Review: Wendy's - Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad

Wendy's Summer Strawberry Salad features a bed of chopped lettuce and spring mix topped with grilled chicken, praline almonds, strawberries, applewood-smoked bacon, and a Tuscan cheese blend (Parmesan, Asiago, and Fontina), served with Champagne Vinaigrette.

Review: Wendy's - Strawberry Mango Chicken Salad

As far as fast food salads go, Wendy's offerings are definitely as good as it gets.  In fact, the salad options at other fast food chains are rather abysmal in comparison.  Wendy's always has an evolving cast of salad options featuring thoughtful and often seasonal ingredients which really set itself apart in the category.

Review: Wendy's - Taco Salad

Wendy's Taco Salad features a blend of iceberg and Romaine lettuce topped off with the chain's signature chili, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese. Tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa come on the side to add as you will.

Review: Wendy's - Strawberry Fields Chicken Salad

Wendy's Strawberry Fields Chicken Salad features hand-sliced California strawberries, honey-roasted sunflower seeds, blue cheese crumbles, Applewood-smoked bacon, sliced red onion, and grilled chicken breast on top of a bed of mixed spring greens. It comes with Marzetti's Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette on the side.

Review: Zaxby's - Ranchero Zalad

Zaxby's Ranchero Zalad features mixed greens, topped with a barbacoa chicken filet, crispy tortilla strips, fire-roasted corn, black beans, and Picante Ranch dressing.

Review: Starbucks - Zesty Chicken & Black Bean Salad Bowl

Starbucks' Zesty Chicken & Black Bean Salad Bowl features black beans, roasted corn, quinoa, grilled white chicken strips, lettuce, tomatoes, jicama, and feta cheese with a mild chili vinaigrette.

It goes for $6.95, which makes it one of the priciest food items on the Starbucks menu.

Review: Del Taco - Small Taco Salad

Del Taco's Small Taco Salad is part of their classic menu from back in the day that they've brought back for a limited time. It features seasoned ground beef, hand-grated cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, and Del Taco's secret sauce on a bed of shredded lettuce with a few tortilla chips.

I got an order for $2.

A Look at Panda Express' New Innovation Kitchen

Panda Express recently opened a new "Innovation Kitchen" here in Southern California as a restaurant where they can test out new concepts and see how a different interior and exterior might work for the Chinese-American food chain. Since it's not too far away, I popped on by to take a look (and try some food of course).

Review: Wendy's - BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

Wendy's new BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad features fire-roasted corn, diced tomatoes, applewood-smoked bacon, chopped grilled chicken breast drizzled with a honey barbecue sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and a field green-lettuce blend, served with BBQ Ranch dressing.

I picked up a full-size salad (it's also offered in a half size) for $4.29 after a $2 off coupon.

Review: Wendy's - Asian Cashew Chicken Salad

Wendy's new Asian Cashew Salad features fire-roasted edamame, spicy roasted cashews dusted with garlic, onion, and sea salt, chopped grilled chicken breast, sliced cucumbers, diced red bell peppers, and a lettuce blend of 11 different kinds of field greens, dressed with a light spicy Asian chili vinaigrette.

It cost me $4.29 (off of $6.29 with a coupon) for a full-sized salad.

Review: El Pollo Loco - Mexican Cobb Salad

El Pollo Loco's Mexican Cobb Salad comes with diced, fire-grilled chicken, diced bits of bacon, sliced avocado, shredded jack cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, iceberg and romaine lettuce blend, and crunchy tortilla strips with a cup of creamy cilantro dressing.

One of these salads costs $6.19 in my area.

Review: Corner Bakery - Chicken Pesto Sandwich and Asian Wonton Salad

I got half a Corner Bakery's Chicken Pesto Sandwich and side Asian Wonton Salad as a Corner Combo where you can mix and match sandwiches, salads, and soups to create your own combo.

The price came out to $7.99.

Frozen Friday: Lean Cuisine - Asian-Style Chicken Salad Additions

Lean Cuisine's Asian-Style Chicken Salad Additions is a frozen half-meal that you have to supply your own lettuce to complete. The package provides a sesame ginger vinaigrette, a microwaveable package of grilled chicken, edamame, pineapple, broccoli, and yellow and orange carrots, and a packet of crispy noodles.

A 7.25-ounce box goes for $3.99, which means you're looking at a sale price range of $2 to $3.

Frozen Friday - Lean Cuisine - Salad Additions - Southwest-Style Chicken

Lean Cuisine's Salad Additions is offered as a solution to help you prepare a single-serve salad as long as you bring the lettuce. The Southwest-Style Chicken Salad Additions comes with chipotle ranch dressing, grilled white chicken meat, black beans, sweet corn, roasted red peppers, poblano peppers, and crispy tortilla strips.

The retail price on a 7 1/8-ounce box is $3.99.

Review: El Pollo Loco - Chicken Tostada Salad

El Pollo Loco Chicken Tostada Salad comes in a large fried tortilla "bowl." The salad itself consists of a bed of Romaine lettuce blend (mostly iceberg lettuce), cheese, chunks of white meat flame-grilled chicken, pico de gallo, cilantro, and sour cream with a creamy cilantro dressing on the side.

The salad goes for $5.29.

Review: Corner Bakery Cafe - Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad

Corner Bakery Cafe's Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad is new for this summer and features baby spinach tossed with freshly-sliced strawberries, oranges, red grapes, dried cranberries, green onions, creamy goat cheese and raisin pecan sweet crisps, drizzled with a house-made pomegranate vinaigrette. They also include a small breadstick to go with the salad.

It's available in cafe (which I got) and entree sizes for $5.99 and $6.99 respectively.

Review: Wendy's - Berry Almond Chicken Salad

Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad is a new seasonal item for this summer featuring fresh blueberries and strawberries on a bed of fresh-chopped romaine and iceberg lettuce and spring mix joined by sliced almonds, shaved Asiago cheese, grilled chicken breast, and a fat-free raspberry vinaigrette.

I picked up a full-sized portion for $6.49. A half-sized portion is also available for $4.49.

Review: McDonald's - Asian Salad Returns for the Summer

Returning this summer through early September, McDonald's Asian Salad is one of the more healthy options on the menu and features iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce, spring greens, edamame, red pepper strips, carrots, sliced almonds, mandarin oranges, and snow peas.

The salad costs $4.69 with grilled or crispy chicken which is in line with other McDonald's salads. It is also available without chicken.