Kafeteria

Tucked away up 3 escalators in the BP building, Kafeteria is unassuming and delish. As the name implies, it’s cafeteria style, if your cafeteria has the talented Zack Bruell as your chef.
There are several stations to chose from: entrees, pizza, noodles, smoothies, salads…
I enjoyed the BBQ chicken and veggies, and let me tell you, tasted exactly like my Aunt made when I was growing up. (She was lifetime chef in NOLA and Atlantic City.) The chicken was so tender and juicy with a perfectly balanced sauce. I’ve tried for years to have BBQ that good. I almost went back a second day to have it again.
My coworkers had bratwurst, a smoothie, and meatloaf. They were also pleased with their choices as evidenced by the complete silence except for the sounds of meals being devoured.
I do wish they would add a longer counter to set tray down while waiting in line to pay. It got a teeny bit heavy and I also didn’t have any hands free to get my money ready. But really, that’s my only complaint and it’s not even a complaint, it’s a nit pick. It’s certainly not affecting my choice to return to Kafe often for lunch (oh btw, it’s lunch only.)

Exactly as my rating, I thought it was just okay. Now I will say, the omelet I ordered was pretty good. It’s funny how I automatically have to grab salt and pepper but I got a taste first and didn’t even need it… seasoned perfectly! I wanted to get a fruit smoothie and for some reason I can no longer eat bananas (don’t know why, for some unknown reason I just can’t eat bananas anymore-​maybe an allergy or sudden intolerance) so I asked the lady if I can get one without bananas (no trace of it) and she said that the smoothies are prepackaged… basically «no smoothie for you» lol.
The employees are pretty much in their own thing, kind of not in the mood to be friendly and/​or talk or even crack a smile.

Super friendly staff, reasonable prices, delicious lunch options! I can’t even choose a favorite — I always switch it up. The salad bar or pre-​made salads provide great healthy options with super tasty dressings like champagne vinaigrette and balsamic. If I’m in the mood for a heartier meal, the grill has numerous sandwich options with awesome hand cut fries. The pasta bar offers items like pad Thai and green curry coconut noodles (Mmm!). There’s also soup, pizza, sushi, other entrees, and fresh juices and smoothies. Each section typically has a daily special as well. Everyone will find something they like and you can be in and out quickly, which is often a must during a busy work day.

Had the fresh mixed berry smoothie and Thai coconut curry. Both were really good. I’d probably go back again.

I will probably give this place another shot in the future, because it has been highly recommended to me, but my initial experience was sub-​par. The pad thai recipe is just off. The sauce was way too acidic, and there was way too much of it. No bean sprouts. Some of the shrimp were under-​cooked. I found that out the hard way (eating one), and checked the rest carefully; I found another one that was underdone. I did eat everything but the under-​cooked shrimp, because I was super hungry. I definitely wouldn’t order this again. I love pad thai, and I’m not usually super picky, but this was just not what pad thai should be. The salad bar looked amazing though. Next time I think I’ll try that or the pizza.

This isn’t my first rodeo with lunch at the Kafeteria but today I ate there for lunch so I figured I would review. Kafeteria is the creation of the great Cleveland Chef Zack Bruell which has a cafeteria style operation with higher quality foods. It’s great that you have variety of choices from pizza, sushi, sandwiches, noodles and a juice bar. They also have a HUGE salad bar and also serve breakfast in the 200 Public Square building, which I work in.
The food is a nice sight to see and the familiar faces of the staff that work there make for a nice lunch. I don’t frequent it often as there are cheaper options downtown for lunch but is nice to have something right in my building. The food for me has been hit or miss but it has all been very fresh from my experience. I enjoyed the breakfast sandwich I have had along with the pizza and quesadilla from the sandwich station. I wasn’t a huge fan of the noodles when I went.
Today’s option for me was the Za’atar Chicken Pita with french fries. The pita is stuffed with seasoned chicken (flavored well), pickled onions (not my favorite but they accompany the wrap well, with the crunch), herb feta (nice touch, could have used more) and spicy cucumber dill yogurt (tasty, not spicy in my opinion), no roasted tomatoes for me. The sandwich overall is very tasty but mine was a bit soggy. I wish the cook would have put the pita on the grill a tad longer. The fries are awesome and crunchy. I recommend dipping them in the parmesan ranch dressing from the salad bar (so good!).
Kafeteria is a good staple for the building and for the lunch crowd in downtown Cleveland. Yes, there are cheaper and better options downtown but this is a place I would recommend. With how many options, there is bound to be something that suits everyone. I look forward to trying the sushi or the juice bar on my next visit.

