Your mother always told you to eat your greens.
Now one place is making it not only easy, but delicious as well.
Mad Greens restaurant, with six locations throughout Colorado, is serving up gourmet salads which challenge even the staunchest salad critic.
The place on Second and Columbine Street in Cheery Creek is a far cry from your average salad bar. There are 14 options of ready made salads and the opportunity to create your own version. With ingredients like buffalo chicken tenders, couscous with dried fruit, grilled Portobello mushrooms, and housemade croutons, the salads at Mad Greens are in a league of their own. Prices for the ready made salads range from $4.50 to $8.75. The prices are a bit deceiving however as costumers usually order add-ins bringing the average cost of a salad to around $10.
The Ty Cobb is a favorite at Mad Greens and is sure to make you a repeat costumer. The salad features fresh Romaine lettuce, avocado, vine-ripened tomatoes, crispy bacon, red onions and eggs. After selecting a dressing of your choice the salad is hand tossed making sure every bite has the right amount of ingredients.
True to its name the salads at Mad Greens are a little bit crazy and definitely inspired. The names of the made-to-order salads reflect the restaurants theme as they are all named after people that had both qualities of insanity and inspiration. Luckily chomping down on made-to-order salads like the Edgar Allen Poe, Da Vinci, and Napoleon only delight one’s taste buds without any side effects of lunacy.
“We try to make eating fun,” said Lucas Clarke, who is PR manager for Mad Greens. “You have to eat every day, so it might as well be an experience.”
The ambience of the restaurant only adds to the fun dining experience. Walking into Mad Greens one gets the sense they are in a large kitchen that is bustling with activity. The industrial architectural style of the restaurant is played up as the kitchen and food preparation area is completely exposed and much of the furniture is steel.
Once you’ve made the tough decision of what to get you don’t have to wait long to enjoy it. Costumers can simply go up to the counter and have a Mad Greens employee prepare your salad just the way you want it right in front of you. The salads are also offered to-go.
Not in the mood for a salad? No problem. The restaurant also serves a variety of freshly grilled made-to-order paninis. The most popular panini is the Marilyn Monroe. At $6.95 the panini is money well spent. The Marilyn Monroe is an updated version of the tradition turkey sandwich. In between their signature flatbread, smoked turkey, sun dried tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh goat cheese, and pesto sauce are grilled to perfection.
With high quality ingredients, a variety of choices, and a fun atmosphere it’s no wonder that Mad Greens has become a favorite place to grab a bite among DU students.
“I usually go to Mad Greens at least once a week,” said junior Kate Krmpotich. “I like that I can make my own salad because I’m usually really picky about what is in it.”
