I was at MDA for a 12 day procedure and leaned on the Apicius for food for a bit when I felt up to it. During the first half of June 2026. I ate their Burger and had their Salmon on more than one occasion along with the coffee. You can always tell the quality of a restaurant by how they make their coffee. The Apicius did everything pretty well. The coffee was fresh. I prefer strong dark black coffee, more like Starbucks Sumatra. But their coffee was pretty good, at least fresh and where most folks would be happy with it. So an 8/10 on that. The Burger - I enjoyed the condiments and the fries, I like my burgers rare, ordered mid-rare because of my procedure and with garlic. I will rate that an 8/10. It would have been a 10/10 had it been fresh garlic. Not powdered. The Salmon was enjoyable, it came with rice and though I thought it was a bit on the bland side, maybe add lemon zest, jalapeño, a little more on the bolder side, some folks may prefer it that way. The rice was a little bit of a let down. A bit dry. Not fluffy. Though it was my worst medical treatment day there, the meal was a blessing and with the coffee, they brought over a thermos- pulled off a 7.25 out of 10. I remember having a burger to go, and they comped the cup of coffee and took it to the room as I didn't feel well one day. I will give that one an 9/10 as they packaged everything including napkins and utensils. The service was really quite good except by someone who probably was having a difficult day. It was mid-afternoon and I ordered a burger and that individual struggled to get me a napkin. I think this person is on leave as I am writing this otherwise I would have been a lot less understanding. Overall the service is good. A burger will cost 20, Salmon 30, coffee 3 around that ball park. So its OK value for money. To improve on the rating I would use more fresh ingredients, garlic, shallots, jalapeños, But being who they feed, they can't alway go bold and spicy. The setting is nice. See photos. read more

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Food and service are great. Ambiance is of a fine dining experience in a hospital. My only suggestion is that the menu other than the buffet focuses mostly on sandwiches. I would love small plates and simple meals including fruit, pasta, and toast as part of the overall menu. Many diners at Apicus are cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. This may make spicier, heavier options less desirable. I would also love to see simple egg dishes that are tolerated well by most people. read more

Last 3 visits show a continuous deterioration of the food quality and temperature. The menu has changed and is less inviting. Certain items have been removed from the menu. Serving sizes have been noticeably reduced in size. Soups which used to be the a strong offering are often thin, lacking taste, and often barely warm. Perhaps there is a new management team in place, but not up to par by any means. The bar remains the only bright spot. read more

Emma is a wonderful bartender that makes fantastic long island ice teas! I tried the chicken pot pie and it was fantastic, the crust is puff pastry or phyllo, so light and delicate. The lady next to me had the Mahi Mahi and she said it was really good. It's nice to have a good restaurant attached to the hospital. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Chicken pot pie! - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The seasonal menu has grilled Mahi Mahi, herb risotto and asparagus. It was so good. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Mahi Mahi - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

We come to MDA a couple of times a year. We often have lunch or dinner at Apicius. It has always been a pleasant experience. The staff are great and always kind. Service has been quick and the food hot. We enjoy what they offer and the prices are consistent with other restaurants. This is not a 4 star restaurant, but it is a good restaurant and serves a lot of people every day. They do a good job! Recently I had the Chicken Pot Pie for the 1st time. Most excellent! Plenty of chicken and veggies in a creamy sauce topped with puff pastry crust. I highly recommend it. No sides come with it and you will not need them. The Pot Pie is large enough to satisfy most appetites. read more

I usually travel alone and sit at the bar. The bartender is always polite and helpful. The food here is really good for a hotel bar. It's a great place to unwind at the end of the day. I e had several things on the menu but it changes regularly. The pot pie is great as well as the Rueben sandwich. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Rueben and Fries - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Excellent service and the food is good. Also very convenient when you have numerous medical appointments. Everyone is very patient and understanding! read more

