My work colleagues call this place the "Secret Cafe" since it is a hidden spot and can be hard to find on your own. The Secret Cafe has different food stations that vary by day or the week. On my visits I have ordered the chicken quesadilla from the Mexican food station and on another day I helped myself to the salad bar. Both lunches were very good. For the quesadilla, they include chopped onions which gives a nice bite and added flavor. The salad bar had plenty of salad toppings available; the lettuce, spring mix and spinach also appeared to be fresh. Overall the meals are pretty reasonable for a lunch downtown. It cost me $10.00 each for both meals. They also have stations that serve a hot breakfast until mid-morning. For seating, there is plenty of space for tables and chairs that can fit up to 10 people. read more

See all

Great salad bar, soups, and some good stations like diner fare, all day breakfast made-to-order, deli, &c. Order ahead at the kiosk and collect at the respective station (except for salad bar). Used to be higher end vendors, but Revival took much of that business I think. Upside: prices aren't awful, and not as crowded. Huge seating area. If the people waiting in long lines at Just Salad and Sweetgreen knew about this place... Downside: bad music on the speakers, fighting with several TV's scattered about, each blasting a different station, each one obnoxious. I don't enjoy the sensory overload when I'm trying to relax from work mid day. Could be a "just me" problem. Maybe turn on captioning and mute the TV's, or tune them all to music videos, and play that over the PA instead? read more

This place has really gone downhill the last few months. I used to come here everyday last year for breakfast when Michelle was working the breakfast bar. The quality and preparation of the food just isn't there anymore. read more

Rustle + Roux - This is what a $14 omelette looks like - Cafeteria Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tucked away on the second floor of the Franklin Building, a lot of Loop dwellers don't even know that this exists. When I worked at 311 S. Wacker, I kept Rustle + Roux in my back pocket of slightly elevated lunch options in the area. Whether you're building your own salad, sandwich or panini, or hitting up Mercadito, it's pretty good- but not as good as having them fire up one of the pizzas, although they do take a little bit of time. I liked coming here for lunch with a work group, or alone with a good book- as R+R is pretty quiet. Since the opening of Revival Food Hall, I'm sure this place gets further overlooked. read more

TL:DR - Here for the salad bar. Amazing number of salad toppings and dressings. Everything is super fresh. Also has non-salad options (swedish meatballs or roasted potatoes) at the end that rotate daily. Can usually get a good meal under $10. Get there before 12 otherwise it gets crowded and salad bar options after 12:45 are slim. This is slowly becoming my go to option for lunch. It's a fancy cafeteria style establishment that routinely rotates their lunch options every few days. I myself love it due to its generously stocked salad bar. I prefer a salad bar simply because I can control the portions. A lot of places really pack in their salads to the point where I just can't finish it, and no one likes left-over salad. I can routinely get the right amount of salad for just around $5, which is great for downtown Chicago. In addition, their options are plenty. They have cauliflower, ham, blueberries, pickled root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and so much more. The dressing options are also plentiful. The other reason I love this spot, is that it always has 3 options at the end of the salad bar to accompany your salad. Which is perfect because I hate eating JUST salad, but I also don't want another WHOLE sandwich to go with it. But items they have had over the last few days have been bbq chicken bites, fried shrimp, roasted potatoes, foccia bread, Swedish meatballs, and roasted veggies. The only thing I'd recommend is to get there before 12. I usually try to get there at 11:30 or 11:45, to where the salad bar is still stocked, and the crowds are low. read more

My rye bread had mold on it, i think i ate some of it to. They gave me a refund of half a sandwich bc i ate the other half. That is a big issue! I eat here a lot. Staff are nice though, Please check the dates on your foods. read more

It's a great place to go on my lunch break everything that I've had there is good. Great Salmon Sandwiches and Sushi Fridays !

