Yum!
This Tequillaberry’s salad has been a family favorite – served at every family holiday since the 1980s. It seriously wouldn’t be a family holiday without this salad!
The History
Back in the 1980s, there was a very popular restaurant here in Coon Rapids, Minnesota called Tequillaberry’s.
This restaurant was well known for two things:
1. All-You-Can-Eat Prime Rib and
2. “The Salad” – the original Tequillaberry’s Salad!
The prime rib was only served in The Loft inside the restaurant. If you ordered the salad to go along with your meal, the waitress would bring all the fixings on a tray right to your table and mixed the salad right there for you. The salad was served on HUGE plates and was a meal itself. And oh my, it was SOOOO good! It was one of the main things that drew people to the restaurant.
If you asked the waitress for the recipe for the dressing – because it was the dressing that makes this salad so incredible – you were told it was a secret and they were sworn not to give out the recipe. Darn!
But in the mid-1980s, one of my girlfriends was a waitress at Tequillaberry’s. After she quit, I finally convinced her to give me the Tequillaberry Salad recipe – and she did! You won’t believe how simple it is!
There must have been enough “loose lips” with the recipe, that it wasn’t a “secret” for long. Tequillaberry’s Salads soon appeared at work functions, picnics, and pot-lucks (it’s a midwest thing) across the state… and spread like wildfire from there.
It’s not entirely clear if this salad originated at The Vineyard (a sister-restaurant that was in nearby Anoka) or Tequillaberry’s – and sadly both restaurants closed in the mid 2000s. But one thing is clear: this delicious salad will continue to be a staple at all of our family functions! Now you can enjoy it, too!
The Original Tequillaberry’s Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head Iceberg Lettuce, chopped
- 1 head Cauliflower, chopped
- 1/2 purple Onion, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup Real Bacon Bits
- 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (not dry grated Parmesan)
- NOTE: I always double the bacon and the Parmesan cheese (to 1 cup each). You can never have too much bacon or cheese!
Salad Dressing
- 1 cup Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- NOTE: I always make a double batch of the salad dressing. Just double the mayo to 2 cups, the sugar to 2/3 cups and vinegar to 2 tablespoons – you’ll be glad you did!
Directions
- Chop the lettuce and the cauliflower and toss in a large bowl
- Add chopped onion, if you are adding it (if you prefer, serve the chopped onion on the side – some people are not crazy about the onion in our family)
- Add bacon and Parmesan cheese and toss well
- Pour salad dressing over the salad when you are ready to serve, and mix into the salad
If you live in Minnesota, do you remember Tequillaberry’s? If so, share a memory in the comments below!
Ive made it with powdered sugar which is it??
Hi Betty. I’ve never made this recipe with powdered sugar. I know the original recipe calls for regular, granulated sugar.
Regular granulated sugar gives the dressing a nice texture and makes the dressing a little thicker. Granulated sugar also offsets the vinegar taste for a good blend of acid and sweetness.
I hope this helps! Enjoy your salad!
Is it true, were tequilaberries and brandyberries affiliated ?
Yes…Tequilaberrys, Brandyberrys and the Vineyard.
Yes. Best salad ever! I’m old and google search sooo much better than digging through my recipes. I have it somewhere.
Your comment made me smile, Judy. Thank you. I agree with you – best salad ever! Mmmmmm….
I grew up in Coon Rapids and it was always a treat to go to Tequillaberry’s to eat! The salad was better than the prime ribs- which was HARD to beat!! My parents are now moving out of Coon Rapids so I am making this salad for their going away house party for nostalgia. THANK YOU!
What a wonderful going away idea, Andrea! I love that!
I hope your parents move goes well, and I hope they enjoy your salad. Thank you for sharing this – it makes me smile 🙂 .
I also waitressed at Tequilaberry’s back in the day, and just to clarify you could get prime rib in the downstairs part of the restaurant also, but the loft was exclusively ‘all you can eat’ prime rib and the salad was available downstairs and in the loft as well. I also have the ‘original’ recipe for the salad that varies slightly from yours, but they are both delicious, I’m sure!
