The restaurant itself is small and has limited seating (about three tables and some countertop seating). All of their salads are amazing, and you have the ability to make substitutions to their salads, or build your own. The portions ARE HUGE!!! I usually get the Backyard BBQ salad (mostly for the dressing!) and have enough leftover for lunch for one or two days. The price is a little high, but you get SO much salad for your money and all of the ingredients are super fresh so it completely evens out. Love Fiddlehead! read more

Literally my favorite place ever! I wish I had one back home in Maryland! I always order the Backyard BBQ salad and they are huge salads! It is pricey but I'll always pay to for it! Their soups are delicious too! The ingredients are fresh and amazing. Some of the tossers don't put in as much as others but that's my only complaint! FAVORITE!! read more

Fiddlehead - Backyard BBQ forever!!! - Soup Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

This is my go to place for salads. I order the kale Caesar, sub fresh tomatoes for sun dried and half kale half iceberg. Recently, however, I have noticed that I taste the sanitizer they wash their aluminum bowls with--thus the 3 stars. Definitely 5 star potential. read more

Salads are HUGE soooo filling so definitely worth the price, honestly could split it between two people. Always busy (definitely for a good reason though) and the employees were super sweet(: The poppyseed dressing is my favorite! read more

By far the best place to get a salad in State College. Also, the best place to get robbed for a salad in state college. I get the Gaucho every time because it's delicious, but its like $11 for a salad! Us college kids don't have this kind of money. The mushroom soup is delicious as well, but only order it if you're willing to drop 15 bucks here. I personally prefer to go to Noodles & Company so I can save a few bucks, but when I'm in the mood to splurge on a great salad, Fiddlehead is the place. read more

Delicious salads. A bit pricey, but the salads are GIGANTIC. My recommendation is to split one salad per two people. There will still be leftovers, easily, and you will both be full. read more

Fiddlehead - Backyard BBQ salad (~$10) - HUGE. - Soup Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Went to Fiddlehead for the first time today. It's from the owners of Irving's so I had high expectations. They were most definitely fulfilled! Staff was quick and helpful. I got the Backyard BBQ salad and it was great. They ask you how much dressing you would like instead of just squirting a gallon on, that was a nice treat :) They are very much into "Buy Fresh Buy Local" as many of their ingredients are either made from scratch (breads, soups) or sourced from local farms (veggies, eggs). I love to see this and will pony up a few extra bucks for it. $9 for the salad isn't to expensive anyway. I need to try the soup for 5 stars...will edit post eventually. If you want cheap, frozen, garbage imported food...go to McDonalds! If you want a wholesome delicious salad or soup made from local ingredients, Fiddlehead fits the bill! read more

As a vegetarian, I basically live off of salads and this is the first time I haven't been able to finish a salad. So impressed with the size and variety. I tried the pear salad yesterday and today I got the kale caesar with tofu and both were excellent. Service is fast and friendly. read more

Pretty cool concept. They have tons of ingredients. I come here like once a week. All salads are bout 10 bux but you can make it last for 2 meals minimum and maybe even 5 meals max. It goes without saying the bowl is pretty friggin big. They also got meats ranging from chicken, bacon, beef, to even shrimp. If they could do a salmon, id probably come twice a week. read more

My favorite salad place. I ordered the same thing every time and never got bored. Spinach, asiago cheese, mushrooms (sometimes), homemade croutons, avocado, grapes, & corn. Avocado lime dressing - I am addicted. I have lived in NY a while now and no one has a similar dressing. It's truly unique. The ingredients were fresh 85% of the time I came here. If I saw the mushrooms were extra dark, I just didn't order them. Service was fast and efficient. Everyone was friendly. Prices are on the higher side, so watch what extras you add. read more

Ordered the ri-pear-ian salad and New England clam chowder. Absolutely scrumptious. The chowder was so good that we ordered another :-)

