Riverside Dining Facility

Everything I would expect from a D-​Fac. Nothing more nothing less. The staff has always been friendly and the prices are ok. The best thing about this chow hall is the waterside views.

Not bad. Very affordable. Two entrees with two sides and two refillable drinks for $ 8.20 total Good but not great. Went on Sat evening. No seating issues as active duty personnel don’t eat that meal apparently. Just retirees like us. Nice sunset to accompany the meal.

Pretty inexpensive and the food was edible and satisfying. There is a salad bar, hot line, sandwich station, desserts and more. If you have to stay on base it will do the job but look of base first.

Recently a new contractor took over operations of the formerly military-​only «chow hall» at Patrick AFB. Personally, even though I didn’t eat there prior to the switch-​over, I think they should’ve left it alone. For low cost meals, it’s priced right, but there are better food facilities in the area.
The annual ‘gimme’ for the Air Force’s Hennessey Award for Excellence (I don’t think it’s ever lost), we found the ‘new’ RDF to be somewhat ‘blah’.
As I said, the Riverside Dining Facility (herein, «RDF») used to be open only to military members. Due to a recent change in operations, it is now open to everyone on base.
When you enter the RDF, you take a right and you will find yourself in a small cafeteria area where you can get different dishes in a handful of categories. There’s a small Italian «bakery» where you can get pizza and calzones, a deli that prepares sandwiches, a hot bar with entrées that change daily. In the center of the room, you will find a nice sized salad bar. Drinks are available from dispensers and reach-​in coolers along the walls.
During our visit, I got fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes w/​gravy, a «large» salad and a 16oz drink for just over $ 7.00. The salad was $ 4.05 of that cost. For what I got, the price was very good. It’s too bad the food wasn’t.
The salad was somewhat bland and I swear you can taste the veggie-​wash. It wasn’t terrible, just bland. The fried chicken was really salty and the gravy was a watery, flavorless soup.
The service is non-​existent and one of the biggest hassles we encountered was finding someplace to sit. There are three indoor seating areas. Both of the end ones were full up and the center one was closed for some function. After ten minutes of walking back and forth between the two end rooms, we found a long table that had been vacated. Unfortunately, the tables here are bussed by non-​existent staff. We had to clean up the area we were sitting and stack and push the abandoned trays down ourselves. They were mostly still there by the time we left. Do not count on the staff to find you a place to sit. If you want to sit and you see an opening, count on the fact that you will have to bus the items of the previous diners. There was outdoor seating, but the day we were there, it was all of 30 degrees outside and windy.
There are other food establishments on base (unfortunately, many of the MWR food places are being taken over by the same contractor). AAFES operates a Burger King, Taco Bell, Charley’s and Anthony’s Pizza. They also have, operated by contractors, a Blimpie Subs and Dunkin’ Donuts. Any one of them is better than the RDF, though you’ll probably pay a lot more (and you’ll have to drive from the main base (where the RDF is) to get to them, except Blimpie which is in Bldg 415).
It is unfortunate that the AF decided to go this direction with their eating establishments. If this is what we have to expect from the new bowling center snack bar or the Manatee Cove snack bar, then they can keep it. However, I have to admit that if you’re on the main base, don’t have a lot of cash and you’re taking it to go, then it’d be hard to pass up the RDF.