Brenen’s Cafe

I’ve been here twice and I can’t say much for their coffee but their food is mediocre. I tried this café because 1) I wanted to try a different café than Berry or Terabyte and 2) it was right across from one of my classes. Their strawberry fields salad was decent. I liked the combination of strawberries and goat cheese. However, steer away from their Thai beef salad. The beef was too chewy, too red, and too big. The plasticware they gave me was so weak I couldn’t use it to cut the beef. I ended up throwing away most of it! Never get their coleslaw either. It was below average. I’d much rather get KFC/​Raising Cane’s than theirs. Also, they were out of ingredients both times I went and I went around 2−3pm. Unless I’m dying of starvation, I’d rather go somewhere else than pay Panera-​price for mediocre food.

Convenient location. Usually consistent enough with lunch items. Coffee is so-​so.
BUT, I’ve also found hair in my food on more than one occasion. (Yes I still went back after the first time) Today it was baked into the bread! Can’t recommend this to anyone based on that.

Conveniently located south of the RPAC and north of the hospital. Breakfast sandwiches are always filling and delicious. The salads are all fresh and flavorful. Wonderful black bean soup. The gazpacho is refreshing on a hot summer day. Served with perfect rustic French bread. Frozen yogurt bar is fun. Toppings include fresh fruit and dry toppings such as sprinkles and Oreos. You really can’t go wrong here.

Brewer’s is a great place to go for lunch on campus. The food is very fresh, healthy, and won’t weigh you down for the rest of the day. They serve breakfast and lunch, and the menu has lots of variety — it will satisfy any craving of yours. The only factor that prevents me from going more often is that it is a little pricey for a habit. With that being said, you can find great value from their breakfast menu (egg sandwiches are big!).

I’ve been here a couple times now, and while I’ve only tried some basic items like bagels and coffee drinks, I can report that the experience has always been positive. I’m always getting my stuff to go so I can’t report on the dine-​in experience, but it looks like a pretty nice place to relax for a while. Also, I appreciate the fact that they toast the bagel for you. I mean, it’s not like it’s extremely taxing to toast it myself, but I appreciate them putting forth the effort. I do intend to try some of their soups/​salads/​sandwiches at some point because the ones I’ve seen while I’m waiting for my to-​go orders always look quite good.

Decent food for this part of campus, consistent quality. There is nothing special about it, but it’s there when you need it. Most of the things tastes like freshly made super market grab-​and-​go sandwiches/​salads. I find patrick’s turkey to be the item I always go for when I have to eat here. Be sure to double check your order. Half of the time, my orders are incorrect.
Being a café, the coffee is pretty bad. Drip coffee tastes about the same as instant. Any of the mixed espresso drinks (mocha, etc.) are loaded with sugar syrup. Froyo tastes like McDonalds cone but for 3 – 4 times the price, and it only has vanilla.
It’s packed during morning rush (for coffee) lunch hour. I think customer loyalty here is less because of the taste but more because of the convenience (and consistency). It’s pricy for the food it serves, but about what I would expect due to its location.

For an on campus dining experience, brenens is great. They have wonderful breakfast selections to choose from all day and their soup of the day is always worth a try. I enjoy all of their healthy wraps they offer and always a generous portion. If I’m ever in the area, this is where I enjoy eating. Their coffee is also pretty decent at this location as well.

Easy, always delicious go-​to lunch spot. Usually has quick service outside of high-​traffic hours. I really enjoyed their zucchini nut muffin, but like most cafes, they run out of pastries and baked goods later in the day. To me, Brenen’s offers a more unique menu than Panera at about the same price, so their entrees are generally fresh and healthy. If you’re curious, their website is
(took me forever to find that out!)

I only go because of their location on campus.

I can’t tell whether or not this place is affiliated with the Brenen’s on High Street. It looks like the sexier, more photogenic cousin of that establishment. Even the logo is different, although the menus are similar, each sporting a mocha named after an elusive «Jenelle.» I’m pretty sure they serve the exact same coffee. Sandwiches all fall within the $ 7 – 9 price point, which isn’t terribly pricey, but not terribly justifiable either. I got the Thai Roast Beef, which came with an asian sesame dressing. I guess that’s what made it «Thai»?
This Brenen’s is located in the vicinity of the med center, making it convenient if you’re in the area, but it’s not particularly close to any of my classes. Still, it’s less grungy looking than the other Brenen’s, and the service was friendly.

