Craig’s Cafeteria – Orange County Courthouse

Overpriced crappy food. Coffee machine is water down. I had a stomach pain immediately after consuming food here. I’ve done jury duty before and I didn’t expect to be here all day since the last time we were done before noon so I was desperate to grab a salad since the line for hot sandwiches is a mile long. The staff are all having a bad day, can’t even smile! I don’t think this place gets cleaned at all, really gross!

It’s a courthouse café so just because I’m giving 2 stars doesn’t mean it’s bad. For what it is, it’s pretty impressive. There’s A LOT to choose from despite the size because everything is crammed in. The coffee is terrible but that’s to be expected. Food is 99% packaged but that is convenient. The prep kitchen items are surprising. Prime rib? Penne pasta? Lasagne???
Downstairs you’ll find a «restaurant» with a fairly decent selection but up there, at Craig’s, you’ll also find more or less what you need to get you through whatever it is you’re doing here. For me, it was jury duty, and it was my first time, so I was in a fowl mood. But Craig’s helped get me through the day by just being there, offering support, saying to me, «Hey, you probably won’t eat here but just in case you change your mind, we’re here for you.»
Thanks guys. I hope to never see you again, but if I get called in and can’t get out of it, I’ll be dropping by for some questionable coffee and moral support. =)

Ok let’s face it, you’re not going to find some four/​five star dining here. What you can expect to get though is convenience. Chances are, if you’re eating at this place you either work at the Central Justice Center or in my case, you were summoned to Jury Duty.
To be honest, I’m not that familiar with this area, and rather than lose my parking spot (in addition to having to walk a few blocks to the structure from the courthouse), I opted to take my chances with this café located on the 3^rd floor of the courthouse.
The lines for this place hits about ⁵⁰⁄₆₀ people deep at 12 noon — which is also the time that jurors are dismissed for their 1.5 hour lunch — keep in mind the diners aren’t just jurors, but everyone else that either works here or is here on trial/​business. Rather than wait in a massive line, I opted to explore the facility as there were various historical memorabilia throughout the building. A bit after 12:45, the line dies down by a lot. I found maybe 15 or so people in line ahead of me — much more manageable. Keep in mind there is a separate line for hot entrees, soups/​sandwiches and premade goods. If you’re fine with slightly stale, refrigerated section food, that line is generally the shortest. The hot entrée line is the next shortest, the fresh sandwiches takes longest mainly because everything is made to order.
I had the Turkey Breast plate — two somewhat dry/​flavorless cuts of turkey breast over a bed of SOGGY and SALTY stuffing. The mashed potatoes tasted like the powdered kind, the veggies were almost mushy and also flavorless. I did pick up a slice of their Boston Cream Pie, which was yummy — but then again, its kinda hard to mess that one up.
Expect to pay a markup on the food here — you are paying for convenience of not having to leave the courthouse, not because the higher price means tastier food.
On the bright side, they do take Credit Cards here — $ 4.00 minimum. Debit cards have a $ 1.50 charge (if its a debit card with a MC/​Visa logo, just have them run the transaction as Credit).

Yikes this place has never been good but now they’ve hit an all time low! Now the cooks won’t even cook your food to order! I always ask for well done, mostly to prevent the food poisoning I’m almost certain to get, but now they won’t even do that! Eating here is risky at best!
Tip: if you want to get out of jury duty just have breakfast here, your certain to be sick before lunch! Stop at any of the fast food places nearby and the life you save might be your own!!!

It’s an ok cafeteria. Decent selection, but they sell out of certain things like the specials really fast. The specials probably are the best things here. The hamburgers are horrible. Sandwiches are pretty bad to. I did get a hair in my food once, but its to be expected here. Probably the worst thing about this place is one guy working there that just mumbles and offers no help with anything. He pretty much is the reason why the place is so slow.

Food is actually very good – you will wait in line, but fresh hot tasty cafeteria breakfast and lunch has been a plus. You wait in line at a steam table, but the food was good.

Jurors are such idiots. Just read their posts and you can see why our systems is so flawed. So– I am not here to snivel. I got paid to be here. Every time I am here I stop by the cafeteria either before court– if the traffic gods have been kind– or after — if not so kind.
Very Clean and nice décor. It smells nice. I dont think an Orange County latte licker could stand jury duty in Pomona or Pasadena.
I have been a big fan of their breakfast burrito. The coffee bar is clean and well provisioned. Egg whites on request
There are many healthy choices on the menu. The jury waiting area is next to the cafeteria unlike many courthouses where there is an elevator ride on packed elevators or no cafeteria at all.