Casual environment with both buffet / salad bar and a fairly full a la carte selection with gluten free and bean selections. Polite and attentive service. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Menu page 1 - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We're back at MD Anderson Cancer Center, so we are giving Apicius a second chance. We came this time for breakfast on a Sunday morning. We were seated immediately and the waitress was also quick and showed up with iced water. We decided not to get the buffet ($20.95 each), I got the the traditional breakfast burrito, my wife ordered the Texas Waffles with bacon ($13.00 each). Our meals showed up very quickly. Mine was hot & tasty. Not a lot of spice, but flavorful. My wife's waffles came between cool and cold. She said they were also tasty but the whipped cream was missing. We asked the waitress and she went to the back and got some but not until only one waffle was left. That was not her fault as we could've asked earlier. We both cleared our respective plates. This was a better option than the breakfast buffet. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Texas Waffles with maple syrup, fresh fruit, bacon but no whipped cream. - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This restaurant is in the Rotary House hotel, which is part of the MD Anderson Center complex. I imagine they are busy during peak time, but they are perfect for a nice sit down, rest and eat between appointments for me since that usually happens between normal mealtimes. The seating is comfortable, especially the couch/booth tables near the bar. The staff is kind and generally relaxed. The food is just a little pricey, but high quality. Their burgers are generous and tasty. Radiation has played hob with what I can swallow, so I have tried several of their soups which were all very good. I particularly liked the cream of roasted peppers (soup of the day) which had just the right amount of heat for me. But my favorite thing they serve is their sweet potato waffle fries. Perfectly cooked to get the caramelized flavor and crispy edges, they are a perfect boost for me. I haven't been there for their buffet. But I would definitely recommend Apicius as a whole. read more

We tried a baked potato. It wasn't cooked. But HIGHLY RECOMMEND the ASPARAGUS! As an fyi - as of June 2025 - The menu listed on Yelp is far better than the actual current menu. read more

Self serve Breakfast buffet was ok. Seems the "Lowest quality of food products " are purchased. Chicken breasts cut in half (unevenly) then dried out on the over cook. Pasta was bland & about a 1/2 lb served stuck together, inedible. Farmed corn fed fish , no thank you. No grass fed beef. Bottles & canned processed foods - again unhealthy ingredients. Low quality cheese in queso (gritty), not hard to make a good cheese sauce/dip. Service was mediocre at best after breakfast hours. Budget $ need to be on quality of food product coupled with experienced cooks for preparation for a dine-in experience. Better to dine out for quality or bring own meals when staying at the hotel. The hotel is wonderful! Spaces are well appointed. read more

Apicius Kitchen - Bar is a very nice restaurant offering a good mix of food choices, and there is a daily buffet. Service is very good and they are more than willing to do whatever they can for their customers. Prices are fair for the portion sizes and quality of menu offerings. read more

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Great service and the food is fresh and delicious!! We've eaten at the restaurant and ordered room service and both were stress relieving and enjoyable!! read more

I've eaten here twice on two different trips to MD Anderson and ordered the chicken fried chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes with perfect green beans and fried onions on top. Both times the food was super hot and outstanding. Service was attentive and a couple of managers floated by at different times to check on every table. Excellent food and service both times. Ambience is also nice. read more

We have been staying at Rotary House on a regular basis since 2013. The restaurant was previously called The Oaks and, at that time and for many years, it was an upscale experience with delicious high quality food. This is no longer true. Unfortunately, Apicius is one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. We had several meals there thinking that things would improve depending on the food choice or dining time. We were wrong. Terribly wrong. At its best, it is low class cafeteria food and at its worst it is inedible. We tried different dishes at breakfast, lunch and dinner. All of it was absolutely hideous and unreasonably expensive. We tried the catfish on our last day there and the fish was flavorless and the crust was a hard shell. Absolutely awful. We then ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with soup so that our daughter would have something to eat. It was also so bad it was left there on the plate as well. The three of us were sick to our stomachs. I would consider this simply a bad dining experience, knowing that the restaurant would close eventually from lack of patronage, but that is not the situation here. The real crime is not the bad food but the fact that they are selling highly overpriced low quality fare to people who are very ill and their families. A lot of these people are in bad shape physically and mentally, so going out to alternative restaurants is challenging. If Marriott is still managing Rotary House, they need to make management changes immediately. There is no acceptable reason to treat ill people and their families this way. read more

Service was on point and the food was delicious. Did not feel rushed as the atmosphere was relaxing and inviting. Will definitely be back when we are in town. read more

Staying at the rotary house and had 1.5hrs before my next appointment and decided to order a burger. Well done so it will be quick and 1.5 hrs is plenty of time to eat and get to my appointment. 45 mins into waiting and three tables are eating around me who were not even seated when I was. Server told his manager I was waiting for 45 mins. 1 hr goes by and nothing. Not even a manager coming by. Finally after 1 hr and 10 mins I leave. Server was sorry but I wasted a whole hour. I'll stay at the hotel but I won't eat from there again. read more

