Summertime flavor explosion at Saladworks: Pickles and ranch stealing the show in their limited-time menu offerings.
Saladworks Embraces the Pickle Trend with a Crunchy Summer Menu
In the ever-evolving world of food, one flavour has taken the culinary scene by storm – dill pickles. This tangy, salty, and herbaceous favourite is now a major flavour craze in 2025, appearing in innovative formats beyond traditional pickles.
Leading the charge is Saladworks, a popular restaurant chain that has introduced a limited-time summer menu featuring pickle-forward items. The menu includes a salad, melt, and wrap, all incorporating chopped pickles, fresh dill, and Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle chips.
The salad, aptly named the Pickle Ranch Chicken Salad, is a vibrant mix of crispy, boneless fried chicken, cheddar cheese, hard-cooked eggs, pickle ranch dressing, pickle pico, romaine and iceberg lettuces, radiatore pasta, and the crunchy Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle chips.
For those who prefer a sandwich, the Pickle Ranch Chicken Melt is a mouth-watering option. Layered on sliced white bread and cooked like a panini, this sandwich is priced around $11.99. For wrap lovers, there's the Pickle Ranch Chicken Wrap, priced at approximately $12.79.
The popularity of ranch dressing, which is the No. 1 dressing in Technomic's national food trends database, and a customer favourite at Saladworks, is evident in these new offerings. The house-made pickle ranch dressing and pickle pico add another layer of texture and flavour to the menu items.
Cole Thompson, VP of culinary for WOWorks, produced this pickle-focused menu for Saladworks. Thompson is considering more uses for the pickle ranch dressing and pickle pico, potentially expanding their use across WOWorks concepts.
Other chains are also capitalizing on the pickle trend. KFC has introduced fried pickles, while Del Taco offers a fried pickle taco. Fried pickles coated in various seasonings and served with sauces like ranch or hot sauce remain a sought-after appetizer or side staple.
This pickle popularity is linked with a broader consumer inclination toward bold, tangy, nostalgic, and complex flavor combinations. Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have accelerated the pickle craze, driving experimentation and consumer demand.
Saladworks will partner with Miss Vickie's again for their fall menu, using jalapeño chips in a grilled wrap. The fall menu will also feature a Fuji Apple Crunch Salad with an apple vinaigrette and apple chips for crunch.
The crunch factor is emphasized in all these new offerings, reflecting Saladworks' menu trends that continue to emphasize the crunch factor. The Pickle Ranch Chicken Melt, for instance, does not include potato chips like the salad and wrap versions.
The positive customer feedback for the Pickle Ranch Chicken Melt is a testament to the success of this pickle-centric menu. Hard-cooked eggs are Saladworks' No. 1 topping when guests build a custom salad, and it's clear that the pickle trend is resonating with customers.
As National Pickle Month trends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it's clear that the pickle craze shows no signs of slowing down. With Saladworks leading the charge, it's an exciting time for pickle lovers everywhere.
- The home-and-garden enthusiast may find inspiration in Saladworks' innovative use of Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle chips, as they might incorporate pickles into unique home-made dishes, reflecting the broader pickle trend in culinary lifestyle.
- A food-and-drink connoisseur might appreciate the diverse pickle offerings beyond the traditional, such as the pickle-forward menu at Saladworks, that represents a lifestyle preference for bold, tangy, and nostalgic flavors in their food choices.
