fried chicken, grilled albacore tuna) or grilled & roasted veggies, and either get it: (1) on a sandwich w/ side salad; (2) as a hot plate, w/ Yukon gold mashed potatoes and side salad; or (3) on a salad w/ garlic herb crostini -- all for just $11. On top of that, they have about a dozen wonderful "Big Salads," (also $11) like Thai Shrimp, Chinese chicken, Tuna Nicoise, Grilled Chicken Cobb, Southern Fried Chicken, Salami & Kale, Mediterranean Spinach, Chipotle BBQ chicken, Happy Vegan, Backyard Steak (they just all sound SO good; can't wait to try them!) Then, they also have daily specials, soups, interesting drinks and homemade desserts. But, best of all, they use locally grown, organic produce, wild caught albacore, free-range chicken, open prairie raised Black Angus beef, all antibiotic and hormone-free; all the good stuff. Environmentally conscious. Overall, a great addition to downtown. Check it out!

    (5)

  • Corina P.

    I was so excited when I drove by one day and saw that they were opening a Tender Greens location in downtown. The day finally arrived! (I'm sorry, but I need a little variety in my lunch life.) I've been to the location at Liberty Station a few times and am a big fan -- the food tastes great, is way better than crap like Chipotle, and I love that they use locally grown produce. I had a salad with salami (I think) and my co-worker had the Backyard Steak. My salad was delicious; just the right amount of seasoning and food. My co-worker, who had never been to Tender Greens, really enjoyed her food. I also had the hibiscus tea and a side order of salted choco-oatmeal cookies (don't judge me, I was hungry and excited). The service was excellent -- they kept coming to refill my tea and even put it in a to-go cup as I was getting ready to leave. Note -- the line gets long during lunchtime. My co-worker and I arrived a little after 12:00 p.m. and the line was about 10 minutes long. At about 12:30 p.m., the line was twice as long as zigzagged through the middle of the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Antonio C.

    Went for the first time today. The food was fresh and tasted great. Highly recommended. I spent $12 on a full plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad.

    (5)

  • Laura C.

    Kind of pricey for a salad, but everything on the menu is delicious. Their mint lemonade is truly addicting! It gets very busy for lunch but the line usually moves fairly quick, they have things down pat.

    (4)

  • Jorgeanne C.

    Finally a tender greens close by! Great addition to the downtown area and for a lunch spot. A much better space compared to the previous Pizza Hut that use to be there. Fresh and tasty plates that I can enjoy multiple times a week.

    (5)

  • Nico F.

    I think I'm the only person in the world NOT obsessed with this place. The line is always long at lunchtime and I've never really had anything I love. The salad wasn't too good and I want a fan of the lemonade. Service was nice and fast though.

    (3)

  • Eric D.

    I had a great service experience here recently: As I was eating my salad, something didn't feel right in a bite I took. I spat out a piece of receipt paper that had been drenched in dressing and mixed in the salad. I just set it aside and didn't say anything because I was in a hurry and it's not like that would kill me. The busboy cleared the table and came back a few minutes with a free dessert and said, "that's for the paper in your salad." He noticed it and took the initiative to make me happy even though I didn't even point it out to anyone. I've eaten at the Liberty Station location as well and will certainly come back for the fresh, delicious food, and the outstanding service.

    (4)

  • Tanya K.

    I am not a fan. It may be because I'm spoiled by the top notch lunch food at Waters down the street, but mainly I'm just not okay with spending 17 dollars on a one serving lunch when I can get both lunch and dinner for the same price with the same quality of ingredients and better options elsewhere. I've been here for lunch a few times and tried different items. I'm a vegetarian so my portion of the menu is smaller than most. I'm really not impressed with the vegetarian options here, both the range of options and the taste are not in line with a 17 dollar lunch price tag. There is really only one hot item and the rest of the salads and daily specials are meat heavy. The only item that has really made me super lunch happy here is the mashed potatoes. In addition the line is crazy long and the service is not particularly friendly. This is just not my cup of tea. I would rather pay less for a better lunch and get awesome friendly and personalized service. I think Waters has spoilt me rotten...

    (2)

  • Adam G.

    Tender Greens is Chipotle for 'eat local' yoga moms. You pick a protein and they throw in some seasonal, local veggies and a salad. If you are feeling bold, maybe you get a soup. Then they ring you up and it costs 2x whatever you expected. The food is really quite good. I love any place that has fresh grilled brussels sprouts. And aside from the suspiciously buttery tasting mashed potatoes, the food does seem fairly healthy. Right when you pick up your order, they try hard to up sell you on some pastries. But here's the catch - each pastry must be at least 3000 calories. No joke, the cookies are literally the size of a dinner plate. The individual cakes are just whole cakes. It literally makes no sense that they focus so much on healthy food and then only offer insanely unhealthy dessert options.

    (4)

  • Anne-Marie M.

    This is such a great location and if my picky teenager is ALWAYS looking forward to eating here, it's a good thing. I'm not a huge fried chicken fan, but I can't resist the fried chicken here. Very juicy with just the right amount of breading. The staff is completely accommodating. We love it here.

    (5)

  • Cecilia C.

    I was staying in a nearby hotel on a Sunday, and almost nothing in the area is open for good, quick bites (lots of sit-down places, but no takeout). I ordered online and didn't see a time estimate, so called to see, and they made sure to have it ready 15 minutes early for me so I could eat and still make it to my event! Super friendly staff, nice interior, delicious fried chicken. I ordered a side salad and mashed potatoes and ended up with two orders of mashed potatoes, but they were so delicious I can't really complain or take off stars even. Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Tom D.

    Searched yelp for healthy food and glad I found this place. Had great breakfast sandwich of sliced avocado over egg on brioche. Simple yet enjoyable flavors. Well priced.

    (4)

  • Heather R.

    We really like the Tender Greens restaurants in general. The salads are super fresh, and it is certainly friendly to vegetarians. The roasted veggies and the bread are unparalleled. There are now several of these throughout California. The only downside to the downtown one is that the lines are very long at lunch during the week, and parking is almost impossible. Consider online ordering, as that will definitely make it easier.

    (4)

  • Jonard T.

    When I think of eating healthy, I immediately think of eating at Tender Greens. The restaurant is typically busy around lunchtime, with the line sometimes reaching outside the door. However, the line does go by fast--took me about 10 minutes to get my food both times I've been. The trouble is finding seating; I wouldn't come here in a large group as seating can be hard to find. I ordered the grilled chicken chipotle salad. The salad was so large I couldn't finish it. I saved the rest for dinner, and even then it was delicious. The best part of the salad was the dressing; try the cilantro lime dressing! If you're by yourself, I'd order online or over the phone so you can quickly pick up your order. If you're looking for something cheaper ($11 for a salad is pricey), try going to Simons or to Ralphs.

    (4)

  • Thi Minh N.

    I am a healthy freak and love eating healthy and this spot is perfect! I've visited this place three times and all three times I've been very satisfied. The first time I got the special plate which was seared salmon with mashed potatoes and a salad, second time got the seared ahi hot plate with baby spinach and mashed potatoes, and the third time I got the chipotle chicken hot plate with grilled veggies (has Brussels sprouts, I love them!!) with the baby spinach salad. So good! I love the baby spinach salad because it has hazelnuts on it and anything with hazelnut I love. The service is excellent! During the third visit, one of the worker kept checking up on us like 6 times, making sure we were doing good! The place is very spacious, clean and nice except one thing which is the parking kind of sucks because it in downtown. Other than that, I love me some tender greens!

