My coworker took me here when I visited his office location for a quick lunch. The layout is kind of weird, with random lines everywhere and a big counter right in the middle of the room (super in the way!). I got the chicken pesto sandwich with the buffalo chicken salad. The chicken pesto was under seasoned and didn't taste like pesto at all. The buffalo chicken salad was very good! It comes with their cornbread croutons, yum! Their tomato basil soup was also very good. Perfect with their croutons too. I wished they had indoor seating. Maybe take out that awkward counter to make some room for small tables. read more

Currently eating the Chicken and Wild Rice soup from this place. It's so creamy and delicious, I can't believe I haven't tried it before! I also had the hummus and flatbread. The hummus has a good texture and flavor, and as long as you eat the flatbrad before it gets cold this is a perfect snack. As for the salads - delicious. Pear and Bleu Cheese is delicious. And now the sammys....I have tried a few different pannini's, and they weren't anything to brag about. The cheese is melted in a microwave and then the sandwich is placed on a pannini grill to ensure grill lines on the bread. One time I had a pannini with avocado, and the avocado turned brown. Eww!! read more

I got the half panini and soup combo for lunch. The chicken wild rice soup was hearty and decent. It was more "homey" tasting than flavorful but it got the job done. The panini was what made me give this Croutons a 1 star review. I ordered the Italian panini and it was dripping in what tasted like ranch sauce. I look at the sandwich description on the menu and it's actually supposed to be a garlic mayo sauce but it just tasted like intense ranch to me. My panini had so much sauce on it that the bread was falling apart from the moisture. This is not what a panini is supposed to do. The contents of the sandwich were so drenched that I only ate half and then threw it out. I couldn't handle it anymore. Don't come here. read more

I really like this place. The salads are always good and the soups are just soooooo delicious. The service is usually pretty good as well.

I hate this place but I still come reluctantly because it's the only place to get a salad across the street from work. The only good thing is that it allows an extra 20 minutes of conversation time with my lunch buddy as we're waiting in line. Everytime I walk in, I am frustrated by the operational INefficiency of this place. Changes I would love to see: --Improve the flow: Don't put the soda machine before the cash register. --Create more waiting space: The cabinet that dispenses napkins/knives/forks is too deep; reduce the depth to create more walking space for customers. Get rid of that middle divider; it doesn't help separate pre-order and post-order placement customers because the pick up window is on the pre-order side. --Too many cooks in the kitchen: Increase the width of the kitchen so that your employees don't run into each other. In fact, we don't need to see employees making the salads (the glass is too high anyway), so why don't you take that part of the operations into the back? --Serve customers that are present: Don't pick up the phone when there's a line of customers (aka money) at the door. read more

Had Croutons for the first time last month and I've eaten there almost once a week since. The only things that I've tried are the Albacore Tuna "flatini", Asian chicken salad, and the chicken & wild rice soup. All of them were delicious!!!! I don't venture too far from what I like, so hopefully I can get myself to try something else there. It can get a bit pricey though, just for a sandwich/salad/soup. The service is really good and I've never had to wait more than 5 to 7 minutes to get my order...which is cool because they get pretty crowded there (line is usually out the door when I go during peak time). read more

This place is fantastic! I have been eating here for many years now, the only downside is there operating hours (only open til 2? I crave their soup on cold days!) Their entire menu is amazing and while it's going to cost a few more dollars, the portions are very generous and they definitely don't make it until you order it! My favorite meal to order is the soup and sandwich combo; albacore tuna on fiocca bread with their wild rice soup - that is enough to feed me for lunch AND dinner! I wish there were more Crouton's locations and longer hours! :) read more

I used to work up in this area, and hoped this was another Chez Nous (search Yelp, then go there). It's not. The salads are pretty boring, and the sandwiches basically all taste the same. The real problem, I think, is that the sandwiches are pretty much all made early in the morning, and then put in the refrigerator, until you order one; then, they take it out and put it on the grill thing for a couple of minutes to heat it up. But really -- bread that's been in the fridge? You know how it's going to taste. Like cardboard. The salads are all more or less the same mix of greens (mostly romaine, really), with some other stuff added. But none of them are all that special. The pear and blue cheese is alright, but you pretty much have to cut up the pear yourself because it's never quite completely chopped through. When the owner used to work there it was run better, but I think he left to supervise a new location or something. On top of that, they raised their prices a year or so ago, making it even more outrageous. Also -- it takes pretty much forever, because, even though it's mediocre, it's still probably the best place to eat in this lousy food court type place. Sorry, Carlsbad people, your options are limited. read more