been coming here a year plus, averaging 4 times a month. I have yet to be disappointed with the high quality of the food and the pleasant people working there. Always a smile.
I don’t understand people that say they love it, but only give 4 stars… this isn’t Noma. This is a great cafeteria putting out fast, consistent and solidly performing food for a lunch time office crowd.
Best Sushi downtown… period. (I wish they would do more daily specials)
Perfect and non-​boring Salad Bar w great choices of house made dressings. (and the weigh charge doesn’t include the weight of the dressing if you put it on the side!)
Braised items are home cooked goodness.
Nice dinning space overlooking the atrium or walk to the Public Square side for an exceptional view of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. I like to take my food across the street to the Eastman Reading Garden or Mall C for a real Cleveland experience for lunch.

This place is exactly what it sounds like, a cafeteria, but minus the mystery meat. It is another Zack Bruell masterpiece of a restaurant. If you have ever been to a Bruell restaurant, expect all the great flavors and fresh, wholesome ingredients within the $ 8 – 15 price range. The first time I went the lines were pretty long so I opted for the selections in the grab & go cooler. Even the PB&J was fancy as it was topped with banana mousse! I might ask for just a cup of that next time… Definitely go for an early or later lunch to avoid the lines. The friends I was with tried the pasta station and thanked me after for taking them here. Hoping to try the breakfast menu next, but so far I’m a fan.

Though I only ever have time to make it over to Kafeteria for breakfast, I haven’t been disappointed yet. Their blueberry orange muffin is perfection and they have a fresh squeezed juice bar, which is unbeatable.
The breakfast options are all on the same level as your average pastry shop or smoothie place and it’s a perfect grab-​and-​go spot.

This place is basically a big cafeteria with tons of options. The sushi looked amazing and they had a grill and pizza section. I got a salad from the huge salad bar which is 7.99 per pound I believe and I got a 12oz cup of soup for 5 $ (??). The soup was way to expensive. But the salad bar is definitely worth it. I’ll be back to check out the other options too and I’d love to come here for breakfast.

Kafeteria is just that. A cafeteria style lunch spot where you grab a tray then make your way to one of the several stations. They have pizza, grilled items, sandwiches, you name it. I usually opt for the sushi or salad bar. They also have a great juice bar, the green smoothie is deeeelicious. They have a pretty expansive seating area, but I usually take mine to go. It can be a little pricey for lunch, depending on what you get, but I’ll pay the extra if I don’t have to leave my building!

Today was probably the 4^th or 5^th time I’ve been to Kafeteria and it has not disappointed me yet! My biggest problem with this place is that it’s SO HARD for me to choose something to eat because it all looks and smells delicious! While I’ve had many of their menu items now, today’s review is all about the soup, salad and greek yogurt parfait (wait…did I just say GREEK yogurt? Why yes, yes I did).
OK let’s start with the soup: I went into Kafeteria today knowing I wanted something WARM and this soup definitely hit the spot. I had the Southwestern Chicken soup, made with fresh tomatoes, black beans, shredded chicken and a mix of a bunch of yummy spices. I topped my cup with a little bit of the freshly grated cheddar cheese and grabbed some oyster crackers on the side. This soup was delicious with just the right amount of kick to call it a Southwestern soup.
I was going to grab one of the premade side salads from the cooler but opted to make my own instead. I may not have said this before but Kafeteria is a great spot for carnivores, vegetarians, vegans or whatever else your little heart (and tummy) desires. Today I opted to fill my salad container with spring greens, shredded carrots, marinated mushrooms, quinoa salad, red potato salad and sunflower seed kernels.
OK now let’s talk about the most amazing thing I had there today: the Greek yogurt parfait. I know it sounds odd to have that be my favorite thing, but if you’ve ever had a too-​sweet, nasty, chemical-​tasting parfait from anywhere else (ahem…McDonald’s) then you can appreciate the creamy amazingness that is this parfait. It’s hard to go wrong when it’s made of natural whole ingredients like: molasses, oats, dried cherries, fresh raspberries and blueberries, vanilla and honey. Like seriously? I wish I had the patience to recreate this for myself every day.
The ingredients at Kafeteria are so fresh that it’s hard to go wrong.
Though these three items above are only what I had today, I also strongly recommend the freshly-​made sushi (omg…the Dragon Roll… heaven) and the hot sides. I have yet to try the noodle bowls, smoothies, grille or pizza, but rest assured… I will. :)