Hi Liz,
The loft was awesome place to take your date.
I have made the salad hundreds of times over the years, and have never had a complaint.
But the original would be a great thing to try.
If you would be so kind I would enjoy reading it sometime. (And then trying it).
I’m Doug.
My dear friend has terminal cancer and mentioned to me how much she loved the Tequilla Berry Salad that was served at the Vineyard restaurant. She asked if I could make it for serving at her Celebration of Life Service. I would love to make it for her tomorrow to enjoy. Could you please send me the Vineyard’s recipe. I have seen the recipe using vinegar but then some Vineyard employees have said it did not have vinegar in it but rather milk. I would really appreciate it if you could send me the recipe or clarify if milk or vinegar should be used in the recipe and how much.
Thank you.
Liz A I would like the original recipe! I always feel original is the best. You can email it to me a greatnana85@msn.com
Could you share the original recipe please?
I hate to say this but your waitress friend’s recipe is off a bit from when I made it for the company (1986). I cooked at T’s sister restaurant, Brandyberry’s in Bloomington, and made the dressing by the 5 gallon bucket every morning. There’s no vinegar or in it. It’s just Mayo, milk and sugar @ a 25:5:1 ratio by weight. There was no onion of any kind in the salad when I worked for the restaurant. But I’m sure your version is delish too! Cheers from Pine City!
Hey there! Thank you VERY much for your comment!
I remember Brandyberry’s, but didn’t realize they were part of the Tequilaberry group (which also included the Vineyard in Anoka).
I’m really anxious to try this with milk instead of vinegar! Thanks again for that.
Cheers to you in Pine City – you’re just up the road from us in Fish Lake Township – that’s cool!
I would try it with bacon fried very crisp, cooled and crumbled. I use a tsp or so of the bacon grease in the dressing too. Also. My recipe does call for apple cider vinegar to the dressing as well. I also make extra dressing too. I remember the Vineyard in Anoka used to serve the prime rib and salad. Delicious!! Wish these restaurants were still here!!
was it mayo or Miracle whip or both?
Hi Bob – The original recipe I received used mayo – not Miracle Whip. I once tried this recipe with Miracle Whip and much preferred it with real mayo. Others in my family couldn’t taste the difference, so I guess this could be made with either. 😉
don’t add the sugar if you use Miracle Whip, perhaps.
Was the salad and cauliflower chopped smaller than in the picture? Thank you. Always enjoyed the salad.
Hi Eileen –
I’ve made this salad both ways – with the cauliflower chopped real small and a bit larger. Same with the lettuce. Tequillaberrys usually did chop the cauliflower pretty small, as I recall. Either way, it sure tastes good!
As a former cook at TB’s in the 90’s I’ll add that in addition to your Milk, Mayo, and sugar was bacon bits (real bacon not fake), chopped cauliflower, Parmesan (added at the table).
No onions, no vinegar, no oils, bacon grease
It’s almost a guarantee that every time I see an “original TBs salad dressing” article or blog post. It’s from “my sisters boyfriends cousins moms ex was a _________ at the restaurant” and it’s wrong 🤣
I agree with you – no onion and real bacon (crumbled) and no vinegar in the dressing.
We went to T’berries often – I always got the prime rib done (rare) just the way I like it.
I agree – no onion. At that time in my life onions gave me migraines. There was definitely no onion lol
I know for a fact that there was NO ONIONS. Onions would give me a migraine headache back in the 80’s.
I showed several of these comments to my wife (she claims to have the real thing) and she adamantly said “no onion”. She totally agrees with Mark. And the cauliflower was an option for us when we visited the loft. Our kids said no but I asked for their portion in my salad.
Wonderful memories.
Yes!! And it was Romain lettuce and NOT Iceberg , right?! I swear it was Romain !! I’ve always made it with Romain!! I cannot believe how many wrong recipes for this salad are out there!!!! There absolutely is no Onion?! Vinegar?! Grapes?! I think people put their own spin on it !! But none are the Actual ORIGINAL recipe ! You are the closest!!
