Chopped salads are the best salads.
Actually salads made by other people are the best salads (why do salads prepared by someone else always taste so much better?), but chopped salads are definitely a personal favorite.
I think I love them most because the finely-chopped ingredients allow you to taste way more flavors in every bite.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you can probably guess what I had for lunch today, huh?
After I taught class number two of the day, I worked at the gym for another hour before driving home to shower and head out to meet my friend Melissa for lunch at Bad Daddy’s.
Unfortunately all the outdoor seating was taken, so we had to sit inside, but the weather in Charlotte right now is wonderful.
Melissa and I both went to UCF around the same time and she and her husband recently moved to the Charlotte area. Melissa is due to have a baby a week after me, so it was really fun to chat about pregnancy and baby stuff with someone who is going through it at the exact same time. (Needless to say, our lunch was filled with a few potty breaks.)
I’ve only been to Bad Daddy’s one other time with Ryan and my father-in-law when he was in town and the last time I visited the restaurant, I wasn’t all that impressed. I’m glad I gave it another go today because my chopped salad was fantastic!
I ordered the “Cue” chopped chicken salad and it came with barbeque pulled chicken, avocado (I think there was almost a full avocado under all the toppings!), crispy onions (my favorite), cabbage, tomatoes and a black bean and corn slaw. I requested the barbeque ranch dressing on the side and lightly drizzled it over everything before digging in.
Our lunch date was great and it was wonderful to see Melissa after so many years. We’re hoping to get together for a cookout in two weeks!
Now I’m off on my next little adventure of the day… Time to coach Girls On The Run!
Have a fantastic afternoon!
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I love fun salads! Especially when someone else makes them! My mom makes really yummy salads… mine always fall kinda short… I love that you got to catch up with an old friend. Those are my favorite dates! It’s always as if no time at all has passed between you 🙂
On a separate note… my BF and I are looking at moving to Charlotte or Raleigh… you seem to have such positive things to say about Charlotte and everywhere you go looks fantastic – as a fellow Florida girl, do you miss the beaches a lot?? 🙂
Honestly, I have not lived near beaches since 2003! We were always in the land – locked parts of Florida (Orlando, Ocala) so the transition wasn’t too challenging at all! I much prefer the weather in North Carolina… I missed seasons so, so much! So exciting you are thinking about moving! If you end up in Raleigh or Charlotte, I know you will love it
Awesome! And to be honest, I don’t go to the beach much but I feel like it’s one of those, “miss what you can’t have” things… I ADORE seasons so I’m super excited for those!! 🙂 Thanks!!
That salad looks so good! My current obsession is roasted corn on a salad. Love the added bit of smokiness!
I absolutely hope that I have a pregnancy pal whenever I am expecting. What a relief to have someone to hang out with who ‘gets’ it. She will be a good friend in late July when it’s hot and all you want is to be inside in the AC 🙂
I couldn’t agree with you more…other people’s salads are ten times better than mine!
I absolutely love chopped salads as well! I make them a lot at home (sometimes without lettuce- just the toppings) and it’s delicious. Anywhere I go to eat with my mom, if there’s a chopped salad on the menu that’s what she gets, along with any kind of seafood bisque on the side!
I have been eating more sandwiches than salads lately, but now that the weather is warming up I’m starting to crave giant bowls of greens and veggies!
I LOVE a salad with fried onion strings! I want to put them on EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
Me too!!
I prefer salads made by other people too! haha The one you got out with your girlfriend looks fantastic!
Chopped salads ARE the best. Aren’t you glad the weather is so nice for practices? It made such a huge difference at our GOTR practice yesterday… they were all so excited (and by the fact that I brought bananas – they freaked out.. hilarious)! So cute. Have a great rest of the day!
Yes!!! Loving the sunshine!
That salad looks fantastic!! I would 100% agree, salads made by other people tend to taste way better for some reason! Now I’m craving a beautiful bed of greens with all the fixings! I just had my very first GOTR practice yesterday!!!! It was fantastic, I love it so much! We started a few weeks ago, but due to weather and then me being out of town, this was the first time I was able to meet the girls and coach – I ended up coaching all by myself before my co-coach had some emergency health issues, so I was definitely flung into my first season rather quick! haha I loved it though and I’m so excited about this season!
Awesome!!! So excited you are coaching!
Small world! How neat you and Melissa have reconnected in Charlotte! And I love salads, but definitely prefer when they are prepared for me! 🙂
That salad looks so good! I agree with you – anytime I see a chopped salad, I order it right away!
Bad Daddy’s has the best tater tots, if you ate looking for a treat! Their burger salads are great too, very customizable! I work in Davidson and love the dining options in the area!
Oooh I want to try their burger salad!
That looks delicious! I have never heard of Bad Daddy’s. They must be in the South.