Great food. A lot of options for being gluten-​free and vegetarian. The people working there are extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Great place for lunch!

I made a salad at the great salad bar. Items like roasted beets, wheatberries, lentils, tofu, and so much more along with the usual offerings. Note that I didn’t care for their tofu, but everything else was great. They also have a wide selection of other dishes, including noodles, pizza, BBQ. My friend had some amazing Mac n cheese. Great place to go with a group if you can’t agree on a type of food for lunch.

Just went for the first time the other day. Lines were long so I opted for the green smoothie with kale, Arugala, spinach, cucumber, mint, banana. Very tasty, enjoyed the hint of mint.
Went a Second time yesterday — got the grilled cheese with tomato and basil and fries since it was a Friday and lent. Went around 1pm, lines were dying down. Zach was working the noodle line — I would definitely be interested in trying that next time.
Overall a very refreshing and enjoyable alternative and very reasonably
Priced as well compared to other restaurants, I. e the Market. Highly recommended — a little walk from my workplace but definitely will be hitting this place up much more during the spring and summer months.

It took a few visits for me to warm up to it, but now I’m loving lunch at Kafeteria. It’s definitely a much better experience if you go at 1 p.m. instead of noon, so that the lines are shorter and there is more available seating.
While I have not yet opted for a salad, I LOVE that the salad bar offers big bowls instead of little plates.
The sushi is surprisingly and ridiculously delicious. Fresh lettuce is one of my favorite sushi roll ingredients, and there was lots of lettuce in the Caterpillar roll. Awesome.
I’ve had the balsamic Brussels sprouts a couple times — so delicious!
The only things I’ve tried that I didn’t care for were the mashed potatoes (maybe it had truffle oil?) and the falafel was just okay.
It is a great option for group lunches.

Best priced salad bar in Cleveland!

Seats outside the food court area were nearly full when we arrived at 12:30, but the lunch crowd thinned out by the time we got our food and sat down.
I enjoyed the sushi station, and the two guys behind the counter were plenty funny and pleasant to make the wait for my roll go quickly. Also enjoyed watching the lady at the juice bar make my Kafeteria Blend juice (kale, cucumber, carrot and apple) and man oh man do they throw some serious chunks of fruit and veggies in there right before your eyes!
Zack Bruell himself was serving people at one of the stations with a nice big smile!
Juice was $ 5 and sushi was like $ 9…a little pricey for a regular lunch though, so won’t be a daily thing for me but more of a nice little treat!

Brand new cafeteria-​style restaurant in the Huntington (BP) Building. Prices are a little high but lots of options, most made-​to-​order, with fresh ingredients. Espresso, pizzas, burgers, salad bar, smoothies/​juice bar, sushi, hot entrees, soups.

Is there anything that Zack Bruell can’t do? Kafeteria is definitely a cut above your typical corporate watering hole. My first visit was shortly after opening, so there were some missteps which I will chalk up to being new. Missing barbecue sauce, slightly overdone falafel, a little too much oil in the pad Thai. Nothing that can’t be ironed out. Its strength lies in its variety of appealing choices (including good vegetarian options) at reasonable prices. This will be in my lunch rotation for sure, and I look forward to seeing it get better.