    (5)

  • Nelce S.

    This place offers variety of salads and proteins , always get the kale with salt pepper chicken and finish of with any of their great desserts . My fave is the cowboy cookie !! Lines may be long at lunch but worth the wait!

    (5)

  • Jorgen M.

    Love this place! uber fresh everything! the Octopus salad is soooo good!

    (5)

  • Michael R.

    Totally delish. First time went at the recommendation of a friend and I am impressed. Fast order and pickup for takeout despite a large line. The place is great with lots of fresh food being visibly prepared. The Chinese Chicken salad is great. Huge salad with lots of quality white meat so it's close to being worth the price, which is the only thing making this less than a 5-star joint. A bit pricey than a go-to lunch spot but this is really good food at a fairly reasonable, if not economical, price point. Recommended!

    (4)

  • Stella A.

    Similar to other tender greens so you know what to expect. There is a lot of room for seating and the foods is fresh and flavorful

    (4)

  • Christina M.

    I love Tender Greens, and this is my favorite location! All the staff here are incredible -- extremely friendly and helpful. The food is always delicious, great for healthy eating. I love the kale small salad, which I usually get with chipotle chicken -- it's the perfect sweet complement to the tart kale. The garlic bread is a tasty bonus, and they often have really scrumptious desserts. I especially love the Cowboy Cookies, yum!

    (5)

  • Danae S.

    Come here for healthy and tasty eats. Tender greens is an obvious choice when I'm craving something fulfilling but light. I don't feel gross and bloated after I finish my meal, which is a bonus!! My boyfriend got the steak on a hot plate an it was so tasty!! I got the roasted veggies on a sandwich and I was very pleased. The sauce on the sandwich is delicious! I'm not a big fan of eggplant though. The service was awesome - the staff was very friendly and on top of things. They were quick but it didn't feel like you were being rushed through. The atmosphere was awesome. We sat on their outside patio and people watched downtown. It was a really nice time!

    (4)

  • Evan M.

    This place definitely caters more to a high volume fast paced style service. The food is definitely fresh at the peak rush hours. But if you go when they're slow they'll definitely give you the meat that has been sitting under the heat lamp for a bit. I came here and had the salt and pepper chicken with romaine lettuce salad, grilled bread, and mash potatoes. It's a great meal! Dipping the bread in the potatoes with each bite is definitely my fav. The chicken is seasoned just right. A great spot to stop by and get a quick bite with high quality food.

    (4)

  • Joshua Q.

    Tender Greens looked great from the Yelp reviews, but I wasn't impressed. For vegans, there was really only one item available, called the "Happy Vegan". I found out later that the "Happy Vegan", which seemed to be little more than quinoa, rice, avocado, and a salad had roughly 900 calories . . . which seems ridiculous . . . there must have been a large quantity of oil to make it so high in calories. The staff at the counter was not only unhelpful, most of them seemed useless. The interior is very nice and very clean. It might be a better place for a quick lunch, but with so little variety, it wasn't worth it.

    (2)

  • Mike M.

    I've ordered the fried chicken the 2 times I've ever been here. Place is kept super clean, which I definitely appreciate. The prices aren't bad, 2 people can get out of there well fed for around $0.004BTC. Just a quick place to stop in if you're not feeling like making dinner and or spending all your bitcoins.

    (4)

  • Kristen M.

    I have come here twice for lunch and enjoyed my meal both times. The first time I had the Chicken Cobb salad. It was so good! My favorite part had to be the huge chunks of bacon. I also could not resist their carrot cupcake. I am not generally a fan of carrot cake but something about it grabbed me. It was awesome!!! Recently I went back and had the Steak sandwich and Roasted Roma Tomato soup. Very good! That time I resisted dessert, but that was not an easy task. Everyone who helped me was very nice. The line could move a little quicker. One person on the register at lunch time downtown is a little crazy.

    (4)

  • Carmen N.

    Great food. Had a chipolte chicken salad. Ingredients were fresh. Not overly dressed. Reasonable prices for portion size.

    (4)

  • Diana L.

    CARROT CAKE, CARROT CAKE, CARROT CAKE!!!! You have try their carrot cake... even if you don't like carrot cake, I guarantee you will after one bite.. Your taste buds will never experience anything more amazing than their carrot cake! (Yes, I'm obsessed...I had one last night..heheee..) Take it home and pop it in the microwave for 45 seconds... Ooooh my gawwwwwwwd!! I want it and I want it NOW!

    (5)

  • Sunny J.

    Fast and healthy food as always! Come here for a comfort food fix without the guilt :)

    (5)

  • Jolie D.

    Tender greens. Oh, tender greens. You are so annoying. The ONLY way this restaurant works is if You have like 6 people working. Otherwise, the line is so long that you have people hopping around trying to service you at different stations. I literally saw someone RUNNING today from station to station. It's not as it the service was bad, it just gives me a little anxiety to be there watching it unravel. But damn, is the food delicious. Tuna Nicoise was fantastic, dressed perfectly, as was the cauliflower side and the tomato soup. Everything was great!!

    (4)

  • Judith B.

    I Am always so impressed w this spot. It Is ALWAYS consistant Good Service and Great Food. Try The cupcakes, they are to die for

    (4)

  • Yousef E.

    Food was delicious, healthy, ambiance is swanky....no more needs to be said, go here.

    (5)

  • Bob S.

    A modern grilled meat/ salads and sides place. I like the concept. It was well executed. The house wine wasn't very good but at least they had wine available. The big salads are BIG for lunch. I had a steak/grilled veggies for dinner on my return visit. I'd eat dinner or lunch here again in a heartbeat.

    (4)

  • scott n.

    Fricking Love this place. I go here all the time. Fish, Chicken, Steak it is all BOMB! so healthy too. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

    (5)

  • Esmeralda R.

    Amazing! Tender Greens is a great alternative to all the fast food venues in downtown San Diego. The food is not only delicious, but the restaurant itself follows great food ethics. They seem to care about the food product, where it came from and how it's handled. I ordered the albacore sandwich with a kale salad as my side (you can substitute the salad with potatoes). The sandwich comes in a ciabatta roll with aioli sauce and roasted bell peppers. Everything tastes great, but the slightly seared tuna is definitely the best part. Kale salad was fantastic. Comes with parmesan cheese and lightly covered with dressing. Staff is friendly and upbeat, place is clean and organized. Go in the evening when it's not packed.

    (5)

  • Laura O.

    I have only ever gotten take out from here, but I love their menu. You can mix and match protein with different salad options or try one of their pre-concocted salads. The vegetables are fresh, the lettuce crisp. I enjoy both the steak and the chicken. If you are doing takeout double check that they add your dressing-I have gotten home and realized there wasn't any in the bag.

    (3)

  • Naty Z.

    Love this place!

    (5)

  • Rob W.

