Welcome to our kitchen!
Two chefs and a foodie set out to change the way people eat for the better. Our inspiration? The meals we had when our friends came over. The food. The pairings. The exploration. The energy. And the promise that on any given day we’d eat or drink something we wouldn’t find anywhere else. So we opened Tender Greens in 2006 and started a food revolution.
We start with the best ingredients, cook from the heart and let our food do the talking. No compromises, no matter what. Sustainability is at the core of all the choices we make, from our food to our planet to the future of farming. It’s in our DNA. After all, we’re chefs.
Modern, cafeteria-style chain serving area-sourced, globally influenced plates, sandwiches & salads.
Jared Virtue
My wife and I were visiting San Diego and Tender Greens was near our hotel. We were looking for a fresh healthy and tasty meal. Tender Greens delivered. Their food tastes like a really good home cooked meal. I had the roasted vegetables, French fries, and chicken. The portion was small but very delicious. It was well seasoned. The ketchup was high quality and maybe even made in house. My wife has the salmon salad which had a good portion of salmon. The service was friendly and they helped us navigate the menu avoiding gluten and dairy. Their service was quick and there’s a lot of seating if you want to bring your family or a group.
… moreVignesh D
We had a great lunch here while visiting the city for the weekend. Really like the friendly staff, the green juice/drink was surprisingly refreshing. Glad I have that a chance.
… moreJaymes Spiekerman
The staff was amazing. Very helpful for my first visit and even let me know about free refills (not something expected). That’s about the best I can say about the place. The food was just above mid. It was warm, but not hot and fresh by any stretch. It took 22 minutes from payment to table delivery. My sea bass was very thin and looked like it was picked apart after plating. The flavor was good, but I expected more from what I’ve heard of this place.
Oh yea, the watermelon aqua fresca was also delicious!
Also, the place is not busy. My table was a little sticky, but the place needed a cleaning.
… moreMatthew A
Love coming here for lunch from work. First off, from Ricky, the manager to the entire staff, everyone is amazingly friendly and if there’s ever an issue, they are quick to remedy it. I love both the salt and pepper chicken and the barbecue chicken and I love the side arugula salad. The roasted potatoes and the mac & cheese and mashed potatoes and gravy are also super legit. It’s always clean in there and I really like their lemonade as well. Overall, it’s just a good experience to come down here for lunch and eat something quick but also healthy (if you take out the mac n cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, and their boooomb desserts).
… moreJennifer Doyle
Because of allergies, the staff has to be extra careful with my food, and often they create something not on the menu when needed, or heavily customize it. They have done an amazing job so far. We’ve been many times. We even held our daughter’s wedding party luncheon on the patio here years ago. We are true fans!
… moreJason Gant
I rarely leave reviews for chain restaurants, but I gotta give a MAJOR shoutout to Johanna, Lauren, and the rest of the staff for recovering my wallet and keeping it safe for the entire day. Even better, all of the cash remained! To the tendergreens management, I hope that you recognize the honest, trustworthy staff that works at this location because they really deserve it!
… moreRegine Cline
This Tender Greens location has a special place in my heart because it’s one of the first restaurants my husband took me to when we were dating (8+ years ago).
I’ve never heard of tender greens until he introduced it to me and I’ve been in love ever since!
Tonight — I opted for the holiday special steak bowl with cauliflower and green beans. Everything was cooked to perfection — from my medium rare steak to the slight crunch of the string beans. This place always gets it right. The cauliflower is also worth mentioning because it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, a light sauce was added for flavor and I loved it.
I want to give a special shout out to Enrique who provided amazing customer service. He’s super friendly, was honest about the menu and made sure we had a great dinner experience.
What sets this location apart from the others I’ve been to, is it’s never busy (at least when I go). The food is ALWAYS fresh and cooked perfectly. Plus, Enrique asked me how I wanted my protein cooked and no other location has asked me that before. Kudos to this man!
Even my picky toddler enjoys the food here. The only downside about this restaurant is the parking. There is extremely limited parking and a laz parking lot next to it, but you have to pay. It’s expected though because it’s in downtown sd.
The ambiance is clean, inviting and plenty of seating available. I also love the high ceilings and architecture of this place.
We will definitely be back 🙂
… moreR Baer
It’s our first time here and we liked it. It’s just a walking distance from Westgate hotel. We got the grilled chicken Cobb and Chinese chicken. Instead of croutons they put toasted bread. My husband liked the bread but I don’t care for it. I’d rather have the croutons because there’s crunch and flavor to it. And you’ll need a knife to cut the greens a little smaller so it’s easier to eat. avocado toast and mint lemonade were good.
… moreMonica Araceli
Just spoke to Ricki over the phone and he was such a great customer service experience. I’m getting the short rib plate and baby spinach salad again and I think it’s amazing. This is my third time placing an order for the plate 🙂
… moreJustin Bass
Great place for healthier options. The longevity bowl with sea bass is amazing! They also have different teas and lemonades made onsite.
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