Why Cook?

i tried the vegetable wrap and it is surprisingly good

Long wait times but very good food. If you are rushed, order ahead. Love the build your tostada station and the gyros. SO GOOD.

I have only been here a couple of times and have been disappointed each time. They got my order wrong TWICE. Mind you, the second time they shouted my order out for pick up, «Sandwich with no onion» I go back to my suite, open the sandwich and guess what? ONIONS ALL OVER. How could you possibly get that wrong?! You just confirmed it! and not only that but the bread on my sandwich was EXTREMELY hard. (on both occasions) It felt stale, like an old piece of bread. I couldn’t bite down on it to save my life. My co-​worker thinks the same. She has been there three times and ordered three separate things, and was not impressed. She said she would give them one more chance. But as for me, I’m done with this place. Just tried Oscars and its WAY better. Please don’t bother here.

Came by looking for a good breakfast spot. Great place for breakfast burritos (chicken apple sausage is smackin). Salmon bagel was pretty good and was a decent size. They have a huge selection of lunch foods so I’m definitely intrigued to come back and try more. Great dining area with comfy booths. Went before the lunch rush which was not too crowded.

Just had today’s special grilled chicken with roasted vegetables and pasta. Wow, really tasty. The chicken was grilled to perfection and the roasted vegetables were so sweet and delicious. Nice and friendly staff.

I hate this place, dry ass bread. Not coming here anymore plus managers attitude sucks, he eats rocks dont trust him

This place is a hidden gem! Only reason I came here is because it came up on my Unilocal.They have a wide selection of food options to choose from. Will definitely come back again. As should you.

The best part about this place is the salad bar, which has an excellent selection and also offers hummus, dolma, and tabbouleh daily. Variety of salad dressings and vegetable selections and also has chicken and some other meats to top your salads.
I have also had a few sandwiches which are fine, and the gyros which I don’t particularly care for. Also big plus for me, they have a soda water dispenser in their machine which is great. They offer a punch card for meals over $ 7 and after 9 you get the 10^th one $ 7 off.

This review is long overdue. I have 3 separate issue’s from trying this place 3 times. I am forced to go here sometimes due to the location of my job and there being no food around the industrial area. Not to mention the are beyond overpriced because they know they are the only place to go.
1. I got a breakfast burrito here and the potatoes were one step away from raw.
2. Order lunch that came with fries and when I asked to make sure they were well done (they serve very undercooked/​soggy fries) the lady on the phone said no, but maybe if she had enough time. Well, apparently she didn’t have enough time because they were cold and soggy.
3. Just went again yesterday and got a pork burrito. The pork had no flavor, there were giant chunks of onion throughout and a water just poured out of it. Not to mention, the whole thing was COLD.
At this point I would rather starve then go to this place. Only safe item to eat is a salad and that is because you make yourself and they don’t have to cook anything.
Save yourself some trouble and go down the street to Oscar’s Grill that just opened a block away. Same overpriced cost, but is actually good/​above average.

I’d probably rate this place at a 3 for now, not having tried any of their hot specials yet.
From the variety that I did sample, their mediterranean fare seems to stand out the best.
Recommend the chicken gyros served as a platter, than as a wrap. The chicken gyros meat has a perfect bite and a flavor to it — probably the best I have had. I didn’t care much for anything else that I tried.
Has a typical corporate cafeteria setting, maybe even nicer, and there are plenty of other options on their menu. The price-​point is high and the serving sizes are reasonable.
Will have to try their freshly made smoothies at some point. The dessert bites weren’t really that impressive, and am yet to order anything from their coffee bar. Service was pretty friendly each time and the place is spotlessly clean.
All-​in-​all, works fine for an occasional lunch.

The food here is very tasty and the service, prompt. It’s reasonably priced and convenient to access from the harbor bay business park. I particularly like the grilled artichoke sandwich. Quick and easy, it really makes you ask the question-«why cook?!»