Anyone remember putting peas in this salad? My mom passed in 2012 & I have her recipe box. Found this recipe but she had a bag of frozen peas in it. Just curious!
The peas were probably something your mom added. The original never had peas in it. Sorry for your loss.
i loved Brandyberries salad and now i know why…It has all the sweet ingrediants including Miracle Whip.
Bob
Bob
This is how I remember it (and make it) as well!
That is pretty similar to how I make it too but I alter the amounts to taste how I remember it as I’m making it. And by bacon bits I hope you mean real bacon and not the fake stuff!
I remember fondly going to the restaurant many times for the salad and prime rib. The salad was my favorite.
The salad was definitely my favorite, too.
And yes – absolutely – REAL pieces of bacon. Yum!!!
Happy Holidays, Julia!
This is interesting, I had been making it for years and lost the recipe, but my recipe had cut up broccoli (I swear there was broccoli in the brandyberrys salad when I used to go there) and some radish as well, always made it this way, but lost my recipe and wanted to make, will try this way
I have a version of Tequilaberry’s Salad, that must have been altered down the line. Mine uses 2 heads of shredded Iceberg Lettuce, 1 Red Onion, 1/2 cup Hellmans Mayonaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tsp white vinegar, 1 package of Real Bacon-Bits, 1 package of finely shredded Parmesan cheese. My recipe doesn’t have the cauliflower in it (I’m guessing that it was altered because somebody didn’t like cauliflower). And I’m not sure how the recipe got sour cream added to it. But I make this version all the time and it is always a hit at my parties.
Your version sounds equally as good! Thanks for sharing this, Ernie! I’ll have to try your version next batch. 😉
The Vineyard used to be our favorite place to go. Was so sad when they tore it down (I think the lot still sits empty!?) Anyways, I always add a couple big tablespoons of coolwhip to the dressing -someone told us to do that-maybe a sweeter replacement for the milk? And a little less sugar. Sooo good however you make it!
The lot is still empty but will soon be used as they continue with the new freeway that is being constructed. From what i have been told that was the plan all along. That monstrosity was being planned that long ago.
I don’t remember onions. I would not have eaten it with onions. I do remember red cabbage and that is what I use in my Tequilaberry salad. Stood good.
I add cut up cauliflower and broccoli to my salad as well. I too add milk no vinegar. I do use the pre-cooked real bacon in a package from either Sam’s Club or Costco and use only Hellmann’s Salad dressing. The bacon from Costco is better than Sam’s Club.
I believe the TB salad was created by Bruce Elford, one of the opening managers, I believe.
This is a staple at our house for every single holiday no matter what else is on the menu. We call it Brandyberry salad because of the Brandyberry restaurant that was on 100 and 494. It was published once in the Star Tribune before the turn of the century. I have that original publication around somewhere. I did have to rework the Star Tribune recipe to make a much smaller batch. It’s the bomb. I miss Tequilaberry’s and Brandyberry’s even after all these many years! I don’t remember it having onions, and that sounds like a great addition. My mom once put tomatoes in it and wrecked it.
I remember Brandyberry’s. 😉
Onions were optional with the salad. We usually have them on the side and people can add them if they want. I love this salad either way!
As much as I love tomatoes, we’ve never added them to this salad. I would agree with you – I think the salad is better without them. Cheers!
Went there many times for the prime up stares very good the salad was great my daughter angie worked there hostess and pull tab sales
I agree with you – the prime rib upstairs was SO good! Oh, how I miss Tequillaberry’s.
I have such great memories of Tequilaberry’s. The salad was amazing. I used to make it a lot in the 1990’s and then I forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder as I’m going to make it this weekend just for old time sake.
I visited the restaurant only once in 1989 and the salad was great, as was the prime rib. I almost married the man who brought me there for my birthday in July of that year. Tequilaberry’s holds a fond memory for me in my heart that I will never forget. Thank you for the photo and nice reminder.