The Living Tree Live Foods Salad Bar, located on the 600 block of Main Ave, offers a variety of light and hearty salad options as well as chili and nachos.
The atmosphere is very casual and welcoming. I was greeted as soon as I walked up to the line.
I noticed that, not only does the menu consist of traditional salads, there are also salads that offer different, more robust flavors. The Vietnamese salad is served with an Asian dressing and Kim chi.
They also have options that cater to those with a more hearty appetite. Taco salad is one hardy option, served with ground beef, salsa and sour cream. Grass fed beef cowboy
chili is also on the menu for a hot option.
I opted for the cobb salad with chicken and an apple cider vinaigrette.
The salads come in two sizes, half or full. I got the half which, for the cobb salad, is eight dollars. The full sized cobb salad is thirteen dollars.
Most other half sized salads are seven dollars and the full sized are twelve dollars.
The chicken was tender and herb roasted which added nicely to the flavor profile. The vinaigrette was sweet and tangy which offset the boiled egg flavor and complimented the mixed greens very well.
If you do not see a salad on the menu that entices you, there is a build your own salad option. The half size is seven dollars and fifty cents and includes five toppings and one scoop of dressing. The full size is ten dollars and fifty cents and includes ten toppings and two scoops of dressing.
They have different flavors of kombucha, iced tea, water or a variety of flavored sparkling waters.
I went with a can of cucumber flavored sparkling water which was three dollars for a 12-ounce can.
I would recommend this restaurant to someone looking for a light meal, but it probably would not be a cost effective option on a regular basis for a college student on a budget.
Relative to other restaurants in Durango, the prices are pretty similar, the portions are just smaller.
The vibe is casual enough to be comfortable and the menu options are diverse. Anyone would be able to find something they like.