A New York City woman who said she was enjoying a kale salad during lunch this week, found a little extra protein among the leafy greens of her meal: the head and arm of a lizard.

Robin Sandusky told ABC News that she had the salad delivered to her office Tuesday from a restaurant called Guy & Gallard, and had already eaten about a quarter of the dish when she spotted the reptile's arm and half-open eyelids staring back at her from the bowl.

"I turned it over and the gore was hanging out the back of the neck," she said. "I said, 'Oh man. I have a lizard in my salad.'"

Sandusky said she contacted the restaurant and was offered a refund and another salad, but she refused the replacement meal.

ABC News reached out to the restaurant for comment and Jason Jefferies, one of its managing partners, responded, saying the chain hasn't had an issue like this in 20 years, and that they are investigating.

"We keep our kitchens to the highest standards," he told ABC News. "Pretty much we're shocked at the possibility this could happen."

Jefferies said the restaurant dumped its remaining kale out of an abundance of caution. However, he said it is still not clear how the lizard ended up in the salad and whether the restaurant is responsible for it.

Sandusky said she snapped a photo of her unwelcome lunchtime companion as a keepsake.

"How many times are you going to have that happen in your life?" she said.