I feel like I’ve ordered a salad at every restaurant in Destin so I consider myself an expert on this topic. 😉
Without further adieu, these are my favorite salads in (and around) Destin:
1. Baja Shrimp Salad at Burrito del Sol
Oh momma. “Salad” might be a loose term for this plate of goodness. Burrito del Sol is one of my favorite quick lunch spots in town. You know I love anything Mexican. It’s kind of like a local Chipotle, where you choose your protein, preparation (taco, burrito, salad, etc) and the style (Baja, Chipotle, Southwest or BBQ). I almost always order the Baja salad with shrimp which comes with red cabbage, a killer pineapple salsa, cilantro and a creamy chipotle sauce that I want to drink by the cup. I customize mine and get it without the fried shell and I do half cabbage, half romaine. This thing is HUGE and worth every single calorie.
2. Thai Beef Salad at Jasmine Thai
In my humble opinion, Jasmine Thai is the very best Thai restaurant around. The food is fast and fresh, the staff are friendly (the owners’ son goes to school with Julia), and the restaurant is clean and inviting. Their beef noodle soup and pad woon sen are pure heaven, but when I’m trying to be good, the Thai Beef Salad is what I go for. It’s a classic Thai salad, but the cold, crisp veggies and tangy dressing are done just right. My kids go crazy for this place, especially when mango is in season and they can get it with sweet sticky rice. So good.
3. Chimi Cheese Steak Salad (or any salad) at Everkrisp
Everkrisp is unlike any other restaurant in Destin. It’s a quick service spot where farm meets fast food and you can get one heck of a salad. They have a great menu of options or you can build your own. My favorite is the Chimi Cheese Steak, which is full of steak, curried cauliflower, corn, mint, roasted onions, tomatoes, croutons, and parmesan all over a bed of arugula and romaine lettuce with a chimichurri vinaigrette. For me, the fresh mint is the star of the show. It’s an incredible explosion of flavors! If you are a salad-lover, you’ve got to check out Everkrisp. The portions are generous- you will not leave hungry!
4. Bibb Lettuce Salad with Grilled Shrimp at Boshamps
I’m not actually sure of the name of this salad, because it’s only offered as a special here and there (but I think you can get it any time if you just ask!). Oh, this salad is full of all of my favorite things. The shrimp are perfectly charred from the grill and pair so well with creamy avocado, crunchy almond slivers, and sweet pear slices. You could eat it as lettuce wraps and dip in the dressing, too. The Summer Salad with a beautiful piece of grilled fish is another great salad at Boshamps. Honestly, everything at Boshamps is great. It’s our favorite place in town, hands down.
5. Taco Salad {Power Light} at Tijuana Flats
Tijuana Flats is a chain (so not unique to our area), but I’ve loved it since first discovering it during my days at the University of Florida. I think it’s great that the taco salad comes in a wheat tortilla shell and you can have it prepared “power light” which means light cheese and sour cream. I usually get blackened chicken with black beans as my filling and either salsa (when I’m being good) or the delicious avocado ranch (when I’m being bad) for dressing. The fresh jalapenos are the perfect spicy kicker on top.
And now I’m hungry!
