When Eddie Met Salad

Great soups! I the bangin shrimp wrap and it keeps me coming back for more! I’m usually not too crazy for dried fruit (mango) in my wraps, but it was pretty amazing.

When Eddie Met Salad (or Wems as I like to call it) first opened it was amazing. I literally went there 3 – 4 times a week — so much the staff had my salad down pat. The ingredients were fresh and you knew it was good because the line was always out the door.
Then something happened. .. something corporate. The inside got a new paint job (lime green — yuk), some of the salads were tinkered with, options were scaled down, and there were wraps. Oddly enough, the interior always seems to be dirty/​dingy. The quality of the ingredients also seemed to take a nose dive. One example — you used to get this amazing bread with the salad, they have since changed to give the cheapest, low nutrient sliver of bread.
One new thing to report — this place is ditching the Pepsi in favor of Coke products. It’s about time!

Man, salads are hard to mess up so the food was fine. Veggies are veggies regardless of how you get them or how long they take. However, the service is the part that just makes things dismal. This time around, I swear, it was like the people behind the counter had never done this before a day in their lives. And there was no one in sight to help. Except me. I literally walked them through making my salad and then everyone behind me had to do the same. By the time my party of six got through the line (of which we were at the head) we had been there already twenty minutes. Seriously, you say? Yes. So really, the food was fine, but the service was just painful.

Pros:
1) Flavor — Ordered the strawberry garden salad. I really enjoyed the raspberry vinaigrette and the interesting crunch and texture added by the granola.
2) Value — The portions (got a regular) were quite generous. I felt stuffed after my meal.
Cons:
1) Ambiance — No cohesive theme in the décor; everything was very plain and simple
2) Sticky trays — A disturbing finding
Conclusion:
If I worked in downtown Indianapolis, could see myself dropping by to pick up lunch; would not bring guests — would opt for somewhere with a warmer and superior ambiance, such as panera, for a casual lunch with a friend

I stopped into the location near the IUPUI campus for a salad and was given the most portin controlle, anemic package I ever saw. The salad cost was around $ 5.00 and for that I got about 11 ounces of sparsely complimented lettuce.
Now I gladly pay the extra money for the salads at Paradise Café where they pile it on generously with better tasting ingredients anda much more accommodating staff.

I don’t know what has happened to this place. I used to stop by once or twice a month to get their Santa Fe Chicken Wrap. The wrap is still as delicious as it ever was, but the service has just tanked lately.
1.) THE EMPLOYEES: In the past, the employees were the same every time I went in. There was plenty of staff, all of which wore uniforms, who quickly took and processed my order. And there was always a food person and a register person, to speed things up. These days, literally NONE of the faces I used to recognize are there anymore. In fact, the faces don’t even stay the same from visit to visit. And the strangers behind the counter vary from wearing full uniform, to just wearing a When Eddie Met Salad visor, to not wearing anything that identifies them as a WEMS employee. There is frequently only one or two people working behind the counter. They take their sweet time, conversing about all manner of topics, even when other people are waiting. Counting the time it takes to build my wrap, then take off the sanitary gloves and ring me up, the next person in line is waiting 5+ minutes just to order! I’ve watched people walk out many a time after waiting too long. There was even an older gentleman who started working there awhile back. I had JUST heard a male employee instruct him to do something, and then a woman employee verbally berated him in earshot of everyone in the store for doing the thing he was just told to do. Very unprofessional.
2.) For at LEAST the last 10 visits, every single time I’m there, two or more of the soda choices are «Out of Order», meaning somebody doesn’t know how to do the ordering right.
3.) They used to have a set selection of chips, fairly similar to the line-​up you would see at Subway. But recently, they will have a selection of LAYS chips one week, and the next week the entire selection is switched to these disgusting Veggie Chips. And there was even one day when the only chips they had were tortilla chips in unmarked white paper bags with grease stains showing through all of them. YUCK!
4.) Even though the amount of clientele has dropped off significantly, the tables are regularly dirty and there are piles of trays and baskets. Except for last time when they decided to forego the basket and tray, so I had to use the wrapper as a «plate».

I’ve wanted to try When Eddie Met Salad for a long time and finally made myself go. It was a great decision and I wish I’d done it sooner! The restaurant was quiet and a TV played softly in the background and it was a very peaceful salad experience.
For starters, I wanted to try one of their specialty classic salads. I was debating whether to go for the buffalo chicken or the California roll salad. I opted for the California roll salad as sushi always sounds great and I was reasonably pleased with my decision. The salad consisted of romaine lettuce, crab pieces, cucumber, avocado slices, wasabi peas, and either avocado ranch or wasabi dressing. I liked the salad, but I could have done without so much wasabi flavor as it became a little overwhelming at times. The combination of everything else worked great, though. Salads come in two sizes, either a small for $ 6.99 or a regular for $ 7.99. I ordered the regular and it was a good amount. If you’re not incredibly hungry, I’d probably stay with the small. When Eddie Met Salad also offers wraps, soups, sides, and desserts. You can also create your own salad with ingredients and dressing.

