The restaurant is pristine. The food is delicious. The employees are friendly. But it’s always empty…
Salads UP, one of Ann Arbor’s healthiest fast-casual restaurants, is a hidden gem. Located on East Liberty, Salads UP is a great place to grab a quick and nutritious bite between classes. Founded by two University of Michigan graduates, Salads UP first opened its doors in 2014. Disappointed by the lack of healthy food options in Ann Arbor, Class of ’13 graduates Robby Mayer and Max Steir created Salads UP. And, thus, my go-to restaurant was born.
Aside from salads, their menu features grain bowls, wraps and smoothies. They also have a wide variety of sauces and toppings, from Turmeric-Tahini and Chimichurri dressing to sunflower seeds and dried cherries.
As a frequent and loyal customer, I am perhaps done exploring the menu. I have already perfected my go-to order: a kale Caesar wrap (with tofu instead of chicken) with added red onion. This order costs $12.67 — it’s not the cheapest meal option, but Salads UP provides a large portion size.
In the wrap: kale, marinated tofu, chopped red onion, Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan, grape tomatoes and croutons. Without fail, the kale is always crunchy and delicious, and will most likely be the largest portion of vegetables I eat all week. The marinated tofu is flavorful, with a kick that cuts through the neutralizing flour tortilla. Often, I find that the tofu or vegetarian protein at casual restaurants is bland and lackluster, relying heavily on the customer to add flavorful sauces. Salads UP’s marinated tofu, however, deviates from this annoying trend. The Caesar dressing is slightly tangy with a strong pepper flavor. This, combined with the red onion and spicy tofu, give the wrap a kick.
The parmesan in the wrap is delicious — each bite has a bit of cheese. The grape tomatoes’ acidic flavor somehow both contrasts and complements the parmesan and tortilla. The tomatoes also add a bit of texture variety, as most of the other ingredients are crunchy. The croutons further provide a crunch but are sometimes soggy by the time I first bite into the wrap. If you’re looking to maximize crunch, I would recommend asking for the croutons on the side. I, however, sort of enjoy the mix of slightly mushy and crunchy bits (I promise it’s good).
Fundamental to the success of this wrap is that Salads UP toasts the flour tortilla. This extra crunch is the cherry on top of an already delectable creation. When I first saw the staff do this, I knew I would be back. Simply put, a toasted tortilla is a game-changer. The heat improves the wrap’s texture and flavor while helping the stuffed tortilla to stay intact.
Although the food never disappoints, I also enjoy visiting Salads UP due to the incredibly friendly staff. I have always found the staff to be extremely personable, ready to spark up small talk while you wait for your food. The process of ordering, food preparation and payment is a quick three to five minutes — perfect for an in-between-class meal.
I write this article not just to share my love for Salads UP, but also to advocate for it. A quick Google search shows that Salads UP’s second location, at UW-Madison, has either temporarily or permanently been shut down. This worries me as Sweetgreen, an infamous salad and fast-casual health food restaurant, will soon be opening just a block away from Ann Arbor’s Salads UP.
I detest Sweetgreen.
Sweetgreen has become a symbol of wealth, a chain often found in “affluent” neighborhoods of city centers, oriented towards upper-class and health-conscious professionals. I would be angered to see Salads UP, a restaurant with a deep connection to the University and Ann Arbor generally, be driven out of business by Sweetgreen. I also do not like Sweetgreen’s Caesar dressing, as it is far too tangy for my taste (this issue is incredibly personal).
I hope that everyone in the Ann Arbor area tries Salads UP at least once — get ready to enjoy vegetables for maybe the first time.
Daily Arts Writer Nicole Appiani can be reached at nappiani@umich.edu.