Definitely a great place for salad and soup lovers! I find it extremely difficult to eat healthy during the school year because everything you have around you here in State College is fast food, crappy dining hall food, fattening fast food downtown and at the hub, and all that nonsense. Sick of buying cheap and un-tasty salads at McLanahan's or some weird cafe on campus? Fiddlehead is the way to go. While I'm not too familiar with the soup menu, I have tried its salads and you have to option to put it together (but beware because you might go overboard and pay a lot!). The options are limitless and there's a plethora of types of...well, anything you can put into your mix. I really like the variety, especially the seasoned tofu because I LOVE tofu. The only complaint I can find about this place is the price. It is somewhat steep for a bowl of salad, but it's a pretty darn big bowl of salad. Workers are generally friendly but obviously inexperienced with the cash registers lol. Anyway, I enjoy coming here when I'm in the mood for some good, fresh salad (like 24/7). I recommend coming here. read more

(Actually 3.5 stars) The first time I was here, I got a Cardini salad. It had romaine & iceberg, roasted chicken, asiago cheese, croutons, parmesan crisps, and Caesar dressing. It was pretty tasty, but a little salty (and I'm usually not one to complain about saltiness). On my second visit, I created my own salad with romaine & iceberg, roasted chicken, edamame, carrots, red bell pepper, croutons, and spicy sriracha vinaigrette. The lettuce wasn't as fresh this time and was mostly iceberg. The vinaigrette was decent. Most salads here are around $10 and are absolutely huge; they're definitely enough for two meals, which kinda makes up for the price. The employees are friendly and quick. The floor could do with a sweeping, though. read more

This place is great if you're a huge salad addict-- hands down. Fiddlehead is a cute small shop that allows you to make your own salad, and a sure as hell good one. for the price payed, they give you a good amount of salad making it easy to share with another person. What I got- spinach, asiago cheese, egg, mandarin oranges (a must!), corn, chicken and some bomb avocado lime dressing. It was so refreshing, delicious, and quite filling I would definitely come back if I stayed around here, just to grab a quick, fresh, and guilt free lunch read more

Fiddlehead - get tangerines in your salad! - Soup Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Stopped by for a light lunch. Choices are limited. Cobb salad is just ok. No diet or unsweetened drink options except water. Only 1 soup option. Breadsticks are cold Very limited seating and our table is falling apart. Not coming back here. read more

Everyone ordered the Bob Cob salads and tweaked them to make them their own. The salads are enormous !!! A great mix of greens with bacon, chicken, red onions, avocado.......etc. When I said enormous, I meant it. The salads weighted between 2 to 3 pounds each and no one finished them at the restaurant. These salads were big enough for 2 or 3 people to share. The salad creator was great and very personable. Unlike other places if you delete and item or two, you are offered to substitute with other items or double existing items. My son and I don't like avocado so he got double bacon and I added shaved brussels sprouts and chunks of bleu cheese. The best and most plentiful salad I have ever had. If you are in State College and want a fantastic salad, THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO ! read more

Their salads are good, but a bit pricey- although you do get a good bit. The bowls they put them in are so small you are barely able to shake them to mix well. I few more options of toppings would be nice as I am a huge Saladworks lover and they have much more. Overall good quality. read more

Fresh, local ingredients, simple menu, cheerful staff. One server even put up with my request to see a dressing label (to check ingredients) with a smile. That's so rare! I had the kale caesar. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the chicken topping - none of the salt-saturated briny strips you get at some other restaurants. Be aware that the kale salad uses adult kale leaves, (not baby kale), and they don't tenderize them with sea salt like other places do. This means the kale might be tougher than you're used to. Price point is high, but so is the quantity. I'm only going to finish about half of this - but that's okay because it's served in a durable plastic bowl-like container; I can just pack the rest away for later. read more

This cute salad place downtown has a nice menu of suggested salads that can be easily adjusted to your personal taste. I got the ri-pear-ian salad and swapped out the all spinach base for half spinach and half spring mix. Then I swapped out the cheddar cheese for grapes. Some swap outs for premium toppings like chicken might cost a little more, but I liked how there was no limit as to how much you could customize it. If you wanted to start completely from scratch, you could even do the build your own option. You can then add a light, medium, or heavy amount of dressing. I got a light amount, but I would say it was medium amount by my standards. The portion was large and could be split across a lunch and dinner or be eaten for a larger lunch salad. My salad was so good that I went with the latter and ate the whole thing! They come in plastic containers that are easily portable for a college student on the go. My only complaint would be the price. At around $10 per salad, a student could easily blow a budget if they frequented here often. Overall, I loved the customizability and convenience of Fiddlehead and would definitely stop by again! read more

