The moment I walked in, I knew this was my kind of restaurant. It reminds me of the kind of local restaurants in Los Angeles I used to frequent– fresh soups and salads with a twist on the ordinary, with super friendly staff and an earthy, almost artistic ambience. I ordered a half soup half salad and the portions were good sized and came with slices of baguette. You can sample the soups to help you decide what to order(I had the carrot purée though they all sounded tasty). I have a terrible sweet tooth so the brownies lined up near the cash register looked enticing and I had to have one(plus it was only $ 2). It tasted as good as it looked, moist and soft and well worth the $ 2. I’ll definitely be back!
Alli W.
Place rating: 5 Mount Prospect, IL
My team at work placed a large online order for pick-up — with each of us ordering/paying separately. We had ordered from Vinaigrette before, and despite being a 20 minute drive, it is worth it for an affordable, healthy(and delicious!) lunch option. Two people on our team went to go pick all the orders up and brought it back to our work-site. Sadly, my kale salad and someone else’s soup were missing– which could easily be placed on us for not checking before leaving. When I called the restaurant, the manager(I presume) told me he would drive the missing food to us(even though they don’t deliver). I can’t speak enough about this great service, and will definitely be ordering again in the future! Thank you for the great service! Also, kale salad: 10⁄10
Daisy H.
Place rating: 4 Lexington, KY
I give vinaigrette 4 stars simply because I’m not a fan of paying close to $ 15 for a bowl of spinach/lettuce but I’m also not a big fan of salads in general so there’s that. I will praise their soups though! as well as the different flavored lemonades. BEYONDDELICIOUS! I was a big fan of the pumpkin soup during fall season! can’t wait for fall simply so I can indulge in that soup once more!
Shivani T.
Place rating: 4 Lexington, KY
I went there for lunch today with my co-worker. Soup, Salad and lemonade place. Place is very clean and their décor is simple. one thing i loved right away is that one i was trying to decide on what to get in soup and they told me that i can test it before i get it. i tried sample of tomato, burnt carrot and chicken chilies soup and decided to go with soup and half salad… Ordered Burnt Carrot soup and Bluegrass Blackberry for me and my friend ordered tomato soup with classic chicken salad with ginger strawberry lemonade… My dressing was really good… soup pretty good also. overall very good. will be back!!!
Sam S.
Place rating: 4 Lexington, KY
I feel like such a jerk giving Vinaigrette anything less than five stars because their salads are really really good. Seriously. So why am I knocking off the extra star? Because I’m a jerk, obviously. A jerk who really needs large amounts of food in order to feel satisfied. I actually visit Viniagrette somewhat often because it’s close to my house which also happens to be my office. I enjoy their fancy salads that have country ham or sweet potatoes or maki shrimp on them. I feel like a fancy healthy lady when I eat here. But then after spending a fortune on a salad, I leave starving. After spending $ 17 on a salad and a cup of soup the other day, I was still hungry after slurping up the last bite of soup. Hungry and poor from spending $ 17 on lunch. I’ve started going to Panera and Cosi more because I feel like I get more bang for my buck even if I’m not getting the fancy lady organic products. I love salads, but I guess I’m looking more for a hearty manly salad in my life. You’re probably a daintier lady than I am. And you probably actually like yoga. You will love this restaurant! And if you’re still hungry after, ask me about the ice cream places in town. I’ve got all sorts of opinions on those!
Amanda L.
Place rating: 5 Louisville, KY
Vinaigrette is hands down my favorite Lexington restaurant. I often stay at a hotel directly beside this location for work, but have eaten at the downtown location as well. The salads are big, very fresh, and they taste delicious. The soups are great and so are their teas/lemonade, etc.
Karen D.
Place rating: 3 Brooklyn, NY
The spinach salad my husband ordered, with mozzarella balls, peppers, arugula, onions and black pitted olives was fresh and tasty. I ordered the kale salad, It tasted somewhat bland. Half the kale leaves were yellow. I assumed it might be my mistake, and that there must have be another type of yellow kale, because what restaurant would serve a bowl of half yellow kale? Could not find a yellow kale type on the Internet, except that which is aging or damaged.
Lisa S.
