Surely no one gets excited about hospital food. Most of us have seen the typical meal selection: middle school-quality burgers, Caesar salads in plastic takeout boxes, and any other unappetizing items that you can typically find in a middle-of-nowhere gas station. Fortunately, the UC Davis Medical Center cafe excels far beyond the stereotype. They carry an impressive variety of food stations, two of which rotate through different specials each day of the week. Regardless of what cuisine they choose for the day -- Korean, Mediterranean, etc -- it always tends to lean toward the healthy side (as they should, it's literally a hospital). My favorite has to be the mushroom chicken because it has that characteristic smokey Chinese flavor. For the less adventurous people, their Nourish Salad and Homestyle Chicken with quinoa and green beans also make decent choices. Combo meals cost a very acceptable $8-10. Admittedly, the cafe sometimes gets carried away with their ambitions. I chuckle a bit seeing Mapo Tofu and Chicken Bulgogi on the menu. They're nothing like their authentic counterparts but still taste miles better than typical hospital food. That's what ultimately gives the cafe its 5th star; one for creativity, four for healthiness, affordability, and taste. I'm not going out of my way to visit, but the food here makes the hospital experience way less depressing. read more

Having worked in the main building, I've seen a lot of changes since this Cafe opened. They have a pizza oven, a grill, and used to do rotisserie chicken and tri-tip, no longer. Excellent salad bar, every kind of beverage you can imagine. They pre-cook chicken sandwiches and burgers, making for a quick grab, with pre-packaged condiments. Donuts and pastries in the morning, cookies as well. read more

Pavilion Cafe - Ham and cheese croissant, ginger cookie. - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

I've tried to give this cafe a chance over and over, it's just not it. Menu options are pretty much the same every week with minimal changes. The food for the most part is very bland and incredibly overpriced for what you receive. Unless your protein is topped with sauce it is guaranteed dry. I could go on... Lots of room for improvement. read more

If I could give it 0 stars I would. Food is disgusting, and I am ticketed with a parking ticket when this place is literally on yelp and I am trying it. The hospital clearly has no care for customers. This "chef Santana Diaz" should really step down... this is awful food. He shouldn't deserve credit for making absolutely overpriced garbage read more

The food has more so home-cooked vibes and less restaurant, food court appeal but the pricing is pretty fair. $6 for an omelette and they have a pachamama located in the cafe read more

Pavilion Cafe - Omelette - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

One can't help but wonder, Who has oversight over the UC Davis Pavilion Cafes? As the quality of food being served and the options being offered continue to decline and the prices continue to rise. World-class hospital quality it's not. The lunch room is being run like a County Hospital on Food Stamps. In its latest iteration at the main hospital, the lovely salad bar is gone, leaving a barren swathe of empty trays. No more tuna options or multiple salad choices or fresh fruit bowls. The two salad options appear dry. The meager offerings of Sandwiches and pizza sit widely apart, with the only options offered being on 1) served on Croissants, and 2) the sad-looking "Turkey?" on wheat bread. Just Yech! They're still serving hot Chicken & Burger sandwich options, which looked delicious, but they're wrapped in some sort of Bright tinfoil, making them appear like they're from Jack in the Box! The Hot Bar is hit and miss. They offer a variety of hot dishes, usually 2 main courses with options for sides, including a fresh salad. The dishes are usually edible, but are often bland. There seems to be no rhyme or reason in the serving size. I watched the young woman give liberal servings to all, yet, when it was my turn, she was almost out of the food and dropped the serving size by 1/2. One dish was delicious. The other was like bland slop. What a shame that this is what U.C. Davis offers its doctors, surgeons, staff, and visitors. read more

3$ for a "scoop of eggs" and salsa. Was too committed to the transaction to say never mind. read more

Pavilion Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

Service is really fast and food is ok to good. It is what you would expect from a cafeteria read more

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Doesn't say cafe is only available to employees and patient visitors. Person at the desk was horribly dismissive and rude...