Fiddlehead - A large portion for one person. Ri-pear-ian salad - Soup Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Great salad but they recently got rid of Asiago cheese. The add ins get pricey and the chicken is dry but something about the salad always hits the spot. read more

Fiddlehead changed management in 2015, and ever since then it's been a consistently worse experience. The greens are about the only thing that is consistent, but who can't take salad out of a bag, right? The "chicken" is a strange mystery meat with soggy breading, and the once-awesome parm crisps are now soggy shadows of their former selves. The bacon bits are always soggy, and stay far, far away from the Gaucho it's actually inedible. Really sorry to see the poor choices the owners have made for this place. read more

Amazing Amazing Amazing! By far this is my favorite place to grab a quick and delicious salad or soup. It is not your ordinary place. They have a variety of healthy toppings to add to your greens. My favorite are their homemade croutons! Thats right homemade! Their portions are great, very filling. I love that they have different options for soups everyday. My favorite is the cream of mushroom soup. Everyone should definitely try it. They offer inside and outside sitting and free WIFI! The password for the WIFI comes with your receipt, which makes it convenient so that once you sit down you don't have to get up until your meal is done. :) I highly recommend Fiddlehead to anyone that wants to get away from their busy schedule for a little bit and enjoy a yummy salad or soup. read more

Salad was great! I have membership. I always make my own. but, this time i found a hair. Short black hair-NOT mine. Threw my salad out. Please wear hair nets!! read more

Fiddlehead is home to the freshest salads in State College. My absolute favorite is the Oh so salmon. The salmon is cooked perfectly on top of a bed of spring mix, crunchy sugar snap peas, cucumbers, scallions and the amazing creamy dill dressing. You can customize it in any way or completely make your own. A bit pricey if you add a lot of toppings but is worth it for the sheer freshness and variety of the ingredients. Also, I should add that it is a huge salad and large enough for two people... or if you're like me perfect for one... because I love salads! read more

The salads here are fairly expensive ($8-11), but considering they're made with very fresh, local ingredients and are big enough for two, I'd say it's worth it. My salad was delicious and actually provided salad for three meals, since I asked for the dressing on the side. The Chicken Fusilli soup was pretty good, not too salty like most places around here. I recommend getting the pasta on the side if you aren't planning on eating it right away. The girl working at the counter asked about that and it seemed odd at the time, but I understand now that the fresh pasta (from Fasta Ravioli) can get mushy if it sits in the soup for an hour. I can see how the other reviewer could say the soup was bad just because it didn't have strong flavors or enough fat, but the place is pretty health-conscious and probably didn't want to make a soup full of butter, cream and salt. If in doubt, just ask for a more detailed description of what you want before you order it. All in all, this is an interesting place because it offers tasty, fresh and local food, which is something State College lacks. read more

The Food: (Above Average) My intentions for going to Fiddlehead was to explore healthier meals around campus, which could still be delicious in the end. Fiddlehead did not disappoint! Visually, it reminds me of an upscale Subway with a plethora of ingredients laid out before you. Unlike Subway, Fiddlehead is more conscience about healthy ingredients and recommends combinations that all looked appetizing. I ordered an "Own It!" salad (custom salad) and choose a combination of Iceberg/Romaine Mix, Banana Peppers, Mushrooms, Hard Boiled Eggs, Feta Cheese, and Spicy Sriracha Vinaigrette. It was the best salad I ever had! Even though this is coming from someone who doesn't eat many salads, keep in mind that it is only because I was never really impressed or excited for salads. I am actually looking forward to having another salad from there. As a side note, although I have no proof on this claim, apparently the ingredients are acquired locally, and thus the freshness. The Atmosphere: (Average) The dining area is limited but comfortable and the inside of the restaurant is cozy (i.e. a nice escape from the crazy PSU winters). It kind of has a cozy cafe feel and the smells are natural and refreshing. The outside of the shop is always well maintained and inviting. If you are eating inside, I think it is appropriate for groups no larger than 3 people. The Price: (Above Average) As with most establishments that focus on natural ingredients and a large variety of salad combinations, the price tag just slightly pushes the limits for a self-sustaining college guy. For instance, my salad and a bottle of water cost around $8.50. HOWEVER, I must emphasize that the portions are very large and I will easily get 2 meals out of the salad. Also, the ingredients were remarkably fresh tasting. Therefore, I will actually say the pricing is just right for the location and audience. No more, no less! The Service: (Above Average) Again, using Subway as a comparison, the servers that prepared my salad actually looked like that had a beating heart and were, in fact, alive. They were quick in the preparation while attentively listening to my selection and used visibly clean tongs to mix up the salad. It was kind of fun to watch! At the end day, they were an above average bunch of line servers that made the most of a mundane job. Props! Overall: I found one of my new favorite eateries at PSU, where I can feel healthy about my food selection. It's a nice place to invite a friend while chatting and staying cozy. In fact, because the ingredients served here make for a light and fresh meal, it is probably great to come any time of year. read more