    Not a big fan of the veggies. I mean I'll eat a piece of lettuce or two to keep the rickets at bay, but its always just felt like too much prep work to cook by myself. All that washing, scrubbing, drying, delousing, fire, explosions, and crying. Really. Who needs it. Wandered into Tender Greens at a friend's request. They wanted to eat healthy. And I wanted to get my weekly serving of veggies. Everybody won that day. It's surprisingly good here. Got the steak plate with kale salad and a side of mashed potatoes. The kale was crisp and fresh, the mashed potatoes were creamy, buttery and awesome. Good enough to spread on toast...and I'll admit I spent a lot of my meal doing just that... like an ANIMAL. No shame. Steak was done medium well -- just a nice pink without being bloody or rubbery. They've even done away with the salt and pepper shakers and replaced them with fancy wooden grinders. Except I'm prettttyyyy sure they just filled them with preground pepper and Morton's table salt. Fresh cracked pepper doesn't come out that fine and flavorless. So -1 star for that duplicitous bullshit. Other than that, it was a tasty meal. Would eat here again.

    (4)

  • Lydia T.

    I had the backyard steak salad. There are radishes on butter lettuce, the steak was tender and flavorful. Also comes with charred toast that is crispy and covered in EVOO. The desserts looked amazing! This may become part of my regular lunch repertoire :) Nice little patio on Broadway for people watching.

    (4)

  • Tyler W.

    This place is SO good and relatively cheap. $11.50 will get you a delicious meal of high quality food. Restaurant quality food fast. Very good food for the price. I will be back soon.

    (5)

  • Richard C.

    Great place, great food. I've walked by this place a million times and never came in. Now that I have, I think I may have found a hidden gem. Creme of broccolli soup so good I want to write bad checks. Excellent Dinner: Steak, kale salad, and yukon mashed potatoes better than my own mother could make. Thats why I ran away. I was gonna take a picture of the food but I ate it already.

    (5)

  • Tori W.

    My go to is their Albacore - deliiiiiicious ! I always make it a hot plate with tender greens salad and occasionally will trade in the mashed potatoes for there amazing tomato basil soup. Yummy Additionally, service is great !

    (5)

  • Marissa M.

    I went to this restaurant for lunch at 1pm on a Wednesday. It's a quick walk from work and super convenient for anyone who works downtown. Although it's a little detail, here is one thing I absolutely loved. When you walk in the door there's a HUGE line (hello, it's one o'clock mid week in downtown San Diego - to be expected) But the great thing is they have a basket of menus so while you're waiting in line you're deciding what you want so when you get up to the counter there is no delay. It's such a great way to expedite a highly trafficked area. The food behind the counter looks so fresh, delicious, and HEALTHY! Everyone working behind the counter really seemed to enjoy their jobs and were very pleasant. I'm a huge fan of smiling employees. They flushed us through the line no problem and we watched them make our food. I can't even tell you how delicious my salad looked and tasted. The place was super cute, trendy, and so health conscious. The food selection looked great and I can't wait to go back and try something new off the menu. I did the Big Harvest salad. The fruits were so crisp and the side of sauteed veggies were great. It is definitely a little pricey. For two people it came to $35.00 which I think is a bit much for a quick work lunch, but hey. Still overall a good experience.

    (5)

  • Cindy L.

    This place has delicious healthy food but can be expensive. It's convenient how they take online orders and phone orders. I usually love their Backyard Steak and Albacore Herb Tuna, both as a hot plate. I like their Rustic Chicken soup. Also their Red Velvet Cupcake is good. They also have other gluten-free desserts there. I like how they are cautious with food contaminants when it comes to gluten allergy. And always check your to-go orders before leaving because during busy hours, they might messed up, but it only happens to me once so far.

    (5)

  • Salem L.

    this place is changing the way people think about food.my last trip i had the vegetable soup with kale and the hot plate with Cesar salad and the grilled chicken.(lots of grilled vegetables) very fresh,very tasty and consistent with outstanding service every time. real food,reasonably priced,prompt service,what else can you ask for. love love this place and thanks to all the staff for great effort always.

    (5)

  • Chris E.

    I Love! This PLACE! Two blocks from my office! I eat there 1-3 times a week. I'm currently on a high protein no carb diet. TG "Tender Greens" always has something on the menu to meet my needs. The staff...Most! Excellent!...Prompt! Professional!...and they are all so GOOD LOOKING! 8) SO! If you're looking for a healthy place to eat down town!...Add Tender greens to your rotation!

    (5)

  • cathy S.

    This place was yummy, 1st going there. Only compliant was there wasn't really anything explaining how to go about ordering. There were a few specials on the board but I was confused how it worked. The staff here was super nice and they after 5 mins of explaining to my husband and we ordered. We the Harvest salad and it was some good, hubby had soup also fresh home made tasting and flavorful!! My special treat was a yummy Coconut cream pie, ooooh man it was to die for. Freshly baked with a crunch to the crust, coconut cream was not fake coconut tasting whipped cream piled high high with toasted coconut, mmmmm diggadee! Again we had multiple people come up and ask how we were enjoying the food, just a nice experience .

    (4)

  • Mike L.

    It's time to wonder if this chain bribes food inspectors for higher grades than they should be getting. Somebody with a coupon or promo deal asked me to go with them. Boy was this a waste of our time + their money. Once we got in there we overheard people talking about the stench smell of their food after they got it. We left without ordering or eating anything. Overpriced spoiled food comes nowhere close to competing with the fresh Mexican food chains on Broadway for nearly 1/2 the price. The 4 + 5 star reviews here are hard to believe. It's time to wonder how many of those were fictitious accounts created by the owner or written by their acquaintances with something to gain by lying for them.

    (1)

  • No N.

    I am only writing this review because I have always been a fan of the UTC location. However, I was shocked at how rude 2 of the employees were at this location. The first girl to take my order (Ariana I believe) was very friendly and quick, however the two women at the cashier line were EXTREMELY rude. First, I believe her name was (ceselie) called my name, she entirely mispronounced a simple name, so I corrected her in question to make sure it was the right order. She responded "Ok then" and rolled her eyes at me!?!? Um WHAT? YOU are taking MY order... I have worked in the food industry, yes it is frustrating, but I am a paying customer and your only job is to ring me up... Then there was another woman helping to get the plates out, her shirt was gross and dirty and she had a sweaty headband on, and she was being dismissive and rude to the other employees. When she asked me what I wanted to drink she responded as if I was inconveniencing her. I'm sorry but for a $15 lunch meal you better be investing in training your employees some customer service... 2 stars only because I love the food.

    (2)

  • Melissa F.

    This location was a couple blocks from my hotel in downtown San Diego. I had the Asian Chicken Salad which was healthy, simple yet full of flavor. There was a nice outdoor patio too so I could enjoy my lunch in the sun before returning to the cold NJ winter. Wish they had this chain on the east coast!

    (5)

  • John K.

    Green green ....your chance to eat more greens! Wide open seating area, super-friendly staff. A bit pricey; but the food choices & tastes are exceptional. Order at first register, & pay at the next before getting a peek at prep & finish area, & the amazing dessert items. The salads are the best for you, & you'll definitely enjoy them. Get in early for lunch on weekdays! It Buzzzzzzzin-busy at 11:30 am & on.

    (4)

  • M A.

    Okay, so you shorted me a dollar in my change and you put goat cheese on my salad when I asked for it to be replaced with feta, but hey, I am going to let you off this time because my lunch was DELICIOUS! OMG, the chocolate cupcake was so divine! It was light and just perfect. I should have taken a picture, but I ate it like there was no tomorrow. I loved the salt and pepper chicken, but I would like to make one suggestion, remove the skin. It will be much healthier. Also, I like it this TG better than the one in Point Loma. It's huge and you don't feel cramped. Plenty of seating area but you have to get there before the lunch crowd. Can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Jessika M.

