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Restaurant of the Week: Salad Nation

Co-Owner Omar Solorzano of Salad Nation (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

Restaurant of the Week: Salad Nation

Nov 20, 20242 min read

Each week, we highlight one of our favorite restaurants in Tucson!

If you think fast food is always unhealthy, Salad Nation is here to change the game.

Salad Nation (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

This family-owned business, which is located inside the Park Place Mall, offers healthy meals that cater to different tastes and preferences, with menu offerings like chicken sandwiches, paninis, fresh salads with housemade dressings, and much more. 

Also, the “salad bar with a twist” updates the menu often, and this time it’s something belly-warming for the season — menudo!

From now until Tuesday, December 31, Salad Nation is offering authentic Hispanic menudo for the holidays.

Menudo at Salad Nation (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)

“We bring a lot of the Hispanic roots that come with Salad Nation from my dad,” said Omar Solorzano, co-owner of Salad Nation. “I was the one who kept trying to make this plant grow — get everything going — and then my mom jumped in. She runs a lot of the accounting and finances, and a lot of the color tones, the logo, everything was inspired by her. And then I’m the one who made all the gears, all of the little internal things that they couldn’t think of.”

You’ll also find Hispanic-inspired flavors in the dressings and traditional soups, like Caldo de Queso, Tortilla Soup, and Mexican Noodle Soup.

Tucson Foodie Insiders

Salad Nation is also a Restaurant Partner, meaning that Tucson Foodie Insiders can score $10 off their meal every month.

For $20 a month, Insiders get a stack of cash vouchers to local restaurants worth over $5,000, free tasting events at local restaurants every month, access to members-only monthly dinner series with local chefs, discounts on events, and monthly mixers with other members. Learn more and join!

Salad Nation is located at 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., space 548. For more information, visit saladnationarizona.com.

Salad Nation (Photo by Hannah Hernandez)
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Article written by:

Matt Sterner

Matt Sterner

More about Matt

At a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.

He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.

If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.

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Join the Tucson Foodie team for a very special dinner at @sawmillrun. A culinary journey from the Sonoran Desert to the summit of Mount Lemmon. TOMORROW! Aug 15, 6-8pm.❤️ 

Tickets in bio.
MENU👇🌲

AMUSE:
Forest Floor
Hazelnut Soil • Whipped Goat Cheese • Black Garlic • Pickled Mushroom • Crispy Mushroom • Mountain Herbs

FIRST COURSE: 
Desert Oasis
Compressed Melon • Whipped Feta • Chiltepin Vinaigrette • Pickled Cucumber • Toasted Pepitas • Mint

SECOND COURSE: 
Campfire Embers
Roasted Bone Marrow • House Chorizo • Pickled Shallot • Cilantro • House-Made Blue Corn Tortilla

THIRD COURSE: 
Juniper Ridge
Juniper-Smoked Pork Belly • Charred Corn Succotash • Prickly Pear Gastrique • Dehydrated Jalapeños

PALATE CLEANSER:
Aspen Breeze
House-Made Lemon Sorbet • Candied Lemon • Fresh Mint

FOURTH COURSE: 
Granite Peak
Mesquite-Grilled Vera Earl Beef • Smoked Tomato Chimichurri • Charred Heirloom Tomato • Crispy Shallot

DESSERT: 
Summer on Mount Lemmon
Arizona Honeycomb Ice Cream • Roasted Willcox Peaches • Huckleberry Compote • Almond Streusel • Honey Tuile

#tucsonevents #tucsonfoodie #mtlemmonJoin the Tucson Foodie team for a very special dinner at @sawmillrun. A culinary journey from the Sonoran Desert to the summit of Mount Lemmon. TOMORROW! Aug 15, 6-8pm.❤️ Tickets in bio. MENU👇🌲 AMUSE: Forest Floor Hazelnut Soil • Whipped Goat Cheese • Black Garlic • Pickled Mushroom • Crispy Mushroom • Mountain Herbs FIRST COURSE: Desert Oasis Compressed Melon • Whipped Feta • Chiltepin Vinaigrette • Pickled Cucumber • Toasted Pepitas • Mint SECOND COURSE: Campfire Embers Roasted Bone Marrow • House Chorizo • Pickled Shallot • Cilantro • House-Made Blue Corn Tortilla THIRD COURSE: Juniper Ridge Juniper-Smoked Pork Belly • Charred Corn Succotash • Prickly Pear Gastrique • Dehydrated Jalapeños PALATE CLEANSER: Aspen Breeze House-Made Lemon Sorbet • Candied Lemon • Fresh Mint FOURTH COURSE: Granite Peak Mesquite-Grilled Vera Earl Beef • Smoked Tomato Chimichurri • Charred Heirloom Tomato • Crispy Shallot DESSERT: Summer on Mount Lemmon Arizona Honeycomb Ice Cream • Roasted Willcox Peaches • Huckleberry Compote • Almond Streusel • Honey Tuile #tucsonevents #tucsonfoodie #mtlemmon
LE BUZZ IS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!🎉☕️

Tucson staple @lebuzzcaffeplaza celebrates 30 years of business on August 22, and we stopped by their Plaza Palomino location to try some of the August specials created just for this location.