The salad ingredients and dressings are delicious but the soups can be hit or miss. I've had the baked potato & buffalo chicken soups that were delicious, but also the French onion and the tomato soup which were horrible. The French onion didn't have croutons or mozzarella cheese & basically taste like onions in watery broth, and the tomato soup was so thick it was more of a sauce that could've been used for pasta. read more

Fiddlehead has a huge variety of delicious salad ingredients and they always have really interesting, different soup choices. I just wish they would offer a smaller salad size; I can't finish a giant $10 salad myself and salad doesn't keep all that well to eat the next day. read more

Best salad! i love how everything is custom to your taste buds! A lot of food for your money!

Overpriced and VERY underportioned. I wasn't close to full even with a large soup and almost $2 worth of bread. It was good and nutritious though, I'll give them that. read more

The "best for you" food downtown! I actually crave their salads. I recommend the Bob Cobb. Something important to know that's not posted anywhere, is that you can swap out ingredients. Any veggies in a "named" salad can be swapped for any other. Same with the meats. The Bob Cobb is heavy on the good stuff - chicken, bacon, egg, and avocado plus veggies. I also swap out the dressing to the fiddlehead vinaigrette - delicious and not too heavy. Super paleo salad! These salads are big! Big enough to start at lunch and finish with dinner. Winner, winner chicken (on a salad) dinner. read more

I came here because of all the great reviews but I don't understand why it has such reviews. It was a nice place and the workers were very friendly, but overall the roasted chicken and ranch dressing I got were completely tasteless. I also didn't like how they don't cut up your salad. At a salad place in my hometown they cut it up for you, here they don't do that so you have to either eat one ingredient at a time or cut it up yourself. I was overall disappointed and didn't even want the rest of my salad, I won't be returning read more

The soup I had here was incredible - Apple Chicken. My Kale Cesar salad was also very good, but seemed a little pricey. LOTS of good healthy options here. Most people seem to be ordering salads, but the soup is where they really shine. They'll even give you a taste first. read more

Wow! What a nice departure from the fried foods typical to the area! The salads are a bit pricey, but are big enough that I can usually split it into two meals. The soups are also fantastic! Overall this is a top notch place. read more

Great salads - they are a little on the pricey side but I got 2 meals out of mine. Nice that they will let you reuse your bowl. Fast service, clean location, very nice employees. read more

SALADS. TOO. BIG. your salad portions are the epitome of America's ridiculous obsession with large quantities. why do you feel the need to make one salad equal to the size of two, normal, standard sized salads? i enjoy the salad for the first half, and then start to feel quickly ill. however, with it being a salad, it doesn't necessarily keep well, so saving it for later really isn't in the cards, especially when i know that said "fresh ingredients" can't be nearly as fresh as you promise being that they are coming from somewhere in state college aka central pennsylvania. cut the salad sizes down. you go to get a salad to feel somewhat healthy, not like you just downed an entire burger and fries. read more

Staff was rude when I asked for a fat free dressing (which they didn't have). Nothing special and not worth the price.

Great salads, I'm just not sure why they make them so big. Every time I get a salad I end up paying $11 and can only finish a third of it. I always try to save it for later, but it ends up getting soggy and going to waste. read more

Loved it. Had the bob's cobb, with spring mix, exactly what I needed. Huge salad, with fresh veggies & meat, awesome.

Great and great big salad - a perfect place for a vegan to stop for a bite!