I go for the free brownies on Tuesdays (which is only available on the ucsd campus). Other than that, I recommend getting the combo deal (you can get a combination of a small soup, small salad, or a sandwich) for a better price and just a better variety of taste because for me, eating a regular size of salad is too much vegetables in one sitting and eating just a sandwich is not enough for a filling meal. I recommend the chopped salad if you like meat or the santa Fe salad if you love cheese! I would also recommend their tomato basil soup and chicken and rice soup! As for sandwiches, I like their chicken pesto panini. read more

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I give Croutons 3 stars, but I think it's more in the 3.5 group. This is the first croutons I've ever been in, and I've been here a few times. I really like their combo option which gives you right to two out of these three: a half sandwich, a half salad, a cup of soup. I've had the Pesto chicken panini, the italian panini and something else. They are pretty good! Only downside -foodwise- is maybe excess mayo, or whatever sauce they use on them. The salads are the best part of the meal... they are always fresh tasting and very well put together. Now, take that with some caution: it's good for a fast food, university campus joint, which is not to be interpreted as gourmet or anything of the sort. Now to the reason why it doesn't get 4 stars: price. It is a bit steep for what it is. The meals are satisfying, and apparently healthier than almost anything else on campus, but you definitely pay for it. almost $8 for the meal without drink is on the expensive side for me, but given it's location, and the alternatives offered, I would pay for it every now and then. Rather like a treat... or for "special" occasions. Not an everyday spot. Lastly, I usually take care to avoid the lunch or dinner rush. I like the inside seating area, and the ambiance, but it is tiny. About 6 parties will fill it to the brim. If you go around noon, you'll probably be caught up in a seemingly eternal student-jam. read more

I really love the soup/salad combo you can get here! They don't over do the dressing which is nice and the soup comes with these amazing croutons. I usually get the Mediterranean salad with the tomato basil soup, but their egg salad sandwiches are very good as well (they do put a kind of dressing on them though). I would advise everyone to stay away from the meat, though, as I've gotten a chicken panini 2 separate times and found bones in both of them... This is a great study environment if you can find an outlet and listening to professors discuss things makes me feel intellectually stimulated :) Students: try it out! It's on campus, convenient, and a break from the usual dining hall food. Everyone else: you won't be missing much it you don't go here... read more

Always a great place to grab lunch between classes at UCSD! I always go for the you pick two with the chicken pesto sandwich and the chicken and wild rice soup. Classic for me, will never disappoint! And when you put the seasoned croutons in the soup and they get a little soggy but the good kind of soggy, to die for!!! Three and a half stars because although the food is good, it's a basic soup and sandwich place similar to Panera so quality is above average. I've had croutons three days in a school week before and I'm still not sick of it, see y'all again soon! read more

Croutons at UCSD is a fancy name for Subway: sloppily slap on some turkey and pesto on a half-stale ciabatta bread and call it a $7 "signature sandwich". Come on, this is college, you're kidding me! - Wait in a long line (10 minutes) and THEN proceed to wait MORE (5 minutes) for them to bring out your food. - Struggle to find seating: not much to choose from, mainly outdoor seating. Buuuttt.... - This is a healthier option...the soups are good and not as salty as the Sunshine market (I opt for the tomato basil), and there are salads. Now that I think about it, this is the only salad option on campus besides Sunshine store (theirs are crap-izzle). - If you haven't been here before, it wouldn't hurt to check the place out (get the combo= pick 2: soup or salad or sand). Take a stab at your wallet. read more

As a commuter who know longer has dining dollars, Croutons is one of my favorite go-to's when I forget (or don't have groceries) to pack a lunch. I often get the "choose 2" combo which allows you to choose two out of the sandwich, soup, or salad choices. If only there were a "choose 3" combo cuz everything is great here!! My personal favorites are the Granny Smith Salad flatini, tomato basil soup, chicken n wild rice soup, and the Mandarin chicken salad. The place itself makes for a nice sit-down study area, and the staff are pretty friendly. Pro-tip: Free brownie bite on Tuesdays with your order! read more

