Summer is the time of year when eating something light and healthy is a must on those hot and humid days.Choosing one of these delicious salads can help cool you off and get you your daily dose of greens. Go beyond the boring lunchbox and treat yo’self to something special—salad style.
Photo by Jen Foster
1. The Hershey Pantry
The Hershey Pantry offers a trendy menu while giving customers that wonderful diner feeling at the same time. Its list of salads to choose from is impressive, but one that stands out among the rest is the coconut chicken salad. Fresh strawberries, feta, and pecans with golden crispy coconut chicken all on one plate is sure to please your summertime cravings.
801 E. Chocolate Ave., Hershey, PA / hersheypantry.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
2. Rice and Noodles
Rice and Noodles’ vermicelli salad bowl—one of the most popular menu items—starts with vermicelli rice noodles served over shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, raw cucumbers and cilantro; then it’s topped with peanuts, green onions, fried shallots and nuc mam (a rice wine vinaigrette). Choose from grilled lemongrass pork, shrimp, chicken, or deep-fried tofu to make it vegan, but be sure make it a “combo” and add crab and pork egg rolls to your bowl—since it is a salad after all, go ahead.
1238 Lititz Pike, Lancaster, PA / riceandnoodlesrestaurant.com
3. Irv’s Pub
Executive Chef Devin Ream creates dishes from Irv’s Pub’s scratch kitchen and provides a “menu of seasonal, chef-driven, bar-centric cuisine.” One of its mouth-watering salads is the beet salad, which includes local beets, baby greens, red onions, roasted pistachios, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. Add chicken, shrimp, steak, or salmon to any salad for added protein.
814 E. Chocolate Ave., Hershey, PA / irvspub.com
Photo courtesy The Pizza Grille
4. The Pizza Grille
Pizza Grille serves salads with an Italian twist at three different locations: Carlisle, Camp Hill, and Lemoyne. All of their salads are served with a slice of pizza bread and each salad can be customized—small or large and with or without meat and/or seafood. The peppadew salad is a fresh spin on the traditional Caprese salad with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, peppadews, and pesto.
1007 Ritner Highway, Carlisle, PA / 3817 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill, PA / 901 State St., Lemoyne, PA / thepizzagrille.com
5. Iron Hill Brewery
Iron Hill Brewery has more than 10 different salads to choose from; they include starters and those of the “big” variety. The quinoa and mesclun salads are popular choices for vegetarians, while the naked burger salad or the Thai grilled flank steak salad will satisfy those with carnivorous appetites. Whatever the choice, be sure to grab one of their house-made beers to cool off. You earned it with the salad.
781 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA / ironhillbrewery.com
Photo by Donovan Roberts Witmer
6. The Busy Bee
Chef Andrew Barnes enjoys creating salads at The Busy Bee inside the historic Central Market House—like his “firecracker” chicken salad. The produce for their salads is organic and locally grown, and some of the dressings are vegan and/or gluten-free. All of Busy Bee’s salads can be made with chicken, tofu, or the catch of the day.
34 W. Philadelphia St., Central Market House, York, PA / busyfizzybeez.com
7. CoreLife Eatery
While CoreLife Eatery might be new to our area, it actually started out in Syracuse, NY, back in 2015. Their mission is to create locally sourced healthy dishes like the “green and grain bowls.” CoreLife has a create-your-own-bowl option starting at $5.95.
1581 Fruitville Pike, Suite 1, Lancaster, PA / corelifeeatery.com
8. Café Magnolia
This quaint café located in Mechanicsburg is the perfect spot for an intimate lunch or dinner. A long list of signature salads—like the Pittsburgh steak, Greek grilled chicken, and citrus spinach—makes for one difficult decision. Jess’s Favorite Salad in the Whole World is a must-try; the coconut-crusted chicken along with fresh strawberries complements the house-made poppyseed dressing perfectly.
4700 Gettysburg Road, Mechanicsburg, PA / cafe-magnolia.com
Photo courtesy The Belvedere Inn
9. The Belvedere Inn
Housed in a beautiful Victorian mansion built in 1869 by John S. Rohrer, The Belvedere Inn serves one of the most popular salads in Lancaster—its signature grilled Caesar salad. Executive Chef Corinna Killian offers “a fresh spin on classic dishes,” and choosing one of their delicious salads while dining alfresco on the patio makes a perfect combination.
402 N. Queen St., Lancaster, PA / belvederelancaster.com
10. Carr’s at Central Market
Carr’s at Central Market has been sharing their delicious cuisine since 2004, and their popular single-serving, ready-to-eat meals are always a hit at this historic spot in downtown Lancaster. The Cobb salad, with its grilled vegetables and creamy balsamic vinaigrette, is a market mainstay.
23 N. Market St., Lancaster, PA / carrsrestaurant.com