Always great food and service. Pot pie was delicious. Awesome buffet. Very convenient in location. Was able to have fast service every time. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Pot pie - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Everything in this restaurant and bar is amazing!!! It is the very best of everything including the staff!! Thank you for being so compassionate toward everyone!! read more

Apicius is a nice spot that is in the Rotary House connected to MD Anderson. It is a great spot for patients and family members to grab a nice meal outside of the hospital food. It is also a great spot for those of us who work at the hospital to grab a meal before or after work. I can only speak on the breakfast as some of us partook after our shift one day. Most of us had the breakfast buffet and it was absolutely delicious. They can make your eggs made to order so most of us had omelettes. They also made us very tasty waffles made to order. All the typical sides and breakfast accompaniments were great also. They are definitely a step above your typical breakfast buffet elsewhere. The service we received was what you would expect at a nice hotel establishment. If you come in the evening, they have a full bar as well. Overall, I would definitely come back and keep it in my breakfast rotation if in the area! read more

TLDR. Staying at Rotary house? This is an ok choice. Ordered a few things while staying here. Across the board, everything was a bit dry. But the burger wasn't bad flavor wise. The Ruben was good as well and I would recommend it. read more

I've been here a few times over the years during my time at MDACC. It's had a couple of different names, and styles. I like the current look. My new Boss brought me an a coworker out for a welcome lunch. Much appreciated, Boss! They have a buffet, which I am quite fond of because I will eat for hours... but we rolled in before they were set up and ordered off the menu. Boss wanted calamari, and calamari we had. I solid appetizer, with a good portion. In addition to the calamari, they mix in some fried jalapenos and carrots. Not hating, but the jalapenos could be hotter. I like a little spice in my life. It was a tough call for me between the seared chicken breast and grilled salmon, but salmon wins. It usually does. Portions were good. For the menus items, it is a bit pricey. But considering where we are, it makes sense. This isn't Luby's. A solid spot for those looking for a good meal in the med center. read more

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The wait for service was untenable, considering we visited on Friday and only two other tables were occupied. When our drinks finally arrived, they were not what we'd ordered. Wait staff seemed dull and sleepy. The kitchen failed miserably, too, as the salad dressing was diluted to a watery thin soup. When my much-anticipated fried shrimp arrived--they came battered WITH THE SHELLS STILL ON. Next time I'll skip the overpriced slop and make beans and weenies in my room. read more

Stick to salads and sandwiches.They use to many additives. They use MSG in their soups that makes me sick and a headaches. I asked the evening chef himself. Emmy makes GREAT drinks at the bar! Breakfast omelets are. Rey good and they have fresh fruit. read more

We always have great food when ordering off the menu here! The buffet is usually good. I think it's better the earlier you get there. This restaurant is so convenient when staying at the hotel or visiting the hospital! We will definitely be back! read more

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Came here for lunch cause all of the other places were closed by 3pm. The dining area is newly remodeled and is very nice and clean. They have a lunch buffet that ends at a certain time and room service for people at the Rotary House. There is an all day menu with things like soups, salad, grilled chicken, pasta, etc. I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and thought it was a bit bland. The noodles were cooked perfectly but it was seasoned with just olive oil and contained peas, pancetta, and sundried tomatoes and Parmesan on top. I suppose it just needed a little more salt to accentuate the taste. But ingredients were fresh and overall, quality was good. My coworker ordered the petite combo - which contained a petite sandwich, a soup and a salad. The sandwich was a chicken salad on a croissant and was loaded. The soup was a cauliflower bisque and she had a nice salad with walnuts and feta with a sweet dressing. I thought the dishes would be more elaborate for the price, but overall a nice place with good service. I wouldn't say they're quick by any means but they are nice and the ambiance is nice. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Petite Combo with soup, sandwich and salad - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Good, healthy food, fast, friendly service, pleasant ambience. What's not to like?! We make it a point to stop in for a meal every time we have an appointment at MDAnderson. read more