The salads here are really nice. Fresh and right amount of dressing. If you're not a big eater, I recommend getting the small salad because the large one is huge. Bonus points to their triple chocolate brownies!! Nice environment, not a lot of seating, so be ware that you might need to wait during lunch hours for a place to sit inside. A really good place to hangout during lunch:) read more

My mother, sister, and I dropped by for lunch yesterday after our tour of the UCSD campus. It was right around 12pm, in the middle of the lunch rush, and the line was out the door. We were a bit apprehensive about the wait, but they moved us through quickly and took our order in less than 5 mins. The venue itself is small, and it was difficult to find seating during the lunch hour. There was plenty of outdoor seating, though, since it is a college campus. I suggest ordering your food to go and finding somewhere to enjoy your food outside. I'm usually not big on salads, but I got the Pear and Blue Cheese Salad and added diced chicken and it was delicious. My sister enjoyed her Chicken Pesto Panini, too. We weren't huge on the Granny Smith Chicken Salad Flatini because the flatbread got cold quickly, and once it did, it was too chewy. Overall, everything was great! Quick service, yummy food, reasonable prices. read more

Its been two weeks since I discovered Croutons and I've gone three times so far!!! I've only tried the Italian Panini and Chicken N' Rice soup. I don't have the stomach to try another kind of Panini because the Italian is just so darn delicious! I am actually in this Croutons as I'm writing this review. It's 12-1PM and the place is PACKED. I had no idea that Croutons was such a hot spot for lunch. I came in this morning when the doors opened, my Black Tea from UCSD Perks in hand and craving a tasty Panini to accompany it. I was not disappointed! I wan't to buy another for lunch! The Paninis usually go for 7-8 dollars but they are pretty huge and totally worth it! read more

I really liked Croutons for a while, but after I got food poisoning from eating there, you can guess why I don't go anymore. Ordered one of their sandwiches, unfortunately I don't remember which (I guess it wasn't that memorable), but it definitely had some kind of mayo in there--maybe a garlic aioli? Anyway, the raw eggs they put in the mayo must have gone bad, because later on that day, I felt HORRIBLE. Like, puking and crying in the bathroom horrible. TMI? The last time I felt that bad was in seventh grade, when our class went on a boating trip (tiny boat + big waves = no bueno), and I had my head held over the railing. I know that it must have been Croutons, because it was the only thing I ate that day, maybe besides an arnold palmer from the Sunshine Market. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that I was just very, very unlucky, but in the end, in any food establishment, serving spoiled food is just unacceptable. Too bad this place is in a really convenient location, but oh well. I'd rather take the extra one minute to walk over to price center, where I can get Subway and "hold the mayo." read more

Croutons is by far my favorite lunch spot on the UCSD campus. They offer a wide variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches and the portions are usually worth the price. I normally order the Buffalo chicken flatini on sourdough bread (which is a serious upgrade from the flatbread they normally use), and they have deals such that you can get a half salad for a nominal additional price if you'd like. The lines can get outrageous during lunch hours, but I recently discovered that you can order over the phone and they'll have food ready for you upon arrival. I have yet to try this out but will update when I do! read more

This is definitely one of the better restaurants on campus. I am particularly fond of the pear/cheese, Mediterranean, Sundance, Santa Fe, berry, and roasted veggie salads, through which I rotate when ordering. Tomato basil soup is very good, as well. (Roots and Seed & Sprout, and sometimes Rubio's, are my other go-to places.) Suggestions: I would like to see whole grain wraps as an alternative to sandwiches. I wish the servers follow an opt-in instead of opt-out protocol with plastic forks, bags, etc., since I generally have my own and try to minimize my personal plastic waste footprint. read more

I love their Chicken Pesto Panini. It is comparable to Panera's paninis, but I really do like the Croutons version more. Very creamy. Salads are delicious as well. Unfortunately, I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie soup today and was disappointed. There was a line of people waiting for their food so I ordered soup to go. First off, there was rice in the chicken pot pie. I'm not sure if she misheard me and gave me wild rice and chicken soup instead, or if their version of chicken pot pie actually has rice in it. I really don't remember chicken pot pie in general having rice. Anyway, I got a cup of it to go and at the bottom of my cup, it was bitter. I think it had something to do with the fact that they grabbed soup from the bottom of the crock pot so I may have gotten parts of the burnt soup. :-/ Their prices are high. A little too high for me to be honest, which is probably why I don't go here very often. read more