Why Cook has a huge lunch selection and the food quality is excellent. They have pretty much anything you could want from grill specials to Mexican or Mediterranean, sandwiches, plus they have a salad bar and soup. You don’t have to worry about lard, MSG or other unwanted ingredients, they obviously care about serving fresh and healthy food. They have a large selection of bottled drinks too, so if you prefer an Izze over a Pepsi, no problem. They have a pleasant modern atmosphere with ample seating both indoors and out. Yes getting your food can be on the slow side if you go right at lunch rush hour.
Tried the near-​by competitor Oscar’s recently and won’t go back. Prices are similar however the food quality and choices don’t compare. Cashier couldn’t even speak English and the baked goods look like they’re from Grandma’s house.

Only visiting and don’t have a car. Rode the Hamptons Inn rental bike over to Why Cook. Super close and very good food! I ordered half Italian sandwhich with half salad. Decent prices and great service! Will be coming back.

Wow, I didn’t know these guys were hidden back in the business park. First impressions were how clean and nice the place was. Even the kitchen was immaculate. They have a large dining room that’s reminiscent of a very nice corporate cafeteria. Of course, many of their customers are from the business park. The owner was friendly and helped me decide what to order. They have sandwiches, wraps, soup, burgers, a complete taqueria, and probably the best salad bar in Alameda. I really wish they were open on Saturday. The bottom line is that if you’re looking for a nice lunch, this is the spot. I can’t imagine not finding something for everyone.

They have the best roast beef sandwich in town! Not to mention a fully stocked salad bar!

My to go to place during lunch! Excellent salad bar with organic veggies.
Keep an eye out for their hot specials which are changing on a daily basis. They have some awesome ethnic dishes one there that won’t disappoint you.
Super friendly service and punch-​card discounts!

Zero stars. Ordered the turkey and sides for $ 12. The owner told the employee that made it to take meat off my plate! In front of me! On top of it the food was cold. They treat their customers poorly.

Lol. This place is owned by a crook. I tried to give them one more chance bc I was desperate for lunch. I went up to the counter to pay for my meal and the Owner told me he wouldn’t let me buy my food unless I removed my Unilocal review! Are you kidding me? I was thinking he’d just give me the free meal he already owed me front the coupon he refused to honor about a year and a half ago (at the very least). I was also ready to just pay for my food and go, no confrontation. But this? It’s beyond belief. I’m astounded. Almost all of my reviews are 5 stars. Not this place. Do NOT support this awful person and «establishment»!

Today Why Cook? catered a lunch for about 30 people and both the food and service were fantastic! They provided two types of meat for the entre (steak and chicken). I had the steak which was full of flavor and all of the sides tasted fresh — I enjoyed every bite. My son, who really doesn’t enjoy eating meat, could not get enough of the chicken. It was moist and was a hit. I strongly recommend this place because the food was great and those who prepared the food were very nice and hospitable.

What is up with the one and two star reviews? I seriously had my doubts about coming here after seeing the negativity. Fortunately, when it comes to my veggies, I am brave-​hearted indeed and I was more than pleasantly surprised and pleased.
This place is huge with lots of available seating options. You have many options for food including American, Mexican, Mediterranean, and Vegetable (I know that isn’t technically a culture but who’s going to argue?) Today’s special was Chicken Marsala with Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Yes my friends, I couldn’t resist and had a bite from my co-​workers plate. YUM! Lumpy with pieces of skin and lots of garlic. I saw them making a Taco Salad that looked big enough to feed more than one person heartily. One of the soups was a seafood bisque which of course I tried too and found it quite tasty indeed. Very creamy… probably very fattening too. Okay, the best part of all? The soup & salad bar. I have been looking for this place for four years now and never knew it existed! Someones been holding out on me! Way better than ‘Whole Paycheck’.
For a mere $ 7.99 a pound I could have FRESH lettuce, spring greens, spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, chick peas, kidney beans… I could go on here but I think you get the picture. They even had fresh Dolmas and Tabouleh at the Salad Bar. I received polite and friendly service and didn’t feel like a ‘cow being herded through the line’. Oh Why Cook?! Why have you been hiding from me so long?