    Our office has spent thousands of dollars on Tender Greens food for office related functions and lunches however our last experience with them was very disappointing. Yesterday we called in our lunch and ordered 4 items. We picked up the food and returned to the office, only to realize 2 of the orders were wrong. Things happen, I get it, but make it right. I called to notify them and I was placed on hold, after asking for the manager I was told she is dealing with the rush and that they would call me back. I'm sorry, but I was also dealing with a pending meeting and now I was going to be late to it because I had to drive back and get our correct orders. I asked the woman on the phone if they could just comp my 2 lunches if I came back and got the correct order, she hesitated and then agreed to do so. I was now running late for my meeting. I make it back to Tender Greens and explain what happened. The first woman that assisted me was very apologetic but needed the manager to override the transaction. When the manager arrived and the other woman told her that it was being comped the manger looked stunned and say "wait what?" as if it was crazy that our 2 lunches were getting comped. I'm not sure why she reacted that way, but it was very uncomfortable because she was clearly questioning her employee that made an executive decision to fix the situation. I would have asked the manager to comp it however she was too busy with the rush to talk to me so now she was faced with the end result of her not taking care of a situation herself. It was really unprofessional for her to ask that way, especially being the manager and in front of me. How embarrassing for that woman who was only trying to help. It was 2 lunches for crying out loud, not a million dollars. I wasted time going back, was late to my meeting and had to eat my food quietly during the seminar...the least she could do is let two lunches go by.

    (1)

  • Leonard S.

    Very good looking and tasting food here. Lunch time can pack em in here with lines out the door but the line moves fast and the food is worth the wait. My favorite is the steak, with salad or with the mashed potatoes and butter lettuce salad of course. the fried chicken is amazing as well. My only complaint is that I think the food is very high in sodium, especially the steak and the potatoes. Sodium happens to be one of my favorite elements next to magnesium so it doesn't bother me but it might be something to consider if that is a concern for you. Overall I have had a about 10 different things here and they have all been really good.

    (4)

  • Janet R.

    Just want to document my appreciation to Jake for NOTICING that my husband and I were a little ansy for waiting longer than expected for our dessert. He asked if we needed anything, we told him, and he right away went to put our dessert together himself. Unfortunately, the girl who was lagging in getting it for us came out to tell us they were out of vanilla ice cream and we had to decide on something else. However, when she brought us our dessert, it was with vanilla ice cream, but she didn't say anything til later. Apparently, while Jake was doing her job of getting us what we wanted, she thought they were out of the vanilla ice cream, but Jake had it because he was getting it together for us. Jake seemed to be a very attentive guy to customers needs and I like that! Appreciate you, Jake!! Thank you!

    (5)

  • Camille D.

    Delicious food, all healthy options, easy and perfect if you're on a diet or have food restrictions like fructose free, gluten free, dairy free

    (5)

  • Mindy N.

    Really enjoy this place, although my first time to this location! I know if I want fresh, local ingredients for a healthy meal, this is my stop! Today I enjoyed seared albacore over a bed of arugula and tomatoes with a balsamic vinaigrette. SO good!!! The atmosphere is always nice and inviting as well! So many other tasty goodness items on their menu!!!

    (4)

  • Jessica L.

    My biggest pet peeve with salad places or purchasing salads in general is when the vegetables are too big for a bite size and require cutting. If I wanted to have vegetables on a plate that I needed to cut up myself, I would buy some damn groceries. Luckily tender greens is NOT like this. All of the veggies were cut into small bite sized pieces which I could enjoy without the help of a knife. The Chinese (shredded) Chicken Salad was fabulous! The chicken was tender and the salad wasn't drenched with dressing, it was perfectly lightly coated. (I also hate when restaurants just dump dressing over the top and hand it to you on shallow plate with no edge space to mix the salad--I'm paying you money, mix my f-ing salad please.) -1 star because for $11 it could have had more chicken. Also, I had a peach parfait thing. YUM! It had honeycomb which added the perfect amount of crunch!

    (4)

  • Katelyn L.

    Marcus at Tender Greens is absolutely amazing! He recommended the most delicious special sandwich and berry cobbler to me for lunch today. He and his team are so attentive, responsive and helpful. This is my new favorite place in town! Thank you, Marcus!

    (5)

  • Ed M.

    Came here for lunch one day. The salads look pretty filling and the portions seem generous. I actually tried the rustic chicken soup. It wasn't bad. The dessert I tried was a chocolate mini cake with chocolate chips baked inside. That too was not bad. To sum it up this place feels like a chopotle that specializes in salads and soups. Stuff here is a bit on the pricey side though.

    (3)

  • Jen L.

    My new favorite lunch spot downtown. Extensive selection of freshly made salads and tasty daily specials. Great selection of roasted vegetables for sides. Atmosphere is fresh, bright and new. Staff all friendly and helpful. Plus you will feel good about yourself for choosing this healthy alternative for lunch! I enjoyed the daily special: pulled pork sandwich on a perfectly toasted ciabatta with a side of baby kale, local pomegranate and Cabernet vinaigrette. Yummy!

    (5)

  • Alyssa B.

    Healthy, fresh and delicious. The kale salad is amazing, tomato soup, steak, mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, cookies and today I just tried the agua fresca today and it was amazing (probably my new go-to refreshing drink!) It's not cheap, but when you have a craving for feel-good food it truly hits the spot. The decor is modern, bread comes with every meal and the order line is extremely efficient.

    (5)

  • Jessica J.

    TL;DR It's a nicer, less processed version of Panera with craft beer. Meh. I'm visiting from Miami and I went here with my significant other yesterday looking for slightly healthier fare and positive yelp reviews. They have a decent selection of food with enough variation for my picky preferences, and a few craft beers that interested my boyfriend. The service was great. Since it was our first time there, one of the girls behind the counter helped us out with the menu and how the ordering process worked. It's one of these places where you order and pay at a counter, and they prepare and bring you your food when it's ready. I made a mistake when I ordered and didn't realize it until afterwards, and they had no problem correcting it before we received the food. There weren't many people there when we went, but the time between placing our orders and receiving the food was still much faster than I'd expected (5-10 minutes, tops). While at the checkout register, one of the employees also offered us a free chocolate cupcake that had fallen on the display (not the ground) and was thus not acceptable for display or sale. While we were eating, there was another employee who, in addition to cleaning and tidying empty tables, also offered to refill our drinks and take empty plates, etc. In terms of food, while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't particularly impressed either. I ordered the (big sized) Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad and the Rustic Chicken Soup. The portion sizes justify the price, and the quality of the ingredients is good, but the flavor of the food in general was just not spectacular for me. The soup was tasty, but the chicken difficult to eat because it was in such large pieces. The salad was a bit bland, even with extra dressing, and the ratio of lettuce to toppings was also a bit disappointing (i.e. too much lettuce). They did, however, include chicken skin along with the meat, which is something I am not accustomed to and a nice touch. I was still expecting something a bit more bold based on the description "Chipotle BBQ'. The free cupcake was also mediocre flavor-wise; semi-sweet icing and bland chocolate cake. All in all, this is probably not a place i'd suggest in the future, but I wouldn't mind going if someone else was dying for it.

