Souplantation
23870 Aliso Creek Rd, Laguna Nigel, CA, 92677
Souplantation Menu
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Large Salads
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Sweet Tomatoes
Healthy Meal suggestions for Souplantation
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Large Salads
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Sweet Tomatoes
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Address :
23870 Aliso Creek Rd
Laguna Nigel, CA, 92677 - Phone (949) 831-6055
- Website https://bit.ly/y6WPi8
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Ralph W.
This Souplantation is somewhat different than the others by the fact that they require you to pay first then start piling on the fixings and salad bar offerings. Parking can be somewhat tight since this mall also includes Whole Foods and many other shops, restaurants and small establishments. Also, did I mention Kids Eat Free! And make sure to sign up on their website for weekly coupons and emails announcing their seasonal special offerings such as their tuna salad, cajun days red velvet lava, banana upside down cake days and their delightful curry lobster bisque. The Souplantation is my son's most favorite place to eat. Reason is because he gets to sample all of the fresh foods the Souplantation has to offer. Our L.O.'s favorites include their blueberry muffin tops, gooey mac n cheese, that wonderful jiggly concoction we all love-jello, that fresh and fluffy cornbread, that warm and cozy, made from scratch chicken noodle soup and that occasional creamy swirl soft serve cone to top off his man baby feast. My L.O. not only loves to eat the food here but every time we dine here he tends to start a mini food fight with all the offerings and it all ends up on the floor. Again, sorry faithful employees and fellow patrons of this establishment for encountering this feisty man child in his orange infant chair. Now this part of the review goes out to all of you hard working table attendants at the Souplantation. We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for screwing up the tables and floors beneath with all the food and napkins we dispose of. We can't help it. And we hope you received our small gratuities that we leave. We salute you for all of your hard work. We will be back.
(4)Kathi L.
We used to come here fairly often, but unfortunately, in recent months, the quality has decreased quite a bit. They've been trying to upgrade the place, and it definitely looks nicer. They've replaced the acrylic glasses & plates with actual glasses and dishware. Yes, they may look nicer, but they're also much heavier, and that makes it more difficult for kids to carry. They've also replaced their real whipped butter with packaged pats of butter, which are so cold you can't spread it on anything and you end up tearing your bread apart. At our last visit a few days ago, as I was getting my silverware, I noticed the knives were all incredibly dirty. I had to hunt around to find one that was clean. My other chief complaint is that the quality of the salad items seems to have gone down as well. The lettuce isn't as fresh, and other vegetables just didn't look appealing. The radishes were brown, not white and crisp. I do love the soup and baked potatoes. But the baked potato condiments were relatively empty and hadn't been restocked. This has been my kids' favorite restaurant for a while and unfortunately, we probably won't be coming back.
(2)K.A. B.
Had not been to a Souplantation for several months and returned last night. Looks like this location was recently remodeled. The salad bar selection was ordinary and lackluster. Person refilling salad bar was slapping out new product like it was for livestock...no care whatsoever, just dumping bins of feed. Not appetizing. Soups were okay but nothing special. Acoustics with the new styling seemed louder than ever and the place was full of noisy little kids. Not my idea of a pleasant dinner experience. The whole experience felt industrial. We won't return.
(2)Crystal C.
Came here on a Friday night around 6:30pm. Never. Again. This is the first time I ate at Souplantation after a 5 year hiatus, and the selection of food has only decreased, sad to say. Don't expect anything more than a simple salad bar, a variety of soups (hence the name), a few bread items (muffins, focaccia bread, sourdough) and a small potato bar. That pretty much sums it up. It really would not have been so bad, but the line was ridiculous long - mostly because people had to wait for food to get replenished! They definitely need to hire more staff and at a couple times throughout the night, they ran out of silverware! I was disappointed mostly when we wanted water, but all they had were a couple of pitchers on the side. What? No drinking water? Very interesting. The best part of the experience though, was the service. The wait staff always cleared our tables and the man at the register got me silverware. By wait staff, I mean the one guy that seemed to be assigned to the area. He got Souplantation the three stars. It would have been two. Would I come back? Probably not. Is it an easy dining option for families though? Most definitely!
(3)Jennafer F.
The layout of this location was a bit different cua you pay first which threw me off. But this is one of the cleanest souplantations I've been too. Plus I tried to get a soup that wasn't ready and the chef told me it'd be a little while and to check back to see if it was done. Instead he brought it to me when it was ready. Super nice. Thanks for taking care of your customers. He went out of his way and above his duties and I appreciated it!
(5)Jeff W.
I've always loved souplantation when growing up but haven't attended in recent years ! went back on a business meal with my boss and have to say it was great! the space has been remodeled and all the dishes brought back good memories !
(4)Julian F.
