I normally try to brown bag my lunch for work everyday but I just had one of those nights were I didn't want to be bothered. I decided to try a salad shop for a healthy lunch and yelped this bad boy up. In theory it's a pretty simple concept and you can't go wrong but for something reason this became a fail. I make salads all the time and they come out crunchy, bright and full of flavor. After I selected my ingredients the salad was just bland, I don't know if it was who made it or what but it didn't taste like anything. That was the first time I felt like I was eating "bird food" and I loathe that term because I love salads. The establishment itself is nice and clean and there's plenty of seating. Unfortunatley I probably wouldn't come back :( read more

Meh. Part Panera, part Potbelly, part Sweet Green, this chimera of quick food outlets serves up a little bit of everything without any of the house made ingredients, offering the ambience of a harshly lit Starbucks (oh, they do coffee too) accentuated by the dulcet discord of a playlist picked by a likely brain damaged Applebee's hostess. Nothing wrong exactly with the place, but nothing stands out, either...like it tries too hard to walk a tightrope of broad-based appeal, succeeding largely in ambiguity and, "wait...where did I eat lunch today...?" read more

Love eating and studying at this place; however, I visited one Sunday when it was SUPER cold outside and the entire cafe was freezing! Other than that, love this place for lunch and for breakfast. read more

Contrary to its counterpart Sweetgreen, this place has made me love salads again. Portions are bigger than at Sweetgreen and slightly cheaper which is always appreciate it! I normally order the Grilled Chicken Caeser and add avocado and egg to get some extra protein. The sandwiches are good as well and I also get a cookies and cream shake from time to time depending on how healthy I was that week. The food is always tasty, but the servers / people making the salads tend to repeatedly miss some ingredients, even the ones that are standard to the salad! They missed anything from the grilled chicken and/or croutons in a GRILLED CHICKEN Caeser and others they forgot the egg that I added as extra and charge me for it. If you point any of the mistakes out they always correct them, but if you order the salads to go it's a bummer getting home to 'dig in' and realize then that they missed something like that read more

I ate here for the first time today, and I must say--I am sold. The decor is beyond cute, and it actually feels authentic. No weird cartoon-ish paintings of bread to be found here. I ordered the Caprese sandwich on the french baguette and it blew me away. The bread was exquisite, and the mozarella, basil, tomato, and balsamic were all fresh and tasty. The menu has ample choices for lots of different tastes, and I can't wait to go back and try the summer thai salad! The only reason I hesitated to give 5 stars (4.5 would be more accurate) is that I agree with a previous reviewer that the music was very off-putting, both in selection and especially in volume. I loved this place so much when we came in that I thought we might stay a while, read, and order some desert. After maybe 10 minutes of the blaring Nickelback (and Avril Lavigne, I think?!) we decided to leave. It was hard to have a conversation let alone focus on a book with the high-energy outdated pop music filling up the place. I thought about asking the staff to turn down the volume but I didn't want to be "that customer." It's a shame because the space is so charming and the food is great. I think some softer, more relaxed coffee-house music, or even some mildly upbeat folk music (thinking Avett brothes, mumford and sons) would match the vibe much better and make people feel more comfortable. With more care given to the music selection and volume, Sweet Leaf will be a true neighborhood treasure. Excited to go back! read more

I am so happy Sweet Leaf opened in Ballston next to my local golds gym! I can now make a healthier food choice after my workouts. Their menu has a wide select of salads and sandwiches to choose from. The food is always prepared fresh! My favorite salad is the California cobb. I recommend that all my fellow gym rats try this place out. read more

I went to Sweet leaf in their first week of being open for breakfast. It was a day there was really bad snow so I was surprised they were open! I was dying for a breakfast sandwich and ordered the Malibu melt breakfast sandwich. It was really good and I loved the sour dough bread. Good quality! I also ordered the crab soup and a red velvet dessert. Both were really good. Esp the dessert. I'm excited to go back again and try out the salads! Everything looks very fresh and made when you order. And there were lots of healthy options that caught my eye. Great experience and super cute decor! A+ in my book read more