    (3)

  • Sarah D.

    I love coming here. The food is great quality. I've never been disappointed with my order. The service is incredible. Everyone that works there is super friendly and helpful. I love their pet friendly outdoor seating. When I feel like healthy eating...this place is my go to for sure!

    (4)

  • Megan K.

    Unique daily specials. Had a yellowtail tuna salad the other day that was good. Although, they once had a porkbelly daily special that I keep hoping they'll bring in again. Food is fresh. Only drawback is that the line for lunch is always really long.

    (4)

  • Tman S.

    Im a big fan of a salad based restaurant that offers excellent drinks, sides and mains to accomoany it. I try and make a stop at tender greens everytime im in California.

    (4)

  • William B.

    I've only been here once, but I had an astonishingly delicious salad, and the backyard steak was very good. If I were to start nit-picking, I'd say that I'd prefer to have my salad chopped a little, and it's a bit on the expensive side. But really, it's delicious, simple, real food and I will go here a lot.

    (5)

  • Oliver C.

    Definitely hot amongst the lunch crowd. Line is fast moving and food is seriously good.

    (4)

  • Joseph H.

    I love Tender Greens. The food is delicious, atmosphere is trendy and nice, and the food prices are great. This location is very crowded, we went at lunchtime on a weekday and waited in line 20 minutes to order. I recommend going at a non-peak time to avoid the wait. The main reason Tender Greens does not get a 5 star review is the drinks, they don't taste good and they are way too expensive. They have their own line of "healthy" soft drinks that taste terrible with no free refills. Just put in a coke machine with coke zero and call it a day. Their beer is way over priced and consist mostly of IPAs. I recommend bringing your own drink and skipping their expensive tasteless drinks. Recommendation: Get the Steak Hot Plate. It is delicious. Comes with some great tasting steak, mashed potatoes, and your choice of salad, all for $11. Better steak than most steak restaurants. Their salt and pepper chicken is also good. I prefer the hot plates to the sandwiches. They seem to be a better value. The chipotle chicken needs more spice and flavor, it kind of taste like regular chicken.

    (4)

  • Cynthia C.

    TENDER GREENS what is there to say that hasn't already been said! I love you tender greens, or TG's as I like to call it. you had me at hello, everything there is amazing! Chipotle chicken - juicy flavorful and healthy Backyard Steak- tender, juicy and lean I love all their soups especially the Chicken Wonton soup They have a great selection of drinks and desserts the staff is super nice and super attentive , it is pricey but you get what you pay for ! only con : the To-Go Soup containers are kinda cheap

    (5)

  • Autumn S.

    I really like the salt and pepper chicken with mashes potatoes, spinach and tomato salad, and a slice of yummy bread. The deserts looked scrumptious but they were all out of the apple tart by the time I got there (1:20pm) so next time I'll have to come sooner. The soup of the day was a chicken and fall vegetable that sounds good when the weather gets colder and then there was a "caldo michi" which was some type of fish and lentil soup. I think I'll try a soup/salad combo next time because they have such a huge salad selection.

    (4)

  • Jennifer T.

    I had: Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie I was reluctant to write a review based on a cookie, and will return and expand on my review, but this cookie was so fabulous. If you even remotely like desserts, you must try this. Absolute must. Not only that, but the service was pretty incredible as well. Having worked as a server for many years, I know how hard it is to muster even a smile when someone walks in right before closing. The lovely ladies at this location could not have been nicer.

    (5)

  • J H.

    Great options-pick a protein, choose how you want it (sandwich, salad, etc) or choose one of the daily specials. Two of us went recently for lunch and were wowed by food quality, choices and service. I got vegan plate which was divine (wheatberry, quinoa, baby greens, pesto hummus, rice and vegetables and a great vinegrette) hubby got roast beef sandwich special that he thoroughly enjoyed. Also serve desserts and beer/wine. Thought is was a little pricey-the daily specials were $11 each, but truly delicious, very fillling. Price would keep me from eating here everyday though.

    (4)

  • Carolina Z.

    Really good food. I recommend roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes and tomato soup. Just perfect!

    (5)

  • Monique C.

    I ordered the vegetable salad. It was a very weak showing for a vegetable salad. There were literally 3 pieces of eggplant, a few kernels of corn, 5 beans (at best) and two banana peppers. It definitely felt like I was either getting the bottom of the barrel or they ran out of vegetables. It was very disappointing for the amount paid. I have been at this location before and had a good experience. However, not this time. There needed to be more attention to detail on how many veggies were being allocated to each salad. Boo!

    (2)

  • Danielle A.

    Finally!!! Downtown has a healthy spot to eat. Well, at least you feel healthy eating there. The only reasons I deduct a star is the dressings seems to be more oily at times than flavorful and when you add chicken to salads it does not normally come with, it turns your salad into a $15 or something crazy! I tried the sculpin IPA ice cream with caramel and peanuts...it was damn good. I've also had: Southern Fried chicken salad = yummy Mediterranean spinach salad = delicious and light flavor Caesar salad = amazing Salt and pepper chicken sandwich = sounds plain but it's yummy; wish there was an all white meat option Tomato basil soup= just ok; croutons is better Hibiscus tea = really yummy with a slight sweetness Chocolate chip cookie = up there with Otis spunkmeyer....but still no Uncle Biff's

    (4)

  • Steven S.

    Wow! I love this place! Always clean and well maintained. The food tastes fresh and very good. They do the simple things very well. I come here 2 times a week for the salt n pepper roasted chicken, spinach salad and grilled veggies! You must give it a shot!!

    (4)

  • Ashley C.

    Favorite restaurant in San Diego! I would eat here every day if I could. Everything is good, especially their grilled steak salad, tomato soup, and gluten free peanut butter cookies. Very good prices, especially for the quality of food you get.

    (5)

  • Ashley L.

    Delicious healthy food with a cute rustic feel. The pepper chicken and potatoes were delish! So was the fried chicken sandwich. Patio is great for people watching. Parking can be tough to find.

    (5)

  • Ill S.

    My buddy has been suggesting this chain to me for about a year now, but really never had the motivation to check it out. Until...a bit ago when I got my jury duty summons and saw they were building a TG right on broadway. I knew my case would still be going for a bit, and would still be around downtown by the time it opened in summer 2013. popped in there today, and the place was hopping. i guess the best way to describe this place is gourmet cafeteria-style food. I mean that you walk up to the cashier, order what you want, walk over to another cashier, pay, then take your food away on a tray if you're eating "for here." only the food is served on a ceramic dish with silverware and glassware. i had the bbq chipotle chicken with a romaine hearts lettuce salad and balsamic on the side. the meal came with a slice of their yummy toasted garlic bread. the chicken was great--not dry. they separate the dark and white meat on the left and right side of the lettuce. my only ~slight~ annoyance was that i had barely sat down and someone hurriedly ran over to me asking if they could take my tray. but besides that, two different guys came by and asked if i was doing okay. i asked about their takeout option and they were more than willing to give me tips on that which was nice. given that court lets out right at noon, i think i'll do the takeout next time. you'll pay $11.00 for a salad, but the ingredients are very fresh. they also have rotating desserts which looked delicious...but again, next time! i'll definitely be back no doubt. always looking for decent food downtown.

    (4)

  • Lisa B.