For a cafeteria, I have to commend their food and service. They have a variety of options available and the options change everyday. Peet's coffee has been consistent for me each time and I love the caesar salads here. It's located at the main hospital and is extremely accessible. It's open for quite some time during the day. It's busy on the weekdays, typically filled with everyone, but on the weekends the service is just as good. I appreciate the staff here for their hard work. On that note, the cafeteria is always clean!! read more

I often visit here during lunch hours. I do understand that during that time, I can expect this (or any cafe) to be busy. You have a mixture of different people here for different reasons.... Nurses, doctors, visitors, and maybe some random people that wants to eat there. The food is pretty consistent, like the burgers, fries, salad bar, soups, pizzas, etc..... And for the most part, all the food they make is pretty good as far as taste and quality. What is a hit or miss is the food workers behind there. Some, though they have worked there for a long time, still can't manage their time. There are some cooks that are slow and MOVE slow. Really nothing to do with safety, or under/over cooked food. It seems like their soul is not in their body at work. Example: I'm in line and I order just regular fries, the 7 people ahead of me orders burgers (and burgers are being cooked), there is fries readily available for you to serve, PLEASE give me my fries! It'll cut my time to pay and eat, rather than watching you watch the burgers being cooked and standing there for minutes on end. Do something, multi-task! read more

Pavilion Cafe - Cheese burger and curly fries - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

My praise for UCDMC's Pavilion Cafe comes primarily from its convenience. It's located right in the main hospital and is open 20 hours a day, making it a great choice for hospital employees and anyone who lives in the immediate area. Does it absolutely provide the highest quality meals I've ever had? No, of course not. It is very much a cafeteria (everything with the exception of the hot grill pre-cooked and prepped). But for hospital food, which tends to have a bad rap, it's pretty delicious. In particular I'm a fan of the Rotisserie options, especially the Nourish menu that features fresh entrees with a farm-to-fork vibe. The Wok and Grill are also ok depending on what's on the menu. The Rotisserie and Wok are only open on weekdays. Everything else, including the salad bar (you pay to fill your box, not by weight; the box has to close before you pay), Grill, and Deli is open daily. Please note the following menu items are subject to change. For example, Tuesdays used to feature tacos (the pork belly were my fav) but they changed it and currently they only have burrito bowls. ROTISSERIE: Menu rotates on a daily basis. My favorites are the adobo pork with larb and pancit on Wednesdays. Close seconds would be the cavatappi alfredo and baked ziti on Thursdays and burrito bowls on Tuesdays. There's always a variety of side dishes (salads, mac & cheese, roasted vegetables, etc.) that are interesting and varied. This section usually features some sort of vegetarian/vegan entree option as well, which is amazing. I would stay away from the roast chicken (VERY tough and dry; I couldn't finish it). The Al Pastor burrito bowl is also meh (it tastes like BBQ sauce, so if you are a fan, you might like it... but if you're like me and don't, stick with the Carne Asada or Tofu Chorizo). WOK: Usually some sort of Asian-inspired dish like orange chicken or beef with broccoli. Not as tasty as Panda Express, but similar in style. I find mostly it is over salted or too too sweet, rather than more balanced. The noodles are bland. The only time I visit this station is on Thursdays when they have falafel pita and feta fries! I haven't tried the lamb because I didn't like it when they used to have Indian curries at the rotisserie. But that is also an option if you need meat. GRILL: There's a variety of things that are made to order like burgers, fries, patty melts (my personal favorite on sourdough!), grilled cheese, etc. This menu is relatively stable, I haven't seen it change in a while. If you come in before 9:30am, I think, they have breakfast items like pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage. The breakfast is just ok, I wouldn't get it again. The grill usually has the longest wait because there's only one line cook and orders get backed up. I only come here if there's absolutely nothing else to get that day. DELI: The menu does change supposedly every day, but they are rather unmemorable. I like the Broadway Sandwich which is essentially a bacon turkey sandwich. Some of the grab & go boxes are good (like the hummus one) but insanely overpriced--$6 I think? For that, you can get a hot entree from the rotisserie... SOUP: Offered 7 days a week and changes every day. They are mostly unexceptional, but a great price ($2.15 after tax). The bread you might be tempted to get, situated right next to the soup pots, is $0.65 extra; not worth it for the quality. The only time I get soup is on Chicken Gumbo on Tuesdays or Clam Chowder on Fridays. Everything else is a pass. SALAD BAR: Extensive, and options rotate depending on what they have. Some protein options also available, like cubed chicken breast, tofu, edadame. I love their noodle salad with the sesame dressing but it's only available sometimes. It's pricey for what it is. The boxes are pretty small and don't fit much, but if you really pack your ingredients in there, you might get your money's worth. DESSERT: Array of lemon bars, brownies, cookies (the custom frosted sugar cookies are adorable! They are usually seasonal so they often have Easter shapes, Valentine's Day hearts, Halloween, etc.). Some packaged muffins and cakes as well. They have refrigerated puddings and Jello in the fridge. DRINKS: Bubly (sparkling water), bottled water, a soda fountain, and some other bottled drinks like juice. MISCELLANEOUS: As with any cafeteria, they also have a variety of packaged snacks (nuts, jerky, chips), fresh fruit (apples and bananas and whatever's in season like peaches sometimes), yogurt, cheese sticks, and so on. It's quite extensive. The reason I'm docking a star is because sometimes the employees are extremely uninformed. Don't get me wrong, they are mostly nice and call you sweetie, but once I overheard a server tell someone the pork al pastor was chicken--which could be bad for allergy/religious reasons. One person at checkout overcharged me because I had both a salad and entree, but the combo was supposed to be cheaper. Then they argued with me so I just paid... read more

