The Chopped Leaf – Airdrie

Always super fresh, super friendly and super yummy. I love coming here. I’ve had both the salad and the wraps, and my favourite has got to be the Pegasus wrap. Really quick and great service as well. Fave!

Airdrie has a few surprises considering it’s status as a bedroom community for Calgary, and a healthy fast-​food place is among them. Welcome to The Chopped Leaf.
The Chopped Leaf has been around for a little over a year now, and it’s one of the places I enjoy in town because of it’s quality — even though it’s a place to grab a fast lunch, the quality control here is huge. Each time I come back, the food is always fresh and presented in a very appetizing manner.
If you’re new to this place, it’s a bit confusing: the menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches, whole bowls, and wraps. The salads and wraps can be ordered from the pre-​set menu, or you can build your own, with each addition increasing the cost (think of it like a pizza place where you get a few base ingredients and everything else is extra). All of the options are vegetarian to start, and you add a few bucks for protein choices as well. Once you order, you pay and get a number, and take a seat… at rush, expect to wait up to 10 minutes for your food to be prepared, even if you’re just getting something that you might think is simple.
As mentioned, the food comes out looking great all the time — the only time I’ve ever not had something «pretty» was when I ordered a salad to-​go, and they accidentally put it in a bowl before transferring it to a take-​out container… it was still excellent, just a bit jumbled.
If I had to pick out a few flaws, it would be the cost and the wait times. Yes, the quality is really good, but I’m not sure if it justifies the cost entirely. A full-​sized salad, with protein and a drink will probably land you around $ 15, which is a bit steep for something I’d consider to be fast food. The pricing is a bit deceptive too, since I personally prefer some meat in my meals, and it’s a minimum of a $ 2 charge to add any of that to any option on the menu. The wait time is the other problem — I want to call this a fast-​food place since there’s no servers to take your order, but the waiting times can be a bit prohibitive if you have less than an hour for lunch. As the line can stretch pretty long at peak hours, you shouldn’t plan on it being quick. There is the option to order ahead, but I’d rather drop by and see if I can get in and out quick.
The short of things? Great food, fantastic flavours, a bit pricey and a bit slow. The perfect stop for someone trying to eat a bit cleaner, but maybe try the Subway (in the same parking lot) if you’re looking for a fast or cheap bite in the area.

So glad there is a healthy fast food option besides a pita place. Small but varied menu. Several vegetarian and vegan items or substitutions. Fast and super fresh. I especially love the brown rice bowls. Custom ordering is never a problem (asking for no onions… or whatever) is never a problem because they make everything right when you order. Never had a bad experience. Their fruit infused water is a must try. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is the menu is fairly small. But it’s a small place so that’s sort of expected. The owner is also really nice and informative about the menu and how they do things.

Fast, fresh, delicious and friendly! Can’t be beat.
One of the things I love most is that when I order one of their pre designed salads of I ask for no *insert topping here* they always offer something in its place for free! And their chopped water is always delicious and refreshing!

The soups they offer are best there is. Days that are cold n chilly scream for soup! Love having a wrap with chicken and adding a piping hot tasty soup. Awesome.

LOVE this place !! So nice to have a healthy alternative to a quick meal in Airdrie. The food is fantastic and the staff & owners are super nice and helpful. Quality is amazing. I am addicted. I’ve been twice this week since I found it and will definitely be a regular with all the yummy choices. :)