    Good selection,but soups can be salty and food oily. The salad greens are amazing and I love how they use in season local ingredients!

    (4)

  • Devang D.

    Got the happy vegan salad and it's great! Nice place, great food. Great service. Parking can be a challenge but it's downtown!

    (5)

  • Claudia C.

    Delicious every time! They have really great seasonal options, and the classics are great. They make salad interesting, which I think is hard to do. My fiancé calls this place "Expensive Greens," but it is so worth it!

    (5)

  • Kip D.

    I went here twice and was turned off by the long line that was to the door at lunchtime. Once, I went at 11:30, and the line was the same. The third time, I wisened up and called in a takeout order. I got the chipotle BBQ chicken hot plate withe a kale salad. Everything was outstanding! The mashed potatoes were creamy and delicious. The chicken was flavorful. And even the kale salad was good. I also enjoyed the toasted breadstick. Overall, it was a very nice meal. It was also healthy. The only unhealthy aspects were the (likely) buttery mashed potatoes and the butter on the bread--but I'm not complaining, because they were better with butter! My only ding is the price. the meal plus a drink came out to almost $15. I'm a fan of Tender Greens! (but for takeout orders only since the line is always long)

    (5)

  • Allan F.

    Food is on the cheaps and excellent quality. Special for the day of duck breast was great, but portions are kinda smalls. Chiptole BBQ chicken was good, but the desserts are amazing. Had a cupcake and cheesecake with lemon curd and both were excellent. Also across the street from our hotel so it was a plus. Went to dinner both nights and saved us some money.

    (5)

  • Anthony T.

    I love this Tender Greens location! The food is amazing- they use fresh, local produce, and you can really tell that the quality is high- I ordered the Salt and Pepper Chicken Hot Plate with the spinach simple salad. The chicken was tender and the salt and pepper seasoning was perfect. The spinach salad was great tasting as well, high quality greens that made me actually enjoy eating spinach! And the mashed potatoes that comes with the plate; seriously fantastic! I also ordered the agua fresca of the day which happened to be watermelon, the cute blonde cashier suggested I mix it with their house made mint lemonade, best idea ever! My bill came out to be about $14 and I think for the quality and quickness its worth every penny. Also, the service was wonderful. They where all very helpful and knew their stuff. You could tell that the customer's happiness was genuinely important to them and it seemed like they actually liked their job; very smiley and happy to talk to the customers. P.S. I read a previous review that said the drink refills are not free- WRONG!! They ARE free which is great considering most of them are housemade!

    (5)

  • Silke M.

    I may re-rank and add another star, once I try more meals here. I had the ahi salad which was a bit too oily and the kale didn't seem washed well enough as I bit on something a couple of times...The chicken soup was VERY good, usually I find myself adding salt and pepper but this one tasted perfectly to my liking. The Ginger Soda was too sweet, I had asked them but was told it's strong in ginger taste, so I went for it but probably won't get it again---way too much sugar. The guy coming buy poured a refill of water in my ginger drink-oops but actually it made it better. May sound like I am bitching a bit but I am simply writing my thoughts. I would like to see this place do well, it's new, figure they will probably improve from here. I love the decor, very European casual modern flair. I will not rush but go back some time to try again.

    (3)

  • Paul S.

    While Fat America is flocking to fast food, Fit America is marching into places like Tender Greens.

    (5)

  • Kristen B.

    Tender Greens is a great addition to the downtown lunch options. The food is fresh and flavorful, and despite the long lines, it moves fairly quickly. The one downside is the price. It is on the high-end for cafeteria style dining. I'm still trying to figure out how they charge the same price for grilled chicken as they do for tuna. I'd recommend the fried chicken sandwich if you're looking for comfort food!

    (4)

  • Michaela K.

    I'm always so impressed when I eat here! I work in the area so mostly visit for lunch. Although it's always insanely packed at this time I'll still come back. Today I had lunch with my colleagues and we weren't sure about what we wanted to order. Marcus and Ann helped us all decide and spoke of their specials in detail. You could tell how passionate they were and the customer service we received given how busy they were was outstanding!! Thanks guys!!

    (5)

  • Bri A.

    This place is awesome. Great salads and service!!! The big salads are flavourful with lots of veges. A relief after terrible food in Vegas. Will definitely be back :)

    (4)

  • Helia H.

    One word... FRESH! Tomato soup was the best. The tossed kale salad was good, but a little heavy on the cheese. Grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes and seared tuna worked very well together. Hibiscus tea was more like sweet hibiscus tea, but good. Overall, great experience. Definitely recommend this spot!

    (4)

  • Marie M.

    Today I had my first Tender Greens salad. I was told by many friends how "amazing" this place is and I was very disappointed today. There is one main reason why: Cost-- there was not a whole lot on my plate for a $16 salad (I ordered the large mediterranean and added salt and pepper chicken). What I received was a spinach salad with approximately 3 olives, a tablespoon of feta, a tomato quartered, and 50 cents worth of cucumbers. To Tender Green's credit, the chicken on my salad was delicious and without it, my salad would have been so sub par I would leave a 0 out of 5 stars --if that were possible. I really wanted to enjoy Tender Greens. I live in downtown, I'm USED to paying a silly amount for a simple salad. But if I am shucking out nearly $20 for a plate, I want two things: 1) to be full afterwards and 2) to feel like my money was well spent on high quality products. While Tender Greens succeeded at providing what appeared to be fresh ingredients, they "epicly" failed on providing enough of that food to make anyone full. Standing at 5'9, I weigh less than 115 pounds. Needless to say, it doesn't take much to make me feel full. If they failed at feeding me, I would hate to think how most people feel when they leave this place. Save the money and order a salad at any other restaurant downtown--you will get twice--if not three times--the amount of food and for half the cost.

    (2)

  • Caroline S.

    I love Tender Greens' food but I disagree with other reviewers who say it's "affordable." It's not expensive but it's pretty pricey considering it's cafeteria-style. I went here for lunch last week after seeing it was finally open. I had the ahi tuna hot plate. The tuna was a little bland and my spinach simple salad didn't have enough goat cheese or hazelnuts but overall the food was still good. Maybe they are still working out the kinks. I would come here again but the line does get long. If you only have a limited amount of time for lunch (as most of us do), this might be too time-consuming.

    (4)

  • Julanda D.

    I wish I could give a higher score. I ordered the special which was a salmon sandwich and salad. My salmon was raw and slimy. GROSS!

    (1)

  • David P.

    very nice salad place. great fresh ingredients. what I like best are the added proteins. I had the basic arugula salad with added chicken. the skin on the chicken was delicious! the natural sodas were very good. today I tried the orange soda. finished with the mint chip ice cream which had a wonderful taste fresh mint and was amazing!! try it!

    (4)

  • Sandy E.

    This is the best possible place that could have gone into the old Pizza Hut. The food's amazing, the line moves fast, and it's easy to eat healthy (paleo for me, but they have veggie options, gluten-free, low fat, whatever your pleasure is). I love the chicken cobb or the steak plate with grilled veggies. The only thing I wish they'd change is the amount of yelling/unkind language the staff directs towards each other. I know they're trying to keep everything moving during the lunch rush, but I'd rather be in line a few more minutes.

    (5)

  • Paul B.