Place rating: 4 Lexington, KY
Have been wanting to try this every since they opened and finally went with a girlfriend. I love the concept or a salad restaurant. Everything fresh and prepared right in front of you. I chose the chicken salad which was served on a bed of mixed baby greens and strawberries and tried each of the home made lemonades. The Blueberry basil as not really to my liking, but the cantalope and the watermelon were good, but the mix berry was my favorite. All were such a better choice over soda! My friend had the BLT salad. I just have to say I had food envy. Heres was awesome! I will probably have that next time. The environment itself is open and airy and friendly. What a great place for lunch when in downtown Lexington!
Amy W.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
A simple concept, salads and lemonade, in a restaurant with simple grey décor. I have been here for lunch several times and my office also has had them cater a couple of lunches for my department. My favorite is the chicken taco and the BLT. The salads are fresh and the choice of ingredients range from typical combinations(BLT– lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, ranch, croutons) to innovative(barbeque brisket– lettuce, barbecue beef brisket, sweet potatoes, red onion, red peppers, sweet corn, croutons, tomatoes with barbecue vinaigrette). I love the piña colada lemonade and would take it over a real piña colada! The only downside is the price. I don’t come here more than once a week because a salad plus a drink is a little over $ 10. It’s definitely worth it, though! This is a great local fast casual spot!
Zach B.
Place rating: 5 Manhattan, NY
This place is all you could hope it to be– simple, fast, fresh, and unique without being a budget breaker. Soups and salads, and nothing else. However the salads are incredibly creative with ingredients like sweet potato, quinoa, and bourbon smoked raspberry vinaigrette, for example. If you are health conscious, be it oriented around te purity of ingredients or just from a caloric perspective, this place is a god-send. The blueberry basil lemonade was unlike any lemonade I’ve ever had before– definitely get it to drink. The place itself is spacious, clean, well organized and aesthetically pleasing. Maybe a touch cold, but no bid deal. I wish I had known about this place a long time ago.
Lee P.
Place rating: 5 Winchester, KY
Delicious salads and great service. The suggested salads can have a little too much dressing but overall, very affordable and delicious.
Michael M.
Place rating: 4 Lexington, KY
Tried Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen today for my first time and my wife’s second. I ordered what she had sampled on her previous visit, the Bluegrass Blackberry Salad with bacon and sunflower seeds added. My dish had a nice mixture of fresh and interesting ingredients. The standard blackberry sorghum vinaigrette paired well with the bacon I added. Erica had the Orange Blossom salad, and since it had fewer ingredients than mine she decided it was screaming for wild salmon which she added. She found her selection tasteful but the next time ordering it would add sunflower seeds for more texture. I received a complimentary homemade lemonade by signing up for their lemonade club and chose a strawberry version which was delicious. We both sampled the other flavors and enjoyed them as well. If you are in the mood for salad this is an excellent dining option. We especially like how they offer a variety of add on proteins(country ham, salami, bacon, wild salmon, etc) rather than throwing grilled chicken at every salad like Panera.
Amanda C.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
So good. I come here often and everything I’ve had is just delicious. The lemonades aren’t for everyone– my husband strongly dislikes them since they aren’t super sweet but I absolutely love them– especially the watermelon. The harvest kale is by far my favorite. I was unsure about the sweet potato topping but it’s amazing.
Gloria H.
Place rating: 5 Manitou Springs, CO
Excellent salads, both fresh and pleasing to the eye. We had the harvest Kale Salad and the Tomato Bisque soup along with bluegrass herbal tea. Great service. Would definitely eat here again.
Becc W.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
Wonderful! Fresh and great variety. Plus my bowl never seemed to empty out. I was very very full. Shop the lemonades. They have a large a delicious variety. FYI soup is scalding hot but super good. Little to no sweets as my lunch mates pointed out. I personally didn’t miss sweets at this meal.
Laura N.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
Completely blown away by the awesomeness that is Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen! I first tried this place at a Unilocal event last year and fell in love. However, I don’t like to write restaurant reviews based on the Unilocal party alone. Months after the event, I was finally in the area again and soooo excited to grab some Vinaigrette to go for dinner. Still mouth-watering yummy. What I love: the modern farmhouse-inspired décor and the menu offerings. The menu consists of a handful of usual salads and then a few seasonal salads. All the creative salads are hand-made in front of you with great ingredients that pack a lot of flavor and nutrition. I’ve sampled nearly everything they offer and all are amazing. I know that’s so vague, but dang, SOGOOD. My favorite are the Vegan Power and Harvest Kale salads. Their soups look good too. I’m not really a soup person but I’ve sampled the pumpkin bisque and loved it. And the icing on the cake? The homemade lemonades! The lemonade flavors rotate based on the seasons(and what they want to make, I suppose). Every flavor I’ve tried has been amazing(can I use the word ‘amazing’ over and over?). Flavor examples include Blackberry Vanilla Spice, Blueberry Ginger, etc. Amazing. You can also get a couple small slices of bread with your salad. Again, soooo good. If you’re looking for a healthy, awesome meal, come here.