Campus has never been the place to get gourmet food, and the lunch options are limited. So Croutons it is. Chicken Pesto Panini Tomato Soup Croutons...yea. Punny I know. And a free brownie? You won me with that brownie. read more

I love coming here for lunch because the salads, soups and sandwiches here are really good! It's a good alternative to all the food in price center at UCSD and I don't regret my choice whenever I eat here. The cashiers are really friendly and they have free brownie Tuesdays! I usually get the Granny Smith salad and the chicken pesto panini but I love the tomato basil soup. Those are what I typically get, but I've tried most things on the menu, and the quality is usually what I expect from croutons, so the food is always good! read more

We've been meaning to try this place for a while and finally did for lunch yesterday. It was busy but the line moved quickly so it was fine. We both ordered the combo, I got the mediterranen (probably didn't spell that right) aka Greek salad and the buffalo chicken flatini. Both were VERY good. I love love love Greek salad and I think I found a new favorite. Not too overly dressed, loved the pita bread as croutons, and the olives. My sandwich was good too...buffalo sauce was super tasty but I think they put a little too much in it because it dripped out every where and was a mess. The chicken in it though was super moist and delicious. My fiance enjoyed his as well. It's nice to find a great healthy lunch place that isn't Subway (because quite frankly I was getting tired of it haha) and Croutons fits the bill. Can't wait to go back! read more

I came here after class to get a bite to eat on the go. I ordered the buffalo chicken flatini which sounded pretty good but was absolutely Nothing special at all. I liked the bread it was on but all that was in the bread was thick chicken slices doused in buffalo sauce that made the paper wrapping rip and maybe a total of 6 small onion slices total. I only waited 6 minutes for my food which was conventions since I was in a rush, but no one was in line before me so I'm not sure how they would do if they were busy. However, they gave me a free brownie which was really nice since I wasn't expecting it! I guess they do that on Tuesdays. I hear their salads are good (my friend says the BBQ chicken salad is best), so I would come back if I'm in the area and in the mood for a salad. read more

I'll give the Croutons on Villa La Jolla 5 stars as well. This has always been one of my favorites when I went to UCSD and to see a Croutons on campus made me cry at the fact it wasn't there when I went there. I have always loved this place and my favorites are: Soup: Tomato Basil Creme of Mushroom Panininis: Southwest Chicken Pesto Salads: Pear and Gorgonzola - This is unbelievable Southwest - I think there is another name for this one. I will definitely go here if I were still a UCSD student, probably every day. read more

Always friendly, fast service, very nice food Get: * tomato basil soup (AWESOME) * granny smith chicken salad panini (really nice) * california sandwich (also very nice) * any salad Good combo for two. Warm, filling, and not too bad calorie-wise! Fresh ingredients, etc. and a very reasonable price. For on-campus food, clearly 5 stars. For food in general, 4. read more

So I've been here about 20 times now, during lunch hour, usually getting salad. I thought it was time to let people know that this place is great! I am surprised that their rating here isn't better! This service is ALWAYS polite and very efficient. Food comes out very fast and it is always fresh and tasty. My favorite salads so far is the balsamic chicken and tuna! I also love that they list the nutritional facts on their website, this way it's easy to keep track of how much you eat every day. Salad portions are quite large, so a "small" salad is good enough for me for lunch. Today, Tuesday, I also got a free brownie which was excellent! read more

Croutons Restaurant - Small mandarin chicken salad and a cup of tomato basil - Sandwiches Near Me - La Jolla, California

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Crouton's is the best place to eat on campus. It's so much better than the food at Price Center especially in terms of healthy food! All of Crouton's paninis, soups, & salads are so yummy & they never disappoint. Plus, sometimes they hand out free brownies! Going to Crouton's for lunch is honestly my favorite part of the day. This is a great option for commuter students that are on campus all day for classes! read more