We have a Bad Daddy’s here in Raleigh and I always gets the “build your own” salad. They are great and I too agree that salads made else where are always better than what I throw together!
I agree! The flavours mingle and you can eat them with one piece of cutlery! 🙂
That’s so hilarious that you didn’t like bad daddy’s initially… I just went on Friday for the first time to the one in Dilworth with my bf and was sooooo not impressed. I got a veggie burger and the burger was seriously oversalted (and i love salty things). The salads looked awesome but I didn’t want to get a salad at a burger place! I may need to go with that next time!
You’re so right salad made by anyone else is so tasty! I never make my own salad finely chopped. I should try that.
I JUST had this conversation with my bf about how much better salads are made by someone else. I’ve been craving salads lately — Mexican chopped salads with marinated grilled shrimp are my go-to!
I love chopped salads, but especially when I get to enjoy them at a restaurant – waiting in line at Chop’t for an hour and taking it back to a desk just isn’t the same! I’m gluten- and nut-free, so I always add dried cranberries and pumpkin or sunflower seeds for some crunch 🙂
Absolutely – other people’s salads are always better!! I think (actually, I know) it’s because I’m a lazy salad maker. I hate chopping everything up, so my salads end up being kind of plain jane and boring. No wonder I like other people’s salads better! 😉 And yes, chopped salads truly are the best! I agree – I am pretty sure it’s because there’s a little bit of everything in each bite. Glad you had a nice lunch date! How fun that you and your friend are so close in your pregnancies!
Agree! Chopped salads made by someone else are THE bomb. During pregnancy I’ve noticed I prefer to eat salad if it’s made by someone else. So weird, haha!
I agree that chopped salads are wonderful! They are filling and allow for you to taste multiple things in every bite! We even have this restaurant back home called chop stop and it’s the best!
I’ve been craving salads like crazy lately! Maybe it’s the warmer weather. That salad looks so delicious. We might have to make something similar for dinner tonight.
I totally agree with your statement about salads being so much better when anyone else makes them…I say that all the time and I just don’t get it! 😉
I love chopped salads! The way everything mixes together– yum!
I totally agree that salads taste better when chopped (and made by other people!). You can taste SO MANY flavors all at once and they feel so substantial. Yours looks delicious – I love barbecue anything!
Mmm that salad does look good! Personally I like chopped salads because I’m pretty iffy when it comes to big chunks of ANY veggie, so a fine chop helps disguise the fact that I’m actually eating a big bowl of them!
oh wow, that combo of ingredients in the salad sounds so good! I keep meaning to make my own salad at home and chop it up like that to make it feel fancier… but I always am too impatient to eat it! haha
Bad Daddy’s is definitely a favorite of mine. You must try their grilled black bean burger – delicious!!
that salad looks great! i just made a great (& easy) slow cooker pulled pork yesterday – – you should try it! http://runningchickago.com/2015/03/17/house-hunting-rollercoaster/
I couldn’t agree more… why are salads always better when made by other people!
Oh thank you! I thought I was the only one that thinks salads prepared by others are better. Phew! So I’m not crazy… 😉
So glad you got together with Melissa! I ran into her at the gym a couple of weeks ago and mentioned I still haven’t even seen you since you’ve lived here! Hoping to change that soon 🙂
yes!! definitely let me know when you’re feeling up to it and BIG congrats on your new little one!
I need to bring chopped salads back into my life! I would always make my own until I moved and the grocery stores here don’t have the best produce, so I started buying Organic Girl salads. Hopefully once the farmers markets open, I’ll be able to buy most of my produce from them!
That salad looks so amazing, I’m wanting it even though it’s 10:30 in the morning!
Chopped salads are my jam! Do you have the OXO salad chopper? If not, you must. Best $25 ever spent on Amazon.
You and I have the same taste in food, I absolutely Love chopped salads when you taste every ingredient in every bite! I joke with my boyfriend about buying me a Mezzaluna chopper for my birthday so I can replicate the salads at home, haha.
I actually just booked tickets to fly to Charlotte during Memorial Day Weekend to visit my sister (who is having her 2nd baby!), so I’m definitely going to look to your blog for your favorite restaurants. 🙂
Fun fact, the day before my sister’s wedding 5 years ago our family members from all over the country had lunch at Big Daddy’s and took up the entire outside porch. 🙂 I’m from New Jersey but I had heard about Big Daddy’s from Katie’s blog (Honeystuck / Sweet Tater). Everyone loved their meals! I had forgotten all about that day until reading your post – thanks so much for the sweet reminder of a very special time. 🙂
salads made by other people really are the best salads 🙂
That does sound like a great salad, yum!
Portillo’s Chopped Chicken Salad is the best!!! To die for…just the ultimate chopped salad 🙂
YES.