this is UCDMC's cafeteria. i am only going to mention the overnight schedule as that's what I'm familiar with. the cafeteria closes at 8PM and re-opens briefly from 11PM until 12AM serving cold sandwiches, freshly baked pizza, soup of the day, a salad bar, drinks (bottled, canned & soda fountain) including coffee & tea and other packaged food items. they open the doors again from 1AM to 4AM but this time the grill is open for items such as burgers, omelets, fries & breakfast fare. they also serve hot food of the day near the salad bar. i know for sure they always have Taco Tuesdays and they serve lamb shawarma and lamb curry on other days. read more

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This hospital cafeteria is very good with different cooking stations like GRILL, HOT WOK , PIZZA, COFFEE, ROTISSERIE. My son was there for a couple of weeks and I actually stayed with him from morning to night so this was my "TO GO" kitchen for food. Quality very good and the staff there are quick and friendly. Hours open for Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner and Late Night don't know the exact times. They also have a salad bar , hot soups and lots of items ready to grab and go. It's a Meal Deal here Thanks read more

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Ok this is the only cafeteria I know that is open throughout the night. Given, it's in a hospital but a lot of hospitals I've been too just have vending machines after hours. They received a 5 star review because the amount of food you get is definitely a bang for your buck. At night, they'll sometimes have grilled cheese sandwiches--those are delicious. Pre-covid they had specialized menus on a daily. Although right now with covid everything is packed, but still very accessible. During the day time, they have way more plenty of options. Each station is filled with different style/type of food. You definitely could get something to satisfy you cravings. read more

I would give zero stars but I can't. Second time ordering coffee here and both times I had to wait longer than the people that ordered after me. 20 minutes for an iced americano? Not worth the wait for their below average coffee. read more

Wouldn't have given any stars but Yelp requires at least one. The Grilled Cheese was disgusting and had way too much butter on it. The man who made it around 1:00 pm today was the rudest person I've ever experienced with in customer service. When I first placed my order, I just wanted french fries. As I was waiting I noticed that Grilled Cheese sandwiches were being made so I asked the guy who was making the french fries if it was too late to order a Grilled Cheese. The guy told me - let me check with the guy on the grill. When he asked the guy on the grill he flat out ignored him. Then turns to me and says - didn't you just order french fries? I said yes, but I'd like a grilled cheese if it's not too late, I can move back to end of the line if you'd like me to. He didn't even answer me, just turned back around toward the grill!!! The man making my french fries told me - don't worry we will make you one. Finally when the guy at the grill called - Grilled Cheese, the man behind me who was waiting for his Grilled Cheese said - please give it to her (me). I told the man I didn't mind waiting until the end of the line and he said - no, please take it. That man at the grill was so rude to you!! That made me feel better, I'm not at the hospital to eat by choice, I'm here because a loved one is ill so the last thing I need is a horrible attitude from the grill chef and a nasty sandwich. read more