🍒Tiki Cold Brew
Cherry-infused cold brew topped with cream of coconut cold foam

🥣Oatmeal Creme Pie Latte
Espresso, milk of choice, house-made oatmeal syrup and oatmeal creme pie cold foam

🎂Birthday Cake Latte
Espresso, milk of choice, house-made birthday cake syrup and birthday cake cold foam

And the food specials are just as tempting:

• Flan French Toast with flan caramel, house-made flan cream, whipped cream and fresh berries

• Croissant Croque Madame with Black Forest ham, Gruyère, mornay, chives and a sunny-side-up egg

Plus, we got to try some favorites from the main menu, including the quiche and soup, Summer Cobb Salad, LeVeggie Burger and Blueberry Brisket Burger.

2930 N. Swan Rd., Suite 130

Don’t wait too long to try the August specials!❤️

Read @jackie_tran_’s article on Tucsonfoodie.com 
#tucsonfoodie #tucsonfoodLE BUZZ IS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!🎉☕️ Tucson staple @lebuzzcaffeplaza celebrates 30 years of business on August 22, and we stopped by their Plaza Palomino location to try some of the August specials created just for this location. 🍒Tiki Cold Brew Cherry-infused cold brew topped with cream of coconut cold foam 🥣Oatmeal Creme Pie Latte Espresso, milk of choice, house-made oatmeal syrup and oatmeal creme pie cold foam 🎂Birthday Cake Latte Espresso, milk of choice, house-made birthday cake syrup and birthday cake cold foam And the food specials are just as tempting: • Flan French Toast with flan caramel, house-made flan cream, whipped cream and fresh berries • Croissant Croque Madame with Black Forest ham, Gruyère, mornay, chives and a sunny-side-up egg Plus, we got to try some favorites from the main menu, including the quiche and soup, Summer Cobb Salad, LeVeggie Burger and Blueberry Brisket Burger. 2930 N. Swan Rd., Suite 130 Don’t wait too long to try the August specials!❤️ Read @jackie_tran_’s article on Tucsonfoodie.com #tucsonfoodie #tucsonfood
Sonoran Restaurant Week is back for its 8th year!🎉

❤️Restaurant owners: Applications close August 14. There is no cost to participate, and you’ll be included in Tucson Foodie’s biggest marketing campaign of the year, featuring print, online, social, radio, TV, menu previews, chef interviews, and more.

From September 4 to 13, local restaurants across Southern Arizona will come together for 10 days of incredible fixed-price menus, giving diners the perfect excuse to explore Tucson’s amazing food scene. 

#sonoranrestaurantweek #srw2026 
#tucsonfoodie #tucsonarizonaSonoran Restaurant Week is back for its 8th year!🎉 ❤️Restaurant owners: Applications close August 14. There is no cost to participate, and you’ll be included in Tucson Foodie’s biggest marketing campaign of the year, featuring print, online, social, radio, TV, menu previews, chef interviews, and more. From September 4 to 13, local restaurants across Southern Arizona will come together for 10 days of incredible fixed-price menus, giving diners the perfect excuse to explore Tucson’s amazing food scene. #sonoranrestaurantweek #srw2026 #tucsonfoodie #tucsonarizona
Opened in 2023, @kabulcorner is Tucson’s only Afghan restaurant, created to provide jobs, community, and a taste of home for Afghan families who made Tucson their new home. 

Today, Sediq Haidari and his family serve traditional Afghan dishes like bolani, mantou, Kabuli palaw, fresh tandoori naan, and house-made chaka, while preserving recipes and traditions rooted in Afghanistan’s rich history. 

With its warm hospitality, authentic food, and strong sense of community, Kabul Corner has become a little piece of home in the Sonoran Desert. ❤️ 

“These dishes are famous not only in Afghanistan, but in neighboring countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Iran, and even parts of China. It sits right between Indian and Arabic food.” Sediq Haidari

Read @sea_lyon’s article on Tucsonfoodie.com 
Photos by @sea_lyon 
#tucsonfoodie #tucsonfoodOpened in 2023, @kabulcorner is Tucson’s only Afghan restaurant, created to provide jobs, community, and a taste of home for Afghan families who made Tucson their new home. Today, Sediq Haidari and his family serve traditional Afghan dishes like bolani, mantou, Kabuli palaw, fresh tandoori naan, and house-made chaka, while preserving recipes and traditions rooted in Afghanistan’s rich history. With its warm hospitality, authentic food, and strong sense of community, Kabul Corner has become a little piece of home in the Sonoran Desert. ❤️ “These dishes are famous not only in Afghanistan, but in neighboring countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Iran, and even parts of China. It sits right between Indian and Arabic food.” Sediq Haidari Read @sea_lyon’s article on Tucsonfoodie.com Photos by @sea_lyon #tucsonfoodie #tucsonfood