This place used to be good... then they upgraded it to look like a school cafeteria. Along with the "upgrade", came dirty cutlery, dirty plates, and dirty soup bowls. If you're lucky, you can sometimes find a soup that's hot, but mostly they're just tepid while in the "heated" serving bowl, and barely above room temperature by the time you get to your table. I'm sure there's a minimum temperature at which hot food must be stored to avoid dangerous bacteria growth. I guarantee the soups here are not above that temperature. If you're also lucky, you may find a fully baked potato, but even if you do, its probably cold enough that the butter they supply (in tiny single serve plastic tubs) will not melt. Most of the time, however, the potatoes are hard and not fully cooked... If they haven't run out entirely! And that's another thing... how can a restaurant run out of popular items on the menu? If they're popular, order more of them, and cook them in enough time to replenish what's running out. One time they ran out of chopped onions! Onions! The most basic food item in any kitchen! The salad bar is clearly just topped up, leaving old, graying vegetables left in the pans. Where is the pride in running this restaurant? Was it tossed out with the old furniture and decor?
(2)Keith L.
This restaurant has been recently remodeled. Salads are usually freshly stocked and soups are piping hot. The breads and pasta dishes are tasty too. The cashiers are always friendly and they usually say , 'Thank you' when you leave by the front door (there is a side door exit). The managers are courteous and attentive to the customers. The only reason why I didn't rate them 5 Stars is because the servers are sometimes very slow in picking up used plates and soup bowls. The managers would notice and come by and bus the tables themselves. Not sure that's the solution for inattentive and slothful servers. These servers may not want to share their gratuities with management! :-)
(4)Ken M.
Horrible experience. They wouldn't let me buy a small soup for dine in. And they call this place souplantation. It's deceiving in every way. Never coming back.
(1)Nancy M.
Of late I have not been satisfied with any Souplantation. This plates, bowls and cups have all shrunk. In order to obtain a bowl of soup you need 3 visits to the soup bar. In order to satisfy your thirst - same goes. I just feel as if prices went up and bowls/containers shrunk!
(1)Vanessa G.
My kids fave for vegetarian dining. They have great soups, salad bar...and kids fave...Mac and cheese, pizza, baked potatoes and desert options... Always clean and friendly place. My fave is the Asian Ginger broth. I add in tofu and green onions. Also the vegan black bean chili - I think I had 3 bowls.
(5)Reza N.
The best souplantation I've been to. You pay first, then walk through the salad bar. Restaurant is clean, and their staff are nice and helpful. Outdoor seating is pleasant Everything was fresh in a relaxed and laid back environment.
(5)Maria S.
I've always loved this location. They have great customer service and I love the food. Huge disappointment today when I found hair in my salad, several of the dishes were dirty with old food melted on the plates and bowls, and the women's bathroom had toilet paper, tampons, and a beer can left in one of the stalls. In all my years of eating here I have never had this experience. Perhaps this location is under new management or they were simply having an off day. Needless to say cleanliness is extremely important in running a restaurant.
(1)Tamara P.
I love coming to Souplantation for lunch and this is my favorite location to dine at. I like this branch's simple layout and smooth flow to the restaurant versus other branches like the one in Brea, CA where you pay for your food AFTER you select all of your items, balancing your tray and have to fidget with purse to get your payment. It's a little frustrating especially when you have a little toddler with you to keep track of. This branch is always kept clean by the workers and the vegetables, all of the toppings, soups and pasta are always fresh. Not only do the workers do a great job of keeping the food area very clean, but I always see them around refilling whatever items that are running low. They are reasonably priced and often offer monthly coupons via e-mail, which helps bring the price down. Make sure that you sign up with them online to receive these valuable coupons!
(4)Georgette C.
It's hard to find a place my kids like and they absolutely love it here! Fresh salads, hot soups and chili, mac and cheese, pasta, baked potato, fresh fruit, and ice cream! Kids can never get enough of it. Sunday breakfasts are good with Belgian waffles, French toasts, scrambled eggs, pastries and fruit but they could have more breakfast items like bacon and sausages and less lunch options like salads and baked potatoes. Subscribing to their program is the best as you get coupons in your email. For a family of four you can pay $25 only with beverages included. Make sure you use those coupons! They have very good customer service. From the cashiers to the people cleaning the tables, they all make sure you feel comfortable. We have become regulars now.
(4)Cali G.
Im a souplantation nut. This location i like because they add little extras to the bar. Like Pico de gallo salsa. Really great. But the only odd thing that is different from every other souplantation I've ever been too and i mean across the nation, is. ....the signature salads are at the end of the bar and you pay first. Hmph. Just odd. But still good!
(5)Smorga M.
Now that I realized I have multiple check ins here I guess I should leave a review. Pretty good to really good... Plates and cups are getting smaller to get you to take less food... It will run you $44 for 3 adults for dinner... Not cheap at all but a fair price these days. Print coupon at home to save some money.
(4)Hanna P.