As far as hospital cafeteria food goes, this place is a cut above! They have prepared sandwiches, ready-to-eat gourmet pizza, soups, a salad bar, and a few special hot food areas! There's a grill that makes fabulous chicken sandwiches, along with delicious curly and sweet potato fries. Look for the day's special- you get a deal on a burger or sandwich with fries! Then there's also a wok with Asian-style foods. The other day they had orange chicken with homemade sauce that you can order over rice or noodles. In the back left, there's a rotisserie area that often serves chicken and other comfort-type foods. They have many packaged desserts and some hot cobblers, but nothing that screams "eat me because I look so good!" In the fridges, they have Starbucks drinks and pudding and jello cups, along with string cheese. There are also some frozen gluten free items from Amy's. I've never had breakfast here, but I do know they serve hot, wrapped breakfast sandwiches. There's also an assortment of healthy snacks and chips. There's a barista that has limited hours during the day making mochas and fun coffee drinks, along with smoothies. Also, between 2-4 pm the self-serve coffee is buy one, get one free. At the self-serve coffee station, they have cinnamon, a lot of different creamers, and milk and 1/2 & 1/2. As far as seating, there's plenty indoors and also a good amount of chairs and tables on the back patio. It's nice on a sunny day! Prices are average. I've heard complaints about them being high, but I think you get the quality you pay for here. Recently, they got improved debit/credit card readers. Makes the lines go faster! Hours: 6 am - 8 pm 11 pm - 12 am 1 am - 4 am Beware that at night, the food options are limited. There's usually soup and pizza, along with a mini hot food bar. The grill is open from 1-4 am. read more

Best cafeteria for hospital that I had ever visit. On St. Patty's day they had breakfast special with really cheap special price. So, if you're by chance to be around UCD hospital, try their breakfast or lunch or dinner or a snack. read more

Pavilion Cafe - 1/2 chicken teriyaki with plantain chips - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

Who killed the breakfast sandwich??? WHY?!? For years night shift celebrated the end of their shift and days began their shift with arguably one of the best grab and go breakfast sandwiches ever made. It was the most gratifying comfort food after long shift that a hungry, weary and mildly abused nurse or doc could ask. Made of only the finest semi-plastic American cheese lovingly melted over delicious greasy sausage. Sadly, someone had to mess with it a ruin a good thing. They changed to sausage to what can be described as wet cardboard, or maybe a lazy attempt at a vegan sausage or perhaps even repurposed radial tires. Our beloved McDavis sandwich is now something all of us here at the med center avoid at all costs and we're all the worse for it. Another victim of its own success much like Victors late nite tacos or breakfast quesadillas. Someone just had do something new and take it away. Another victim of the Covid years. Another loss in already troubling times. No comfort food to be had for our weary employees. Just a crappy breakfast sandwich with weird sausage to go with our impossibly bland breakfast burritos. RIP McDavis sandwich, shame on you UCD. :(... read more

In a world where everyone wants to be healthy, this cafeteria offers bland vegetable based meals or greasy hamburgers and pizza. Where is the in between? Why not some pasta and salad or a side salad to go with pizza? Just because I don't want a "nourish bowl" does not mean I want high fat slice of pizza. Do better for your patients, families and employees. read more

I love eating here! Yes, I work here and eat here a lot. The food is always fantastic- and i love the salad bar!

Food is okay; price is reasonable, free WiFi is convenient, not enough power plug in the cafe though (reason for taking down a star); but it's a good place to cram for exam or bulk of work given the rarity of coffee shops close by and difficulty with parking. I like the hot tea selection. The price is cheaper than Starbucks, Peets, or other boutique coffee shops nearby. I am a patient who usually WFH, but if I have an appt here, I enjoy working near main hospital cafe before and after my appt. In a hot summer day, stay inside with air conditioner. In a breezy day, nice to be chilling outside under umbrellas. Also, there's a free summer concert on 8/7/14 in the evening at 45th & X. read more

Pavilion Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

Having worked in many hospitals, I comfortably say I appreciate the attention and care considered for night shift. That you are even open makes me happy. The breakfast burritos are painfully delicious. The pizza is wonderful for a 3am snack. read more

With they changed their soup up I like the soup they have on the weekends. They dont serve it during weekdays. Prices are somewhat reasonable. Staff at cash registers are allways in great mood! read more

This place is always packed seems under staffed. Food is okay. Kinda pricey. I'm writing this review based on today. I ordered the cheeseburger and fries and it was good until I found a black hair about a inch long in it. I had to spit it out and throw it away. read more

After an unfortunate ice skating accident with my son, we've been at UC Davis for three days now. Honestly, visiting the cafe has made a tremendous difference in my morale. I know it's just food, but for a hospital cafe, it's by far the best one I've ever been to. I'm a soup fanatic and really enjoyed the daily rotation of soups, they were absolutely delicious, and the salad bar was equally impressive. Everything is made fresh, in house and you can taste the difference. The only reason for not getting five stars is the pricing. Although it's still totally worth it, the prices are a bit high. Other than that, if I find myself in the area again, I know where I'm going to eat! read more