    Good solid healthy(ER) food. It's a cross between fast for and Whole Foods. I kinda like it but miss the burger and beer I could have had. The Tune Nicoise was pretty good for a salad. Not the best ever though. A great choice for those thinking about their waistline or heart health.

    (4)

  • Brent C.

    Bang for the buck, one of the Healthiest & Tastiest Meals you can find in Downtown! Check out my complete review on our website: welcometosandiego.com/20… Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Dennis R.

    Okay, I love the grilled veggie salad especially when I ask them to cut up the greens and the veggies. Add salt and pepper chicken and avocado and it's a great meal. At $18.00 I would say it's a little pricey though and that would keep me from coming back more often. I usually order one to go as well. Without adding chicken, the pricing is okay. All in all a good place. Cannot go at lunchtime for a take out order unless it's called in ahead of time, the line is too long and parking is tough.

    (5)

  • Ze Zee R.

    I absolutely love this place! I have been to Tender Greens before at Liberty Station and I am ecstatic that there is a location in downtown. My mother and I dined here for lunch; I order the Salt & Pepper Chicken with mash potatoes and the baby arugula salad, and my mother order the Backyard Marinated Steak with mash potatoes and grilled vegetables. I really enjoyed my entree! The chicken was seasoned to perfection, juicy, and tender. My mother's steak was also tender and seasoned very well. Tender Greens have the best mash potatoes of any restaurant. They also have a great drink selection. Their soda beverage are sweeten with cane sugar. My mom order the vanilla soda which was amazing and I enjoyed the strawberry banana tea. Everything was perfect. I will definitely be dining here again in the near future!

    (5)

  • Sam S.

    Loved this place. Mashed potatoes were the bomb. Wife had a salad and I had steak sandwich. If you are looking for a non-franchise restaurant, then you need to stop by.

    (5)

  • Kyle B.

    The food is excellent! Some of the best chicken I've ever had at a restaurant (salt and pepper chicken) and the baby greens salad was just as good - not to mention the grilled vegetables! Definitely would eat here again... and again!

    (5)

  • Bridget V.

    I love love love it!!!! The food is so good and anytime I can add mashed potatoes to something I will!!!

    (5)

  • serina c.

    Parking is non existent around this area but the fresh salads and healthy but tasty food keeps me coming back to the tender greens restaurants. Lunch here is a little slower service wise than the point loma location but the food is so good you kinda over look that.

    (5)

  • Cam J.

    I love Tender Greens! My favorite place to eat when I'm on break. The staff is so friendly. I usually get their Ahi Tuna sandwich, the salads on the side are just okay.. However, you won't even get the chance to eat them because the sandwich will get you full. I recommend Tender Greens to everyone. See you next time Tender Greens!

    (4)

  • Jari L.

    Good food, but prices are pretty high for what you get. My boyfriend absolutely can't stand the lunch-line set up, but it doesn't bother me.

    (4)

  • Joe W.

    Lunch Saturday. Not crowded. Pleasant atmosphere. Service and speed of delivery of food OK. They don't have price list next to the place where you order. You should get a menu going in so you know what to get. Food....Institutional. Indifferent quality. Tender Greens might be competitive in a strip mall.....But downtown.....there are so many better places in this price range. $11 Steak, potatoes and side salad (I got the Tender Greens option). Very small portion of tasteless meat. Potatoes bland. Side salad with wilted greens and indifferent dressing. Small piece of stale bread. $4 Chicken soup. Weak stock, no flavor, small amount of chicken. $11 Chicken Pot Pie with Kale side salad. The chicken pot pie was the chicken soup with a crust. Very poor quality. Small amount of chicken. Kale wilted with no dressing. It was supposed to have Parmesan and roasted garlic vinaigrette. Couldn't taste any of these flavors. The idea of tender greens is great. The problem is that the people in charge really don't want to make the effort to have quality food that tastes good. Quality food, expertly prepared takes money. This restaurant wants to make a profit by offering lower quality food and indifferent preparation. So they offer what seems to be a bargain but it really isn't a bargain. Downtown for these prices especially at lunch you can get much better food for your money.

    (1)

  • Alexander B.

    The food is very fresh and very good. I got the Thai Shrimp Salad and really enjoyed it. The staff is nice but it took way too long to get my order with no one else in the restaurant. The line configuration is kind of confusing too.

    (4)

  • Kristie L.

    I ordered a Thai Octopus large salad on Wednesday, 7/9/2014 at the downtown location, and my coworker and I were both disappointed to see that the salad portion sizes are smaller. It was more of a medium salad rather than a large salad, which was what we've seen and had in the past. We looked around and other people's large size salad was the same medium size portion. The salads used to pile up higher. I had to go somewhere else to buy more food for lunch.

    (2)

  • Jan-Nicole L.

    Nice place for lunch but it is pricey. Had the roasted tomato soup which was good. My kale & salami salad had a bug in it. It was a 'we didn't wash the kale' bug. When I called to tell the manager she didn't offer an apology, simply stated that, being an organic restaurant, we don't use pesticides in our food. Be that as it may, I've eaten at a ton of organic restaurants and never had a bug in my food. She assured me that they wash the salad ingredients thoroughly but.....there was still a bug in my food. I took the salad back for a refund. It was a bummer that I couldn't take the salad and give it to one of the homeless people for lunch. Instead she offered a refund and tossed the salad. She gave me a cash refund which was nice. Usually the money takes days to be credited to your account. I took my order to go but the place was nice. The bathrooms were clean (a shock to downtown SD by the bus station!) and the line went by fast, especially with the lunch crowd. The carrot cake muffin was super yummy. I may try them again, on a payday Friday after I have paid the mortgage!! Just not on a regular basis and not without picking through my food first!!!

    (3)

  • Anthony V.

    Ordered a Chinese chicken salad and a minty lemonade. The minty lemonade wasn't very good, as if it hadn't been sweetened - too bitter and the added mint didn't help things. The Chinese chicken salad was less than OK, but not "OMG I GOTTA BARF" terrible. I was happy to see real chicken in the salad, vs. the compressed chicken paste that stores like Subway employ. However, the dressing was non-existent and the salad was more wilted than fresh. The salad was pretty small in size when compared to other vendors in the same area. Staff was great, as was service. There are better places out there for less. Specialty's and Chipotle, for example, are right across the street, offer higher quality food at a lower price, and offer a more streamlined ordering setup where I can actually see and read the menu while I wait to order. Furthermore, salads I order from Speciality's or Chipotle are larger and therefore can last a few meals. I can usually drop 10 bucks on a salad that is large enough to split between lunch and dinner. This isn't possible at Tender Greens - salads cost more and portions are smaller. I'm aware that Tender Greens just opened in this location and they may be facing some growing pains but this doesn't excuse Tender Greens high prices and small portions. My suggestion: save your money and cross the street.

    (2)

  • JP D.

    Just discovered this place today and don't know how I've missed it. Had a very simple grilled sirloin over greens salad that was outstanding, a cup of zucchini potato soup which was equally outstanding. The staff was friendly and my food came out quick. This is a place where you order at the counter and bring it to your table. They have inside and outside seating. The price was right. Cool location. No complaints.

    (4)

  • SD P.