I go to this place on a pay day or if a co-worker or friend offers to buy. I always try to get something different...and so far have not been disappointed yet by this place. Lunch hour does suck Monday thru Fridays from 11:30-1:00pm to get food from here, so I HIGHLY suggest calling and paying for your order over the phone for quicker faster service. Otherwise....you're in for a long wait. Their menu can be downloaded at croutonstogo.com Their menu consists of: salads (signature & specialty) in small or regular size - Price range from $4.75 to $7.45, panini and Flatini sandwiches (signature & specialty) - price range from $6.45 to $6.95 Soup of the day - varies...$3.95 for a small and $5.25 for a Regular Usual fountain drinks and bottled beverages Sides: warm ciabatta or flatbread 95 cents, small bag of chips for $1.35, or hummus & flatbread for $2.45 I usually get a COMBO: choose two items from - half size salad, half panini or flatini, or soup. My total usually comes to $8.25 I'll usually get: SALAD - Pear & Blue Cheese - romaine and spring mix with crumbled blue cheese, fresh pear, candied walnuts and poppy seed vinaigrette Mixed Berry- romaine and spring mix with weasonal berries, crumbled gorgonzola, candied walnuts and berry vinaigrette Frank's Spinach- spinach with strawberries, feta cheese, toasted walnuts, smoked bacon, red onions and balsamic vinaigrette SANDWICHES Chicken Pesto - oven roasted checken breast, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto mayo Vegetarian- tomato, avocado, red bell pepper, red onion, mozzarella, ranch dressing Californian- oven roasted turkey breast, avocado, smoked bacon, tomato, swiss cheese, mayo Margherita Chicken- oven roasted chicken breast, fresh basil, sun dried tomato, provolone cheese, basil pesto mayo Since the place is kind of pricey... I wouldn't bring my entire family to eat here haha until my kids grow up, get a job and will be able to pick up Mommy's tab. HA! The only thing my hubster and kids will eat here are the sandwiches. They have different San DIego locations at La Jolla, Sorrento Valley, and on the UCSD Campus. For the Carlsbad location, I would recommend to take your food back to your office or home to eat...especially during a weekday lunch hour. read more

Loved croutons since I was in college. The pick twos (soup,1/2 sandwhich, salad)for $8 is exactly what I need for some variety! Their chicken and wild rice soup is pretty good. I like the broccoli cheddar as well. All their panini's are awesome. And I love their berry salad! Ahh it's awesome there is a croutons right next to my work. I come here a lot to grab lunch! read more

Love croutons. Great food, can be a little pricy, but it's worth it. I love their Mediterranean Salad and Californian Panini combo. Lunch for two days for less than 8 bucks! read more

Croutons is definitely my go-to lunch option when I am in the mood for a yummy bowl of soup (and possibly accompanied with 1/2 a sandwich). I stopped in for lunch today and ordered a bowl of turkey chili (which was beyond amazing!!) and 1/2 a grilled cheese (which is not on the menu, but they so graciously made me one). I could have done without the grilled cheese, but the chili was delish! Especially when you top it off with their cornbread croutons- perfection. The other soups I enjoy are the cuban black bean, and the tomato soup. I have also tried the chicken tortilla, and although it was good, it was not my favorite. It is a little on the pricy side. My meal today cost $11 without a drink, but overall it is good quality and a great lunch option for the area. During the noon lunch rush, it gets pretty busy, so either call ahead, or be prepared for a line. read more

The one thing that makes this place 4 stars for me is the short wait I experience when I go during prime lunch hours. I ordered a mandarin chicken salad and absolutely loved the chicken. It wasn't over coated with sauce, and neither was the actual salad. Love the selections and healthier options that this Croutons provides in the midst of a food court serving tons of delicious junk food. Great for call-ahead orders, especially if you want to avoid the crowd and get back to work during workdays! read more

There no better sandwich place in the area. And for the price, it can't be beat. Would recommend it.

