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This week, Wendy's launched four new salads, joining their Garden Sensations line which launched in 2002.
To be honest, we were surprised to see the rather high calorie and fat content in the Baja Salad, Apple Pecan Chicken, BLT Cobb and the Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad (more details about the salads after the jump), especially during the summer months when most people are trying to slim down. The original Garden Sensations line boasts much lighter options, notably the Mandarin Chicken Salad and Chicken Caesar.
While we weren't a fan of all of them, we can say that if were at an airport, stuck with limited options, we'd be happy to grab one of these.
Each salad reviewed after the jump...
BLT Cobb Salad
Grade: B
Nutritional Info: 47 grams fat, 670 calories
What's in it: Spring salad greens, two strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon, tomatoes, blue cheese, chopped egg, warm grilled chicken with a creamy avocado ranch dressing.
Our testers said: "Of course I'm going to like this one, it's full of fat and calories!" "The bacon was surprisingly good -- didn't have that chemical aftertaste most fast-food establishments can't avoid." "The combination of the chopped eggs, chicken and blue cheese went perfectly with a really light ranch dressing (which is hard to come by)."
Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
Grade: C
Nutritional Info: 27 grams fat, 580 calories
What's in it: Spring salad greens, blue cheese, Granny Smith and sweet red apples, roasted pecans, dried cranberries, warm grilled chicken with a pomegranate vinaigrette dressing.
Our testers said: "I really wanted to like this salad, but it just didn't come together for me." "The combination of apples, cranberries AND pomegranate was overwhelming -- the salad was too sweet and the chicken got lost." "I would have loved this with just the apples, chicken, blue cheese and a simple vinaigrette."
Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad
Grade: --
Nutritional Info: 49 grams fat, 740 calories
What's in it: Romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, shaved Asiago cheese, French bread croutons, Wendy's spicy chicken with a lemon garlic Caesar dressing.
Our testers said: We can't officially give this salad a grade because Wendy's forgot to put the salad dressing in our bag. However, we can say that the garlic croutons with sea salt, black pepper and garlic were absolutely delicious. And with Wendy's classic spicy chicken filet on top, we believe this salad has potential. We look forward to going back and trying this one again (with the dressing this time).
Baja Salad
Grade: D
Nutritional Info: 47 grams fat, 740 calories
What's in it: Spring salad greens, cheddar and pepper-jack cheeses, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, tortilla strips, Wendy's chili with a creamy red jalapeno dressing.
Our testers said: "Some people really like Wendy's chili, I don't, therefore this salad just didn't do it for me." "I found that the chili watered down the greens, which got lost underneath a heap of beef and avocado." "The only thing I liked about this salad was the refreshing Pico de Gallo, which there wasn't enough of."
Eat your way through more of Slashfood's Fast-Food Reviews.
Have you tried these items? If so, tell us your thoughts in the comments section.
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7-15-2010 @9:39PM Bean Reel said... The truth is Wendy's salads used to be plentiful and reasonable. Now they are neither. Go back to the basics, Wendys.
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7-18-2010 @7:52AM kevin said... Expect Wendys to go downhill further since Arbys took them over.
7-18-2010 @9:29AM Kathy said... The last time I went to Wendy's, it was to get a Caesar salad...well, it had changed, they added a few more tomatoes and some feta cheese and raised the price to $6.25! Are you kidding me? Same salad as the old with a couple more tomatoes and cheese? And no more mandarin Chicken? UGH...probably won't go back to Wendy's anymore...their sandwiches have gone down hill since Dave died...you can get a salad at your local grocer in their deli for 3.99 to 4.99 and with less calories...It's not that hard to stop and get out of your car to get a decent salad!!....the drive-in chains just don't get it, do they?
8-04-2010 @11:19AM Sally Pierce said... Am not happy with the new salads. Especially miss the Mandarin Chicken. You lost salad customrs with this move. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
7-16-2010 @9:05AM LinC said... When salads have as many calories as a burger that means Wendy's is missing the point. I want a low-cal salad with fresh ingredients so I can eat something fast without guilt and without raising my risk of heart disease. This is just sad.
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7-18-2010 @12:01PM Lorraine said... Ditto, ditto, and ditto. Now there's nowhere to go to get a quick "diet" lunch or dinner. Why so many calories? Why not a choice of dressings including some low fat ones? Why does everything have to contain so much fat? Look around; Americans are pathetically overweight because there are few choices other than to laboriously buy your own ingredients and make it yourself so you have control over what's in it.
LCM
7-18-2010 @8:31AM meliG said... I enjoy salads anyway you can combine them, but these salads sort of run toghethe,r the flavors get lost in the mix. somehow thought the croutons tasste great (one expensive crouton).I like the original salads that were un tarnished and low in calorie... go back!