If you think Souplantation you generally think "healthy" but don't be fooled. This is a carb lovers paradise not a protein lovers. If you stick to the colorful veggies in the first aisle and abstain from the pastas and fat dressings that's as healthy as it gets. Everything in the second aisle and beyond are not really healthy: soups, muffins, pizza bread, pastas, potatoes, chocolate lava cake, mousse, jello, soft serve. Things I love about Souplantation: - jalapeños on salad rocks! - they got Siracha and that's good with everything in my opinion - clam chowder with oyster crackers, green onions and Tabasco is pretty good. - cheese bread is always a hit...everyone takes the spatula right to the middle when it first comes out and the ends are always left. - they keep it pretty clean and stocked well. (Foothill Ranch one gave my hubby food poisoning so we won't ever go there) - service is good. $10.00 (something like that) for adult dinner. I don't get my money's worth here but my kids love picking their own veggies and picking a dessert.
(3)Kailey S.
As far as souplantations go, this one is pretty good. I like that they have salad bowls. Most other locations only carry plates. I like that this location has an outdoor patio.
(4)Matt H.
Love Souplantation always a bunch of yummy soups! Plus you can make your own salad which is always awesome cause there's soo many choices! This location however is kinda wack how it's set up everything is kinda back to back and it makes it hard to get around all the people who can't walk! The Foothill Ranch location is much better! The food is equally good at both places though! Mmmm I can still taste those blueberry muffins!
(3)Irina A.
Horrible experience! First of all this place is way over priced!!! 8-10 $ max I would pay for quality of food & service. Nothing special: boring salads, dressings, chicken noodle soup has only chicken & noodles in it no vegetables, no cheese varieties only one kind,no choice of meat or seafood that could be added to your salad or pre- made meat or seafood salads( like tuna or chicken salad). Desert was tasteless......never ever coming back to this franchise.
(1)Mark A.
Great place to eat till your can't for under 10 bucks. The soups are almost always delicious. At times the salad leaves aren't fresh, but there are so many options to choose from that you will always find something fresh. Good for a budget lunch option.
(4)Huong N.
This places charges as much as hometown buffet. Not very good stuff available. You got the salad basics. They only have 6 soups available. For calling themselves soup plantation, I expect more soup variety. They have 2 chili type, French onion, chicken noodle, bacon potato, clam chowder. They have some muffins, corn bread, chocolate lava cake and some mousse and jello. The chili is average. Bacon potato soup was ok. The best soup was the chicken noodle soup. Very fresh and refreshing! It's actually home made. Not canned!!! But that's the only saving grace for this place. Their muffins are terrible. Chocolate lava cake was so gelatinous it's kind of gross. Mac and cheese was bland also. Their pizza/cheese bread is average. I wouldnt really go here of my own choosing.
(2)Ashley M.
Came here for the second time to this location and we are just do not like this location. They don't have much selection or fresh specialty salads and they never seem to have mushroom soup or french onion. We came here today and when we got up to get more food so random people came and took our booth even though our sodas and receipt were still there, luckily one of the workers had the other people move out of our spot. this location isn't really seem to be set up in the sitting room propwely. Still like soup plantation just not this location. Plus the prices are high for what you get.
(2)Gail I.
Very disappointed in this souplantation ! Cherry tomatoes were rotten , olives were old and rest of produce was marginal . Blueberry muffins were raw and the blueberries were sour and chicken noodle soup had no flavor . I just moved to this area and this location is super close but I will drive to irvine or Costa Mesa from now on.
(1)Dusty B.
go there when kids have gone hard all day and need to chow. a bit tired with same old stuff over and over - be nice to switch it up a bit more. wish they had more coupons, a family of 6 about $75.
(3)Sam S.
This is my go to souplantation! If I had to rate this one to the other ones I have been to it is by far the best one. This is the only one that I know of that has actual bowls and not just plates. That right there is a plus for me. It has all the typical souplantation items. The salad toppings and pastas are always available. They usually have season specials. Staff is very friendly but the service is a little slow sometimes, I eat a lot so my plates tend to stack up quick and at times are at my table the entire meal.
(4)Eric R.
Souplantation continues to earn my business by providing great healthy food at a great price. Especially for seniors. Fresh salad fixings, pasta, bread and muffins as well as desserts and drinks males this a great choice. And they have special featured items for added variety.
(5)Temenah C.
Warning: this won't be much of a glowing review. You been to one Souplantation, you been to 'em all... Great salad selection and pretty much everything you can think of to go on a salad. Breakfast is decent. The salad bar and soups are available in addition to breakfast fare such as biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, waffles, french toast, cinnamon rolls, fruit, etc. This particular location is one of my favorites, though. The layout is easy, unlike the one in Foothill Ranch.
(4)Ron K.