Out of all the food spots on campus, Croutons is definitely one of my favorites! My usual order is their Mandarin Chicken salad with added avocado (which is an extra charge). I like everything in this salad, especially the amount of sesame dressing that was very palatable. . . one of the main reasons why this is my favorite thing to order! I have also tried their Californian panini, which was also delicious. Because I'm usually the type of person who would order something that was already familiar, I haven't tried a lot from their menu. However, I am planning to be more adventurous and try new stuff from them in the future! Cool thing to know: every Tuesdays, Croutons will give you a small brownie when you order from their menu. Not bad! A few things why I didn't give Croutons a higher rating: 1) like many food places on campus, the food is a bit overpriced; 2) they're only open for lunch; and 3) it doesn't have enough tables for their many customers. Overall, a place I would recommend! read more

Croutons literally saved my way on a windy and cold weekday stuck on campus with loads of unfinished homework and upcoming deadlines. I ordered a bowl of minestrone and ordered a side of flatbread and hummus. It comes a little over 10 dollars but it really fills you up and I couldn't finish it even though I haven't has much for breakfast. The soup comes with croutons which are so crisp and tasty. I was so tired and miserable after the three courses in the morning. I have a stomachache and I don't want to move or talk to anyone. After the lunch here, I feel energized for more work to come in the afternoon. The food is actually very generic, but considering it's on UCSD campus, generic food with generic price is considerred good. And who doesn't like a bowl of hot soup on a miserable cold day? All things considered, I gave this place four star. May be the only thing they could improve is their environment, it's kinda crowd and noisy and I can only sit near the entrance. Also forget to mention, the cashier girl is super cute and friendly! read more

Do yourself a favor and take the shuttle to the Crouton's @ Villa La Jolla. Seriously. Do it. The food here is SO bland. The only thing that I love is the chicken and wild rice soup. read more

Sandwiches taste great including the wild rice chicken soup. The food takes about 5-10 minutes to arrive at your table, so take that into account if you are in a rush. Only complaint here is the serving size. For twice the cost of Subway's $5 foot long, you would expect a decent-sized meal. Instead, you get about a 6" sandwich and a tiny cup of soup for nearly $10 bucks. Pricey! read more

I wasn't going to write a review because i felt too damn lazy. Then Kristen trumped me dammit so here I am. Yes, this one just opened and was very busy. They may have to expand. there was a long line out the door around noon and seating is minimal. It is a bit pricey for UCSD students who likely be more apt to frequent the asian food place or burger king in the Price Center, but it could be a nice place for employees of the campus. The menu is simple: soups, salads, and sandwiches. All are freshly made. You can call ahead to place an order to come in and pick up but you will still have to stand in the horendeous line just to pick up your food that you've ordered and paid for by credit card.. so that won't save me any time. I may be back .. but i'll go early or late to avoid the rush. read more

My favorite place for lunch on campus! It is healthy and delicious unlike other campus food (that's right I'm talking about panda and burger king). Honestly, everything on the menu is good, the salads, sandwiches, soup etc. I pretty much tried every kinds of salad on the menu and still haven't found one that I don't like. People might complain about its price but I think the quality is well worth the money! In addition, the restaurant itself is a great place to just hang around and wait for your next class. The only downside is that it closes too early around 3 in the afternoon. Otherwise you'll see me here all day! read more

i was getting tired of pc food and wanted something relatively healthy, and ate at croutons for the first time. i like that it's in a convenient location and the outdoor seating is also a plus. for the price, i like the half soup half sandwich combo because you get to taste different things. i think that in the future i would choose croutons over pc for their yummy sandwiches and the fact that i don't feel so guilty after eating. read more

