Bella’s Kitchen

This review is more regarding their Friday breakfast «all you eat» «buffet» from 8am-​10am. This place is 2 stars at best for everything else. What I mean by that, is it’s never the first place you want to go. It’s the type of place you settle for due to the convenient fact that it’s in the building you work in.
Anyhow, back to the breakfast «buffet.» Here’s what it is, and what it’s not:
It is not «all you can eat.» The sign says it’s all you can eat if you dine in; however, even if you dine in, you’re not allowed to get second helpings on food. They do let you get unlimited refills on coffee or orange juice (if you brought your own standard size mug). They should call it «all you can drink.»
It is not a buffet.
buf·fet1
bfā/​
noun
noun: buffet; plural noun: buffets
1.
a meal consisting of several dishes from which guests serve themselves.
You DO NOT serve yourself. The kitchen staff serves you and limits how much you can get as well as the total number of items. That being said, you can’t try a little bit of everything in one go. Since you can’t go up for seconds, you’re pretty much stuck with the 3 items you pick at the get go.
The menu is also EXTREMELY limited. The first week they had 3 kinds of burritos (one of which claimed to be sausage but only had potato), chilaquiles, two types of eggs, & potatoes. Week 2 they brought out the heavy guns and added pancakes and bacon. If you thought there would be fruit, you’d be disappointed.
The menu items also change during the time the «buffet» is available. My coworkers say they bring out the better stuff later, like around 9:30. Perhaps there isn’t enough room in the serving area to put all the food. It’s literally that small corner where they have pizza at lunch. My theory is they try to get rid of the less desirable breakfast items first.
Well, we’ve established that it’s not all you can eat and it’s not a buffet… so what is it? It’s probably just a gimmick to get rid of the food every week that they’d normally throw out if not used.
They accept credit cards* sorta… if you spend $ 5 or more. If you’re coming for the buffet only, then you’re okay because that’s exactly how much it costs.

Reliable, good specials, prices so-​so. A solid government-​building cafeteria.
The Good: Customized sandwich bar (including panini), fresh made pizzas and calzones, decent salad bar, well-​priced «specials of the day» and breakfast combos. Management arranges seasonal thematic events and occasional all-​you-​can-​eat breakfast buffets. Coffee is excellent. You can call ahead and have a pizza (or anything else) ready for take-​out in 10 – 15 minutes, but don’t try this at peak times.
The Bad: Prices on other things are higher than I’d expect, particularly for soft drinks (with an insulting $ 1 refill charge). Despite this, the staffing is very lean, leading to lonnnng waits at peak times. I make sure I go before 11:30 or after 12:45. No ketchup pump, so you are forced to tear open a bunch of those little packets.
Suggestion: Fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the mornings!

Our new cafeteria at work has finally opened! Believe me, the whole court is thankful for finally having food in a short distance.
Bella’s Kitchen has a very affordable menu with varieties, much more than the vendor before. From calzone to pastas and even a taco and burrito bar. I can definitely see myself eating at the work’s cafeteria a lot more now. They brew Starbucks coffee too! This is a big plus from many of my coworkers who are addicted to caffeine and often found at the Starbucks a few blocks down before work and during lunch hours. Also, the selection of chips and candies are more than before. As my coworker states, «They have the good chips.»
I, however, cannot wait for the self served froyo machine to be ready! I already told the manager my favorite topping was gummy bear. And oh yes, the manager. This guy is so friendly and helpful. He listens! I tell him my favorite flavors, toppings, meats, cheese, and sauce, and he accommodates for me! Now that’s business.
Ice cream, pasta, and breakfast. Expect many check-​ins here from me, Unilocal