As winds become brisk and rain clouds shield the Sun’s warming rays, cravings for soup and warm sandwiches arise. People may begin to disregard the refreshing dishes they yearned for in the summer months. However, one must not ignore salads during the fall time, as several build-your-own salad locations have opened in Marin, allowing customers to create salads containing any desired autumn ingredient, from roasted sweet potatoes to warm quinoa, as well as traditional salad fixings. Check out any of these three salad places to add a delicious crunch to your fall!

Sweetgreen: 5/5

Equipped with cheerful turquoise umbrellas for outdoor seating, Sweetgreen in the Bon Air shopping center is surrounded by other popular stores, keeping the environment bustling and lively. Sweetgreen offers both preset salad menu options and custom salads, as well as warm bowls with the same modification choices. While salads contain a lettuce base, warm bowls

set toppings over warm grain. This salad and bowl bar additionally encourages fall spirit, as the preset warm bowls feature ingredients such as warm wild rice and warm portobello mix. Sweetgreen further highlights seasonal bowls and salads. One can also mix and match traditional salad ingredients into their warm bowls and vice versa using the custom option. 

   Although custom bowls come with only four free toppings, each additional topping is only 50 cents, and the base price is $9.95, the lowest out of the three locations. Moreover, despite having the least topping choices, the protein options are diverse and inclusive to vegetarians and vegans, providing roasted tofu and steelhead in addition to two forms of chicken. 

I tried Sweetgreen’s Guacamole Greens preset menu option and I substituted the roasted chicken for tofu. I ordered the salad online a few hours before the time I inputted for pickup, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was still fresh when I opened the lid. The bowl was generously filled, and an even amount of each topping laid on the bed of lettuce. The dressing I had requested on the side came in a container with enough dressing to satisfy anyone, and the lime provided the perfect tang to the salad. I highly recommend Sweetgreen bowls, as they are not only pleasing to the eye with an abundance of colorful vegetables and fruits, but they are also tasty and satisfy almost every craving with their plethora of custom options. 

Blue Barn: 4/5

Across from student favorites World Wrapps, Starbird and Starbucks, Blue Barn is located in Town Center, boasting a rustic feel and variety of foods. Despite having plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, one can order to-go and enjoy their meal at any of the other available seats dispersed throughout the vibrant and busy mall. In addition to sandwiches, soups and sides, Blue Barn serves 10 preset salads as well as a U-Pick salad, their customizable option. Although lacking the salad bar aspect of Sweetgreen and MIXT, Blue Barn yields over 50 toppings, six of which are free in the U-Pick salad. Each additional topping costs $1. The base price for a U-Pick salad is $15.75, a higher cost than the other two spots, and it

charges up to $7.95 for added protein. However, Blue Barn provides the widest array of proteins, offering three types of chicken, grilled flank steak, shrimp, king salmon, spicy ahi tuna tartare, bacon and tofu.

I ordered a classic kale Caesar salad with Grilled “Rooster” Chicken as an addition. The bowl was larger than the other two locations, accounting partly for

the cost. The amount of each ingredient that topped the salad was ideal, and the lettuce had the crunch of freshness. 

Combining the vast assortment of fixings that cater to almost every taste and the flawless execution of the salad, Blue Barn’s costs may be worth it.

MIXT: 3/5

Contrasting both Sweetgreen and Blue Barn, MIXT, another salad bar, stands alone on the corner of East Blithedale Avenue, appealing to one desiring a quieter lunch or dinner surrounding. MIXT provides indoor and outdoor seating, and

the tables and seats are decorated with succulents and green accents. However, the atmosphere of the restaurant may be its

greatest feature. Although MIXT offers 50 toppings, and the base price for a custom salad is $11.95, less than that of Blue Barn, the quality of the food was not comparable. The bowl the salad came in was filled only halfway, and the “roasted” cauliflower hung limply. Additionally, only a minimal sprinkle of falafel crumble topped my “Falaf” salad, and the avocado was omitted completely. Besides these downfalls, MIXT has many protein options available, including bacon, tofu, grilled chicken, grilled flat iron steak, crispy cauliflower and crispy chicken, and every topping after the five free are $1, with no additional charge even for specialty items such as avocado. MIXT further gives the option to have the salad made in a reusable container the customer can keep, appending an eco-friendly aspect. Despite falling short on several factors regarding the salad itself, MIXT’s variety of ingredients and environmental consciousness deem it worth a try.