Gotta say good things about Croutons in the Carlsbad office park food court. I think they have the right balance of fare that is healthy, a decent value, and quick/easy. Especially when you consider the options available at most food courts in the same vein of this one. Personally, I go for the salad & sando combinations. Its hard hard to go wrong with the large # of option/selections on either side of the ampersand, but I lean towards the spinach or napa valley salad, and the chicken peso panini. Most of my co-workers who eat here are happy with the food, too. Listen, no good deed goes unpunished and Crouton's popularity is also their Achilles heel. The "bad" things are well articulated in the other reviews, but it boils down to this: (1) they get stupid 'line-out-the-door' busy during the lunch time office park rush. But if you can read this review, then you have a brain. The grey matter should tell you that it can get fueled up 30 mins earlier (or later,) than 12 sharp. Especially if it's ego needs to avoid a dilemma between avoiding the business-casual iPhone lunch hoarde and eating a simple healthy meal. (2) Yes, they might screw up your order. Especially if you are the 50th caller during a 10 minute span, when there are also 25 people scrambling over each other to get to the order counter. Wanna increase your chances for 100% accurate order? Fax it in or call at 11am. Worried that salad is gonna get cold...? Use the office fridge until the lunch meeting starts. (3) Its not cheap. If you want cheap, there are lots of place in the food court with cheaper grub. But if that's your driver, and you need to save money... why are you eating out at teh food court? why not just stop by Costco, get a pallet of Ramen, and get to know the folks that hang around the office microwave? The kicker to send them from 4 to 5 stars, is the super friendly and accommodating staff. They have 3-4 really cute gals that work that register, phone, and fax as best they can. I've found that they are friendly and chipper, even during the worst of the armada onslaught at 12. Recently, I placed a phone order just a few minutes before they closed. Of course, I got caught at my office door by the boss who had a few urgent topics. Despite getting there ~25 minutes after closing, they had kept my order and were kind about my tardiness. Hard to beat that kind of customer service in the face of a sucky customer. read more

Excellent customer service, fresh foods and convenient to the Carlsbad business park. They have fresh but not fresh juices. Possibly this could be added in the future. read more

I've been here so many times since I've been looking to eat healthy, and it seems to be the best choice in the area. It's not exactly cheap, but hey I'm on a business trip. Here's some key points: - The balsamic chicken salad is unsurprisingly sour. I'd be concerned about the tartness between the vinegar marinated chicken, balsamic dressing, and the dried tomatoes. Luckily, the walnuts added some sweet balance and the bleu cheese gave the salad a pungent variety. - The turkey artichoke flatini was bomb. The turkey is light and the cheese is mellow. I have no idea what the sauce is but it is sweet and creamy The artichoke added a nice tang to the whole thing. - The tuna flatinis are PACKED with tuna salad. At least half a can in each. They're a bit bland though, so it's well paired with a strongly flavored salad like the balsamic chicken salad. - The tuna salad contains AT LEAST a can of tuna. And that's with the small order. I'd recommend against this for anyone at risk of mercury poisoning. The light vinaigrette is exactly how it sounds, so this salad could use a bit more flavor. - The tomato basil soup is more like a tomato onion soup. It's really chunky from the onion, but it's interesting and sweet. read more

Although this place is a tad on the expensive side ($8-$11 on average for a meal and drink) I love the customer service and food here. The ingredients are always fresh and the salads are made per order. I have never had a salad or meal from here that I didn't like. They also have soups and paninis. They get pretty slammed between 12-1pm (line is usually out the door) but it is amazing how fast they go! The ladies that work the register are always so kind and remember names of their regular customers. When I was 8 months pregnant a couple summers ago one of them gave me a free drink cup once saying "You're so beautiful and pregnant you need a free drink in this heat!" It made my day! I have worked next door to the food court where Croutons is for almost 7 years and have never had a bad experience. Definitely recommend! read more

