the caf

Food is bad, service is very bad and rude and mean except of the caf office outside, food is disgusting every single time i eat from there i get back to the toilet, paying thousands of dollars a year for this is wow what a waste of money, if i was the owner i would fire everyone specially the rudest person ever thats always on the grill (Chinese)

Food is overall pretty bad. Everything is drowned in some cheap oil, likely canola oil, and tastes very bland. Often times they serve things with no seasoning at all, and when they do use seasoning it’s usually an inedible amount of salt. My real issue is the way they serve the food. It’s a “buffet style” however the staff scoops the food for you, which is clearly to limit how much you take. I’m a 6’3 man who exercises a lot meaning I need a lot of calories to sustain myself. Nonetheless I get the same measly scoops of food as someone half my size. When I ask for more they either rudely say no or give me the equivalent of one bite extra. I pay $7000 a year for an “unlimited” meal plan which is clearly very limited.

The breakfast here was clapped.feels like you’re going through an airport security checkpoint just to chomp down on some hash browns

This restaurant is set up in the university, and most of the people who go to eat are students. But they refuse people to carry backpacks into restaurants and leave them unattended. But I saw someone carrying a handbag and walking out of the restaurant, and was told that some bags were allowed.

If the purpose of the restaurant is to prevent food and utensils from being stolen. Why are bags allowed to be brought in? People will put food, cutlery, and cups in their backpacks, but they won't put these things in their bags. Thank you for letting me know that humans are such foolish creatures.

If the restaurant hadn't been opened in university, I might not have been so angry. But it's really foolish to demand students like this. This is equivalent to requiring students not to bring backpacks and valuables to school. (Some majors must carry valuable items such as laptops in their backpacks)

I used to go here often last year. I live off campus and would bring my bag with me, which had an expensive musical instrument. They let me take my bag in with me. This year they raised prices and banned all bags inside the caf.

I avoid going now because the bags are to be left in an insecure location and I can’t take the risk. They are now missing out on my business because of this one issue.

Great food and not too busy even at lunch time. The dynamic menu is detailed and well made. Not worth the price if you plan on eating a normal amount of food. Amazing fresh and fluffy pizza!

If you like risking the safety of your belongings, the caf is now fabulous.

I used to love this place. The variation in food was excellent and for the majority of the time: food was great. However. The only reason I was willing to pay several thousand a year to eat here was because of the convenience. Living on res with an all you can eat caf next door? Awesome! The caf this year, however, has just felt like an abusive relationship.

Backpacks are now banned. You are forced to leave your belongings unwatched and unguarded right outside the caf in kindergarten cubbies or on the floor. There isn’t a single thing stopping someone from showing up and stealing thousands of dollars in laptops and other school electronics. Again: COMPLETELY unguarded belongings that EVERYONE AND ANYONE has access to. The element of convenience is no longer present. If I want to eat lunch during my 40 minute break between two 4 hours classes, and I don’t want to leave my most valuable belongings on their own, I have to spend 30 minutes going from class to my dorm to the caf to my dorm to my class. If I want to grab a quick bite before bussing somewhere, the ability to book it out of the caf to the bus stop is no longer present as my bag is now in my 7th floor dorm.

In addition to the customers and students being blatantly walked all over, the caf has always had its fair share of issues to begin with:
1. Cutlery sometimes completely being out (I’ve eaten pizza with a spoon before!)
2. The soda machines frequently have no flavours in stock
3. The soda machines are frequently out of order
4. The milk dispensers (?) are frequently out of stock
5. The coffee machines often do not work

I feel these are the more significant issues, anyway… ones I’ve been putting up with for several years while still enjoying the caf. But this new “no backpack” rule is appalling. I will be downgrading my plan to the cheaper meal option this coming semester. I do not support this.

I don't understand why so many people criticize this place, it's pretty much the cheapest and most affordable buffet restaurant these days with rising prices. Compared with the UO cafeteria, the floors here are brighter and more spacious (the floor height is almost twice that of the UO cafeteria). There are special high seats by the windows, which will not feel depressing even during peak hours, and fresh vegetables are provided. Fruit curry, meat, rice, pasta, sandwich, pizza and other dishes, and they cooperate with Coca-Cola (UO cooperates with Pepsi, which is almost the same as sugar water), there are more than 250 kinds of drink options, as well as fresh lactose-free milk, oat milk, orange juice and apple juice, and dedicated food and areas for gluten-free, including handicap access, there is a Starbucks downstairs, and during the busiest times, they still insist on cooking each student’s pasta in a small pot, you can Choose whether to add tomatoes, onions, olives, tofu, etc.to the pasta according to your taste. Of course, sandwiches, burgers and omelet eggs can also be customized, including choosing ketchup or cream sauce. You can leave your comments on a napkin posted at the door, and their staff will Really listens to your suggestions and makes changes, not to mention you can pick up various flavors of ice cream cones when you leave. If the only drawback is that the desserts here are too sweet, except for the desserts, I don't think there is anything unpalatable here. They are trying to satisfy almost every student, carnivore, vegetarian, lactose intolerant, People with gluten allergies like to eat carbohydrates, salads or pizzas, fried chicken burgers or curries, and you can eat as much as you like here, even if you sit down from noon to night, it’s no problem, ordering takeout costs 20 dollars Around today, they hit the price to 14.
I hope that those who are biased and casually say that this is a "reply" (meaning "poop") without pointing out any areas that need improvement can recognize Carleton's excellence in serving students and their efforts.

Nice place nice people but terrible terrible food…. Not sure if thats just for conference…. Maybe students here can have better food i guess.vegan food is safer but the chicken, beef and fish are just nightmare.

This quite possibly the worst place to eat in the world. The food is DISGUSTING and the staff most often are RUDE.had to resort to writing and online review because they take down all the paper reviews down from the board in the caf if they’re “too mean”. I have never been more repulsed by food in my life. Their online menu is inaccurate which seems to be something they don’t care about, and their lines are exceptionally long even though there’s like a 100 staff working at any given time. As a student at carleton living on campus i rely on the caf as my main source of food and i literally think i’d rather eat rocks and glass.i’m so enamoured that i have to pay close to 5,000 dollars for basically rice, some form of undercooked chicken, and a brown beef slop that they seem to serve every meal. I have eaten at the caf for three years and by far this is quite possibly the worst food to date. Not only the food but we’ve now restored to being supplied with PLASTIC FORKS? What am i paying for? Scraps from the back of a garbage truck? All in all i want my money back cause this has been the big waste ever.if i could give negative stars i gladly would.

Good variety. Clean. Healthy, vegan, Halal options. Lots of nutritional information and information on dishes. Helpful staff.

With a meal plan, I eat here every day. There's always something to eat, and most times it's nice. Special shout out to the morning egg station and daily pizza. Plus the ratatouille is my fave. I caution against chopped chicken as it's often dry, but all else is quite delectable.

It is a pretty good deal if you get the unlimited meal plan. While the food isn't anything special, it has lots of variety and the staff is usually pretty nice.

I wish there is some sort of quiet corner, eating there feels terrible. The food tastes good on certain days and mediocre on other days. Good stuff. Some staff are very friendly.

Went on Oct 1 2022 at 3pm. Menu lied. Grill was closed, global didn't have a what it said online. Waited 15 mins in sandwich line and barely moved. Terrible service, lied online, mediocre food. Poorly stocked. Don't go unless you're forced to use the meal plan by residence