The Toss
- Beside Fina's Cafe
- Near Amazing Wok
- Beside Cozy Nails
The Toss: Design your Own Delicious Salad
Welcome to The Toss!
The Toss, San Carlos is a neighborhood café where you design your own tossed-to-order salad.
Our menu is straightforward, but the choices are endless…
Begin by choosing your favorite mix of greens and/or grains. Move down the line to include your pick from over 30 different toss-in’s – not just cucumbers and carrots, but ingredients such as quinoa, hearts of palm, pickled onions, roasted corn, wasabi peas, spicy pepitas, feta & goat cheese. Next, add a protein to make your design a bit heartier. Choices include marinated, oven-roasted chicken or skirt steak, roasted salmon, shrimp, tofu or sopresatta salami. To finish off your design, let us know your choice of one of our 18 house-made salad dressings.
Should you not be feeling creative, choose from one of our house-designed salads, warm bowls, or homemade daily soups.
Dine with us and enjoy a glass of wine or beer in our open air patio, or take your salad to go with a sparkling water or tea.
Tracy’s concept for The Toss materialized after several years of homemaking and motherhood. As a resident of San Carlos, she felt there was a need for a quick, design-your-own, salad-specific eatery in town.
Prior to becoming a mother, Tracy worked in hospitality sales for several years, which allowed her to travel nationwide. It was during these travels that she started gathering ideas for what was to become her personal restaurant vision. The Toss opened in 2016 when Tracy risked it all to make her dream a reality.
Tracy’s passion for food and the restaurant industry began while growing up on the Monterey Peninsula where she worked in several restaurants. Tracy always knew she wanted to do something food related, but was not sure in what capacity.
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” is her philosophy.
Tracy’s energy and enthusiasm for offering guests a personalized experience shows in every aspect of The Toss. She wants her guests to feel at home, feel recognized, appreciated and to receive the freshest seasonal produce possible.
From The Toss, San Carlos Official Website | Facebook
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Top Reviews
Anthony C. | Redwood City, CA | Yelp 
I love this place. Staff is incredible. Owner does great job with the salads. I would recommend it for anyone looking for good healthy food. Today I had a bowl not a salad and it was fantastic. I love their Baja Cobb salad that’s my go to. Try the Toss, you’ll like it. Small outdoor seating is great on a nice day.
Carol V. | Medina, TX | Yelp
Great lunch today! My husband I had lunch for the first time. Food is fresh, portions are generous and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend!
Sherri Z. | Rancho Santa Fe, CA | Yelp
This is the cutest and best soup and salad place in the Bay Area. I got the Baja Cobb and it had half an avocado, grilled chicken and other yummy toppings! Everything was fresh and reasonably priced. They even have buy one salad get one half off after 3pm. Salads are pretty big so I didn’t take advantage of that offer today. They have beer and wine too! The employees were also super nice and helpful.
Makeda N. | Redwood City, CA | Yelp
I crave these salads! Delicious and filling and I feel great about what I’m putting into my body. I brought several home for the family for lunch and everyone raved. My youngest even said it was the best salad she’d ever had in her life (13 years) and she ate the entire portion. Hubby said this is a keeper!
Really friendly staff as well. Thank you, we’ll be back!
Gina H. | San Mateo, CA | Yelp
I just started working in the area and wanted to try this place for awhile. It’s really bright and a welcoming feeling. The staff was super friendly. Inside and outside seating. I took mine to go though. I had the Cobb salad and substituted the dressing for ranch and it was so delicious! Very flavorful and you can really taste the chicken and how fresh it is. I will definitely be back!
Bett Costilla | Google
It would be great to have The Toss in Palo Alto, BUT the drive is well worth it! My favorite is the Siesta with added roasted garlic cloves! Very friendly staff, quality and serving portions are amazing! Everything is FRESH! I am very picky when it comes to my salads, this is the ONLY ‘go to’ salad place for me. Vegetarian options: Salad? Lots to choose from. Kid-friendliness: Dog and Kid friendly. Owner is very friendly and provides excellent service. Dietary restrictions: Create your own salad that fits your diet.
Maureen Newman | Google
Had the Siesta salad–very tasty! Lots of gluten free options, and I was not nervous about cross contamination based on the behind-the-counter workflow. My salad barista was kind and friendly, and she put on the perfect amount of “just a little” dressing. The price was reasonable for the ingredient quality and flavor. The owner took care of me at the register, and it’s always great to see the owner on-site and working alongside everyone. I went at the perfect time (11:30) because there was only one order in front of me. When I left, there was a line. Outside seating was cozy despite the rain. Vegetarian options: Everything can be built to be vegetarian except some soups Dietary restrictions: Notes for gluten free on the menu
WC | Google
This is #1 on our list for a quick lunch in San Carlos. Absolutely top quality ingredients, excellent combinations of flavors and textures, 100% customizable salads and sandwiches.I rotate between the tuna nicoise and the corfu with a hard egg or some shrimp, and my partner is a fan of the Mayan with shrimp. I haven’t had anything less than an awesome meal from The Toss.
Dave Martin | Google
The Toss in San Carlos is my Absolute Favorite Restaurant for a delicious healthy lunch. The staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating. Their entire menu is delicious! I’ve had many of the Salads, Sandwiches, Bowls and Baked Goods and they are all FANTASTIC.I strongly recommend this restaurant!
Shashwat Nanda | Google
Excellent option at this place – We just found this place after going down to the peninsula & wanting a great option for salads! We were super impressed with the ingredients & preparations & the warm hellos on entry were a welcome change from the chains. Go support these guys – they are amazing!
Erika Doubrava | Google
Best salad in the peninsula. Extremely tasty and overall great experience. Will be coming back many more times. Just thinking of your salads puts a big smile on my face. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a healthy and tasty meal.
What’s Great about San Carlos?