I work at UCDMC and I dont really like to buy my lunches but when I do, Pavilion Cafe is pretty decent. Today, I bought the Le Diplomat sandwich and calm chowder soup and was pretty satisfied. The sandwich is pre-made and on display in the cooler which made the bread pretty hard. The cool thing was that they ask you if you want a spread to be added on the sandwich for free so i opted for the chipotle mayonaise. It was stuffed with a lot of turkey and ham which i really appreciated bc usually they skimp on the meat. The calm chowder wasnt bad either. It was creamy and had a lot of calms and minimal potatoes - definitely a plus!! TIP: free water and ice!! i love cold drinks on a hot day so i usually get ice in the morning for my coffee! read more

The best food and best pricing I have my daughter at the hospital for over 2 months. It helped me and my family alot. read more

While I was camped out at UC Davis for a few days, this place became my savior. This is one of the best institutional cafeterias I've ever ate at. I was able to get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snacks for about a 1/4 the cost of a restaurant serving similar food and everything was freshly made on sight. I had great omelettes with potatoes and toast for less than $5, burgers and fries cooked to order, and even desserts like slices of cheesecake or fresh baked cookies. I don't know if I would go to a hospital cafeteria as a regular eating destination, but if I'm ever in the area again... I definitely know where to get good food for a really good price. read more

Had a cheeseburger there today, worst burger I have ever had. First of all, no sesame seed bun as advertised, as they cook the meat they threw a heavy weight on it to hurry up the cooking time, they killed the meat, it tasted like shoe leather. I put a lot of condiments on it to try and help it, didn't help. The two guys working behind at the grill did not look like they care about doing a good job as I watched them interact with customers. The fries were good. There's so much more to this place than just the grill, so many other foods to enjoy, the grill needs to get rid of those weights and cook burgers right. I will tell you to try the place just be careful what you order from the grill. read more

The reason not to give 5 stars is because they took the Tomato Bisque off the menu. That was by far the best soup they had.

Pretty damn amazing cafe for a hospital. The pizza by the slice is very good. The salads are fresh. Lots of options. The prices are awesome. read more

I work night shift so this review is for that time frame, 1 a.m.-4 a.m. to be exact. There are many things I haven't tried because I feel they're overpriced, mostly the prepackaged food items. There are some tasty bargains found at the grill thought. Do you like fries? You'll get more than you can eat for a great price. Try the breakfast special too. Pancakes or french toast, eggs, bacon or sausage. Killer deal. And you have to try the steak sandwich. At least those are my go to meals. read more

A family member was a patient here for over a week and this place was perfect to try and find a sense of normalcy. It doesn't feel like a hospital cafeteria, it's quiet and a nice place to take an emotional break from things. read more

I have unfortunately had to spend some time at the UC Davis med center. Some of the positives; my pop pulling through surgery, world class health care professionals doing there thing and finding a good little place to grab a bite. Tons of choices ranging from soups, salad, pasta, sandwiches, pizza, breakfast burritos, fries, burgers...you get the idea. The food is very serviceable. I would give it a 2.5 to 3.0 star but the prices are jaw dropping. Tonight I ordered a mammoth slice of pepperoni pizza, soda and a chocolate and vanilla pudding parfait for 3.75. Wow. If I lived closer I could see myself frequenting just on price alone. Btw, this place is inside the hospital. read more

We were stuck at the ER for over 8 hours-it was a super crazy day there. Given the fact that i did not want to leave my friend alone, but was super hungry, decided to try out the cafe. Once again, my dad is a chef and I AM a PICKY eater. But- the food was surprisingly good! I don't mean a 5-star restaurant here, but decently priced, whole food, with choices, while in the ER. That makes 5 star on my list. read more

I worked the night shift and the young Hispanic guy with a hat completely forgot to make my food. Horrible. #hiresomeonewhocanrememberyourorder read more

Of all places i've been looking for just a good all-around burger; I find it in a hospital cafeteria!!!?. Lol. My girlfriends mother had surgery and we had dinner there last night. This will be my new burger spot when I don't feel up for Broderick, lol. The Tuna Salad mix that was at the salad bar wad pretty good too. read more

the café is good but the coffee .... its disgusting! #bringrihnoback or educate your staff on how to brew coffee. spending money on a cup that is hardly drinkable is not cool read more