This is one of the better-​looking coffee and lunch places among the many spread out around campus. All I grabbed was a sweet iced tea (very tasty), but the food looked good and fresh, as well. Why pick up a plastic-​wrapped sandwich from a fridge when you can get it made to order right here? Rhetorical question indeed.
The customer flow was confusing. I spent my time in line looking around to see where I could expect to go to wait for my drink after ordering, and I still got it wrong. The cashier didn’t direct me anywhere, and so after several minutes I finally asked. Maybe they mostly work with people who «know,» but that kind of thing can’t be assumed. In any case, on the day I went, food seemed to be coming out to the left of the registers and drinks, to the right. But don’t quote me on that because it will probably change before you get there.
I was curious to see if I could get wifi without having access to OSU wireless anymore. And the answer is… in theory. It seemed to be trying to connect me to a publicly accessible wireless router, but it hung and never completed.
The café, by the way, is toward the back of the building, overlooking an athletics field. So if you’re entering from 12^th Ave, go all the way through. There’s outdoor seating, though there seemed to be a good amount inside, too, at least for the number of people staying instead of hauling their food back to an office.

I would recommend this place to med center folks as we don’t have much choice as it is, but I have a few gripes. First, there is apparently no refills on the coffee, not even like a $ 1 refill or something which I would be happy to pay. Secondly, while they have a great ½ sandwich ½ soup combo for $ 6.97 the bread for the sandwiches is nearly inedible because the crust is consistently hard. Like so hard that you have to tear it off or risk breaking a tooth. By the time you tear the crust off there isn’t much left of the sandwich. The coffee is excellent and the bagels are decent. I have, however, gotten a few stale bagels there, so I would also advise getting it toasted. The service is one of the best parts about this place. Extremely accommodating and friendly.

I am a regular at this Brenen’s and am so happy that they opened a café in this location! There aren’t too many options around this area of campus, and I feel Brenen’s Café offers a good variety to suit your craving. They have amazing sandwiches, flatbreads, soups, breakfast sandwiches, salads and muffins/​bagels! I agree that it’s best to avoid the place during 11:30 AM — 1:00 PM because the high traffic is kind of annoying. The space isn’t very accommodating for long lines, but I really don’t think they need to make any changes as anywhere will get that crowded at lunch time. They have vegetarian options OTHER than salad, too!
As for the coffee, I think it depends on who brews it. 95% of the time, my coffee is FANTASTIC! I prefer a stronger brew, and Brenen’s usually does the trick. The other 5% of the time, it’s either too watery or the taste is wrong.
The food can be kind of pricey, but they do offer sides and large portions. I think it’s relatively on par with similar places in the area.
I think the service is quite good. Everyone is always cheery and polite. If an order is messed up (which has never happened to me), I’ve seen them quickly fix it with a good attitude.

Not too many choices this side of the medical center campus, so I truly appreciate this place being here.
Food is alright, maybe a tad bit pricey, but I do feel like I am eating somewhat healthy, and that’s a good thing. I like the cilantro lime coleslaw that is offered as a side when you purchase a sandwich.
I’ve never tried the pastries in the case, but they do always look tempting!

Convenience is amazing. Thank goodness this is here so I can make a quick coffee run between classes and for the times I am too lazy to make lunch. There are also a few outlets for those that need a place other than Prior or the Pharmacy Library to study. They have some comfy couches to lounge on as well.
Food-​wise, they have a good selection of salads, soups, and sandwiches. Be warned, going during peak hours (lunch time 11am-​1pm) is not recommended. They have a habit (currently) of getting orders all wrong when it gets too busy. Also, there’s not enough room to have a real line so it gets confusing. They need to do a better job managing big crowds of customers.

Hallelujah! I’m so glad they put this place right across from the College of Pharmacy so I can take quick coffee and pastry breaks in between classes and avoid the trek to Wendy’s or the med center cafeteria during lunch.
They have a very nice selection of breakfast items (breakfast sandwiches, bagels, assorted muffins), sweets (cookies, cinnamon buns, truffles), soups, salads, and sandwiches. Everything is pretty decent/​standard café fare with their toasted sandwiches (I’ve had the italian and the pizza) being the standouts. Prices and portions are similar to Panera.
As a side note, I would pass on the «frozen yogurt» if you’re considering it. It’s more along the lines of soft-​serve, and rather bland and powdery at that.