Glasgow's Best Lunch: Review of Sprigg in Glasgow city centre

We’ve had some fantastic suggestions from our readers so far in our search for Glasgow’s best lunch.

I’ve noted down some of the ‘funner’ options for further down the line, but feeling somewhat overindulged after a recent week of annual leave, I couldn’t justify going out in search of pizza, burgers or excessive carbs.

Instead, on a sunny Monday afternoon there seemed like no better time than the present to try the city centre office workers' lunch treat of choice; a salad bowl from Sprigg.

I’m no stranger to the spot, which operates two stores on Sauchiehall Street and Ingram Street, having previously tried the soups alongside moreish slabs of focaccia sprinkled in coarse sea salt and grab-and-go pots of satay potatoes which are worth visiting for in their own right.

But, for me, a hefty price tag on their signature salads was never quite worth the risk.

Until now.

The first thing to note as I walked through the doors was a small queue which snaked around from the counter to the front of the shop. From past conversations at the Glasgow Times HQ I’m aware that Sprigg lovers are habitual and these fellow customers certainly seemed to know the score as they waited patiently in line.

Regardless of the crowd, the staff remained cool, calm and infectiously upbeat as they dutifully took orders for custom lunch bowls which came in two sizes, small (£5) or regular (£8.50), with an extra 50p charge for the cardboard bowl.

As someone who struggles to make decisions on the spot, I worried that the choice would be overwhelming as I stepped up to take my pick, but my server cheerily chatted me through all of the options, making recommendations along the way and reassuring me there was more stock in the chillers.

This Sprigg worker was the star of the show, even taking the time to ask how my weekend had been and having a natter about yesterday's F1 race at the till.

But we’re on the search for Glasgow’s best lunch, not staff, so let’s get down to the salad itself.

Following a suggestion, I chose tofu as my protein which was laid on top of lemon kale and six choices of filler ranging from rice noodles to a pea and lentil mix laced with mint alongside a generous scoop of thick houmous.

A chipotle honey dressing and pickled cabbage garnish sealed the deal and I’m happy to report that each and every element of the dish was fresh, tasty and surprisingly filling.

There’s no doubt that it was a good lunch. A great lunch even. But a £9 lunch? I’m not so sure.

Next time I would perhaps opt for the smaller of the bowls which did seem to be a popular choice amongst the queue and would have been enough to satisfy lunchtime hunger without splashing out for the whole shebang.

Even still, let’s hold off until payday for that one.

What's the verdict?

Value for Money: 3/5 – I’m torn. The salad was undeniably enjoyable but in the current climate, almost a tenner for lunch stings a bit. As a treat day experience, I would order the smaller bowl. Worth noting that a 'set bowl' menu is priced at £7.50.

Taste: 4/5 – Making leafy greens and veggies taste truly delicious is a talent and Sprigg knows exactly what they are doing. A little more tofu would not have gone amiss.

Atmosphere: 4/5 – Busy but not uncomfortably so with an upbeat buzz.

Service: 5/5 – The best part of the experience. Lovely staff who went above and beyond to make chat while also making sure I received exactly what I was after. It took just about 10 minutes all in.

Variety: 3/5 – Salads, soups and a few sweet treats. The selection for salad is vast and includes veggie and vegan-friendly options but by 1.30pm the team had run out of all the specials for the day.

Overall score: 19/25