Cuarto Dining Commons

Ate here when I dormed at cuarto. Food is pretty good IMO. A lot better than the other dining commons at UCDavis.

I love how cozy it is but I hate how I would have to walk up the stairs to eat when it’s very full and then go back downstairs for the the dish return. the food is supposedly better than the other DCs but I feel like they are generally all the same but the layout is just different. The ice cream is nice but sometimes the line is very long so it’s not worth it. overall, it’s one of the better DCs we have!

I’m about to burst. I ate a huge salad, ½ sandwich, potato chips, rice, squash, roasted peppers, pickled green beans, something else pickled, cheeseburger, and fries. Don’t judge me. Lol! I have a black hole where most people have a stomach.
The food is SO GOOD! Keep in mind this is a college cafeteria. The salad, veggies and pickles were crisp and super fresh. Everything is supplied from local farms. Nothing tasted bland, or canned!
You really can’t go wrong with the salad bar. The greens vegetables had that extra crunch and flavor you only get from very fresh food. Something I threw into my salad had fennel in it. It was excellent and really complimented the salad.
The pickled vegetables blew my mind. I’m not sure what one of them was but wow! It was sharp, sweet, and crunchy all at once. What a treat!

This is the most gourmet of the DC’s. They have the most student farm products. The salad bar is always fresh and beautifuly displayed. The other stations include Grill where you can always get burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches Pizza station sauté station pasta station desert island and Deli.
Weekends they have brunch til 2pm (no mimosas or bloody marys tho)
If you have alergies no problem just ask.

Small but comforting ambiance, good food selection, good flavor, healthy, and ok price for buffet.

Came here for dinner on a Friday night. When I wanted to pay cash, they were quite confused and had to call over a supervisor. When they finally figured it out, I paid my $ 13 and went in. A bit pricey but so it goes. The soup station was quite tasty, as was the Middle Eastern/​rice section. Getting an «Aggie Burger», which is the vegetarian burger, from the grill turned out to be quite an ordeal. They said «5 minutes», and they said «don’t worry, I’ll remember you.» I going back there several times, but the person turned out to have forgotten all about me. I finally was able to get one by ordering it from a different person.
The desserts were probably the best part, including ice creams, coconut vegan ice cream, various cakes, etc.
It’s a real trek out here, so best to ride the bus.

Overall, this is probably the best DC at UC Davis! Clean, feels small-​ish, but not crowded.
I would say it’s not the fastest to get to since it technically is off-​campus. You can park at the Trader Joe’s parking lot and walk the rest of the way (past University Court).
A plus for this particular DC is that it’s the only DC that has green to-​go boxes (costing 2 swipes for your first time), and you trade in your to-​go box for a new one each time you come in for to-​go. They are SUPER DUPER strict about not dining in if you have a to-​go box. Honestly, the hostess (a grey-​haired older lady) was telling me off about grabbing an ice cream cone on the way out. Considering this as DINING IN and TO GO-​ing. So I got swiped 3 times total. Sucks because I’m not a Freshman so I don’t get discounted swipes.
MORAL OF THE STORY #1: YOU DON’T GET ICE-​CREAM WHEN YOU TO-​GO.
MORAL OF THE STORY #2: Buffets are so protective of their food. Yep, I called a DC a buffet. (It is)
Note: Ask a Freshman to sell you a swipe! They can swipe you in for a bargained price. They generally paid more for it than what they sell them for. It’s Spring quarter, so their swipes turn to nothingness afterwards. They don’t roll over and they don’t become Aggie Cash (FYI, new guidelines).

Wow, I’ve never thought of reviewing the university’s dining commons! I’ve been here for close to 4 years now so I’ve had my fair share of eating here. This was my main DC as I lived in the Cuarto residence halls. But after dining here countless of times as a freshman, of course I got sick of it and ventured off to the other dining commons. But looking back and eating there now, I’d say its pretty good/​decent.
The interior is well designed. It’s a small complex which adds to the cozy feeling. The colors are very neutral with beige, greens, tans, and oranges. I always liked that there was seating on the second floor. There was also outdoor patio seating for fresh air and a room with a television for those sports fanatics.
And yes I totally agree with the other reviewers that the salad bar is AMAZING. Not to mention the fresh baked croutons! I’d say the food is better quality in general than segundo or tercero dining halls because they cater to a smaller student population, thus the food is prepared in smaller batches, which I can speculate that it is made with more care and attention. Also, they are more focused on being healthy and sustainable, so they serve more healthier options than its counterparts. That could be a bad or good thing. They have dishes which I never heard of, but are supposedly a greener option. Lastly, they have REAL ICE CREAM! Not those soft server frozen yogurt, its real ice cream!
My favorite time to come to the cuarto dc is brunch time during the weekends!

This is by far my favorite DC at Davis. It may be smaller and not have as much «selection» as Segundo or Tercero since it does not have the Pacific Fusion/​Mongolian Wok station, but in terms of quality and presentation, I think it has the best food.
SALAD BAR:
This is by far my favorite aspect of Cuarto. They have the largest section of greens: romaine, spinach, iceberg, mixed greens, and sometimes, they have arugula, baby arugula, or sorrel lettuce. They also have the most salad mix-​in options, but they vary depending on seasonal availability. My favorites are: roasted butternut squash, rainbow carrots, roasted carrots, roasted beets, roasted garlic greens, roasted fennel, Russell Ranch sundried tomatoes, roasted leeks. They also have: marinated seitan strips, olives, mushrooms, tofu, shredded carrots, hard-​boiled eggs, beans (pinto, black, garbanzo), blood oranges, and quite a few others that I cannot remember. Other add-​ins include nutritional yeast, mixed seeds, walnuts or candied walnuts, and sunflower seeds.
ICE CREAM:
Instead of the Dreyers soft serve machines, Cuarto has the real stuff, scoop-​your-​own local Gunther’s ice cream. Flavors change, and can vary from plain ol’ vanilla and chocolate, to pumpkin, coconut pineapple, black licorice, you name it.
Toppings include shredded coconut, mixed nuts, or peanuts.
FOOD:
The one dish that I remember Cuarto by is their Cuarto Happy Bowl, which consists of in-​season Student Farm produce. It is rather yummy and a go-​to menu item when there’s nothing else that I want to try. Cuarto also uses more local ingredients in their dishes, and frequently serves up grass-​fed burgers.
FRUITS:
Unlike the other DC’s, Cuarto usually has organic fruits, and more «uncommon» fruits such as persimmons or kiwis. Otherwise, the fruit selection is the same.
Lastly, Cuarto has the most intimate seating arrangements. It actually feels like a dine-​in restaurant with the second floor seating, and there is even an outdoor patio and a closed-​off room with a TV. And since the place is smaller and is «off-​campus,» lines for food aren’t nearly as Segundo’s during peak hours.

My favorite out of all the DCs by a long shot. Though all the DCs serve the same vegetarian meals, the Cuarto ones always taste better and they’re plated more carefully. The food is also made in smaller batches which affects the food quality as well. Cuarto also has my favorite options in the salad bar and they have real ice cream vs the soft serve you would get at the other DCs.
I also prefer the seating arrangements because I feel less self conscious if I come to eat alone here vs the other DCs. The employees are all very friendly and most of them come to recognize you and will greet you if you go enough.
The only issue I have is that service can be slow if you go during peak times on certain days. Since they have a smaller-​scale area, they can’t put out food as quickly. However this has only been an issue for me under 10 times in my whole freshman year.