Feeling a little guilty about my recent review of a pizza place, I opted for a somewhat healthier place to visit. I hit the Laguna Niguel Souplantation a few days ago for lunch as a result. I regularly visit the Souplantations in Foothill Ranch, Costa Mesa, and San Diego also, but the Laguna Niguel restaurant is my favorite of all their locations. The food seems pretty consistent at all the restaurants but two things stick out at the LN location. #1 is the layout/floor plan. Here you get to pay first then speed through the salad line. Nothing is more irritating then having your food in hand but not being able to eat it because you are stuck waiting at the cash register at the other locations. Since they normally only have one cashier for both cash registers the wait can get very long. The bigger benefit is that you can easily get back to one of the salad bar lanes from the dining area in case you want a second pass. In most locations you need to walk against traffic to get back to the store entrance and start over. The traffic flow here and cash register arrangement are far superior then any of the other locations I have been to. #2 is the bowls. This may sound stupid but all of the locations I have been to except LN only have plates for the salad. LN has plates and full size salad bowls (different from the small soup bowls). The larger bowls make it easier to make a salad without the mess of things falling off the plate. The salad bar lanes stay cleaner also with less cross contamination of the food. The review for my specific recent visit is very good. I got there right after lunch attempting to avoid the crowd so traffic was light inside. The salad bar looked fresh and well groomed. Everything I piled on the salad was as good as it looked. The only thing I had from the secondary buffet line was the Penne Arrabiatta pasta, which was also very good. I can't review the soups, breads, or desserts because I didn't have any. The staff was friendly and the restaurant was clean in addition to the good food. Five stars for LN Souplantation. I like all of the others, but I like this one just a little bit more.
(5)Christina M.
The best deal! It was $10.49/person for dinner with unlimited soup and salad. The staff was great and gave us a coupon for coming in! Also the waitstaff was excellent, very personable. This was my first time here and I will be back. The desserts were great as well! Must have the sage soup and the lobster bisque! Cornbread and muffins were great as well!!
(4)Cristina V.
I love soup plantation in general but I particularly loved this location because of the staff! There were quite a few people who made it a point to come, ask if we were enjoying our food, introduced themselves and made themselves available if we needed ANYTHING. I went back for some muffins but they were out. A few minutes later, a waiter brought a small plate of muffins over to our table and let me know they had just come out of the oven! LOVED IT! Great staff here, makes the experience even more enjoyable :)
(5)Gabe P.
I like the soup selection and it's a good place to try a lot of stuff without feeling guilty that you at at a buffet again! Just stick with the salad and some soups (an maybe a little ice-cream for dessert) and you'll be fine. Skip the baked potato with grated cheese, bacon and sour cream, the mac and cheese, pizza and garlic sticks, hot fudge with ice cream and other stuff like that and everything is going to be OK. Just sit at your table and don't look at the other guys carrying full trays and they won't look at you. Get your soup fix and get out and go to a movie or something, you won't be able do anything else anyway!
(3)Derek B.
Usually go here and try to be healthy. But in the end, always overeat and take advantage of the Deserts. Try to sign up for their email club so you can save money or clip coupons from the Sunday paper. They also have an outdoor patio that you can sit in if the dining room is full.
(4)Kristin Leigh M.
Ever since a kid, I've loved Souplantation. It's a vegetarian's paradise. Even though I'm not a vegetarian. For dinner, it can be a bit on the pricey side ($10.29, I think), so I'm happy I had a 15% off coupon. This place is more than just a typical salad bar; it offers salad, soups, pasta, bakery items and dessert - YUM! What I like most about this place is that you can make any type of salad you can dream of! I am a super picky eater - so everything works out well in my favor. In addition to being able to do a create your own salad, there are also three pre-mixed salads at the end. I had the Asian-type salad yesterday and wow - it was good! Even according to my picky taste buds! There is so much variety that it's easy to get super full really fast - so pace yourself - unlike me ;-) A lot of their items such as the chocolate mousse - is sugar free - and a lot of the items are fat free, as well. I think it's a great place to go and get healthy!
(5)Silverio N.
Suday 6/1613 I think that everything is good except for dity silverware and bowls.
(3)Diane C.
I hadn't been to a Souplantation in years and since I moved back to Southern California, I decided to come here for nostalgic value. It's very clean and they greet you/take payment quickly. The salad bar is full of color and choices. There were 4 soup options. I chose the clam chowder and it was good. The pizza/bread/pasta section was a bit limited from what I remember. The corn bread was delicious! The service is great and they clean up the plates very often. The staff are very pleasant here. They have seating inside and out (covered). The restrooms are clean and there is plenty of parking. I will come here once in a while when craving the soup/salad combination.
(4)Evelyn T.
This is a nice location - this Souplantation tends to be clean and my used plates are usually taken away promptly. What do I like at Souplantation? I like the veggies, potato salad, clam chowder, sourdough bread, baked potato and fruit. Occasionally during the dinner visits, staff offers chocolate chip cookies. They're good. If you want to be e-mailed coupons regularly, sign up for their e-mail list. Coupons arrive by mail and are also in the LA Times Sunday paper if you want to clip them out.
(4)Alvlad P.
Awesome, awesome place... we eat here once a week. Servers know us by name , the food is great, fresh, people are locals, great homey feel ro the place!
(5)Cathy M.