I met a friend here last week for lunch and I enjoyed it. I never knew this place even existed! It's on the 2nd floor of the building and it's a pretty large area for a cafeteria where I don't think tons of people know it exists. You can definitely get a seat there during prime lunch time hours. They also have several TV's on that you can watch. I got the Latin Special - which was a baked taco salad shell filled with spicy beef, tomatoes, onions, and hot sauce. I thought it was quite good and I liked that they had a baked shell. I will say it was pretty pricey - at $11 - and that included the 19 cents they charged me for ice water. Will I be back? Probably - but certainly not that often. read more

So I met my bud for lunch on Election Day, and we decided to go to Rustle + Roux. It was well into the noon hour, so the place was quite crowded. We decided to line up at the same food station, though we would choose different selections. The line we were in seemed to move very slowly, even by typical downtown Chicago lunchtime standards. My bud was noticing that the cooks at our station were tossing out food that they were preparing. Was the pasta burnt? Was the pizza imperfectly shaped? Was the staff disorganized, or just a bunch of perfectionists? One pregnant woman who was waiting for her order may have been wondering which would arrive first, her food order or the birth of her child. I ordered the meatball sandwich, which was tasty when I had ordered it previously from here. My bud was interested in the tapas menu, which was puzzling to read. Would you get a bite of the three listed tapas selections? No, he was able to select only one so he went with the short rib, a hunk of saucy meat that came with potatoes and a half lemon. At least he received his order. After some shuffling around, one of the staff at the counter looked out at the crowd of people standing around and took a straw poll to see who had ordered a meatball sandwich. Three persons raised a hand (including myself). But the guy said there were only enough ingredients for two meatball sandwiches. So on this Election Day, I was voted out. No meatball sandwich for you. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. We stood in line and waited about fifteen minutes for our food (my friend was at first perplexed when his tapas box came out ahead of a would-be sandwich), but I did not even receive my order. What made it worse was that no one made an effort to apologize to me, or to ask if I wanted to make an alternate food selection. After realizing that I was the loser of this round of meatball sandwich musical chairs, I decided to vote with my feet - by walking out of Rustle + Roux to get my lunch elsewhere. I turned the tables on them and will vote R + R off my lunch list. There are far too many good lunch places to eat in downtown Chicago, so I sincerely doubt that I will be back here. What an interesting Election Day! read more

I may have to update this review after I try more selections, but for now it was just okay. There actually use to be another cafeteria here before Rustle and Roux open. We use to just call it the AT&T Cafeteria. Anyways...I was excited to see all the different food stations and I spotted Chef Fabio Viviani :) I was having a really hard time deciding. My friend and I decided that when in doubt go with Pizza. I wish we would have went with something else though :( We went to the Mercato station and I ordered the Oven Roasted Wild Mushroom pizza and my friend ordered the Pulled Pork pizza. It was about a 10 minute wait. He really enjoyed the avocado and the pulled pork on the pizza. As for mine I enjoyed the mushrooms, but the rest of the pizza I felt tasted rather bland. We both enjoyed the pizza crust though that was cooked in the wood oven. I have on my hit list to go back and get the Mercadito taco's. I have been to Mercadito several times, so if they taste exactly the same as the restaurant I will be a frequent visitor. Since today was their grand opening they were giving out free samples. I thought the mac and cheese was pretty good as well as the quinoa salad. As for the décor/ambience I would say it's a nice place to go to with co workers. Lots of seating and open space. There was a violinist there...not sure how long there going to keep that up, but overall decent looking space. read more

See all

A "corporate cafeteria" is how I would best describe Rustle + Roux! There are quite a few dining options (grill, deli, salad, etc), so you can order anything you're in the mood for. Everything looked delicious, but I opted for a wrap made at the deli. It was super filling (I didn't even finish my meal), and with a side of pasta salad it was still all under $10. I thought my wrap was pretty mediocre, and the pasta salad was also just average. I would love to try something else next time I'm here. I came here with a group from work and found the location to be super convenient. The building R + R is located in is beautiful, and the large space is also well utilized for the cafeteria and seating. I found ordering to be pretty easy, and even though there were a lot of people here during the lunch hour, the wait was not long at all and there was no line when checking out. There wasn't too much seating, but we were able to grab a table. I imagine this is a great place for professionals working in the area to come to for a filling, healthy, and not too expensive meal. read more