Ok, this is probably going to sound outrageous given all the 1-3 star reviews on here, but I actually LOVED eating here. I was visiting a friend at the hospital after a 6 hour plane ride and I was starving, so I found my way to this restaurant for a quick bite -- and it definitely hit the spot! As someone who works in the hospital/clinic setting, I wasn't expecting much more than average cafeteria food. Although I know this isn't the cafeteria, it's still inside a health institution...and the fact that I could still get really great food here blew my mind! I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato basil soup and a side of asparagus. I was pleasantly surprised that the dish came with a side and the selection you could choose from (asparagus, salad, fries, etc.). But the dish that stole the show was the grilled cheese sandwich. This was, hands down, the best grilled cheese sandwich of my life. And the soup was the perfect compliment to it. The grilled cheese was the perfect amount of butter, melty, gooeyness...and the soup had just the right tart flavor to balance out that richness. I don't know if it's because I'm used to the grilled cheese sandwiches in California (and the south just does them so much better?) or because I was so ravenous...but whatever it was, this was life-altering. In regards to service, the waitress was wonderful about checking in on me, but not being too overbearing. The only reason it's not 5 stars is because the ambiance didn't blow me away...it is still in the hospital, after all. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Grilled cheese was amazing! - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

The second star is solely for the staff, who are generally lovely. Especially the hostesses. Every single hostess I've ever seen there is fantastic. However, foodwise this place seems to get worse and worse. The vegetarian options get increasingly limited every time I go, the food is tasteless or poorly made (I had a black bean burger that literally felt like someone mashed a can of black beans together and that was it), and an overwhelming about of the food is greasy. Considering this is attached to MDAnderson, one would think they'd try for something decent. Maybe it's worth it if you get the buffet--but if you don't eat meat, you're stuck with the salad options and the occasional soup which is not a lot for the price in my opinion. None of it is worth the price. Considering how many good restaurants are within ten minutes of the Rotary House, I'd say skip this completely and spend the same amount of money on something better. The desserts are decent though. I'll give them that. read more

I checked into the Rotary House yesterday for a visit with MD Anderson's finest on Monday. Saturday is a quiet place here with few choices to eat, so Apicius was it. The two staff members were the epitome of gracious, caring and helpful. On their recommendation I choose the Chicken Philly. PS I am from Philly so the obvious choice. They follow COVID protocol to the T. The Philly was hot and fresh and above average considering. This morning I tried the breakfast buffet. Again excellent friendly staff and a omelette chef to boot. He made me a nice fluffy omelette which I kidded to him that it was the best omelette that I had ( today..lol). Congrats to Rotary and the wonderful staff for making this a pleasant visit at a tough time. They deserve your appreciation and support Glenn R read more

In the last two years the buffet food quality and preparation has nosedived. They reuse their dishes from the seating before. The food is oversalted or just doesn't taste like you would expect from a typical dish. The staff and the service are 5 star. Its location to the Rotary House is the only reason we eat there. read more

Anywhere else this wouldn't be five stars, but this is graded on a curve. The service is more than five stars. The bar area is like an odd Cheers for Cancer Survivors and Caregivers. Everybody either knows your name or gets to know you. It's comforting at a time when a smile and greeting mean more than they usually would. Esmeralda, Emmie, and Mannie are fantastic. The food is good for what it is, and they will try to accommodate special requests. When you're staying in a hotel that's connected to a hospital it's really nice, convenient, and comforting to have a restaurant there that gives you some semblance of normalcy. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Great bar setup l! - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Yummy!!!! Very filling! If you like pickles ask for extra!!! Sweet people! Very convenient if you are at staying at the Rotary. I also got the Parmesan fries, they were good, a bit salty, but I liked them with the ranch dip. read more

Apicius Kitchen & Bar - Triple Decker Club - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place had the best Mac and cheese and tomato bisque soup. The place is clean too. read more

We ordered 2 salads late one night. One was with Salmon and one was with Grilled shrimp. Everything was very good. Salmon was a huge piece and shrimp was delicious, lettuce was a mixture and all fresh. Menu read Blue Cheese Vinaigrette on the salad so I asked them to leave off the dressing. They left off the dressing, however the cheese was sprinkled over the salad. I am dairy free so after picking off the cheese I was able to enjoy the rest. I guess the way the menu reads it was cheese, and a vinaigrette. It was a late night and I just needed to eat something. We have eaten here a few times and it is always very good. read more

Awesome spot to step away from the hospital, grab a bite and watch the World Cup. We will definitely be back before leaving town.

I read the recent reviews and gave it a try because of the convenience factor. YUCK! Food is flavorless and cold. I will Pass on the convenience now. read more

Convenient location if you at staying at the hotel. Food is good but nothing to rave about. Definitely not worth the prices they charge.