MAD greens

Elite '08

99

183

Harmony O.

Boulder, CO

Have only been here once, and will not be returning.  This chain restaurant in the 29th Street Mall did not impress me.

I had a spinach salad.  The ingredients were fresh and ok quality.  The pricing is too high considering what is actually delivered for the money.  The menu is creative.  I did like reading the menu.  The service was not bad.  

Because the salads are so much better elsewhere,  and one can get custom made salads at  a nonchain restaurant in town for a more reasonable price, I will not be patronizing this place again.

Boulder is a very competitive market for natural foods and salads.  A place must be unique, serve above average food, and give good value for the prices charged in order to survive for long in this market.

Hopefully the powers that be in this chain can support this branch in researching other comparable Boulder restaurants and doing what needs to be done in order to successfully compete.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

255

243

Jessica H.

Denver, CO

I love Mad Greens salads...delicious. They actually have paninis and soup too! Not too shabby. Get the small salad, it is plenty big.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

6

274

Vince D.

Boulder, CO

This place is custom-made for Boulder... and for me. I can't say enough about this place. The premise: They only sell salads. That's right, it's a salad-o-rama.

I am a big fan of the seldom-seen but always in-demand BLT salad, and the one they make here is out of this world. They start off with a healthy mix of greens and enough fixins to make a salad a meal.

Go there now.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

17

168

Jordan W.

Denver, CO

Has anyone noticed that the only difference between a small and a large salad is the amount of lettuce/spinach?  The rest of the ingredients are measured out exactly the same.  I guess I have trouble paying $2-3 extra for a few more leaves.  

Anyway, it took me a few visits to find the combo I liked, but once I found it, I was addicted.  It's also a good place to invite your Boulder tree-hugging skinny-ass co-workers.  I do find the place to be a bit too expensive for the concept and portions.  Again, I  love my Crazy Ivan salad with buffalo chicken and spicy yogurt.  
I tried their panini once and it didn't leave much impression on me.
Update:  I am increasing my rating to four stars as they've recently posted nutritional info on their web site.  That rules!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

306

315

Alexandra F.

Denver, CO

* A one star shout out because I love salads
** Their star number two is awarded thanks to their easy and free outside parking
*** The last third star is handed over to MAD greens for their yummy looking panini's.  My coworker got one and I was jealous!  

When the spinach E. Coli thing broke out, I was horrified.  I bring a beautiful spinach salad to work everyday for God's sake!  

That's right, hardly a day passes where I don't show up with my 3-pounder salad with the works.  When the E. Coli epidemic broke out I had to throw away my salad.  You should of seen my sad sad face.  I was depressed.  

To try to cheer me up my coworker took me to Mad Greens.... This way I could get a salad with a different kind of lettuce and still have a delicious meal, even if it wasn't my usual.  After I put everything on the salad that I like to eat, the scrumptious mess cost me like $12!  On top of that, I was not too fond of their balsamic Vinnegrette or that Asian dressing I got on the side to try.  Why do they get three stars then?  Because I still love salads and even though they weren't the best that time, I would go back to give it another shot.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

11

67

yokes f.

Boulder, CO

This place is pretty good. Nothing amazing, but when you want a smaller sized salad (because most restaurants serve humongo salads) that's not from McDonald's or some fastfood place, this place has nicely portioned salads. The only thing is it's not that cheap. But I come here when I'm not feeling healthy and I just want to see a menu of salads and eat a salad. I've had their Edgar Allen Poe with marinated flank steak and their Nobu Seagaru salad. Both of them were really nice and fresh and felt good afterwards. The meat could've been better... but whatever... I like how they don't over do the salads and you can control how much of what you want to put in it. If you went to some other restaurant, you can' watch how they make it but since this place is kind of like Subway where you watch while they make it, it's kind of nice. I've been too lazy to create my own salad from their long ass list of ingredients... but maybe next time. I'll probably keep coming back here. Since all they have are salads (& paninis & soups), I'm forced to eat my veggies when I'm here instead of being tempted by something else on the menu. I kind of need that sometimes. I guess I like the simplicity of a salad place.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

47

55

Singh A.