I've been going to this Souplantation back when I was a little girl and it was called Soup Exchange. I've been of fan of soup and salads ever since. At this location, you pay at the cashier first and then customers are free to get their food. This is how I always thought it went until I went to another location where you get the food and then paid. This seems odd to me and I felt like people were waiting around to pay when they had already wait in line behind people getting food. Anyway, I feel like this Souplantation is kind of my home base and I go about once a month to check out the monthly themed foods.
(4)James G.
Been coming here for years! Edgar the bus guy is so kind and always smiling!! He even notices when we come in and keeps an eye on a booth for us if w go when its busy. the freshest veggies and best soups! they even have chicken to add to ur salad for the meat eaters. best froyo for desert so delicious! always pumping out fresh baked items so never having to settle for something cold or old sitting out-ever! if you ask for the discount senior sometimes they hook it up! also go when its the lunch ending crossover and by the time ur done they already have the dinner items out and dessert which you get now for the lunch price!!! :) they have themes which are fun and my recommendation is the American classic favorites month-tomatoe soup and grilled cheese inspires focccacia YUM!!!!!!!! they have goood cookies to go at the register and the lava cake is so Good! their premade specialty salads like dill potato is good and the balsamic dressing is the best! their pastas aren't too good but their mini blueberry muffins are my weakness's! clean dining room just gets crowded at certain times with all the aliso kids and families so be prepared!!!!!
(5)Conor B.
This location seems smaller than other Souplantations, but it is kept looking nice and the staff is very friendly. I just wish they had a bit quicker turn around on some of the items & that the soups weren't so watered down.
(3)Justin L.
Same as the last souplantation we've all been to. Somewhat fresh salad with the random bad piece of lettuce. Soup warm and sides sometimes fresh and sometimes stale depending when you catch them. Just keep your eyes peeled for the fresh ones rolling out. Always a bit overpriced for what you receive IMO.
(3)Laura G.
I like souplantation. I like getting a salad there and you can put everything you want on it and it isnt a lot of work. I love their blueberry muffins. I absolutely hate when it is crowded and the workers cant keep up with the mess and i feel like i am at circus circus buffet. Its not their fault I dont think you should bring kids there they cant carry a tray and it slows the whole thing down. There was a man carrying a kid on his shoulders like a zoo.
(4)Brian V.
Great place to eat and check out a coupon before u come.
(5)Jonathan K.
Souplantation is a generic restaurant chain featuring a soup and salad buffet. The variety of food is genuinely impressive and the freedom to customize your own salad using any combination of vegetables, toppings, and dressings provides tremendous variety that will satiate just about anyone's craving. On tap is an assortment of about six different soups that get cycled throughout the week. The most popular ones, such as the chicken noodle and clam chowder, typically have reserved spots and are available all the time. Admittedly, I find the clam chowder here to be much meatier and better tasting than other restaurants when ordered a la carte. I can't help myself from getting at least one bowl every time I visit. There are also some generic sides available, such as baked potatoes, cheesy breads, muffins, and rolls. Most of these are uninspired and seem to be brought out just for a sake of completeness to the meal without actually tasting very good. I would steer clear of the deserts, which are usually just watery jell-o and frozen yogurt.
(3)Cayenne D.
Awesome buffet. Many many salad bar choices. Several soup choices. Even had other foods when i went such as Mac and cheese, pizza, and baked potatoes. Had dessert and drink options. I was STUFFED leaving. Love the vegetarian options. Great experience. Will go back!
(5)Amber P.
I just wanted to thank Sylvia the manager for checking on so many recipes and printing them out for me to read to make sure my allergy daughter could eat certain things. She was so accommodating and super nice about it. Some people would be annoyed but Sylvia was nothing but kind! I really appreciate her service and you guys have a great employee on your hands! Thank you!
(5)Vi L.
The salad bar was huge and fresh. There were also a good selection of soup and they two I tried (abondigas and clam chowder) were good. There baked goods were just ok. Also love the tiny ice cream cone. Great portion control for my little one. The place itself was very clean. It got quite crowded by 6pm on a weekday. The staff were friendly and cleared the plates quickly. I wouldn't come here if I had to pay for the regular price though. Check their website or join their mailing list for coupons.
(4)Alex C.
First time and I'm a fan. Eat great and healthy! Interior: Went on a Thursday night around 7. Not too busy. Spacious yet I can see how it can get packed. Service: Meh. They didn't take away the plates as fast as I'd like. Food: I like to start at the end of the salad line and move back. At the end, they have the specialty salads (the Asian wonton one with nuts, spicy green pepper salad, and a Caesar one), they have premium toppings "almond slices, artichoke hearts, and edamame". The salads are all very fresh. The soups were delicious. My favorite were the chicken noodle (I only enjoyed the broth, which was deep and legit made from lots of chicken) and the kettle chili. Their pizza bread and sourdoughs are money. Overall: I'm a fan of this light food :)
(5)Michael B.