I have eaten here 4 days in a row. The entrée line is long if you want a sandwich, salad or soup, go thru that line, it’s shorter!
The prices are OK, it you have a cold sandwich, $ 5.99, it’s a good size, fresh and the pumpernickel bread is very fresh.
Another day was a garden salad, good size for $ 6. Not the most fresh salad I’ve ever had, but it was fine.
Yet another day I had the BBQ pork sandwich, or was Ok, a bit salty.
Go for the freshly made, cold sandwich.
Visa and Mastercard, no American Express

I was summoned to jury duty and had an hour lunch so I dined at Craig’s Cafeteria at the OC Courthouse. It was noon and I arrived at the Cafeteria which had about 50 people ahead of me in line. What a mess!
I soon discovered that the salad and sandwiches line was shorter than the hot entrees line… sweet! I had the pulled pork sandwich served with a pickle for about $ 5.50. The sandwich was ALL meat and huge. The bbq sauce was tangy and my lunch was A-​OK.
The cafeteria dining area is communal… so, grab any empty seat and make some new friends. My lunch experience was 3 Stars.

Bleh. And overpriced :[

One of the worst meals I’ve had. Had to toss the potatoes and toast. Just nasty!

This place gets PACKED right around 12:00 when everyone is on lunch at the courthouse. (But you have an hour and a half so its not like its going to kill your whole lunch time)
I had lunch here quite a bit over a two week period of serving jury duty on a case. I really liked the food. I had a turkey sub sandwich (prepackaged), another sandwich — I think it was salami (prepackaged), a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and fries… I bought a salad one day, and it was not much of a salad and I think it was about $ 6 or so… everything else was great.
The pricing is a bit high — and I guess thats because its the only place in the building and really the convenience of not having to leave, walk ¼ mile to your car, and get a second parking ticket validated during the day… but still. Worth not having to deal with all of that was a little worth it to me.
They sell little sample size packets of aspirin too… for $ 1.07 for two pills which seems like highway robbery but stuck in that building all day listening to lawyers talk at you non stop — sometimes you just need those pills! :)

This place sucks. But its in the courthouse. So, maybe you should pack a lunch if you get called to jury duty. I did order a BLT. It was okay, but really you should pack a lunch.

Craig’s Cafeteria is located inside the 3^rd floor of the Central Justice Center. It’s by the jury room.
I’ve been here a number of times. It has a lot more selections than most court houses.

Jury duty summons. Most dreaded piece of mail next to bills and spam. Yet, there’s nothing you can do but show up.
I had good intentions to wake up early, make some coffee and breakfast, and then drive over to beat traffic. But I knew that would fail. Me and mornings just don’t mix. I only had my water and then I had to wait for the first break to come over here and grab some really weak and cheap coffee. I really wanted to try one of their mixed drink cappuccinos or mochas or whatever but the machine was broken and we only had 20 minutes which usually isn’t bad unless you have 300 jurors in line ahead of you or behind you trying to get into this tiny cramped area.
Lunch was no different. I could leave the grounds but I didn’t want to. You can grab lunch here and sit in the cafeteria, the patio, or the jury room and watch whatever movie they have. Lunch was chicken pasta and some veggies with no flavor whatsoever.
I hate that everything was so bland. I get that I have to serve but please don’t punish me any further.

Do you like to rubberneck an accident? Well, even if you don’t like to, do you rubberneck accidents anyhow? Maybe you relate to the term Roman holiday? (You know, the gladiator expects to be «butchered to make a Roman holiday.» Right?) This place creates blood and guts worthy of a spectacle.
Eating here makes me believe that I need psychological counseling (well, it’s one other reason), because I stood in line with my plastic tray with absolute morose delectation, sadistic joy, at the complete terror that came with each spoonful of chemical eggs served up at this place, or the shriveled dry bacon. Kind of like laughing at rheumatoid fingers. I did actually laugh as I carefully chewed the shriveled knuckles of bacon (which instantly turned to dust in my mouth-​snicker).
I didn’t go back on purpose. It’s in a courthouse so I was stuck here for the day. I have to admit, though, that I hurried back with anticipation for lunch and grew fearful that I’m destined for Hell or a straight-​jacket for my desire to see the horror that this place creates. I actually found humor in my «turkey» (apparently turkey parts pasted together with some sort of yellow glutinous gel is a «breast”-God, that is funny). Ok, the canned vegetables were okay. Not worth doubts about my sanity.
Oh, can you believe it? They don’t have real milk or cream for your coffee.
This is your chance, come see how bad off you are. It’s better than a Rorschach test.

Ate here because of Jury duty. It is what it is.