A handful of co-workers and I came here for lunch and had an enjoyable meal. Décor: The building it is located in is VERY nice - the lobby is incredibly impressive with lots and lots of stone/marble. The actual place where you order food and eat is pretty nice as well. It is certainly a bit more basic, but that isn't a terrible thing. It's just right down to business. There are several different options (sandwiches, tacos, salads, etc.) so if you come with a group then everyone should be able to find something they like. There are also a ton of tables able to handle groups big or small. Bathroom: I did not use it while we were there. Staff: The food prep people are very nice and the cashiers are quick to ring up your food. All around friendly staff. Food: Like I said, there are plenty of options to choose from, but I went with a Shrimp Club Sandwich and homemade chips. It was very tasty and they gave you a lot of chips (my favorite, of course). Additionally, they have large cups for free water, huge bonus! Value: The food is moderately priced and you can get away with spending at or just above/below $10 for lunch. This is a solid place that seems to be a go-to for my co-workers (which is cool by me). I know I'll be back in the future as this is already basically in the usually rotation. read more

The food is pretty good but it's definitely over priced. The GM who sometimes mans the cashier area is very rude. I am not going back. UPDATE: Over the following weekend, the management of the establishment got back with me and apologized. I went back there two weeks later and the food was at or slightly above the local restaurants around the Franklin/Wilis area. It was clean and comfortable. The only gripe is that its about 15% overpriced but I think given the quality it's reasonable. read more

I've been visiting this place on and off for several months now and the experience is sub par at best. The food here is average st best. People behind the counters seem to want to be elsewhere, as they barely look at you as they ask "how can I help you?". Today I visited the sandwich bar and asked for my sandwich to be toasted. At first she wanted to give me the worst of the ham that was fatty and shaved to oblivion! I asked nicely if I could please have the newly sliced ham in the front. She hesitated and then placed the newly sliced and nicely looking ham on the bread. I asked for Swiss and she said in a very half interested tone, "we don't have any!". They left it on the panini grill for barely 30 seconds and took it off. I politely asked for it to be left on longer. She reluctantly placed it back on for another 30 seconds. I asked if the sandwich could be left on more to let the cheese melt, she then placed it in the oven for 30 seconds and took it out. Both ladies at this counter do not like their jobs nor do they seem to want to even fake being pleasant. Might be time to retrain some of your employees. I'm tired of being treat here as if you're doing me a favor! read more

This place is so hit or miss. I work in the building so my visits are based on convenience. Ultimately it depends on (1) the employee you're talking to when you order or (2) if there are actually core ingredients. Some days the service is fine, sometimes you just want to leave and go anywhere else. As far as lack of core ingredients go, this seems to happen all the time. If the location closes at 2pm, you should not be out at 1:15. I went to Mercadito today and was met with, "we are out of shells." Me: "Do you have tortillas?" Employee: "THAT is what I SAID. We out of SHELLS." Hi. That is not mutually exclusive. At all. Do not treat me like shit because (A) you don't know the difference but are working at Mercadito (2) you are possibly out of a basic ingredient (3) nobody feels like throwing a cheap tortilla on a flat top in exchange for a customer spending $9 on 3 tacos. Went to sushi instead. Almost out of rice. Perfect. Again, core ingredient. Ended up paying too much for the salad bar just so I could get the hell out of here. Other times this place is just SO slow. 10 minutes for a basic sandwich. And the person behind the counter doesn't care at all. The guy often at the cash register is so nice and friendly that he makes your day a bit better. Thank you! Again, I'm in the building. This should be better for the location and especially the price. But it's just not now. read more