This is a nice place for a large salad and OK soup. Between the salad bar and the soups, it's a very healthy meal (as long as you're not to heavy on the dressing!) and they do a good job of keeping everything fresh and ready. I've been to a few Souplantations and this is one of the better ones. Check online for coupons - they almost always have .pdf versions of their coupons out for all three meals and some other specials. At peak dinner hours it can be a little more difficult to find a table. But for lunch or dinner it's a great place for a healthy meal. I wouldn't recommend breakfast - it's too easy to find a better place in the morning.
(3)Charlie B.
The extensive selection of salads and soups provide excellent healthy choices, and I don't think that there's a better 'bang for the buck' in the O.C. The restaurant's interior is always very clean and pleasant. (Even though, Souplantation is a cafeteria-style restaurant, it's always nice to leave the bus-boy a buck or two tip for his efforts.)There is also an abundance of free parking, which is another big plus.
(5)Kaaren D.
Yum, good selection of vegan friendly options. I was here recently with some friends, and it worked out great for us, because it is a buffet and you can pick what works for you. Since I am staying away from cheese, it did limit my access to the pizza, but got pleasantly satisfied with the options that were available for me.
(4)Elizabeth L.
Ate at the Souplantation again. Always love eating here because of their choice of salads and great chilli. Use to enjoy their choice of desserts but unable to eat them now because of my age. Highly recommend them because of their food choices and reasonable prices. Decor is like a cafeteria so otherwise I would give it 5 stars but at least it is clean and pleasant. Anything nicer would cost an arm and a leg more to eat there!
(4)Tom T.
My wife and I come here quite often. So surprise that I have never written about it until now. The location is very convenient to us, so big plus for us. The prices are good as long as you take advantage of the coupon specials. So anyone complaining about the prices, you are lazy bums for not taking advantage of the coupons. I find the lines are not too long, but we go there sort of early. The food is ok. I mainly go for the salad veggies and soups. The soups are the best for this place. I have the veggies for eating healthy. I find the pasta so-so. Dessert is ok, but I sometimes skip it and have more soup. Don't come here expecting meat; go elsewhere and have a burger instead. Most of the meat here are with the soups; I like their chicken soup. Sometimes find a table can be a little tricky, but we manage. I usually go back in line for more soup. I like the choices of soups there. Most of the time, I go for the clam chowder and chicken soup. There are times I will try out their soup specials. Warning to carnivores; this is not a good place for you. Side Effects include: Hunger is not satisfied, feeling more regular than usual, and slight chance of living a little longer.
(4)Jennifer H.
I love the variety at this place. I like to "eat by color", and I always get a rainbow of fresh cut veggies here to satisfy my cravings for good ol' veggies. I am always happy with their customer service. They are quick to take payment and greet you. They don't let plates sit on the table for too long. The place is very clean and well maintained. My boyfriend and I love this place a frequent it at LEAST once a month.
(5)Mark B.
Had an amazing large lunch there today. How the heck is it that each time they have more things to try? This time they added tofu to the salad bar. It was actually really good and I am sure healthy. And we also appreciate that the music is much better than Sizzler. Oh, the food is too!
(4)Kyle B.
I have been to souplantation before. This location is dirty and awkward. It feels like a cheap buffet. I will stick to the Costa Mesa location.
(2)Shannon G.
I think it is too expensive for what it is. They need more choices for the salads. Especially more types of greens. When I went for lunch they only had iceberg lettuce or spinach. The spinach is fine but why not have some romain or arugala for variety. Also everything looks kinda dirty and the crowd is so trashy.
(2)M W.
I have to say this place is not as bad as many of the reviews have put it out to be. First off, I actually helped open this location 17 years ago as a salad chef. I was impressed then as I am now with the actual quality and freshness of the food. I remember them making most of the foods from scratch which to me says a lot. Granted there is very little in terms of meat in this establishment, but that's got to take the cost down for them quite a bit. The soups are pretty darn tasty, but hot pastas have never been up to par.
(4)carol a.
There isn't a decent salad bar in all of New England so whenever I get my chance I go to Souplantation. I hadn't been to this one in several years and was happy that it was just as good as I remember. Everything was really fresh and flavorful. Will definitely return!
(4)Victoria D.
