Sweetgreen ~ national chain : Baltimore, Maryland

Latest visit: Feb 2018 (Harbor East)

First visit: Nov 2016 (Harbor East)

Now what says the Regular Joe’s Guide like a salad place, eh? Huh??? Yea yea, I know, but the Sweetgreen chain is different.  The RJG has always frowned on places like Sweet Tomatoes, where it’s one big salad bar, and most people end up eating 10 times the calories than they would have had they just indulged in a double cheeseburger with fries. It just sounds healthy, but by the time they’re done loading it up with ranch dressing, tons of cheese, bacon, and whatever else they can find that isn’t good for you – then you still need to be wheeled out of there. We Americans can’t help it. All-you-can-eat buffets are a magnet for our appetites, and we all feel an obligation to “break even” with the restaurant, and load up as many times as possible. Sweetgreen is none of that. In fact, it’s basically a Chipotle for salads. That is to say, it’s assembly line styled. Pick your lettuce, then protein, then “other stuff”, and finally dressing. Done. Want a “lemon flavored water” to go with that? The RJG isn’t much for a “loaded” salad, but I can certainly do a pile of romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, lots of freshly grated parm cheese, black pepper, and a yummy balsamic vinaigrette. And you know what? It’s actually very filling, and darn tasty too! While I might not wander over there on my own, I find it a good option when with coworkers who are vegetarian, or closely watching their diet. And that’s exactly why I visited here the last 2 times, in that order. Honestly, Sweetgreen has a license to print money. If there was ever a restaurant concept to invest in, this would be it. Think about it. Most folks want to eat healthy – and there aren’t that many lunch options for that. Where I work, most folks a) bring their lunch b) go to Whole Foods or c) go to Sweetgreen. Not to stereotype, but this place is outrageously popular with the local female population. There is a line out the door that reminds me of a San Francisco Starbucks at 8:00 in the morning. For the RJG, I desperately need carbs because of the daily run, but not everyone has the ability – or time – to do that every morning. I can’t imagine this concept failing in any major city that has a large office presence. OK, now you know. Please send royalty checks to the RJG at…

11/14/16; 2/26/18; 8/14/18 (new entry)