Sweetgreen Is Adding Steak to Its Menu

Everyone’s favorite hexagonal bowl restaurant is undergoing a major glow-up.

Sweetgreen, the salad purveyor, just announced that steak will be offered on its menu for the first time as of Tuesday, May 7. A new Caramelized Garlic Steak option can be added to salads, grain bowls, and plates for those who want a topping of red meat with their veggies. 

The new protein add-on is made with grass-fed, pasture-raised steak. The premium-quality beef is seasoned with a signature garlic spice blend and then roasted, giving the steak a caramelized char on the outside and leaving a juicy center on the inside, kind of like a medium-rare seared steak, but cooked in bulk. The meat is then finished by being tossed in extra virgin olive oil and herbs, a combo designed to evoke classic steakhouse flavors (without the extra labor of basting the beef while it cooks). 

Developed by Sweetgreen’s head of culinary, Chad Brauze (an alum of Burger King and Chipotle’s corporate kitchen, so he knows his beef), the steak is prepared using fine dining techniques. More like steak tips than a plated filet, the bite-sized pieces of steak of course match Sweetgreen’s service style, served from the counter line like the already-popular Sweetgreen proteins of blackened chicken, herb roasted chicken, and roasted tofu. If filets are more your thing, go for the miso-glazed salmon, served as a whole 4-ounce portion to cut up as you see fit.     

To launch the Caramelized Garlic Steak, Sweetgreen is adding three new entrees to its menu starring the luxe protein. The entrees are hearty, inspired by data that shows 35% of Sweetgreen’s customers are ordering the fast-casual staple for dinner.  

The Caramelized Garlic Steak Protein Plate will be made with wild rice, warm roasted sweet potatoes, spicy broccoli, tomatoes, and pesto vinaigrette. While the Steakhouse Chopped Warm Bowl combines chopped romaine, herbed quinoa, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, crispy onions, blue cheese, and the chain’s signature green goddess ranch dressing. And finally, the Kale Caesar (Steak) Salad is your standard shredded kale, chopped romaine, tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, crunchy Parmesan crisps, and classic Caesar dressing, topped with steak, plus a squeeze of lime. Of course, every item at Sweetgreen can be customized to your liking, and any already-existing favorite dishes can have steak added to them. 

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles-based salad chain tested the new steak offering at 22 restaurants in Boston. Reddit reviewers varied their takes on whether the steak was “pretty bad” and “rubbery” or actually delicious. One thing was agreed upon: It’s expensive. Though Sweetgreen prices vary by region, a quick service meal with protein can easily exceed $20 from any location. 

Luckily, the steak is now past the testing stages, and hopefully the rollout will appeal to beef lovers eager to splurge. 

“Introducing Caramelized Garlic Steak is a key moment in our menu innovation journey to offer guests more high-quality, delicious options,” said Nicolas Jammet, Sweetgreen’s cofounder and chief concept officer. “During our testing phase in Boston, we saw Caramelized Garlic Steak quickly become a dinnertime favorite, with steak making up nearly 1 in 5 dinner orders. We’re thrilled to bring customers more of what they are craving at every part of the day.”

Sweetgreen has been notoriously unprofitable since the company went public in November 2021, with an IPO valuation of $5.5 billion. This year, however, may be the year shareholders can also splurge on steak. As Sweetgreens stocks have recently surged, revenue is exceeding estimates and additional locations with high-profit margins all point to Sweetgreen finally making some bank this year.