When eating at Souplantation, you basically follow the one common sense rules of eating at any other all you can eat buffet restaurant: go for what looks fresh - if you see them putting out a fresh tray of pasta, salad, pizza sticks or muffins, go for those. Being a carnivore, I'm not really a fan of Souplantation, Sweet Tomatoes, or Fresh Choice, but it does make a fun lunch trip every once in a while. If you sign up for the Souplantation email, each week they'll send you two useful coupons ($5.99 for lunch but you have to buy a drink, or 2 for the price of 1 but you have to buy two drinks.) Instead of $8.39 + however much it is for the drink, these coupons save you some pretty good money and makes it worth it to eat here once in a while. I do agree that having the pre-made salads at the end of the salad bar is kind of weird; I always go for the pre-made salads so I'm usually the person going down the salad bar with some cucumbers, olives, pickles, eggs and croutons in my bowl, waiting for the mixed salads while everyone else wonders what the hell kind of salad I made. The soups range from bland to just okay; I've never had a really good soup there. They do have a large selection of soups though; it's also awesome to get a baked potato and throw some of their chili and cheese on top of it. The pastas are okay if you get them fresh, but are usually a little bland and could use some salt. The strawberry muffin is pretty good if they have it. The pizza sticks are okay, I like the one without sauce the best. The bread and baked potatoes are at the end and 9 times out of 10 I'll forget about them and have too much food already, so I'll just skip it. Same goes for the "desserts" at the end; a strawberry mousse which is gross, jell-o which is fine, and a fruit mixture that seems like it would be okay on top of the soft serve they have. The strawberry lemonade is probably the best thing they have there.
(3)Amber H.
As far as Souplantations go, this one is great! We frequent here once every other week or so and the food is consistent and so is the service. I kind of wish they had made this location bigger because this is a hopping place around dinner time. I recommend the corn bread and my husband loves their chili!
(4)Jonathan L.
The soup here is pretty good they have some very interesting soup choices...the clam chowder is a little watery but still ok...the Mac n Cheese is delicious but eat it fast otherwise it will get a little cold...the desserts are pretty good but the ice cream has very little topping choices...now the salad bar is HUGE...as soon as you pay for your meal you are thrust into a variety of salads dressings toppings, only wish the Caesar salad was not at the end of the bar
(4)Zachary S.
I love buffets and soup plantaion is no exception. The establishment seemed very clean and the wait staff came around promptly to clear away dishes. For the most aprt the food is very fresh. Couple of items i did not care for. I wont mention them becuase who knows maybe someone else loves it. Price is reasonable. The decor and ambiance is not what i go here for. The furniture looks like it stepped out of the mid to late 80's. But lets be honest this is not a full blown full service establishment. you come here for one thing to eat copious amounts of salad and trimings. With that being said, enjoy!
(3)Daniel S.
I'm a fan of Souplantation. This, like any other, is popular amongst the elderly crowd. The lay-out of this restaurant is much better than other Souplantations, but still not perfect. The salad section is still awkward to get to. I went when it was Mexico themed, which was great, because it offered new dishes, that I've never seen before. The atmosphere is definitely kid-friendly, but can be too much sometimes during the busier times. Otherwise, would recommend this Souplantation.
(4)Shawn H.
It's OK as far as all you can eat places, if that's your thing. Of course, there's never much that's REALLY good in an all you can eat place and Souplantation is no game changer in this category. The pasta looked like it was cooked hours earlier. The breads were hot, but kind of hard. The salad bar was OK and the soups were about the same, so the namesake isn't winning based on performance inside. My friend out here loves the place. I doubt I'd ever go again unless I needed some air conditioning.
(2)Sawmon J.
Don't deny the plantation; this is the kind of place you go with your boys and pretend you're that guy from man vs. food.
(4)Michelle Y.
my favorite souplantation location. people are insanely friendly and if you come on the right day with the right manager you'll have the warmest yummiest soup to devour. whenever i'm at my parent's house we head over to have a delicious lunch/dinner full of vegetables, soups and that damn pizza bread. oh pizza bread, why have you forsaken me! you're so beyond yummy but so not very good for me. with my mild gluten/dairy allergies, i get beyond ill if i have too many of these but it's so tough to stop just at one. oh and ending the meal with some NF yogurt. why thanks souplantation. you get this all under 10 bucks.
(5)Benjamin V.
Ok, as usual, I will start with the good stuff. I loved the salad bar and various side selections. The blueberry muffins are absolutely killer too. The pastas are average, but not bad. and the deserts were a little limited in their selection, but still quite good. The drink selection was nice because it went a little beyond your typical soda fountain drinks. They had green tea, milk, strawberry lemonade, and several other non-soda options, so I really enjoyed that. The restaurant was overall very clean and organized, despite the large lunch crowd. The things I was not crazy about was the price and the soup selection. The price is a bit high for what they had to offer. $8.49 for the lunch buffet (I don't remember if that included the drink or not), which I guess isn't horrible, but I expect lunch prices at an establishment like this to be lower. On to the soups...with a name like "Souplantation" I really had high expectations for thier soups, however I found myself quite underwhelmed by the quality and selection that they had. The soup I tried was very bland and didn't have very much meat in it at all. I opted to not get seconds of the soup and got bread and desert instead (BLUEBERRY MUFFINS!!!). Anyways, I wasn't overly impressed with my Souplantation experience, but I would probably go back. The pros definitely outwieghed the cons in my opinion.
(3)Dalton B.
Souplantation isn't very exciting, their salad bar is the only real good thing that they have, the rest of the food and especially their soup isn't worth taking a second bite once you try it.
(2)gretchen c.
