UCLA Medical Center Cafeteria

This cafeteria is not like your high school or middle school caf.
The interior is modern, bright, and airy with high ceilings.
Ample tables and chair to sit both indoors and outdoors.
Most outdoor tables have umbrellas.
The food:
I only tried their breakfast special, under $ 5:
two scoops of institutional scrambled eggs doled out with an ice cream scoop
two chicken patties instead of pork sausages or baon
a dry biscuit
hash brown potatoes
a large class of OJ
There is a nice coffee bar with many choices.
I will be back the next time I am at UCLA Medical Center.

I don’t know why people are so critical of the food here. For the price you pay the quality is exceptional. I have eaten here several times while heading to appointments, and I loved the experience. I really enjoy the entrees!

I purchased an apple crossant this morning in the hospital cafeteria. After taking a bite of the crossant and finding it empty of apple filling and virtually devoid of apple flavor, I returned and asked to speak to the supervisor on duty. I expressed my concerns and was met with the cold observation that the apple portion of the crossant was buried in the dough in the bottom of the roll. There was no concern that I was not pleased with the item and nothing else was offered other than a take it or leave it offer of «you don’t want it»? Frankly I was offended by the attitude that I was somehow to stupid to see the inadequate apple content. There was no apology or concern that I was not satisfied with my purchase. In all of my 50 plus years I have never exerianced such an immediate lack of concern over my dinning experiance. In the past when I have expressed such a complaint I have receieved consideration and concern that my experiance would be valued. I realize that the bottom line caveat in business is «buyer beware», but I feel that my experiance was far from equitable. This was an expensive pastry @ $ 2.75 and honestly a poor value given the lack of content. Yes, Westwood prices are higher that average, however, the French bakery in the Village offers far better value for the money. With their pastries you can see and taste the fruit. This seems to me as an example of cost cutting gone wild. Until I hear from multiple sources of the food services improvements I will not bother to write many more missives or complaints. I simply will not be open to disappointment.

I don’t know why this place is getting such bad reviews. I LOVE eating here!!! And what is this about it being hospital food. It’s just as good as any place out in westwood! Stop calling it hospital food!!!
Anyway, I love eating here whenever I go to volunteer at the hospital. I especially love their rotating menu of hot food located just slightly towards the left when you walk in. My favorite is the salmon that they have cooked a variety of different ways. They have a killer lasagna, excellent fried chicken and the corn bread… oh the corn bread is so delicious!!! Their sides are also pretty healthy with steamed greens, but they also have mashed potatoes and other not to healthy options.
If not, they also have pizza, mexican, burgers, a vast salad bar, japanese, and for those looking for sweets, ice cream and other pastries! I really love how there are just so many options to choose from and always stop to think first. UCLA deserve praise for all its done to make sure that visitors have the best experience. Thumbs up!

This is my work cafeteria. Yes, it’s hospital-​quality food, but the hospital café across the street serves outstanding food. Bottom line: Obviously neglected (food quality and upkeep) since the new hospital opened, this is an overpriced, limited selection of mostly «okay» food.
This place is very, very expensive, even compared to campus food. You can get El Pollo Loco or Tomodachi Sushi here, but it’s priced even higher than the El Pollo Loco and Tomodachi in Westwood. A small, generic brand coffee and breakfast English muffin sandwich cost me over $ 7. Even a slice of pizza and a drink will cost you $ 5. Last year, in an effort to be healthy, they did away with fried food (including my favorite tuna melts), increased prices on sodas, and lowered prices on salad.
Best bets:
— Soups, especially chicken tortilla. Chili is good too.
— If you do the salad bar right, you can get a small salad for under $ 3
— You can get CHICKEN WINGS for BREAKFAST. I have yet to try them, but still, that’s pretty rad.
— Make-​your-​own toast with a variety of breads, bagels, butters, peanut butters and jams, 50 cents each!
— Good variety of Odwalla juices, bottled drinks, teas, snacks, and ice cream
The bad:
— The cookies have a low turnover rate are never replaced, and are like hockey pucks. DO NOT buy them. I did once and I was sorry.
— The omelets and other items would be sooo much better if they used real cheese.
— Salad bar is pretty limited in items.
— Very limited hours, everything closes at 3 and is completely closed on the weekends, even though students, faculty, and patients are here until late at night. The business school café stays open until at least 7PM, why can’t this one?
— Breakfast items are spread out all over the place, so you have to wait in 2 or 3 different lines if you wanted, say, a bagel with eggs and sausage.
— Everything else is too pricey to be worth it. Just go to Ralphs or Trader Joe’s across the street. I pretty much only go here because I’m lazy and it’s around the corner from my office.

People, it’s a hospital cafeteria… so stop demeaning it. How many hospital cafeterias have you visited? Because if you’ve been to many, you’ll realize they all suck!
UCLA is one exception. The food here is actually pretty good for a hospital. They stopped serving fried food (too bad) in April of 20 011 so some of the goodies are gone, BUT you can still get the sushi and the ethnic station on most days. You can also get some good grill food with a decent salad bar.
For a hospital cafeteria, it’s good. If you don’t like it, venture into Westwood.