I only like Rustle + Roux because they have a pop-up Ramen shop that has a really good both I enjoy. Otherwise, its too expensive here for the food you get. To add insult to injury, they charge you for a cup of water, even as a paying customer! Get that penny pinching crap out of here read more

solid lunch place pasta hot sandwiches good salad bar lots of fresh options and they mix it up with some ethnic food (indian, Mediterranean, ec..). Great place to stay inside and eat. Seating isnt great, kind of stark on the inside but overall good place to grab some lunch to go. read more

I work in the building and have only been here for lunch once. However, many colleagues eat here all the time and have nothing but good things to say. I have personally had the fish tacos. They were good. Hot, fresh, and made to order, which is a very nice change. I have also had the hash browns when a colleague brought them into work one day. Not too bad for cafeteria breakfast. Then just the other day a coworker brought in a bunch of little desserts. The cheesecake was Yum! I will definitely be going back to try something else new... I will keep you posted! read more

Just OK. It's in my office building and recently opened, replacing a less upscale but serviceable place our office used to call Upstairs Downstairs. That's not the actual name, but it was more of a description since it's one flight up from the lobby. While Rustle + Roux is very pretty, the menu items sound very good and the selection is large, but the execution leaves something to be desired. The traffic flow is a little odd, and it seems that there are not enough cashier stations. The "chefs" are nice, but don't see to know much about food and see to have little food service experience. One day I ordered a gnocchi dish with sausage, asparagus and leek sauce. The ratio of sauce to pasta was about 2:1. By the time I got back up to my desk the gnocchi had melted into puddles of cheesy potato, had completely lost any shape. It was tasty, a bit on the salty side, but resembled a sausage stew, not anything even close to pasta. Another day I ordered the meatball sandwich. Nothing to write home about. The meatballs themselves are better than the ones at Subway but not as good as the ones at Venice, which makes them better and cheaper plus they come with a side of salad there. It's in my building so I might go back for the salad bar. read more

Rustle & Roux is still new, so we left our building and went over to the Franklin Place to try it out. It is on the 2nd floor (up the escalator) of the building. I think this place has potential and certainly some good elements. I feel that anyone going here is going to find something good that they like. So I will rate it high since I would go back and the food is good. There are several stations and one should be careful to get their utensils and napkins when they are handed their food at the station. Also, the folks behind the counter are inconsistent in communicating - some will ask you what you want, others are so busy cooking, they say nothing. So don't hesitate to ask them what to do and seek guidance from them. They are all nice, for sure. My group tried out the mercator and grill sections. Thos who had products from the grill were very happy with their meat and sides. I just wanted th pear and strawberry salad. I asked for it and was handed a premade container with the salad inside - it was small, but adequate. I saw several things I would like to try going forward, but they are close by so I will be back. This is one of those places you just have to try and see what you want. This is going to be very popular in the colder months since everything is inside. A great alternative for us who don't want to walk outside a great distance. Fabio from Top Chef is one of the leaders here and he was there cooking. As a foodie, it is just great to go to a place and see the chef in action that you are familiar with from the show. read more

