The Good Salad

About The Good Salad

The Good Salad is a small Bay Area chain built around one idea: big, customizable salads made from scratch. Its first shop opened in 2021 in a converted warehouse in Santa Clara. The company jokes on its website that it wanted to call itself "The Best Forkin' Salad You've Ever Had" but the name did not fit on the sign.

The business grew quickly. In 2023 it opened a production kitchen where it makes its ingredients in house, along with two new shops: this one in Palo Alto and another in the State Street Market food hall in Los Altos. A Campbell location followed in 2024. The company says it sold its one millionth salad on July 18, 2025. The Palo Alto shop is at 2051 El Camino Real, Suite 101. The company describes the spot as sitting between Stanford and the California Avenue shopping district.

Salads and wraps

You can build your own salad from a long list of bases, toppings and dressings, or pick one of the signature recipes. Several signatures also come as wraps in a flour tortilla. Examples from the menu:

• Blazing Bird: Cajun chicken thigh, romaine, black bean and corn pico de gallo, crispy onions and mashed avocado with chipotle ranch
• Steak Supreme: grass-fed flank steak, romaine, bacon bits, blue cheese, pickled red onion and dried cranberries with buttermilk ranch
• Samurai Steak: flank steak with dynamite mayo, edamame, cucumber, carrots and peanuts with a sweet sesame dressing
• Date Delight: spring mix and arugula with Medjool dates, corn, avocado, feta and sunflower seeds
• Mediterranean Medley: romaine, tomato, cucumber, radish, parsley, feta, baked pita and sumac with a grape vinaigrette
• Cali Caesar: herby chicken breast, romaine, avocado, Parmesan and toasted almonds with a pesto Caesar dressing

Every salad comes with the house Good Glaze on the side, a pomegranate-infused balsamic reduction made in house. Bowls are 48 ounces, which the company says is enough for a full meal.

How the salads are made

The Good Salad calls itself a scratch kitchen. It says everything is prepared in its production kitchen in San Jose and then sent to the shops. It does not toss salads with dressing. The company gives three reasons: separate ingredients let staff check each order for accuracy, you decide how much dressing to use and an undressed salad stays crisp longer. Dressings come in sealed pouches, which the company says keeps portions consistent. The kitchen cooks with sesame oil, olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. Ingredients are chosen for freshness, though the company says they are not exclusively organic.

Dietary notes

The menu marks its chicken and steak as halal. Bacon bits appear in some recipes and are labeled as pork, so remove them if you keep halal. Allergen details are on the menu page and nutrition information is on a separate nutrition page. Our halal food guide lists other options around town.

Ordering and catering

The company recommends ordering online through its website or app, partly because online orders are the only way to collect its loyalty points. Delivery runs through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. You can also order in person or by phone. Catering covers individually boxed salads, family-style trays and a build-your-own salad bar. You request a quote through a form. The company then replies with pricing and an invoice.

Who it suits

The Good Salad fits a quick, filling weekday lunch, especially for people who want control over every ingredient. The large bowls and protein options suit anyone who wants a substantial meal. The build-your-own format also helps picky eaters and anyone working around allergies. It is a counter-service shop rather than a place for a long sit-down meal.

Tips for visiting

This location is a weekday shop. It opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and stays closed on weekends, so plan weekend salads elsewhere. Order ahead around noon if you are on a short lunch break. The shop is close to California Avenue and an easy drive from the Stanford Research Park offices.

Location and getting there

The Good Salad is at 2051 El Camino Real, Suite 101, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.4 miles away. That is roughly a 9 minute walk.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.

What is nearby

• Radhika Beauty Salon, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• The Bike Connection, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Mancini's Sleepworld, store, under 0.1 mi
• Starbucks 2000 El Camino Real, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Electric Bike Center, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.3 mi
• Peers Park, 0.3 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.4 mi

Other quick bites and takeout nearby: Jack in the Box (0.2 mi); Panda Express (0.2 mi); Kali Greek Kitchen (0.2 mi); Mediterranean Wraps (0.2 mi). Browse the full quick bites and takeout list.

Before you go

• Ordering ahead online or by phone saves time at lunch, when downtown and Cal Ave spots get busy.
• Delivery apps cover most of Palo Alto, but prices and menus there can differ from ordering in person.
• Check the posted hours before a late-night visit, since closing times vary by day.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against The Good Salad Palo Alto location page; The Good Salad story and FAQ; Menu; Catering. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions