Cisco Building 17 Cafeteria

Food here is okay; lots of variety. There are a couple of stations to choose from, and the food is pretty decent. The cafeteria is pretty big with lots of tables and chairs, and there’s a lot of sunlight. Not bad.

I think I prefer some of other Cisco cafeterias to this one but the new layout is pretty good nonetheless.
I come here for breakfast most mornings… it’s good. It’s nice.

I still prefer the other Cisco building cafeterias such as Building 20 and this one before the remodel /​vendor change over the current iteration.
I always get the Mexican food such as the taco salad because it comes with a free soda and is pretty filling. I tried almost all the food here and it’s pretty standard fare for Cisco cafeteria food. One major improvement they did was accept credit cards. But post-​remodel, the flow and crowds are still more or less the same as before.
The café is definitely the choice of convenience and not for the greatest food. The staff is always friendly and mostly get your order correct but they’re definitely overworked especially during the lunch rush since only one person works per station typically

Such a variety and a huge transformation from when I first started at Cisco back in 2010. The new layout is so much more welcoming! I’ve worked in other buildings and this one is by far one of the better café’s! The food is decently priced (although it has gone up significantly) but its usually always cooked to order. However, often times the Wok food is a little burnt.

I am only a few building away and I would walk here for lunch almost every single day.
Since they changed the vendors, the food quality has dropped dramatically.
Instead of freshly made breakfast, they have frozen breakfast sandwiches and burritos that they nuke for 30 seconds and serve to you. I got violently sick from their breakfast burrito. It was incredibly uncomfortable.
Their Indian food used to be great, but now, all bland and mush. I ordered goat curry, but I was given a to go box of rice, and a giant scoop of curry water with about 6 pieces of goat meat in it. I was charged $ 8. Before I could even finish my first piece of meat, the entire box was in the garbage. It was terrible.
The only thing decent there is the salad bar, at least it is fresh. But any decent sized salads will cost you $ 7+.
I am now avoiding this place at all costs.

I used to come here all the time, even before they departed from the vendor Bön Appetite.
For the very, very first time, I walked in and nothing looked appealing to me. I made my ways around the different types of food they had to offer, and nothing. Not a single pinch of interest was there. So, I decided to default to the soup, which was some lentil soup thing. I loaded my bowl, added cheese, got my crackers, and left.
So i’m sitting there, in my cube… enjoying my soup. My co-​worker approaches me;
«Hey, what do you think of the soup? pretty good huh?»
then I say
«Yes! This is the perfect meal to default to. Mmmm it’s savory, it’s just what I née– … Oh. My. God. No.»
No… It couldn’t be… It’s gotta be a burnt lentil… no, those aren’t wings. Noooo that can’t be a face!
Yup. A fucking big, luscious, protein packed fly was an added ingredient to my fucking soup.
«Um. are you seeing what i’m seeing?» — I asked my coworker.
«What is that? Is that a… no… oh my fucking god. no. I JUST ATE THAT SOUP.»
I quickly stand up, walk to the mens room, and completely rinse my mouth out. I grab my fly-​soup and march straight back to the cafeteria. I quickly ask the nice lady in the front if I can kindly speak to the manager. «Is something wrong?» she asked, «Yes. Yes indeed there is.»
Long story short, I didn’t make a scene. I managed to resist yelling at the top of my lungs «YOU SIR, STOP EATING THAT SOUP. THERE’S FLY SHIT IN THERE». But I didn’t. The manager even asked «Hey, let me make it up to you. Come back next week, and I’ll make it up to you with what ever you like!»
Why in the hell would I be enticed to want to eat at this place again? If there’s a fly in the soup, I can imagine that everything else is just as clean. I have now been inspired to never eat out again. It’s hard because my wife loves to eat out… But as far as every day eating, I’ll be packing up left overs and ham sandwiches.

Just over a month of research and I’ve found my stand by lunch choice: A quesadilla with carnitas and veggies (some squash mix they have at the taqueria) eaten with a pile of jalapenos. Most of the time it’s too big though but the flavor is just right.

The salad bar is nicely stocked and not overly pricey. the overall selection is good and you will be hard pressed to not find something to eat.
I would recommend coming before noon though as the crowds while not massive are just bothersome and it is nice to serve yourself at a more leisurely pace.

When I need a quick bite to eat and don’t have the time to run out, this cafeteria is pretty decent. I used to be addicted to Miguel’s breakfast but he is no longer the cook :(
Instead of going about once a week, I tend to eat there once a month. Food and price is okay. Nothing to write home about.
Love, love, love the ice in the soda machine though!!!

Decent breakfast foods. Decent amount of choices. Decent prices.
There are bagels, English Muffins, fruit, yogurt, breads, cereal, oatmeal, fresh squeezed juice, and cottage cheese. Lots of different spreads, meats, and other accompaniments for the breads. Then there’s made to order omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and breakfast meals.
Fruit’s always fresh and plentiful (honey dew, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries). Cereal is so-​so. Nothing special. Just the usual, healthy ones like Cheerios, Grape Nuts, etc.
I usually stick with omelets, breakfast sandwiches, or fruit and cottage cheese. Omelets and breakfast sandwiches are not the best I’ve had, but tasty. I’ve tried the bacon and hash browns and they suck. Bacon is limp and just not good. Hash browns are overly dry.
Haven’t had the lunch food here.