I love Souplantation, but have a couple of gripes about this location. 1. WAY too many loud kids - ALL the time. 2. The salad line is backwards. You pay 1st, then you make your salad & then the pre-made salads are at the end. Huh? I don't get it. 3. There is never any chicken in the chicken noodle soup. I do like the big red bowls they use at this location, though.
(3)Mya H.
I came here when I was younger with my family. I was really sick and thought I would feel better with some nice soup. The food was good, but their staff is awful! I was approached by a hispanic man that worked there. He said,"are you having a baby". I was really confused and gave him a puzzled look then he makes this rocking symbol with his arms and says "oh you pregnant" and points to my stomach. I was mortified, I wasn't even fat! This man was saying this to a 15 year old girl in front of her family, he should have been fired as far as I was concerned. Even though this was so long ago I still feel like I should write the review.
(2)Paul C.
The Sunday Breakfast isn't all it's cracked up to be (fake eggs and all), but compared to the Foothill Ranch location this Souplantation takes the cake. They provide wide salad bowls (instead of or as an option to plates), the salad bar ingredients taste better here. The soup and muffins are nearly identical to the other location, which is to say, the best part of this place. Also of note, this is one of those places with moderated hot water temperature in the restroom (Barnes & Noble is another), so you can just flip the faucet on high and get a nice (just above warm) wash. Of course if you like or need the option of scolding hot temperature, you'll be disappointed. They do false advertise by claiming they put the Fun in Fundraising.
(4)Curt A.
We are always on the hunt for the under $20 dinner here in OC: if we have a coupon, this qualifies... and we can always find a coupon in the Times. Anyway we swing by here every week or so and always leave happy. Ok so the key is to fill your plate once and grab a bowl or two of soup to avoid the overeating syndrome. Remember even with one go around, it is still cheaper than most restaurants for two. Anyway the salad bar is pretty average... but we really enjoy the soup. They are always good and fresh. And the staff is usually very nice... and they do clear the tables quickly... so we always leave some kind of a tip. Drawbacks: Yeah, the kids can be noisy. But it is ok (since it is a fam place) unless the kids are sprawling on the floor... believe me it has happened. And they only have the tapioca pudding every month or so. I really wish they had it more often. So I would give them four stars except for the above.
(3)Big D.
It is just mediocre. Be prepared to add salt to EVERYTHING, because otherwise you will not detect any flavors. Sure, it's cleaner than Hometown Buffet and Sizzler, but it really is nothing special. There is no hearty food here like steak or ribs...just pizza, pasta and salad. Not bad, but not good either.
(3)Michele R.
I just went here for dinner tonight and I have to say, I had a great experience. The salad was really fresh and good. (I do tend to stay away from the pre-made salads like Caesar here because I've gotten an upset tummy from them before, though.) And their clam chowder is so creamy and delicious. They also had these unbelievable praline muffins which were great, too. A warm chocolate lava cake topped with frozen yogurt completed my meal. I went here ravenous and left happy and full. I will definitely go back.
(3)Boris J.
Souplantation rocks. Fresh salads, any way u want em', a large variety of soups, breads, baked potatoes, the strawberry lemonade kicks buttocks. Eat what u want, all u can eat, chill pricing, no tipping...unless u wanna.
(4)A B.
great place if you're hungry but want a light lunch. endless salad, soup, pizza, fruits, muffins, etc. it can get a little pricey with a large family, so beware. if you're in laguna niguel, they send out a lot coupons so be on the look out for these! staff is very friendly and it gets very busy at dinner. highly recommend for lunch!
(4)Evelyn L.
I was paranoid about eating here because of the whole E. Coli thing and I couldn't remember which OC souplantation it was, but my sis insisted that their food handling practice had to have improved since then. So I was like yeah that makes sense, plus we were in the area and it was getting late, so if we were to drive back to the SGV to eat we'd probably wouldn't have much places to choose from. Plus we were hungry. Well I didn't get sick so its probably safe to eat Souplantation now. What's great about this one is that you get the option of putting your salad in a bowl instead of a plate, which means you can put more salad and you can mix up your salad. The downside to this is that you may over eat. I don't think I can ever give Souplantation more than 3 stars because I would never say its the best restaurant, but its just one of those things you gotta eat cos you crave it once in a while. Well I also feel like its somewhat healthier than eating fast food, but that's just me.
(3)Heather C.
I have visited this souplantation several times, each time I have forgotten what a bad experience the time before was. The veggies are never fresh, the salads are rarely cold. The soup is usually congeled, and the bread is usually hard. Normally there is a huge crowd of people who don't seem to mind these things. Well, I mind.
(2)BJ B.
I love Souplantation but NOT this one. Their layout is awkward and they don't meet up to the standards of the Souplantation brand. Food is cold and not fresh. They don't always have the theme items, ie Lemon month was missing lemon orzo soup and there were no capers in the lemon caper pasta (they were out??). The Rancho Bernardo location is the best. Too bad there is no other location in South OC.
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