Chicken pesto panini. ($8.05 with tax) Bread: yummy Chicken: dry dry dry Pesto (mayo): non-existent There's a very pale green bit next to the bread but you can't taste it at all. Might as well not be there. So... pricey for a bland dry panini. But at the very least it was a good portion. read more

They have the best soups!!!! I love going here for the cream of chicken and rice, and their avocado is the bomb... their salads seem to have a lot of lettuce in them and could use more ingredients. Their soups are the Star! read more

My sandwich was not NEARLY as advertised. Processed chicken breast, tomatoes on the sandwich that are not clearly pointed out in the menu (and I am HIGHLY allergic to them). The sandwich looked dry and tasteless, as I had to toss it in the trash. The next time the company offers to buy lunch, I'll decline and go to 7-11 instead read more

Great croutons. I usually don't eat them, but I ate all of them. My Cobb salad was really good too. Lol.

My favorite lunch place since I started to work in this area. I personally like the salads but they also have nice Paninis. The staff is very friendly and the service is usually fast even though they are very busy (can get longer if you take a sandwich). Definitely not a four stars restaurant but a great place for lunch. It's part of an outdoors food-court so seating is outside only (which is usually not a problem here). read more

Amazing service and attention to detail. Lou is beyond helpful and truly interested in customer satisfaction. Add to all that - the salads are unique and delicious. One of the few places that I've ever dealt with that didn't make an error on a large and complicated order to go. The lunch we carried out got raves from every attendee - thank you for making my job so much easier and my personal Friday lunch the best one ever!! read more

Crouton's disgusting standards need to be stopped. I can only speak to their salad preparations but the fact that they mix every salad in the same bowls without cleaning them is VILE. There are three dirty bowls on display for their customers to see. As I waited for my salad, I watched each salad be prepared in these unwashed bowls over and over again. The standard should be to use clean or new utensils, as is with other salad places with sanitary practices. This is nothing short of gross not to mention dangerous for anyone with food allergies. read more

I am seriously torn between the "meh" option and the "A-OK" option. I fear that I am not going to say something that hasn't already been said but here goes. My biggest con with this place is that they ALWAYS have screwed up my order. I am typically the office gopher and do the runs to get food for meetings. So, it is usually 5-8 people ordering various soups, salads, etc. Of course, it is perfectly natural for one thing to get crisscrossed here and there. I have had at least three occasions where I got back to the office and well over half the orders were totally wrong. One time I was missing three items. Before you say anything, YES I take full responsibility for not checking ahead of top and opening every single container to ensure accuracy. My bad. However, if you have every been to this complex during lunch time, you know very well that the crowds and parking are enough to cause a mild ulcer. So after several scenarios that go like the one below, the mere thought of Croutons gives me hives. - Call in Order - Wait appropriate 15 minutes, exit office to car - Drive to location - Get into parking lot, search for spot, have three Lumberg from Office Space look-a-likes cut you off, steal your spot and/or glare at you for not turning in your TPS Report - Finally find a spot. Yay! - Get to said location and there is a line out the door and about 15 people deep. - Arrive at cash register "waa waa waaa, phoned in my order, waaa waaaa" - 15 minutes later "um, excuse me, do you have an order for Andrea?". You get answer Answer A- "oh yeah, that was ready 30 minutes ago and has been sitting back on this counter". (accompanied by the standard you are a dumb ass customer look) OR Answer B- "Ahhhhh yeah, just a few more minutes" - Panic because the other 7 waiting for their lunch will be in the meeting room in less than ten minutes - Get food, glance in pretending to accurately check that all items are correct. - Rush back to office, put food in center of table - Three people missing soup, vegetarian didn't get theirs and everything has meat, my boss is completely missing hers, they gave us three Napa salads where we ordered 6 BBQ, no dressings were included, etc. - Everyone glares at Andrea from not being able to get a simple lunch order right So despite all that, what made me stick to a three star vs. a two is simply that, despite the negatives the place might have, the food is always fresh and very tasty. I can't go below a three star when damn it, the food is yummy. read more