Boulder, CO

Rating (Actual): 3.5
Official Title: MAD greens - inspired eats
Actual Niche: Salads & Panini's

The mission: to grab me some dinner-on-the-go. The plan: head to Boulder's 29th St. Shopping Mall. The intent: CPK. The outcome: MAD greens. How did it all happen? (see below)...

So, off of work I was, this being Friday and with no interest for anything in the fridge and no desire to whip something up I was in need of being serviced ;-), to being attended to, to being asked "how may i help u"....I craved that attention....and so I figured that since I haven't had a pizza in while at CPK's I'd head on over there. Driving into the 29th Street 'Shopping District' - as its called to reassure its clientele that its a fancy and special open-concept 'mall' in Boulder -I pulled in looking for a spot to park. Driving in slow to purposely hold back the traffic so that I could flash my signal for the first sign of a potential parking spot, I found none, and headed to the main parking lot around the plaza (by the corner of Panera bread) and found me a place to park my ride.

Walking in the direction of CPKs, my eyes caught the glimpse of something shiny and new...pulling my glasses closer to my eyes...I read the sign in purple and green calling to me......"MAD greens." What's this I thought? A vegan, rastafarian inspired, new-age, healthy food restaurant, with bright lighting and contemporary interiors? - hmmm.....something to check on out for all those Yelpers in the area I thought :-) (aside from a potential place to grab me some grub).

Now that the advertising of the sign was starting to work I had to read the menu of course (placed publicly on display on the windows for all those curious passerby's to read - like myself).....hmmm, so it wasn't totally vegan, there is some meat inside!

I had thought of going for the Castro (Cuban) Panini, but on account of it containing Ham (yea I know "*sigh*" for me for not eating pig meat; their sandwiches are pre-made & stored in a fridge awaiting to be heated up on a grill) I had to rethink my dinner moment just as my
"hot" server was about to serve me. And so, the closest I could find to some 'white' meat was a "MariLyn Monroe" - smoked turkey, sun dried tomotoes, cucumbers, fresh goat cheese and a pesto spread - perfect! "I'll take that," I said as I pointed to my menu like a little kid.

But me, wanting more, I wasn't going to be just satisfied with the panini. Here, I was at a dilemma with what to do on my first MAD greens experience; this place also serves up salads as its main feature of foods, and so talking to myself in my head I said. "I had to give that a try nah?" And to make it easy for me, they have MADcombos, a side of panini w/soup or salad or some combo w/drink & chips. Being the nerd I am, I fell for the 'Mad Math Combo',  1/2 panini and small MAD designed salad (you can make your own too). And to make it any easier for me, they have like 15 pre-designed salads you can choose from (some come with meat incl. or for some xtra surcharge). With too many choices, and not wanting to make my own designer salad (which they allow you to do), I asked my server what was most popular (answer: the Ty Cobb & Edgar Allen Poe Salads) and still decided to think about it. Eventually, with my server waiting ever-so patiently (and no, I wasn't holding up a line), my eyes were drawn to a salad labelled the "Dionysos" - crisp romaine lettuce, red onions, vine-ripened tomotoes, kalamata olives, cucumbers and feta cheese plus a medium red wine vinaigrette. Mmmm mmm mmm...I'm a fan of feta cheese btw.

My order came to just under $10 for a panini and salad (the salad is a pretty decent size)...and off I was to devour, savor, and critique my new find.

(Q) So, how'd it go?
(A) The panini kept me wanting for more and the salad was ever so sumptous in my mouth.

So, why the three stars? Well, first thing that got me was that they don't use gloves while warming their sandwiches, but I wasn't totally freaked out as I observed my server wash their hands before serving me and because the panini is pre-made and they did not actually touch my sandwich while warming it up, I was cool; the salad did not require any hand contact either so I was okay. But, I could see some yelpers being uncomfortable with that, and really maybe they should be wearing gloves. I took off another, star and half because they don't offer too much variety in their panini's and you can't deviate from the menu on them (unlike their salads). Plus, there was only one panini with chicken and it was clubbed with some ham, and like I mentioned you can't have it made without it ( a BIG *sigh* on behalf of all those that don't eat red meat).

On the plus side, they are super big on salads, no other place in Boulder is quite like the concept they've got (15 different types of salads), and the option to cater to your own mix-n-matches of greens, dressings, and meats; & HOT friendly servers.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review