The Southwest Salad Challenge: McDonald's Vs. Arby's

Fast food restaurants are doing their fair share to cut into the world's health-conscious demographic. So they're adding all sorts of interesting options to their menus-in the way of salads, wrap sandwiches, and even fresh fruit. One of my all-time favorite dishes is the "Southwest Salad." In the past, I have typically been able to find this type of salad at neighborhood bar&grills, in addition to chains like Chili's, Applebee's or T.G.I.Fridays. This tasty concoction usually consists of grilled chicken, various types of greenery, a black bean/corn relish, some tortilla strips, and a zesty Southwest style dressing. While these items are staples in this salad, there are many different variations of ingredients, as I have come to find out. McDonald's recently joining the "Health Brigade", has introduced its own version of the salad, much to my delight. Arby's has had a similar healthy concoction on its menu for quite some time, though their version is called the "Santa Fe Salad." So I thought it would be interesting to see how these two fast food restaurants stack up against each other in a Southwest Taste-Off.

THE CHICKEN

Arby's Santa Fe Salad is served in a fairly large disposable bowl, and is brimming with ingredients. Dispersed delicately across the bed of greens and other edible foliage, are the chunks of sliced chicken fingers. Arby's chicken fingers are heavily breaded and very filling. By themselves, they taste great. But I would have preferred that the chicken have seasoning that is befitting of this type of dish. I also thought that the breading Arby's uses takes away from the overall taste of the salad.

My visit to McDonald's rewarded me with the option of having either grilled or crispy chicken atop my salad. In fairness, I have had both. And the grilled chicken version of this McDonald's treat is much better. This chain advertises the chicken as being "cilantro-lime" glazed. Truthfully, I could not taste the "lime" part. But the chicken's flavor blended very well with the vegetables and dressing. Both restaurants offered up substantial servings of chicken.

Chicken Challenge Winner: McDonald's

THE VEGGIES

What really makes a salad a salad, are all the other ingredients. This is where Arby's does not skimp. Mouth watering romaine and iceberg lettuce creates a supple bed for the other items. I was quite pleased to see that Arby's includes slices of red onion in the Santa Fe, as red onion gives salads a good flavor. Included also, are a few cherry tomatoes (which I could have done without, as I'm not fond of tomatoes in my salads.) Offered to customers on the side, is a packet of tortilla strips. The strips are nothing fancy. As I ate, I got nothing "special" from them aside from providing additional crunch to the salad. Shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheeses garnish the concoction. Overall, the ingredients were fresh tasting and filling. But the salad has a "generic" feel.

McDonald's, on the other hand has a wonderful assortment of mixed greens, and even some red cabbage. The black bean/corn relish was very tasty. There just wasn't much of it in this particular serving. Additionally, the tortilla strips (which are included in the salad, instead of on the side) appeared to be missing from my meal. I do not know whether this was an isolated incident, or a testament to McDonald's customary handling of salads. Either way, the few extras that existed were extremely flavorful. The black bean/corn relish truly did epitomize a "Southwest Flavor." The only tomatoes to grace this salad were included in the "relish." Again, this was to my liking; but some may not find this appetizing. Topping off the extras in McDonald's Southwest Salad is a cute little wedge of lime. Nice touch.

Veggies Challenge Winner: McDonald's

THE DRESSING

Truly, the most important part of any salad is the dressing. One could have all the most exotic and delicious vegetables and ingredients. But if the salad dressing is wrong, that simply will not matter. At any rate, Arby's Santa Fe Dressing is light in color with a hint of that "chipotle" color. What I liked in particular was the delicate balance of creaminess and tanginess.

McDonald's serves Newman's Own Southwest Salad Dressing, which is a popular brand. I was surprised to see that this dressing was dark orange in color (for a creamy dressing). What hit me right away after tasting the Newman's condiment, was the sweetness. Ordinarily, I am not fond of sweet dressings. But the added bonus was that it is fairly spicy---much spicier than the Arby's dressing. I actually wished that Arby's dressing had a bit more kick. But I know from my own personal cooking experience that it's easier to add zest, than to "take away" a sweet taste.

Dressing Challenge Winner: Arby's

THE VERDICT

It's a pretty tough choice, deciding which one of these salads I actually liked more. Where Arby's ingredients are plentiful, McDonald's are more flavorful. Where Arby's adds a couple of extras (onion and tomato), McDonald's adds more exotic mixed greens. McDonald's wins over simply because the chicken tastes better. But Arby's dressing is lighter and tastes creamier.

The real way to tell which salad is best is to decide what you're looking for in a Southwest-style salad: taste, health, or both. It should be mentioned at this juncture that Arby's salad will pack close to 800 calories onto your daily diet, while Mickie D's keeps you safely around 500 (with the crispy chicken option) or below (grilled). Newman's Own dressing definitely beats Arby's in the way of health benefits. And even though I actually preferred Arby's dressing a bit better, I would much rather pay less money for the salad at McDonald's, which has a better overall value for the kind of meal it provides.

SALAD Challenge Winner:McDonald's