I love this place. It blows sweetgreen out of the water. Everyone is super friendly and there are so many options...smoothies..milkshakes...amazing salads (I get the caprese)...yummy cookies...and of course it all supports sustainable development. Def check it out. read more

I am a big fan of Sweet Leaf and probably eat lunch here 2-3 times a week. They tend to be cheaper than Sweetgreen - and also have shorter lines and similar / slightly better quality and customer service in my opinion. They tend to crowd up between 12 and 1 but I breeze through right before and right after. I also find their rewards program to be exceptional. I feel like I get $2 off my meal at least every other week. I highly recommend the Healthy Start for breakfast and the San Remo salad for lunch. read more

Awesome Salad! They actually let you substitute toppings instead of just charging you extra. Girls working here were really nice too

I had the Cobb salad with chicken and a sugar cookie. The Cobb salad was amazing. I am unsure of the dressing that was used but it was delicious. The portions were generation enough that I had enough for lunch and dinner. Every bite I had bacon, avocado and chicken. The sugar cookie just melted in my mouth. read more

We love this place. Great food, delicious drinks and really nice costumers. We spent an hour hanging out with complete strangers that felt like friends. Has a nice spot outside to sit with dogs as well and take in a nice weekend morning. read more

Overall: Large, fresh salads for lunch or light din Food: -Great make your own salad choices. Mixed greens, kale, arugula, spinach....The best toppings in winter are butternut squash, roasted red peppers, beets, sundried tomatoes, all types of nuts, any types of cheese, any fruit, and all the other typical veges toppings. All of mine, which included the butternut squash, roasted red peppers, quinoa, cucumbers, and black beans tasted very fresh. They have some great homemade dressings as well. I ordered with the basil vinaigrette and it was great on the salad and not sweet. My friend ordered the chicken and swiss sandwich with their homemade pesto. She thoroughly enjoyed it on French bread. -The choice of (signature) salads are not great, but I went with make your own. It's 4 light toppings, one crunchy topping (nuts/Asian crunchies), and a dressing. Meat is $2 xtra and egg/avocado are $1 extra. However they give large portions. As long as the leaves do not go bad you can make the salad last 2 meals easily. -They also had frozen yogurt and parfaits but I did not try them. Price: more than $10 salad is not really my thing, but ill make it last 2 meals and the place is convenient. Service: Quick and easy. Go through the line sweet green/chipotle style. It doesn't take long and the staff is very nice. zero complaints here. Atmosphere: Played great laid back music like Hoosier the whole time I was there. The furniture and walls all give the summer picnic or garden kind of vibe. The place is well decorated and couches welcome to studiers or those just in for a quick bite. Feedback: I got a splinter from the wooden table nearest the door that "must be closed during open hours." The staff may want to look at that table. The splinter took me about 10 minutes dig out! All in all great place. read more

This was a really great place for lunch. The service was fast and friendly, the food was fresh and flavorful, and the restaurant was clean and bright. Really enjoyable. read more

Consistency is what makes a good place great. This place is great. The San Remo Salad Wrap is really, really good. The two others in my party agreed. Looking forward to their other spot, next to Mussel Bar, opening. The three block walk is getting exhausting! =) read more

Heard about this place and figured I'd try it out as it seemed to be a different and perhaps more robust chopt or sweet green. I ordered the caprese sandwich with an add on of avocado. I must say that for the size of the sub and the quantity of the fillings I wasn't totally pleased paying $10. It wasn't a bad sandwich but at the same time it was really anything notable. I'll prob go back and try some other opens on the menu but all in all I'm kinda writing this place off as a notch above potbellys. Based on all the good reviews I was expecting a bit more.. read more

If you are into salads this is a nice place, the only complaint is that they have no protein options, but if you are okay with it, they have great salad choices with delicious dressings, read more

Really amazing and fresh food! We got a morning glory, a Malibu melts, and a sweet and crunchy granola with BlackBerries blueberries mango and coconut. We have a very high standard for fresh food, and this totally matched it. The café is also very spacious and comfortable and clean. The people were totally nice and the prices were very reasonable! Would be great with kids as well would be a great place with kids as well. We will definitely be back. read more

