Although Adair Kitchen is open for all three meals of the day, our favorite time to stop by is for lunch, for the salads. If you’re looking for something uber-hearty, opt for the Super Food grain bowl featuring brown rice, kale, avocados, toasted almonds, pickled red onions, roasted tomatoes, and cucumbers served mixed with a sweet ginger miso dressing. For something on the lighter side, but still packed with protein, try the Chicken Harvest with grilled chicken, butter lettuce, avocados, goat cheese, strawberries, candied walnuts, and sweet green dressing.

What we love most about Barnaby’s Café is that its servings are so supersized that you’re guaranteed to be able to bring at least half of your entrée back home with you, no matter what you order. That extends to the salads as well. One of our favorites is the cobb salad. For something a bit lighter—but also massively sized—opt for the Sausalito Chicken Crunch salad. There’s also a dinner plate–size side salad if you’re looking for something daintier.

Like a tropical hideaway, the magenta-hued Bohemeo’s in Eastwood is the perfect place to get a little work done or unwind over a drink or two. The Mean Green salad here is a combination of all the good stuff: pumpkin seeds, avocado, mixed greens, bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, and tomato. For something more pungent, opt for the Fruit & Greens featuring mixed greens, apples, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, and Bohemeo’s own delicious house-made shallot balsamic vinaigrette. The $5 side salad here is a perfect light snack if you’re not looking for a full meal.

This cute Montrose staple does a lot of things well—think decadent burgers, fun pizzas, and, specialty coffees—so it’s not a stretch to figure the salads rock here, too. Its simple caesar is packed with big flavor thanks to pecorino and capers, and the heart of palm adds a nice texture. The kale and quinoa salad is another must-try, featuring kale and quinoa (of course), spinach, cucumber, tomato, feta, and avocado, all smothered underneath a lemon vinaigrette. While there, make sure you say hi to Boo, the restaurant’s resident patio pup—and maybe offer him a spare crouton or two as well.

While Mediterranean restaurant Craft Pita is known for its titular pita sandwiches, its salads are also noteworthy. If you’re looking for something refreshing, try the Feta Summer Salad with feta, tomato, cucumber, red onion, fresh mint, parsley, and pomegranate vinaigrette. The Crispy Tahini Salad is another solid bet. It comes with organic greens, red cabbage, quinoa, crispy chickpeas, red onion, cucumber, tomato, cilantro, and a tahini dressing. Consider chasing either option with an order of manaeesh (Lebanese flatbread), which you can use to soak up any remaining dressing or vinaigrette from your bowl.

While there are many salad options out there, it’s not uncommon to come across ones so loaded down with cheese, dressing, and other accoutrements that they aren’t actually all that healthy to eat. Fortunately, you never have to worry about that at Leaf & Grain. The restaurant’s bowls, salads, and plates all come jam-packed with nutritious ingredients. None accomplish this feat better than the restaurant’s MFH Veggie Boost 2.0, which comes filled with veggie goodness by way of shredded kale, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, curry cauliflower, pickled red onion, goat cheese, roasted pepitas, and golden raisins—all doused in a creamy avocado vinaigrette. Round out you meal with one of Leaf & Green’s refreshing smoothies.

Benjy Levit’s health-forward and locally sourced concept is attempting to take over Texas, and if the local love for his salads is any indication, he has a good shot. Offerings do change and rotate out regularly, but a favorite here is the Asian Chicken, whose ingredient list is a little different from location to location. Any Local Foods sandwich can also be prepared as a salad for no extra cost, meaning you can come here for some of the saladverse’s most unique creations.

If you like to endlessly customize your salads, you can’t find a better spot to do that than Hawaiian poke concept Okome Don. Start with either romaine or spring mix as your base before adding proteins such as salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. From there, add in veggies like edamame, sweet corn, or cucumber before dousing everything with a healthy dose of spicy mayo, ponzu, even unagi sauce. Add in some sides like pickled ginger, kimchi, and seaweed salad, then top it all off with sesame seeds or seaweed strips.

We love a good little soup and salad moment, and our favorite place to have them in Houston is at Postino—and not just because it gives us an excuse to have a glass of wine with our lunch (well… maybe). One of our favorite salads here is the Hannah’s Field featuring kale, heritage grains, apple, apricot, toasted almonds, pecorino stagionato, pickled red onions, and an apple cider–mustard vinaigrette. Equally compelling is the uber–crunchy brussels sprouts salad with kale, brussels sprouts, Manchego, spicy marcona almonds, bacon, dried cherries, and a lemon Manchego dressing. Both salads are, of course, served with either a cup or bowl of the soup of the moment… and as many glasses of wine as you’re in the mood for.

This charming (and refreshingly granola) Montrose restaurant tasks itself with creating “high frequency foods for feeling good.” What does that mean exactly? Well, the food here is complex while also being functional—think lots of superfood ingredients and items with anti-inflammatory properties. The salads here are some of the freshest you can find in Houston. Start with the Kelp Pad Thai, which combines kelp noodles, zucchini, serrano peppers, red cabbage, carrots, cashews, micro cilantro, and a sesame–cashew tamari sauce. Then chase all that down with the strawberry toast with coconut yogurt probiotic cream and a side of the quinoa falafel. Your stomach—and, really, your whole body—will thank you.