    I called and spoke to the manager immediately after I left my first review. She apologized and explained that although they measure items like shrimp, peanuts, and papaya portions, they just eyeball the greens. As far as the lack of taste on the shrimp, she also explained that the shrimp is cooked by blanching them in a broth that is prepared daily...so perhaps they didn't season the broth enough that day? She mailed me a gift card and invited me to return again. I returned with the gift card a couple of months later and ordered the same salad. Although the greens were fuller, the shrimp still had zero flavor. Since the gift card had a couple of dollars left, I returned again another month later. This time, I ordered the octopus salad (a friend recommended it). I must say that although I'm not a fan of their Thai shrimp salad, I found the octopus salad tasty and refreshing. I have been back numerous times since my first visit 7 months ago. Besides the octopus salad, I am also a fan of their salted white chocolate oatmeal cookie, red velvet cake, and carrot cake. Because of the manager's customer service, they made a believer out of me. And for times I'm craving a Thai Shrimp salad, I learned to go to a Thai restaurant instead.

    (4)

  • Taylor F.

    Just as good, if not better than its liberty station counter part. Stoked to have one closer to home, I'll be coming here a lot.

    (5)

  • scott p.

    Tender Greens is amazing and I'm so glad this one opened up downtown- easily the best fresh/fast combo in the downtown area by a long margin. The staff is just getting trained up so be patient, also- the line during lunch is bonkers, but this spot is deserted at dinner so maybe consider coming for dinner and getting lunch at the chipotle across the street.

    (5)

  • Matt G.

    SO glad Tender Greens is downtown San Diego. Fresh, healthy, consistent. By far my favorite restaurant. Always a bit pricey, but that's expected when youre going to a Tender Greens. Highly reccomend.

    (5)

  • Natalie T.

    Best healthy and quick lunch!! Everything I've had was good and keeps getting better! One thing that's good to know: their steak is medium rare and they are happy to make it well done if you ask! Also, if they are busy and they are cutting the chicken really fast you might get a fatty piece, if you don't like that ask for white meat- they will be more careful! You live and you learn! Also- tomato soup is a must!

    (4)

  • D B.

    I used to always go when I lived in LA and I'm glad they brought it to SD. Fried chicken plate is my favorite. Great flavor and crunch to the chicken without the oiliness.

    (5)

  • Izgar I.

    The food is good and fresh. The portions are huge. The prices are super good for this kind of organic food! Will come back for sure

    (5)

  • Lindsey B.

    I just love this place. It never disappoints. Love the seasonal additions and special salads. Good amount of food for your money. I'll walk nearly 15 blocks to eat here. And I have! Molto buono.

    (5)

  • Blake J.

    They never have enough mint regardless of the time of day or time of month! The mint lemonade was my most favorite thing about this place besides the quality food but they never have mint lemonade and always advertise they do. And they always have the same lame excuse we ran out... Like you would think they would order more or get more from a fresh market...

    (2)

  • Melissa I.

    My lunch here was awesome. There are such great fresh salad options and the portions were huge!!!!! This place is wildly busy... beware of long wait times.

    (5)

  • Ash S.

    Tender Greens, where have you been all my life? Let me sing odes to your glorious-ness! Sustainable, organic, seasonal! Or at least as much as they can be... this is a restaurant after my own heart. Not to mention, the wait isn't long even when the line wraps around the block :) and while I wait, I get to watch food prep *drools* oh! and delicious!!! I'm definitely coming back again soon... a little one the pricy side, but comparable for the area and well worth it!

    (5)

  • Cody G.

    OOOOOHHHHH MMMMMMYYYYYY GOOOOODDDD! So glad they have one of these across the street from my work now! Got the Tuna Nicois.... Hands down the most orgasmic salad I have ever had. Friendly fun staff.

    (5)

  • Gipper R.

    Just opened. Give it a try. More health eats.

    (4)

  • Cathy M.

    I have been to this location 5 times now and the food is so amazing! The salads are fresh, the meats are moist and cooked perfectly in my opinion and the roasted vegetables are excellent and have changed each time I tried them. Also the soups and stews that we've tried....chicken was excellent, beef stroganoff stew was perfect and the lentil chicken was really good. I brought my daughter the last two times I've been there and now she is a huge fan too. A word of caution.....stay away from the desserts, they all belong to me!!

    (5)

  • Dane D.

    LOVE TG. Have been going to the PL location for a while now, UTC here and there, but now that there is a new DT location, I think I have found my new favorite spot! The atmosphere is welcoming and spacious, the food is AMAZING and affordable, and the staff is GREAT!!

    (5)

  • A H.

    Delicious and healthy choices. Moderately priced (between $11-$14). Usually, there is a long line to order between 11:30-1:00 pm.

    (5)

  • Steve C.

    This place is a must! If you love great home style cooked food, GO HERE! Farm to table, delicious food. The service is awesome too! They farm there own food! Don't know how to get any more local and sustainable than that!

    (5)

  • Yvonne R.

    Great food! Friendly service! Exceptional location! Working downtown is made that much better knowing I have a great place to eat lunch! I have never had a bad experience with tender greens and I enjoy the atmosphere very much!

    (5)

  • Savi L.

    This is my new favorite Tender Greens location! The one is Point Loma is so crowded and overwhelming so I expected this Tender Greens to be the same. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. This Tender Greens is much bigger and more welcoming. I like how I did not feel rushed but the food was just as good as in Point Loma. Yes, parking is harder than PL but I enjoyed the more peaceful atmosphere. Delicious food in a fun downtown location!

    (4)

  • Magnus T.

    I was in town for training last week and I found this restaurant. My coworkers and I loved it. I recommend the healthy green drink. I don't remember what it is called. I recommend the cobb salad. I didn't try the desserts, but they looked good.

    (5)

  • Tanya T.

    OMG. Salt-n-Pepper chicken with mashed potatoes and spinach salad with hazelnuts and goat cheese! I look forward to trying more of their salads! This was the best thing about the plate, although, I believe hazelnuts are better suited for chocolate. Buttery, creamy mashed potatoes melt in your mouth. Chicken is dark and white meat. Usually, I am a white meat only kind of gal, which is why I took one star away. I couldn't make myself eat a few of those pieces of chicken. I had some organic Mexican Cola, bc they don't have standard Cola. It was pretty good! A sweet little blonde girl rang me up. I went on a Saturday night an hour before they closed, and it wasn't very busy... Not empty either. Just not slammed. It's downtown, so if you're not lucky enough to live here, parking is a bitch. My bill was $14.58, which is decent for the quality and freshness of the food, which is sooo on point!

    (4)

  • Gus T.

    So glad to see Tender Greens downtown! I visited the original Culver City location years ago on my way out of LAX to Indo. The food there was incredible, though I had previously partially chalked up the deliciousness to the overly-happy pre-vacation/vacation tastebud phenomenon. After my visit to the downtown location today, that theory is blown. This place is really, really good for the money - the value is superb. Yes, it is a bit more than your standard downtown lunch options, i.e. more of a Friday treat, but man, for dinner it is worth serious consideration. What I got for $11 - a good-sized portion of perfectly-seared fresh albacore, a mound of Yukon gold Potatoes, and a generous salad - is about the best value in town for healthy, really fresh food. Huge bonus - they serve craft beers (such as Sculpin IPA) for $6 in icy cold pint glasses! The food is so healthy here, you could easily justify your second (or third) pint!

    (5)

  • Suzie R.

    Great food, service, and ambiance. The seating area is bright and spacious.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :7:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Trendy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : No
    Caters : Yes

Tender Greens

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