Keene Fresh Salad Company ~ Keene, New Hampshire

Good Eats in Town ~ 14th Issue

Today, instead of bringing lunch from home, I stopped by Keene Fresh Salad Company. It really is one of my favorite lunch spots in Keene.  I was turned on to the place by my friend Sarah Daniels back in 2003, when I first came to work at SVE, and I’ve been enjoying fantastic lunches there ever since.

Keene Fresh Salad is located right downtown in the center of Keene, and it makes a great destination for a lunchtime walk. You can pick up a delicious, healthy meal and eat in, eat outside at the tables on the sidewalk, or take your food to any one of a dozen enjoyable spots downtown.

There is a great menu to choose from. You can have salads, sandwiches or soups and all come with these delicious slices of fresh homemade bread. On a normal day, I can probably eat only half a salad; they are huge. Today, however, maybe due to cool rainy weather and no breakfast, I devoured an entire Southwestern Chicken Salad with Ranch dressing, which is probably my favorite salad.

I love that you can order a salad, order the type of dressing you want, select a bread…the opportunities to mix and match are endless. All the food; the salads, the soups, the breads; they are made from scratch from healthy, and tasty ingredients.There is a cooler full of waters, iced teas and sodas, but KFSCo also serve a nice selection of wines, local craft beers, delicious coffees and teas.

Timing is everything when coming here. I arrived just as they opened today, and there were only a couple people in the shop, so I had my salad lickety split and off I went, back to the office to eat and relax. As I was leaving, people were already coming in, some with individual orders and at least one person with a laundry list order for her entire office. Often both indoor and outdoor seating is jam packed and there is a hefty line at the order counter. But even if you have to wait in line, its worth the trip. The food is great, people in line are usually friendly, and the owners and workers are fantastic, friendly and enjoyable to chat with. Its just a great place for a meal!