A few bomb dishes here
Breakfast
Since the cuts, I do miss Manual and his breakfast skillz, man I missed my french toast with eggs, bacon, and hash. Now I’m forced to eat omelets which sometimes are runny so it’s a hit or miss.
Lunch
There’s a fast array of food ranging from the Health Connection Meals which is normally a typical American meal (think turkey and gravy with mash potatoes and steam veggies) to Mexican (taco salad is the bomb) to burgers with sweet potato fries. The menu changes daily except for the Mexican food section or each booth will have a special, so you want to know what’s on the menu, ask one of your Cisco buddies.

Just had lunch with my boyfriend here. and I can’t complain. Cheap prices, good food. I had the chicken enchiladas and my boyfriend had a burrito. plus drinks all for around 13 bucks? That’s a great deal. compared the 20+ bucks I’d spend in a regular taqueria. I mean it’s not authentic… but it is good enough especially for the price! At least I am stuffed! So I have no complaints.

the rest of the food is mediocre, but what keeps me coming back are the health connections meals. they’re priced around $ 6.50 — $ 7.50, which isn’t bad at all. but here’s the best part —
HealthConnections meals follow these guidelines: Less than 600 calories, 30% or fewer calories from fat and 10% or fewer calories from saturated fats.
here are some examples of items they serve:
— Oven Roasted Mahi Mahi with Mediterranean Roasted Pepper Relish, 5 Grain Blend and Green Beans
— Pomegranate Molasses Marinated Roasted Leg of lamb w/​Balsamic Bermuda Onions, Broccoli Rapini & Wild Rice Blend
— Pecan Crusted Red Trout Fillet with Lemon Vinaigrette, Grano and Steamed Organic Summer Squashes
— Oven Roasted Wild King Salmon w/​Soy-​Dijon Glaze, Kamut Grains & Roasted Parsnips and Green Beans
— Herb Grilled Chicken Breast with Orange & Green Olive Salsa, Assorted Grains and Vegetables
these meals taste great, come in a wide variety (i have yet to see one repeated, and i’ve beed eating these for the last 3 weeks), and are a smart and healthy decision, not to mention convenient too! i have lost 5 lbs in the last 2.5 weeks since i’ve started eating these health connection meals!

This is a hard one to review. There are so many options, yet I rarely have any desire to explore them.
For the first week I bought sandwiches. I’ve tried a burger and those special sweet potato French fries (the day I had them, they were soggy, I don’t like them soggy). I also had some kind of stir fry noodles once with gyoza. The plate food is pretty greasy. I usually stick to the sandwich bar because you can’t beat those $.91 peanut butter jelly sandwiches.
I have had pizza two or three times and it’s pretty good. I like that they have big slices and a large variety of styles.
Always hear positive comments about the Indian dishes, so I will eventually try one when I’m hungry enough.
I think my favorite thing about this place is the accessibility and the quick-​pay system they have for adding money to our badge accounts. I love not having to carry cash and change around. All I need is my badge and you need it to get in to all the buildings, including the cafeteria. It’s hard to forget that.
The cafeteria has a lot of seating, inside and out. You also have wireless network and a coffee shop that serves Starbucks drip — although the drip tastes like crap. We usually just go down the block to the local Starbucks for coffee instead.
I prefer to just bring my lunch though. I save so much money that way. The portions are pretty big here, so I can never eat an entire plate of food. This is the kind of food I don’t like to save for later.
I forgot to mention all the tap drinks are $.25 here. Even though in the workplace buildings, the soda, water, juices and punches are all free.
Maybe one day I’ll try out Building 11.

Skip if you have time and can. Food gets monotonous real quick. I’d give it 3 or higher, but the food in building 10 is worlds better, I’ve had a number of good meals there, and nothing but disappointment from building 17.
Indian is decent enough, and the new sandwich deli has a few good eats, however they’re priced $ 1 – 2 too high.

Taco salad is what you should get if you’re in the mood. You can’t beat it for under 5 dollars.
4 start is for taco salad only.

Their Indian food is pretty decent. The taco salad is also pretty good value. The new sandwich counter is pretty decent too. Everything else is pretty much crap that’s either overcooked or out right burnt. Can’t say I would eat there if I had a choice.

Some pre-​made items (I’m looking at you, grilled section) are way too expensive, but for the most part, the budget conscious can dine with their wallets intact. The salad and sandwich bar are standouts for value, and the Indian food is not half bad either. I always grab a drink from the break room on my way through the building, but they’re well stocked with Odwalla juices and an even more impressive array of drinks than the typical Cisco break room. Outside seating is ample, and you can always find a table inside too. No plastic accepted, but there is a Keypoint ATM onside that charges no fee. If only they delivered to my desk I’d never have to even step outside…