Love this place! I live closeby and were excited to check this place out when it opened. I've had the San Remo Sandwich, The Fresh Stack (add chicken), and the California Cob. All were delicious and very fresh! Skip over sweetgreen and come here--lines are shorter and the food is more delicious. We have also tried the smoothies and frozen yogurt. SO GOOD! Couldn't be happier with this place. Also, everyone who works there is very nice, which makes me happy to be there! read more

I'm usually not one who gets excited about sandwich/salad places, but this place is sooo good! I got the Caprese sandwich on multi grain toast. The mozzarella was absolutely delicious and I could tell all the ingredients were clean. The interior was decorated nicely and the people were nice and helpful as well. read more

I like this place. It is one of the better Ballston lunch options. The food is fresh. The service is with a smile. The problems are they are just over the line of over-priced. $10 for a salad or a sandwich is too much, especially with Harris Teeter a block away selling equally as-good for about half the price. (Both deli subs and salad bars). I also don't like the lack of soda fountain, only bottles as an option. Parking can sometimes be annoying too (only street, and metered). read more

Despite the long lunch lines, Sweet Leaf is probably the best place to go in Ballston if you are looking for a healthy wrap, sandwich or salad. What I like most about Sweet Leaf that gives it an edge over Sweet Green is that they offer way more options. Included on their menu are wraps and sandwiches and even breakfast items. Their ingredients are always fresh and stocked. I've never been when they've run out of something which tends to happen at sweet green quite a bit. The overall atmosphere is more welcoming as well. It is definitely a place you could take your laptop, order a coffee and sandwich and do some work. There are also a few out door tables as well. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating - if you chose not to get an ingredient that is included in the menu item they willingly ask you if you would like to substitute it for something else which I find extremely nice. TIP: if you download the sweet leaf app you can get rewards for every dollar you spend there which definitely comes in handy! read more

Good quality sandwiches on choice of bread, the kids PB&J is excellent: fig jam, quality crunchy peanut butter, on wheat seeded bread, your choice of toasted or not. read more

Salads are awesome! Friend and I had the California Cobb salad and the asian chicken salad! Both are very refreshing and super yummy! Highly recommended! read more

The food here is great. The grilled chicken casar , the ciabatta piccata and the koo koo roo are my favorites. They have a different soup everyday which are really good to. I recommend ordering using the phone App so you don't have to wait. It can a busy around lunch time. read more

Delicious food, friendly service, fast delivery. The ambiance is friendly, and the noise level is kept low so that one can easily hear conversations. Recommended for any occasion - professional or personal! read more

When a group of us were working on a project that spanned dinnertime, we decided to try Sweet Leaf in Ballston. We looked at the online menu and each made our selection. I then took the list to Sweet Leaf. One of us particularly wanted the roast beef (listed on the online menu) to be added to her salad. When I put in our order, I was told that roast beef had been removed from the list of options some time ago. Other than Sweet Leaf's failure to keep their online menu up to date, the salads and sandwiches were quite nice and I will probably return. But I will call first to be sure that I can get what is listed on their online menu. read more

Great fresh salads, served simply, and without much pretense. My only complaint is the high-pressure custom-ordering system - too many decisions to make, too fast, with a long impatient line behind you. They have a small list of "pre-configured" salads, which I usually choose from, rather than crumble under the pressure. Unfortunately, there is at least one ingredient that I don't like. I recommend that they provide more pre-configured choices for emotionally frail salad-lovers like me. read more

This is my go-to place for clean eating (paleo) in Arlington @ a reasonable price. I usually go with three little kids in tow, so I need quick and kid-friendly with a good kids' menu (cheese quesidillas and fro yo are a hit with my little ones). Love the make your own salad - great range of ingredients - roasted cauliflower, butternut, avo (extra charge), edamame, fresh pesto to name a few of my favorites. Plenty of seating, friendly staff and laid back. Definitely a hidden gem! read more

