Ultimate Everything Cobb Salad

The Cobb Salad: Glamorous Hollywood Icon(?)

As you may know, we love a little salad history around these parts. If you’ve ever enjoyed a Cobb salad and wondered who in the world thought to invent such a delicious concoction, we have your answer: Bob Cobb. His full name is actually Robert Howard Cobb, but Bob Cobb just rolls off the tongue and is pretty fun to say.

Here’s the full story: Now a classic American dish, the Cobb salad was invented in the late 1930s at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, California. Robert Howard Cobb was the restaurant’s owner at the time. Like many great dishes, the Cobb salad was invented late at night. Cobb, hungry and searching for a snack, rummaged through the Brown Derby’s kitchen to find ingredients. He combined various leftovers including lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, cheese, tomatoes, chicken, and bacon, and then topped it with a French dressing. Boom — the Cobb salad was born. 

The salad quickly became a hit. It is said that Cobb shared his creation with Sid Grauman, a friend and fellow restaurateur, who then helped popularize the salad among Hollywood’s elite. The Cobb salad became synonymous with the glamor of Hollywood’s Golden Age, appealing to stars who frequented the Brown Derby. (See? Salads can be glamorous!)

Over the decades, the Cobb salad has remained a popular dish all across the United States, and everyone seems to have their own favorite variation. We hope you enjoy ours!