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7-18-2010 @10:23AM lindyskye said... the salad with cranberries sounds good, but for those of us who do not remotely like bleu cheese, there are no options. dave always said things were made from scratch. what happened? If u ask for no bleu cheese, you r told,
'sorry, the salads are already made up." I would like the bleu cheese to be packaged as an option.
7-18-2010 @6:43AM Jesskuz said... I truly enjoyed the Apple Pecan Chicken expect I don't like field greens or what I like to call weeds. Its unfortunate you can't simply ask for romaine lettuce because these salads are prepackaged. I found myself eating out the chicken, apples, pecan, craisins and dressing. I thought the dressing would be to much but to my enjoyment was tasty. I know they are amped up in calories but I have yet to find a salad as a fast food place that screams healthy.
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7-18-2010 @7:10AM Dee said... Bring back the Mandarin Chicken Salad!!!!! PLEASE!!!! Why does Wendy's always discontinue their most popular items? While they are at it, they can bring back the Big Bacon Classic Burger. I still can't believe they replaced their best burger with the Baconater... does anyone really eat that much bacon? It's so disgusting, I can't even look at the picture on the menu...
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7-18-2010 @9:21AM Adele Huffman said... I totally agree...I can't believe they changed ALL the salads. I have tried them all and don't care for any of them. You are correct, bring back the Mardarin Chicken Salad...NOW!
7-18-2010 @7:42AM lucy said... I LOVED the taco salad... I did not like the Baja salad at all...I was very disappointed.
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7-18-2010 @9:19AM KZZZZ said... I agree!!!! They used to have the best Taco Salad. I just go to Taco Bell now. What happened to Wendy's?
7-18-2010 @7:50AM Dee said... YOU mean my favorite Orinetial Salad is gone!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I will go even go to Wendy's.
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7-18-2010 @8:02AM dissapointed said... After our first try at the new salads, where we were given, the wrong dressing twice, along with attitude telling us it was the "new" caesar (Italian is the new caesar?). We left and went to McDonald's, since then we've tried two more times and they are always out , "all we have is Baja". I give up
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7-18-2010 @8:34AM John Hanecker II said... Was totally bummed out by the removal of the Chicken Mandarin Salad and the Taco salad , traveled 10 miles to get to Wendy's to have the salads . Had the Baja it was barely adequate , but not for $6.99 plus tax . The rest of the salads all had blue -cheese bits , which made them a non starter have someone with food intolerences since they are premade. All in all liked the old salads much better .
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8-07-2010 @10:45AM Marilyn said... I agree! Bring back the taco salad and the mandarin chicken salad.
I don't like any of the new ones!
7-18-2010 @8:26AM Sally said... I've been a customer of Wendy's enjoying their Mandarin Chicken Salad at least once a week for over 7 years. I absolutely loved this salad. I am so disappointed that they have discontinued it and will be replacing it with these new ones that I don't believe I'll step foot inside a Wendy's ever again. I did the same thing years ago with Burger King when they took away their Yumbo (hot ham & cheese) sandwich. Who are the powers that be at Wendy's that decide to fix something that isn't broken? BRING BACK THE MANDARIN CHICKEN SALAD! My husband feels the same way about his CHICKEN BLT. The cobb salad doesn't compare when you hate blue cheese.
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7-18-2010 @8:42AM sherry said... disappointed..... on jul. 17th went to wendys to get chicken and baacon sald, +mediterian salad and what a suprise...gone, replaced. wendys just lost $30 dollars from us cause we left and bought nothing. no chili, no shakes nothing. not everybody like blue cheese.
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7-18-2010 @8:55AM Angiebaby said... The Apple Pecan Chicken needs some tweaking. They should replace the apples with orange segments because the sweet red apple is just that - too sweet, but if you leave only the Granny Smith tart apples, the salad has NO eye appeal. The salad would be just green and brown. As for the Baja Salad, Wendy's should put the chili on the bottom to keep the warm chili sauce from watering down and wilting the lettuce, and to keep the crunch in the tortilla strips. You can't miss with a Cobb Salad because there's something for everybody. Now, on to the Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad. If it doesn't work with the spicy fried chicken, which I suspect it won't, they should serve it with a grilled chicken breast. Why have the heavy, hot & spicy chicken compete with the other tasty-sounding ingredients? It just doesn't belong. But Asiago cheese, lemon garlic Caesar dressing and homestyle croutons with a grilled chicken breast? Yum!
And as soon as Wendy's calls me and asks for my free opinion, I'll tell them these things!
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