I was excited for this to open as I work in the same building. I went there 2 days in a row and had bad experiences both times. Not horrible, but just not satisfactory. I went to the gourmet sandwich line the first day and just got a traditional sandwich that tasted pretty good in the end. When I got rang up by cashier it ended up being almost $10.00 for a sandwich and bag of chips. I only ordered the sandwich because ti was supposed to be $6.19 add 1.00 for chips and clearly it' should be anywhere near $10.00. So, I had to go and ask if I was charged right and of course I wasn't. The person making my sandwich labeled my box as the "Special" for the day. It clearly wasn't, but after speaking with a manager I did get the difference back in a timely manner. Not that big of a deal really, but the fact that I now feel like I always have to check my receipt is a little annoying considering what I'm getting. Now for today. I got in line for tacos from Mercaditos which is an amazing place. I went with the special that was 3 tacos, beans+rice, and agua something or other. Well first off I wanted 3 different kinds of tacos because well why not? But of course you could only get one kind. If I'm paying close to $10.00 I should be able to pick exactly that. But oh well, I'll go with shrimp tacos. While in line I noticed none of the boxes had shrimp labeled on them so I asked to be sure and what do you know??? The guy had me down for Fish... Not that big of a deal and it was taken care of in a timely manner again. So with all of this said, I will give it another try, but I do not find it encouraging that both times I went there things didn't go smoothly. These are simple things that shouldn't happen. Step your game up and employ people that can do simple tasks like placing an order correctly. I'm disappointed by both experiences. I know this building used to have a similar setup and my guess for the reason it wasn't there anymore is simply because the price and shitty customer service. read more

Never eating here again after finding a mealworm in my chicken and rice soup today. I understand these things happen and it was a mistake, but it's still very unsettling. read more

Rustle + Roux - Chicken and mealworm soup - Cafeteria Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went to Rustle + Roux as it is in my building and is incredibly convenient. While the location might be a selling point, the same could not be same about the food. The first time I dined here I ordered a pesto pasta with tomatoes - I had no idea that pesto was mixed with sugar. It was so incredibly sweet it tasted more like a syrup than a sauce. The second time I ventured down to R + R I got one of their roast beef sandwiches with chips. You can't really mess up a sandwich, but when they slopped in some pickles in the box with I was left with a mushy disaster. The unforgivable part of R +R? Those vile potato shrivels they deem "homemade chips". If you consider a thinly sliced potato thrown vat of old hot grease until it's the shade of a moldy persimmon, then yes they are chips. The service is mediocre at best, the food is an abomination - the only saving grace is the trendy vibe (which is often packed and overcrowded). Unless I'm landlocked in this building during a Chicago blizzard, I will hard pass on this place. read more

I've been here a few times since I work in the building next door. I love all the options because I can satisfy almost any food craving. The employees are nice too. Salad bar is great and not super expensive but I wish there were more salad dressing options. I like the variety of fruit cups and other snacks as well as about every beverage under the sun. The "create" station is nice, but can take a while. One week it was mac and cheese and I between waiting in line and it being made it took 10 minutes for just ok mac & cheese. However the grilled cheese at the deli counter is amazing. It has roasted tomatoes and they don't skimp out on cheese and toast it perfectly. Definitely recommend that. I've had the pear & prosciutto pizza which I didn't really like, but would definitely try another pizza from there. read more

My original review was based soley on the restaurant, but since I've now used them several times, I thought I should add a review regarding their catering, which is pretty damn great! The account manager Breana is effiecient and VERY helpful and her workers are always on point. I've ordered both their China and Italian buffets and my clients were happy each time. If you're looking to feed and keep your clients happy, I would definately give Rustle & Roux catering a try. Prices range from $15-$21 a person. read more

I would never recommend Rustle & Roux to anyone and I normally do not write reviews but after today I was inspired to write one. The process of ordering is a logistical nightmare to start and the employee taking the order was rude. It took 15 mins for 2 hamburgers, they skimp on the onions, and lettuce and you have to go to the hallway and get mustard and ketchup packets. My sweet potato fries were half cooked and the burgers were on the wrong buns, wheat vs white and pretzel buns. The burger was small and dry, honestly the worst burger I have had in a long time. Not worth the trip and definitely not worth the long wait. They should rename the restaurant to Hustled & Rogue . read more

I work in the building and usually go here when in a pinch for lunch. The salad and grain bar is by far my favorite- they usually have roasted corn, roasted sweet potatoes, and other ingredients to allow you to build a delicious salad. Their smoothie bar and grab and go section are also great. It's $10 or less for a meal and all the different sections allow you to get just what you want! Decent lunch spot read more