Jack E.
Place rating: 5 Nicholasville, KY
Let me start off this review by saying I am NOT a big fan of salads. Don’t get me wrong, I like them but when I go to a restaurant they are usually never considered as a main course. Also, I typically don’t care much for vinaigrette dressing. For those two reasons alone I would have never thought that I’d be writing this review. The name of the restaurant is off putting to me. When I first saw it I laughed out loud. Surely this is a joke, or yet another poor idea for a restaurant that really sounded good in someone’s mind. But the Unilocal reviews? I’m puzzled. I wanted to try it but I was still skeptical, these are probably reviews from a niche few salad lovers(aka Vegetarians), surely not carnivores such as myself. My interest was peaked but when a friend of mine went and was telling me how much he and his wife liked it that was it, I knew I had to try it. Well, needless to say, I am impressed. I’ve been here a couple of times in the past few days and I have tried four of their salads on the menu list and each one was awesome. We really enjoy this place. The staff is friendly and outgoing, the atmosphere is bright and refreshing. I can’t wait to bring some of my family/friends. Oh, by the way, not all of the salads are dressed with vinaigrette, but the one that I’ve had that was, DELICIOUS! I really wish this place had a better name, I’m afraid there may be people like me who may not try it because it sounds so… salady. Oh yeah, the drinks!!! BESTICEDTEAEVER!
Julie G.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
Just as great as it was on my previous visit. This time I got the Orange Blossom salad and added grilled chicken, and it was wonderful. The dining area has expanded. Even during the Friday lunch rush, finding a table was not a problem. Service was top-notch: friendly, efficient and the staff was very agreeable to a simple substitution. I am not a fan of iceberg and romaine lettuces and wanted spring mix instead — they were very accommodating. This is an excellent, fast and healthy lunch option.
Wes C.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
The Good: the fresh ingrediants, house made lemonade, house made dressing, house made pretty much everything, a lot of local ingredients, nice minimalist, rustic feel. The Bad: their country ham is not country ham. The Rundown: they have a menu of salads that provides flavors you can’t find anywhere else. There is of course an al a carte option as well. My favorite is the Bluegrass Blackberry but the Soprasatta is also very good. You have a choice of different meats you can add on, chicken, salmon, country ham, and salami. My only complaints about the meat is that the country ham, while very good, is not country ham. It is not very slaty, it is thick chunks and just does not have the taste or texture of country ham. Their lemonades are ever changing and always delicious, I wish the blueberry basil was a constant. The Impression: this location is in the heart of downtown Lexington with a slightly bigger space than their other location. The food is amazing because of their local fresh ingredients and their unique salad combinations, this can be many peoples lunchtime staple.
Heather P.
Place rating: 5 Lexington, KY
Do you have a New Year resolution to eat healthier? Run to Vinaigrette! A few months ago, I noticed that my favorite Fro Jo spot was downsizing… say what? I thought I gave them enough business to stay large and in charge. And then I learned that they were downsizing to open a test kitchen of sorts. This is where Vinaigrette was born. Yes, it’s small, but remember that it is a test kitchen. The owners own several of the local Orange Leaf, and are local Lexingtonians. At first, I thought that they were going to be the Subway of salads, but actually they have several pre set salad concoctions that are the ideas of the great local Chef Ouita Michel. If you don’t know who Chef Michel is, we’ve probably heard of at least one of her restaurants that include Smith Town Seafood, Holly Hill, Windy Corner and Wallace Station. The first time that I tried Vinaigrette, I knew it was Unilocal event worthy. As you probably already know, only the best of the best pass my Unilocal event worthiness test. So, this is where our November Unilocal event was. My favorite salad is the Southwest chicken. It’s big enough to eat as two meals. Yes, Vinaigrette is known for their salads, but they also have soups and homemade lemonade. The flavors of both the soup and lemonade are rotated based on the season. I’m not quite sure if the soups will be a seasonal thing in general, so don’t quote me on them. If you’re looking for a great, healthy, local place to find a great salad, check out this place… thank me later.