I seem to be on a salad bar kick lately (why that is I really have no idea.)

Let's hear about the best salad bar in the area!

One rule: Salad bar-centred restaurants like Sweet Tomahtoes DON'T count! Let's hear about regular restaurants that have them!

Life Source in Salem is a natural foods grocery store that has an all organic salad bar that is out of this world with lots to choose from.

HMMMMM salad bars, an easy way to catch hepatitus and eat boogers from liitle kids sticking their fingers in the salad dresing,
Count me out. Burger Kings used to have salad bars in them until everyone started getting sick.

True story: the last time I ate at a salad bar was at a Round Table Pizza back in the early 90's. As i took the first bite of my delicious salad with Blue Cheese Dressing, i noticed something extremely hard that felt almost like metal in my mouth. I opened up my napkin and spit it out. A bright and shiny penny.
I guess this could go under "dirty dining experiences" but that should be for another topic.

I stay away from salad bars. One of my first full time jobs was at a pizza place. It had a great salad bar.

One day, I ended up doing a shift for a co-worker. This involved prepping the store for business. While helping the person set up the salad bar, I noted mold in one of the fixings. They just added some fresh stuff, mixed it real good and that was that!

Of course, I pulled the container when I got a chance! Washed it, put fresh food in it and put it back. Nobody seemed that worried about it though. Kind of spoiled the whole thing for me.

The best salad bar I've ever been to was a little tavern in Taft, Oregon. Their bloody marys were packed full of veggie goodness. With some oyster shooters on the side, and an NFL game on the telly, it takes the definition of salad bar to a whole nutha level.

COME ON!
It's got to be SIZZLER!
A little E coli goes a long way....

SIZZLER= a trip to the ER.

The best "Salad Bar"....hmmmm....it would have to be the ones that use fresh celery in the bloody mary's! That's that only salad bar I ever go to! LOL

Celery and Tomato's! Part of everyones daily allowance of vegetables!

I know the recently assassinated slick windshield fix salesman ruined my appetite for a bit however he's been in a dirt nap for a while now so I gave Sweet Tomatoes (off I-5 in Tigard near Home Depot) another try last night and have no ill effects to show for it.

Not a bad salad bar I'd say. Any other comments on the ecoliness of this place?

I've heard nothing --and I really like that place to eat.

They've got nice comfort soups.

Missing,

I agree with you on the soups! They are all good, but I rarely try anything other than the Chicken soup. It is equally as good as my Grandma's Chicken soup and that's saying a lot!!

I just wish they would bring back the garlic-parmesan focaccia bread. Great stuff!

One other thing to be said for them is that they are consistent. I've eaten at the one in Vancouver, one in Denver and one in Pleasanton, CA and they are all good.

That's my 2¢ worth (for what it's worth!!)

Sweet Tomato Rocks! It is the only salad bar I will eat eat! The soups are OK, chicken noodle is rather bland, but still decent.

Yep. I go for the chicken too. --pretty often.

Love the bread too. Maybe it's in rotation?

I have only tried two of the stores: clackamas and hillsboro. Both excellent.

This is a great place for kids too. Not a lot of hassle, low expectations and a solid selection they will enjoy right along with the adults. Mine are older now, but a few years ago, sweet tomatoes was a family staple, along with spagetti factory, for that reason alone.

I eat at the Vancouver Sweet Tomahtoes quite a bit.

And I guess I can side with the others-I love the chicken soup!

Usually needs salt, tho........

They have another soup I like, the "Cajun Shrimp Bisque" or whatever they call it. Now, while it's allegedly cajun (it surprisedly isn't very spicy, contrary to its name) I usually like to "spike" mine a bit with Tabasco.

YOWZAH!!!