If sh’arting is grounds for a mistrial then you may want to pass eating here… ‘Or is that considered contempt… ‘Gives new meaning to «Jury Doodie.»
The coffee is okay. (Med. — $ 1.85 w/​tax)
I had a pre-​made salami & cheese ($ 4.95), decent. The next time I ordered a Hawaiian Burger, seemed pretty safe…
HOW do you ruin a hamburger… Wait, was it even hamburger…
(What happens to the K-​9 unit when they «retire?»…)
Is that a flea collar in my patty…
‘But seriously, how do you screw up a hamburger… Trust me, they found a way. 8/​It tasted like the meat just finished serving a life sentence and was now being served to me. I’m already at jury duty, will the suffering never end? I had to pay for this crappy lunch that I’ll probably be paying for again in the next hour… The meat was mushy and had a funk’tified flavor to it, like they took a frozen Salisbury Steak, TV dinner, reshaped it into a hamburger patty and tossed a canned pineapple ring on top… ‘With the can. The verdict is in, guilty of tasting like crap. Pass. 8/​The french fries were okay.
Photo —
The other juror’s on my case had varying results. It ranged from «never again» to «pretty good.» So, juror beware… ‘Of the possibility of getting the shits. (‘Not a good thing when your stuck on a jury in a criminal case.)
The service was okay. ‘After small talk with the young lady ringing me up, I mentioned that serving on a jury was interesting… Her response, «Why, cause you control someone’s life in your hand…» Really, is that what you think… Hence the reason you are giving me change, working behind the register in a courthouse cafeteria. Lame. WTH, is working at Craigs part of your probation? ‘You have a case of Melendez brothers romance and «you heart cell block D?» NO 25 CENT TIP FOR YOU, CHICA! 8/​ (‘As I reach in the box to retrieve my 25 pennies and pocket lint. Oh, hey, a tic-​tac!)
Overall, it seemed to be hit and miss.
(*Note: You can bring your own lunch but that’s just one more thing to bring through security and drag around if you’re already carrying a laptop.)
However, I did venture from the courthouse one day and thanks to my mobile Unilocal*app found Mil Jugos, just a 10 min. walk away. Excellent.
Mil Jugos —
‘Close to 200 Unilocal*views and a 4 ½ Star rating!
Food: 2 (Hit & miss…)
Ambiance: 3 (Eh, it’s a courthouse…)
Service: 2
Value: 1

Much to my dismay, I had to report to jury duty on a rainy day. To add insult to injury, I was assigned to a trial after eating at Craig’s. I adore the instant coffee machines here, like the ones they have at the car dealership. Just press a button and out pours the flavored coffee or hot chocolate of your choice. Nice! Also they only have non-​dairy creamer, sugar, and Equal at the condiment stand. If you want milk, you have to buy it. I also ordered the minestrone soup. Sadly, I wasted my $ 4.29. The pasta noodles were mushy and the soup was overly salty. Not good if you are watching your sodium. I had the foresight to pack a sandwich for the day. So my soup and sandwich combo worked out for me.
Craig’s gets busy during lunchtime, but I have yet to try their hot sandwiches or burgers. Those might be better, but the prices are higher than your average fast food joint. The service is great for a courthouse cafeteria. The staff is friendly and efficient. Just don’t expect 5 star service.

Pretty good for a courthouse cafeteria! The employees were helpful and friendly, prices were reasonable (and they take cards!), lots of choices, and the food tasty. I appreciate this little cafeteria when I have jury duty.

Hopefully, you won’t ever have to eat here. Craig’s Cafeteria is located in the heart of the Orange County Courthouse, and unless you’re there on court business — or you work there — I’m not quite sure how you’d find your way here.
Regardless, it’s a gift to the people who do spend some time in these hallowed halls. It’s your basic cafeteria: prepared sandwiches, snacks, beverages, and hot plates. I ordered an egg and cheese on an English muffin along with a small coffee and carton of orange juice and paid just more than $ 6.
They may hold their patrons hostage somewhat given the location, but their prices are quite reasonable, and the food surprisingly solid. I had to grin when I saw a sign that said the café wasn’t subsidized by the courthouse. No sit, Craig’s running a proper business here!

Like Heath R. (apparently that’s Doogie Howser’s pen name), I go around California courthouses sampling their cafeteria food. I thought I’d review some of the individual menu items here at Craig Kinder’s.
— The ‘Slammer Surprise’ is something you’d be best off not knowing about.
— «Eggravated Hamslaughter» is pretty good if you can get the judge to go over-​easy on you.
— Check out the ‘Eggs San Quentin’.
— Don’t accept any offers for ‘special sauce’.
Make sure you observe the sign in the restroom that says «Please do not drop the soap». Trust me on this one.
If you’re gonna go down by lethal injection, Craig Kinder’s would be a great place for a last meal.