cobb salads from chick-fil-a and zaxby's
I wouldn't typically go to Chick-fil-A or Zaxby's for salads, but I did for this taste test.
  • I ordered basic salads at Wendy's, Culver's, Chick-fil-A, and Zaxby's to see which chain was best.
  • Wendy's used to rule the salad game, but I was underwhelmed by my Cobb there.
  • If you want quality on a budget, Chick-fil-A's customizable salads are the way to go.

Fast-food restaurants aren't necessarily known for their healthy options. Heck, McDonald's has vehemently exited the salad game at US locations, in part due to a lack of interest.

Local restaurants and salad-specific chains like Sweetgreen and Just Salad are on the rise, but if you know where to look, there are still some great options at the drive-thru.

I tried basic salads at Wendy's, Culver's, Chick-fil-A, and Zaxby's to see which offered the tastiest dish for the best value.

Here's how the fast-food chains stacked up.

First, I ordered a Cobb salad at Wendy’s.
outside a wendy's
My local Wendy's looked completely empty.

I started my taste test at Wendy's, my old go-to spot when I needed a salad fast.

The chain's salad menu does have some nice variety, though, with Caeser, Cobb, apple-pecan, and taco options.

For this comparison, I went with the basic Cobb.

The Cobb salad comes with crispy onions.
cobb salad with toppings and dressing from wendy's
I thought Wendy's salads used to be bigger.

A traditional Cobb usually has greens, tomatoes, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, grilled chicken, and a vinaigrette dressing. Wendy's version wasn't too far off, but it swapped in cheddar cheese and ranch dressing.

I got two packets of dressing with the salad and a bag of crispy onions to sprinkle on top.

The ranch wasn't particularly flavorful, but the addition of the onions added a dash of flavor and crunch.

Wendy’s is no longer the salad savant.
wendy's cobb salad
Wendy's Cobb salad was just OK.

The Cobb salad cost me $9.13 at Wendy's, and despite being on the smaller side for this taste test, it was pretty filling.

My biggest complaints were that the grilled chicken and ranch were a bit on the bland side, and the bowls felt flimsy and shallow, making it difficult to blend the ingredients.

I remember Wendy's salads being bigger and a little more impressive, but maybe it's just been a while since I've had one.

Zaxby’s was my second Cobb salad of the evening.
outside a zaxby's
There wasn't much of a crowd at my local Zaxby's.

Next, I drove over to the closest Zaxby's location. The chain is primarily known for its seasoned and breaded fried chicken.

A salad isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Zaxby's — I'm personally a fan of its funnel cakes and other fried foods. So I wasn't surprised that the chain only sold two Zalad options: Cobb and house.

This Cobb had near-perfect portions.
cobb salad from zaxby's
Zaxby's salad came in a hearty box.

With mixed greens, hard-boiled egg, cheese, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, fried onions, and fried chicken, Zaxby's salad was certainly fully loaded. But despite all the accouterments, I thought the ratios were spot-on.

Similarly to Wendy's, Zaxby's uses cheddar jack instead of blue cheese, perhaps because the stinky variety isn't everyone's favorite.

For the dressing, I had a choice of ranch, honey mustard, or vinaigrette, and the salad came with a hearty piece of Texas toast on the side.

I also really appreciated that I was in and out with my salad in less than four minutes. I like fast food that's actually fast.

Zaxby's had the biggest and most expensive salad.
cobb salad from zaxby's
The Zaxby's salad even came with a side of Texas toast.

Zaxby's salad came in a more substantial container than the others, which also meant the portion size was a bit bigger. But it was the priciest salad at $12.60.

I was already a fan of the chain's top-notch fried chicken, and enjoying it on top of a colorful salad ended up being a delightful experience.

Chick-fil-A packs a punch — but in a smaller container.
outside a chick fil a
The drive-thru at my Chick-fil-A was packed.

Chick-fil-A is a popular place to be. Many locations have even added a second line to their drive-thrus.

But I've found that the chain operates efficiently (albeit slower) than other fast-food spots.

Nevertheless, if you breeze past the many chicken options, Chick-fil-A has three salads: Cobb, spicy Southwest, and market.

I liked that the salad was a bit customizable.
salad, toppings, and dressing from chick-fil-a
I was intrigued by Chick-fil-A's interesting topping and dressing.

Chick-fil-A's Cobb salad is made with mixed greens, roasted corn kernels, bacon, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, and chicken nuggets. It's served with an avocado-lime ranch dressing

Unlike the other chains, this salad allowed for a little more customization. I could've substituted the nuggets for chicken strips or fillets that were grilled, fried, cold, or warm.

Instead of fried onions, the salad also came with a topping of crispy bell peppers.

Chick-fil-A really impressed me.
cobb salad from chick-fil-a
I'd definitely order another Cobb from Chick-fil-A.

The real hero of this meal was the creamy dressing. It pulled the flavors together and was unique compared to the other offerings I tried.

Even though the packaging was on the smaller side, the salad was densely packed. It was also incredibly delicious and kept me full for hours.

I'd pay $10.40 for this Cobb again.

Culver’s seasonal summer salad was a close comparison.
outside a culver's
I like Culver's, but it can be crowded.

Culver's has a fantastic ButterBurger, but the Midwest-based chain actually makes a pretty great salad as well. Oddly enough, they're sectioned off with the seafood options on the menu.

Although there wasn't a Cobb on the menu, the seasonal strawberry-fields salad caught my eye — I'm a sucker for a limited-time offer. With mixed greens, chicken, blue cheese, and vinaigrette, I thought it was close enough to a traditional Cobb to compare to the others.

There were also chicken-cashew, cranberry-bacon-blue, and garden-fresco salads.

The seasonal salad came with two vinaigrettes.
a salad and two dressings from culver's
I was a little thrown off by Culver's mismatched dressings.

The strawberry-fields salad came with raspberry vinaigrette, blue cheese, strawberries, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and pecans on a bed of mixed greens.

But when I picked up my order, I was handed one fat-free Ken's vinaigrette and one Culver's brand option. It was a bit odd, but I like having options, so I didn't mind.

Culver’s satisfied my sweet tooth.
strawberry salad from culvers
I didn't even feel like I was eating a salad at Culver's.

Culver's packs its strawberry-fields salad with enough fruit to make it feel like a dessert. That alone probably makes it a little harder to compare to the Cobbs, but at the end of the day, a fast-food salad is a fast-food salad.

This one is for people who don't want to feel like they're eating salad. There were enough toppings to saturate each bite, and at $9.77, it was a cheaper option.

My only complaint was that the grilled chicken was a bit bland and didn't really add anything for me.

Price became my deciding factor for this salad review.
salads from chick-fil-a, zaxby's, culver's, and wendy's
Clockwise from top left: Salads from Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, Culver's, and Wendy's.

Although none of the salads were bad, when it came down to crowning a winning chain, Zaxby's and Chick-fil-A were neck and neck for me.

They both offered quality ingredients, decent portion sizes, and top-notch taste.

If you're looking for faster service, Zaxby's might be the one for you. But Chick-fil-A's Cobb salad is a more budget-friendly option.

Considering Chick-fil-A's salad was cheaper and so dense that I actually had leftovers, I think it has to be my winner.

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