Awesome! Went last night for a salad and was very happy with my meal. Staying down the street at the Marriott and looking for take-out. Saw this as we were walking our dog and decided to try it. Did not disappoint! I had a Bowl, with lettuce, saffron rice, black beans, grilled chicken, goat cheese, which I substituted, tomatoes, a few nacho chips( just enough) a little spicy mix, avocado, little sour cream and balsamic dressing. So fresh! I think they grew everything right there!!!! I would definitely go back when in town again. The girls working were pleasant, friendly and explained everything since I had never been there before! We also got a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie which were freshly baked and delicious! Prices were good as well! Thanks for a great late night dinner!! A farm to table restaurant! read more

So many options. GF and vegetarian friendly. Always delicious and fresh ingredients! They have lots of options and recommendations, but you can make your own as well. Lines get a bit long around lunch time, but it goes fairly quick. read more

general manager rich davila was super nice and welcoming for our first visit!! food was great as well

I frequently drive by the Sweet Leaf in Vienna on my way to work and have always been curious to try it out. Finally an opportunity presented itself the other night to go with a friend and my assumption of it being a salad-centric establishment with the likes of Sweetgreen had been incorrect. [Quick note: Parking can be difficult because there's only street parking.] We visited just before closing and were pleasantly greeted. My first impressions were great with the warm decor and cleanliness. Their menu was extensive and consisted of sandwiches, salads, all-day breakfasts, smoothies, etc. We picked a sandwich and wrap and they had a large topping bar behind the glass if you wish to make your own sandwich or add any additional items. I was particularly impressed by the presentation of the bar because it was clean, organized, and fully stocked and fresh looking (again, we came 20 minutes before closing). After returning home to eat our meals, they were flavorful, filling, and fresh. I would return again. read more

Wow!! I had the Malibu Melt...definitely the best breakfast sandwich that i have ever had. The toasted sourdough, perfectly cooked egg, avocado....yummo! The restaurant itself was lovely, but I stayed outside to enjoy the last of the summer mornings. I will certainly become a regular of Sweet Leaf! read more

Great addition to Ballston. Really good sandwiches, salads, and frozen yogurts. I'd recommend the fresh stack with chicken and san remo. Everything is reasonably priced as well. They have a pretty good setup for grabbing a quick meal and it would also probably work well for studying. read more

Went for lunch today and was pretty impressed. I chose the San Remo sandwich on wheat bread. Everything was very fresh, high quality, and they were very generous with the contents including the avocado (which I feel like many places skimp on). I also picked up the potato salad as a side. While the potato salad was tasty, it wasn't necessary since the sandwich alone was plenty for lunch. I will definitely return and try some other menu options. The salad toppings looked very good. They even had roasted brussels sprouts (which I love!). Oh, and they have ice cream and some very yummy looking desserts. read more

I absolutely love this place! I'm pretty much obsessed with the Asian Chicken salad, among all the other pretty awesome salads and sandwiches they have. They also have a great kids menu so needless to say this place definitely works for my kiddo as well as myself (always a plus.) Overall, I really enjoy eating at Sweet Leaf, from the friendly staff to the great food, I highly recommend this place! read more

I love this place!! I've only had their salads so far - but they are leaps and bounds better than Sweetgreen and Chopt'd. Very excited about this new addition to the Ballston neighborhood. read more

This place is good. I come hear almost every day. In fact, I am here right now. I just profoundly dislike that you can't be here between 2:30 and 3:30 pm when they cook their bacon. The entire place gets foggy with smoke and the smell is toxic, truly toxic. I have walked out several times just because of that. I just don't get why they do not see that this is a problem which could be easily avoided by cooking the bacon in their central kitchen. Otherwise, I would give this place more stars because they offer better food and selections that others in the area including Sweet Green. read more

Great food and phenomenal service!! I was pleasantly surprised with the service. My young son dropped his water cup and it rolled far under the drink refrigerator. Upon asking for assistance, the employee not only recovered it, but he also washed the cup and refilled it with clean water. My family and I will go back to Sweet Leaf often. Thank you for your professional, service oriented attitude. read more