Battle of Portland’s Deli Salads: 9 Enter, With a Surprising Clear Winner

Portland's grocery stores compete fiercely for deli dominance, but which makes the best salad? When Meg Cotner of Bridgetown Bites reached out about participating in Portland Salad Week, I jumped at the chance to settle this with an old-fashioned taste test.

Ground rules were simple: Salads had to be prepared fresh, not prepackaged — leveling the playing field while ensuring freshness. Rather than ordering identical salads everywhere (impossible given each store's unique offerings), we'd consult the experts: deli counter employees. Finally, all salads were purchased within 24 hours of tasting.

With those parameters set, we agreed on nine stores representing Portland's grocery landscape, from budget-friendly to upscale.

Stumptown Savings covers Portland’s grocery scene, so rather than visiting sandwich shops or restaurants, we opted to focus this taste test on salads from grocery deli counters or salad bars. We picked a mix of big brands — Fred Meyer, Safeway, Whole Foods — and local favorites — New Seasons, Market of Choice — with a few specialty or independent grocers included. This ensures that there is a great mix of stores from across the Portland metro region represented.

Since we purchased the salads ourselves, a truly blind taste test wasn't possible. Instead, we hid labels, numbered salads 1 through 9 (randomly assigned), and agreed not to discuss impressions until we'd tasted everything. We cleansed our palates with chilled water between tastings to eliminate flavor transfer.

Each salad received up to five points in three categories:

After tasting, we revealed each salad's store, name and price before discussing impressions and issuing final grades. While our preferences clearly differed — I favor acidic dressings, Judith emphasized consistent ingredients, Meg was influenced by aroma — clear favorites emerged.

Niko, a deli worker at the Hawthorne Fred Meyer, immediately recommended this salad when asked about popular options. He noted the cashews provide protein while maintaining a medium spice level that wouldn't overwhelm most palates.

This unanimous favorite earned 40 points out of a possible 45 — topping every judge's scorecard. Featuring rice noodles lightly dressed in chili oil with al dente broccoli, shredded carrots and cashews, it was delightfully straightforward. While not the most photogenic salad, its flavor and value ($4.99 per pound) made it the clear winner.

The lightness of the vermicelli-style noodles impressed all three tasters. Judith loved it so much she planned to buy a large container for a weekend barbecue — the ultimate endorsement.

Tina at Basics Market in Hillsdale recommended this salad without hesitation. While several stores featured kale — perhaps Portland's signature vegetable — this version executed it best. The kale was properly massaged, maintaining nice crunch without tasting too tough. Shaved Parmesan, sliced almonds, apple chunks and golden raisins added pleasant notes of funk, nuttiness and sweetness.

One of the prettiest salads in our lineup, it ranked high on presentation across all judges. While Meg and Judith scored it highly on flavor, I knocked points for being too sweet — the combination of apples and golden raisins overpowered the other elements for my taste. At $9.99 per pound, it struggled in the value category but compensated with flavor and presentation to score 33 out of 45.

One of the few featuring creamy dressing, this red potato salad included tiny ham chunks, celery, onion and a subtle dill note.

Potato salads rarely photograph well, but we agreed this one looked appealing. Though mayo-based, the dressing felt light and balanced with vinegar, creating a tangy profile Judith particularly praised. Meg was surprised by the tiny ham pieces — an unusual potato salad addition. We unanimously agreed the potatoes achieved perfect texture: not too firm, not too soft. Goldilocks-approved.

At $7.99 per pound, it scored well on value. But flavor clearly distinguished this salad. It captured classic potato salad essence while incorporating unique twists and maintaining a light enough dressing for hot-weather consumption without feeling heavy. Score: 30 out of 45.

In order of how they finished:

This salad claimed this title at $4.99 per pound. The noodles, cashews and broccoli create a filling salad that could serve as a complete meal without breaking budgets.

This salad earned this distinction. Deceptively vegan, the creamy turmeric dressing was well-balanced, and both kale and broccoli were expertly prepared.

The people’s champion takes another crown. This crowd-pleasing, flavorful, affordable option should please most palates. Vegan and likely to hold up well on buffet tables, it's most likely to satisfy diverse party guests. Even the spice level remains mild enough for heat-averse diners.

A divisive winner, this slaw actually claims this honor. Judith and I scored it high on presentation — the corn, cabbage, carrots and onions provide nice color balance, and ingredients are uniformly cut for an appealing coleslaw appearance. Meg disagreed with this assessment.

Have a favorite grocery store salad? Email us at [email protected].

Happy saving!

Bryan
Founder/Publisher,
Stumptown Savings