The Reneé Rapp Sweetgreen Bowl Review: Is This New Salad Collab A Hit?
Quick-service restaurants are all about collaborations these days. Sweetgreen is no stranger to this trend, partnering with notable figures and companies in the past, such as David Chang, Dan Barber, and Luke's Lobster, to conjure up unique dishes. For fall 2023, the salad chain has tapped one of its own eaters for its latest collaboration, and this person just happens to be quite the rocking musician and theatrical actress of the moment — Reneé Rapp.
With Rapp's debut album "Snow Angel" dropping last month and a world tour about to kick off, she found time in between to share her go-to order with the world with The Reneé Rapp Bowl. Sweetgreen's co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Nathaniel Ru said in a press release, "We're thrilled to partner with Reneé Rapp, an incredibly talented artist and Gen Z icon who brings creativity and personality to everything she creates, including her custom bowl."
When it comes to salads and their bases, proteins, toppings, and dressings, everyone gets rather choosey about what should go in their bowl. But today, the choice was all Reneé Rapp's to make, and we're here to get right into the mix. Is Ms. Rapp's bowl an amped-up, green crowd-pleaser? We headed right over to Sweetgreen, found our seats, and dug in. Here lies our chew and review...
What does The Reneé Rapp Bowl taste like?
Popping open the non-descript, taupe, hexagonal, compostable bowl reveals what looks like a typical Sweetgreen salad, with all the elements of the Reneé Rapp Bowl compartmentalized. Green hues dominate the canvas, but the fire engine red tomatoes, cup of amber-tinged dressing (if not mixed in), and speckled tofu stand out in their respective corners.
Everything looked and tasted fresh with the components and dressing being a nice combination. The tofu was soft and squishy, the halved grape tomatoes were firm, and the shredded cabbage was nice and crunchy. Unfortunately, though, the half-mooned cucumbers were not so crunchy, the red onions were a little too finely diced, and the spicy broccoli was scarce and wasn't exactly shedding off heat. The spicy cashew dressing is a staple in the stable for Sweetgreen. It looks like a creamy Italian dressing, has a sesame oil smell, and tastes similar to a milder peanut sauce, which pairs well with the fresh veggies and seasoned tofu. Although there are two "spicy" things on this bowl's roster, it doesn't come off registering as such but isn't necessarily missed either. Mixed all together, the Reneé Rapp Bowl tastes like... a salad. Well, a nice, light, and refreshing salad. If tofu isn't your thing, you might be surprised as this seasoned and roasted version could almost pass for chicken.
What is The Reneé Rapp Bowl made of?
The Reneé Rapp Bowl is completely vegan and has a serving size of 357 grams. It starts with a base of two helpings of Sweetgreen's spring mix greens. It is topped with roasted tofu, cilantro, cucumbers, red onions, shredded cabbage, spicy broccoli, and tomatoes, and comes with a spicy cashew dressing. The dressing is comprised of sunflower oil, cashew butter, maple syrup, rice vinegar, young ginger, cilantro, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, umami seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
Altogether, the bowl is only 275 calories, 100 of which is dedicated to the roasted tofu, and another 100 for the spicy cashew dressing. The bowl also contains 5 grams of sugar, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of fat, 585 milligrams of sodium, and 10 grams of protein. For any additional bases, toppings, proteins or dressings added to the salad, please consult Sweetgreen's nutritional value guide.
When, where, and how to order The Reneé Rapp Bowl
The Reneé Rapp Bowl is on "tour" until October 23, and while supplies last. The price varies based on location. The new bowl can only be ordered by name online or via the app, where you can also earn points with the Sweetpass loyalty program. However, if you want to bypass the digital-only ordering protocol and order it directly in a Sweetgreen restaurant, all the very same fresh elements are there for the taking. Just grab the ingredients list and spell it out to the Sweetgreen bowl maker, and boom, you have yourself a Reneé Rapp Bowl and you didn't have to open your phone.
Delivery is also available, depending on your location. You can order delivery through Sweetgreen or companies like DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates, and Uber Eats.
Like all Sweetgreen salads, The Reneé Rapp Bowl is completely customizable and you can swap out any greens, proteins, toppings, or even the dressing. The dressing can either be mixed in or placed on the side in a plastic container, which is definitely the way to go if you plan on eating it later. Extra portions of toppings, proteins, and salad dressings are available at an additional cost. However, a side of bread can always be added gratis.
The final verdict
If you're looking for something that's fast, uber-healthy, and far from heavy, the guilt-free Reneé Rapp Bowl is just the front-row ticket you seek. While it's hard to imagine this salad being completely filling for eaters with hearty appetites, you'll feel rather good after eating one. It's a nice change of pace, even for us, as we recently wrapped our hands around the mammoth Arby's Big Game Burger.
As for how this bowl lines up with the sweet sounds of Reneé Rapp's music? We don't want to "Talk Too Much," but it's safe to say it won't cause any "Tummy Hurts," as it's far from being "Poison Poison." "So What Now"? Well, we suggest grabbing this tasty new salad soon, because it won't be on tour forever.