An updated version of the corporate cafeteria. The salad bar has extensive, interesting options and the deli counter is pretty solid. A little on the expensive side - average $9. read more

I work in the building so come here a few times a month. I like that they show their daily specials on their website so I can decide if I want to go here or not. My favorite special is the baked potato bar where they have typical toppings but also have some kind of chili and melted cheese to go on it. Perfect for a cold winter day. Price wise, they're definitely no worse than any of the other restaurants in the area. For reference, today I got a made to order sandwich with bacon and chips at the deli and it was $9.09 (I believe there was a slight discount for working in the building). read more

This place is awesome! So many great options to choose from that are priced so reasonably. Usually with cafeterias in big office buildings, you get few options that aren't good at all. Thankfully this place is completely different. I have had the make your own pizza, custom sushi, Asian noodle bowl and the sandwiches. All were incredible. Only odd thing is that you have to pay for your cup of water. Otherwise no complaints!! read more

I like this place overall but I wish their food wasn't so blend and tasted a little better. So far I can honestly say that the Baja Fish Tacos are very tasty, everything else is not. read more

Hidden gem! You can get an awesome, fruit/veggie packed smoothie for under $4. Unheard of in Chicago! Also, there are a ton of easy, to-go options like hard boiled eggs, berries, and cut-up veggies. Love it. read more

good lunch spot in the loop with lots of seating areas outside. the have a variety of options here including sushi, grill, mexican etc.

This is the best kept secret in the business district. I come here often because for the business district the prices are competitive. (except for the grill cheese sandwich which is stupidly priced, i don't know why.) It is cafeteria style so its no place to court business or a date. This place is for eating food. The pizza station will not disappoint. The restaurant services a building of 7,000 people so between 12:15 and 1:15, the place is packed. The breakfast menu is good. They do make fresh omelettes so keep an eye out for that. Again prices are competitive. read more

The food is not very good. I am always underwhelmed when I eat here. Flavors are bland. Employees really could care less. The "rotating" stations are not great because they do not do much well. The three stars is for the salad bar. At least that is dependable. Head to the JPMorgan cafeteria if you are in the area. read more

I would have given this restaurant a higher rating if it wasn't for the poor customer-service skills that many of their cooks have. This one guy in particular who helped me with my order earlier today (Korean-style chicken, or Bibimbap, at 11:54AM) was snappy and apparently didn't like to hear "stupid customer questions" like the ones I had. That's too bad because it only takes one bad employee to ruin the good reputation of a good establishment like R+R. read more

Tried the specialty indian station today and it was pretty awesome!

The rating is for the salad bar which is excellent ... good selection of proteins,roasred veggies, mixed greens. I love it!

I've worked in the is building for about 3 years and was excited something new was coming to the area. Well that excitement wore off quickly. This place is overpriced, short staffed (or they are just lazy and slow) and the food it's that great and is definitely not hot. The few times I have gone here, I've spent half my lunch waiting on the food to come out. Don't get me wrong, the staff is very friendly but they are just so slow. And this is all the time, not just the lunch rush. Today I got the breakfast special frittata of roasted mushrooms, goat cheese, baby spinach - side of crimson grapes. Let's just say I'm glad it came with grapes because I would be starving. That this was nasty!! The eggs tasted old and worse than the grade school cafe breakfast. It was also burnt. Now I see why there was so much available this morning. The grapes on the other hand were great (but that could be because I was hungry). I've also had the burgers (buns always too hard) and fries (usually cold or burnt), pizza (pretty good) and the potato bar (great toppings). I haven't tried much else but my colleagues get sandwiches all the time but the wait it just too long. Unfortunately I'm stuck with this place, so I try to stick to the basics but stay away as much as possible. Too bad Chicago winters don't allow that too much. Guess I'll have to start bringing my own food. At least there will be no wait and I know I will like it. read more

Very expensive for not so great food. They even charge you for a water cup. I've had the sushi, burger, and tacos here. Run of the mill cafeteria food. read more