I would have given croutons 3 stars since it is basically the only healthy place to eat on the UCSD campus had there not been a HUGE wad of HAIR in my salad the last time I went. Usually, I enjoy croutons because you can have a mix of salad, sandwich or soup so I'm not stuck with the same type of food in a meal, and I can split the half-half combo between a lunch and a dinner. So, although it is a tad pricey for a meal (~$10 if you get two specialties ), split between two meals, the price isnt that bad. Usually I get the Balsamic Chicken Salad or the Wild Rice Chicken Soup or the Southwest Chicken. The salad is decent---not too much to rave about since it is just a regular salad but tastes better without the cheese and all the dressing that they pour on top of it. The soup can be a hit or a miss--usually a hit--unless they dump too much salt into the soup and then you basically spend your entire meal watering down the salty taste with water. The sandwich is usually the best thing to get as I have had no problem with it thus far. Usually, when you get your sandwich it is still hot so enjoy it then. If you have the means, go to the Crutons located in the Ralphs plaza since it serves the same things, the lines are shorter and they do not charge extra for substituting lettuce instead of avocado (seriously--they should deduct money from my meal since lettuce costs way less than avocado spread). read more

I went twice this week. The first time, they got the order wrong. The second, time I caught a food handler LICKING HER FINGERS multiple times as she handled my food and utensils. The food is fine but there is a chance that other servers are participating in this bad handling as well. read more

I used to really like Croutons, my favorite salad was the Napa Salad. I like it because I really enjoy the grapes in with the turkey, bacon, and cheese. However, I ate there a few days ago, I ordered my Napa Salad and it had no grapes. So I asked if I could get some put in since that's what I ordered. The girl takes it back to the cook and then gets it back and tells me "there are grapes, look", she points to the bottom of the salad where there is a piece of purple lettuce, "but we'll give you some grapes anyways" she says and hands me a small container with 8 grapes. Speechless I take my 8 grapes and leave, never to return to this location which is ridiculous since it's right on campus! read more

Took me three years to try this place for the first time. HORRIBLE UNFRIENDLY customer service. Ordered a simple salad and soup. Both was quite disappointing. Soup was very dry, and mushy.. The salad had absolutely no dressing inside. should have checked before I left.. read more

Croutons - oh my gosh. This place's soup is SO GOOD. I came with two friends. I and one of my friends ordered the Chicken with Wild Rice Soup. It was INCREDIBLE, to say the least. Both friends agreed that this was the best soup they'd ever tasted. I don't have words to describe how tasty this magnificence was. My other friend ordered the Tomato Basil Soup, which was also delicious. I believe the prices were pretty good, as all we ordered were cups of soup. Service was lovely, and very friendly. I would highly recommend! read more

Best food on campus. Always get the chicken pesto panini with the sundance salad. The food is fresh, customer service great as well. I'll be dining here with my triton cash often. read more

I really like coming here for a food break when I'm at school. Their soup or sandwich or salad combo is usually what I get. I'm never disappointed with what I order, and everything is usually very fresh and delicious tasting. I love their chicken and wild rice or tomato soup, and I usually get it with the chicken pesto panini. My only complaint is that it is slightly pricey. Being a poor college student, I cannot spend almost $10 a visit for salad and soup. read more

This place deserve 5star . Food it's awesome and service it's good. Great place for lunch.

im definitely a fan of croutons!! i can eat an italian panini here everyday.. its just a little expensive for my wallet. i usually get the half and half which you can get any of the two in half sizes (panini, soup, salad).. theyre all great portions, esp. the salad. its 3/4 of the regular size. my favorite salad is probably the granny smith chicken salad. their soups change from day to day i think.. but i do remember their tomato bisque is tasty. very happy they have this place on campus. the one on villa la jolla is delicious too. theyre VERY nice at that location. this one is just okay. =) read more

the pear/blue cheese salad is to die for here. i've had some of the other salads and panini's, but they are forgettable. as others have said, it can get pretty crowded here during lunch, but u can actually call in and order. that way, when u head here, ur meal is waiting for u. i love my pear/blue cheese salad but it can be a little hard on the wallet. its about $7 for salad. read more

You know, being a UCSD student, it's really hard to find something that's good on campus. But Croutons is actually one of the restaurants I like. The food they serve is fresh, and it's better than all the other unhealthy restaurants at Price Center. The only gripe I have is that it is a bit expensive and it's only open for lunch :/ read more

Honestly, I think the portions are skimpy. I ordered half a panini and small salad. Compared to the other location on Villa La Jolla, it is way more skimpy! The location is so random, it's not even in the food court, it's connected to the Student Business Center. The Chicken Pesto panini is so plain, I could make that myself! read more