The staff acts extremely inconvenienced by customers, you can tell they want you to leave as soon as possible so they can go back to talking to each other. The layout of this place is bizarre- you walk in, order, walk out of the building, and then pick up your order- this could be designed much better for the customer experience. The food is lackluster (Santa fe salad? NASTY) but the Pininis are ok- just ok. The only reason this place gets more than 1 star is because they're the only spot in the food court that serves sandwiches! read more

This joint is within walking distance from where I work. The place is very small, which is fine, it is not meant to be a sit down type of eating establishment. The service has always been good and fairly quick. It can get very busy at lunch time, through no fault of theirs, but do plan for the extra time it may take. The food is pretty good. They offer sandwiches, paninnis (sp?), salads and soups. All, freshly made. It is a bit on the expensive side, but it beats the heck out of Subway. read more

I had the combo with half sandwich and salad. The chicken pesto panini was delicious and the bread they use is so so good. I had the pear and blue cheese salad which I also loved, it was delicous. I highly recommend this place, it gets busy at lunchtime but so worth it! read more

Now I'd give it a 5 star rating on food alone, but the wait is always a little ridiculous. I've waited up to 20 minutes for my food, just chillin by the door while two people behind me received theirs. It's alright, I understand that some things take longer than others, but doesn't it just tick you off a bit when the person behind you gets their food first? Anyway, I digress. The Pear and Blue Cheese salad is TDF, and I've never experienced a pannini gone wrong. Great food, long wait. read more

Their specialty salad are very good! At the Island of Carlsbad there are only two good places to eat... J Box and Croutons. Overall the salads are very fresh (i think they are a bit heavy on the dressing thus I always asks for only half dressing). I wouldn't recommend any of their sandwiches... basically it is flat bread with a thick slice of meat (definitely not a man's sandwich). I especially like their pear salad and BBQ chicken salad. read more

This place is so yummy! I own a business in the same shopping center and myself and my staff eat here all the time. The soups are incredible! It is very clean and they are pretty quick with orders. I am so stoked that Croutons is so close for lunch. read more

My santa fe salad was very yummy and was the black bean soup. I liked eating in the outdoor food court on lovely sunshiney day. Not sure what the whole crouton thing is about. read more

The vegetarian sandwich is soooo good. Usually if I order a veggie sandwich at other places I leave still feeling hungry. This croutons locations knows how to do it. AND it was the lunch rush hour. I wish I had taken a picture but the bread and vegetables were generous and tasty. Also, Sean the cashier is very nice. read more

Used to eat here every week for work and since I've moved I miss it a lot. Fresh, healthy sandwiches and very creative salads with reasonable prices. Come off lunch peak to avoid the hordes. read more

Not bad, not great. Some of the lettuce in both my wife's and my salad was completely rotten... all dark and mushy. After picking around it everything tasted good. Chicken Panini was so-so... almost no chicken though. Bread was delicious. Salad dressing was good but again, almost no chicken... just a lot of lettuce and walnuts. For $23 our the door for 2 of us and these things considered... not sure I will be back, nor will my wife. Which is unfortunate since she works across the street. Too may other much better options in the same "food court". read more

I work in the area, so this place is an excellent change of pace from home made lunch or food trucks (not that there's anything wrong with those two options). If you're at the Island, and looking for something outstanding, you've have several options to choose from, but I would suggest the turkey chili. Not being one for red meat due to dietary concerns, the chili is a definite and hearty go to for me! read more

Absolutely love this place. Come here several times a week. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Their soups are a must! I've yet to have a bad meal at Croutons. Love the fact that there is one close to my office! :) read more

The chicken pesto panini is off the chain!!! I also like the Asian salad! Consistently fresh and delicious, great lunch spot! I would call it in tho - the line is downright obnoxious during lunch. read more

I only go here for the soups cause they are so good, and on a rainy day its all I can think about. I often get the hummus and flat bread too which makes for a nice side. Though its gets absolutely packed around noon, they are quick and organized so things move along fairly quickly. Get there around 11:30 and you won't have to wait. I always get the chicken and wild rice soup, a must try. read more