I really want to like When Eddie Met Salad because they’re the only chopped salad place in town, but the service is simply awful. I’ve gone back twice now, and they are severely understaffed. I went the first time at a lunch rush and experienced insanely slow service, but a decent salad (tuna-​garbanzo). Okay, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. I went back a few weeks later around 1:30, well past the lunch rush (I was one of two people in there) and the service was just as slow. However, the salad was good– chicken ensalata.
If you’re okay with waiting much longer than you should for an average tasting but good sized salad, go ahead. All I know is I’m not headed back any time soon.

3.5 star buffalo chicken wrap. I really liked that I could sub out the cheese for some avocado, plus the portion size was quite legit. Amount of chicken = good, noticeable buffalo sauce = good, freshness of ingredients = good.
I wasn’t astounded with this first visit, but the potential is definitely enough for me to return. I can always appreciate a healthy *but still tasty* meal.

Don’t go during lunch peak as parking is hard to find in the lot. However, their salads are worth the trek. Large portions, with choices to satisfy any craving. Everything is fresh, made as you watch, and over 10 dressings (yes, fat free included) to choose from.
Great choice when you’re not in the mood for the same ol’ lunch!

Had a «cobb salad» here… it was OK. They put down some lettuce, place the other ingredients in little lumps on top of that, and you’re off.
The thing I had trouble with was the sheer number of choices. There were all kinds of wraps, salads, and sandwiches, and dozens of little dishes of ingredients to pick from. Maybe give yourself some extra time to get through that menu.
I just wanted something simple, like an egg-​salad sandwich or something, but… well the cobb salad is OK I guess.

Parking anywhere near this place during the week is out of the question. However, if you’re fortunate enough to be within walking distance it’s worth the trek here.
The salads are generously sized and reasonably priced. The ingredients are fresh and tasty. They have a selection of salads on the menu, or you can build your own. (The Ensalada is very tasty, as is the California Roll.) Or you can make your salad into a wrap if you need to be able to eat your lunch on the go.
In the summer when it’s too hot to eat anything that’s even room temperature this place is always packed. But the line moves quickly and it’s worth the wait.

Love the salad, nice variety of dressings and fresh ingredients. However, the service wasn’t good on this visit. Three of us in our group: one ordered sandwich and soup, and they forgot her soup, one was overcharged and I did not get the guacamole I ordered on my salad. Our salad servings seemed very skimpy compared to the other locations of Eddie that we have visited.

Excellent place! Great salads and every topping under the sun. This is a great place for health-​conscious people. The only downside is the price. Too expensive!

Quick Tip! Free drink with 4-​square check in!
They changed their menu, but they still remember the classics. I like the Club Salad. It’s ham, turkey, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, and honey mustard. I request romaine vs iceberg. Try it, it’s good!

Tasty salads and friendly workers…
BUT…
They place feels like a high school cafeteria. It has no decorations to speak of. They have those long cheap fake wood tables and hard chairs. Nothing on the walls at all. This place SHOULD be a great comfortable study location but with this décor it fails at that completely.
The other problem is when you make your own salad it gets VERY expensive VERY quickly. I paid over $ 10 for my regular salad!!! It’s freaking lettuce and veggies, are you kidding me? Don’t get wallet-​mugged like I did, go with the pre-​designed salads.

Yummmmmy! Went here with 2 conference friends, and ordered the regular-​sized «California Roll Salad» — lettuce, diced cucumber, avocado, krab, sesame seeds, wasabi ranch. It was soooo yummy in an obnoxious never-​imagined-​ever-​eating-​this way. They gave me like a pound of dressing on the side but I merely drizzled it in.
They had sandwiches that sounded pretty good and you can make your own salad. I didn’t see any beets on the menu but I could live :) They have avocado ranch — too bad this isn’t in Nevada! :)

A place with salad in their name, had this vegetarian intrigued. I had ordered the veggie bean salad and added fresh avocado. It comes with dried mango’s, but Qdoba right next door has fresh mango’s…hmm. The total price for a small salad, drink plus avocado was about $ 8. I think I’ll make my own next time for half the price, but for convenience while being out of town, it was perfect.