My family usually grabs some grub here after doctors appointments. They call it dinner. I see it as a prime opportunity to do some future husband watching. Most exciting pick so far was a sexy surgeon although I’ve now been informed that most surgeons are jerks. Oh well, search continues!
It’s typical cafeteria food. My mom works at the hospital and she’s told me countless times that their sweet potato fries are the best; however, they’re only made on specific days. My brother and I really liked their fries. Big bummer though because UCLA’s taking all fried foods off their menu in a campaign for healthier options.

There are two sets of reviews floating around for this cafeteria under slightly different names. Anyways, I work here. I practically lived in this hospital last year logging 80+ hours a week so I know the cafeteria inside out. The food is ok. My biggest pet peeve is the fact that they don’t offer toasted bread for their sandwiches. The UCLA cafeteria in the old hospital building which still operates does offer toasted sandwiches. So do other UCLA cafes nearby. Why doesn’t this «hospital of the future» offer the same? Their prices are also jacked up compared to the old cafeteria. My other major pet peeve is that they have Tapatio and Sriracha hot sauces but NO TABASCO. That is a travesty. Sriracha is great but everyone knows Tabasco is better than Tapatio. It’s like Tapatio donated to the hospital or something. To be fair, the salad bar is pretty good but you can’t live on salad for a year, at least I can’t.

If you’re stuck in the hospital and don’t have the ability or time to pop off into one of the surrounding eateries in Westwood, The fare in the cafeteria is pretty decent. It can add up quickly though, and for the price, you could eat kingly at another venue.

As far as institutionalized cafeterias go the one at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a-​okay in my book. Since I work nearby I have had plenty of time to sample the goods over and over again. Here are my favorites:
chicken tortilla soup: aka a heaping bowl of awesomeness. At about four dollars a cup plus a dinner roll and plenty of butter it makes an awesome and hearty lunch for one or for two if your not feeling greedy. Just slather some butter onto that roll and dip it into the soup you wont regret it.
exhibition cooking: on fridays. I usually get the yakisoba stir fry noodles with shrimp is always a good choice. The chicken or shrimp penne with alfredo sauce is a little iffy. When I ordered it last it looked like vegetables floating on top of what looked like thinned out white gravy. Not good.
tomodachi: usually a safe pick if you’re looking for some asian. The bbq beef ribs are stellar and the chicken teriyaki is passable.
deli: I am sad that this place is only open on the weekdays because the roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce and avocado on foccacia bread is amazing. Comes with pickles which are additionally amazing.
Overall the food here is good for the price.
FYI show them your student id and you don’t get charged tax.

Not the most fabulous place to have lunch, but if you can’t make it into Westwood, it’ll have to do. With classes and the biomed library just down the hall, I needed a quick, close-​by place to get lunch or a snack.
Sushi is iffy.
Burgers are oily.
Mexican Food just sits there.
BUT… the key is to go to the sandwich bar.
Ask for the BLT on a croissant + add avocado. They don’t usually charge you for the added avocado (major plus!).
Your Welcome.: D

the nutrition information is greatly appreciated. cheap burgers. salad is pricey. good selection.

As a regular, I can honestly say that I have tried nearly everything at the cafeteria, and as far as hospital cafeterias go, UCLA’s is good. The food is not gourmet or anything, but they have a gamut of choices that are all solid. The grill is always reliable and my fallback. I eat the grilled cheese sandwiches and garden burgers several times a week, sometimes with fries. The burgers, pizza, and French toast are tasty, too. Seriously, they are way better than the stuff you buy from the freezer section at the grocery store. I also like building my own sandwich with all the fixings. They have a really good rye bread. They also offer pre-​made sushi, which comes from Tomodachi. Not a fan of Tomodachi, so I always walk right pass them, but as far as I can tell, the selection comprises of tuna, spicy tuna, and California rolls. The muffins and croissants are good choices for a quick bite or something to stash in my bag. There is Starbucks for my caffeine fix, as well as my daily Odwalla smoothies. Like I said, it is a cafetaria, but it is a good one, and when you are in the hospital all day, a good cafetaria is a blessed oasis.

wednesday: chicken tortilla soup for the soul. make sure to include some 8 cent crackers with that.
4 stars for the chicken wings for breakfast. the batter they use is the same stuff angels are made from.
if you’ve never had it, try what heaven tastes like.

a top notch hospital with an ok cafeteria.
you can never have ‘great’ hospital food. ucla’s hospital cafeteria dishes out some moderately priced meals at $ 4 a la carte and $ 6 with a drink and side. i guess you could call it a world cuisine establishment: there’s an open grill for burgers and what not, sushi area, a burrito place, and pasta.
be wary of the salad bar; it’s charged by ounce.
the custom sandwich area is great.