Chandy’s Natural Cafe

Good variety, right temperature, very fast checkout, don’t be afraid of the line. The food quality is good, not cheap though

Buffer style where you pay by the ounce. A full plate will put you back about $ 7.00. I like that they have BBQ everyday. So, half the time I eat here and out half at Pike Market at Commons because the have great fish entrees.

I have to give it ⁵⁄₅ because I come here literally everyday of work. been working @ MS for 7 months.
Awesome staff, free cookie Monday, great cold cuts. Sometimes they run out of my favorite stuff but overall my favorite place in the commons.
Watch out though as there is no cut-​off point, and it can get pricey.

If you are visiting someone on the Microsoft Campus this eatery in «The Commons» would be a good choice. I’m not sure if the menu changes seasonally but when I went it was basically like a Whole Foods prepared foods section leaning heavily towards the BBQ. They had plenty of different meat/​fish/​vegetarian options. I opted for the mustard sauced pulled pork which was juicy with a lot of tasty crispy bits. They had plenty of veggie sides so I picked up some succotash, asparagus, and roasted sweet potatoes. The asparagus was tasty but limp as you would expect under a heat lamp. The roasted sweet potatoes were cooked perfectly and were the best part of the meal. They also had a selection of breads from Macrina bakery, fresh fruit, and frozen yogurt.
If you do happen to end up here and aren’t familiar with how it works they do not accept credit cards, only cash or microsoft badges. A tip from my brother is that by noon the place is a mad house so try to get there between 11 and noon and there will be plenty of tables inside and out for you to eat at.

Chandy’s Natural Café is located on the Microsoft Campus in Redmond and though I do not work at Microsoft I have had delicious meals at Chandy’s after visiting the campus a few times.
The café specializes in soups, salads and sandwiches while offering a variety of seasonally fresh and unique dishes. During the summer I enjoyed a delicious watermelon mint salad with a light and tangy lime dressing. My favorite soup is the lobster bisque and they always have wonderful treats like pumpkin spice frozen yogurt which was featured this fall. The chefs are creative with recipes. There are daily gourmet specials and always the staple of the salad and soup bar with many possibilities.
I would recommend Chandy’s to anyone working on the Microsoft Campus or coming for a visit. It is located on the upper floor of the Commons Building and is my go-​to place when I am on the campus for lunch.

When I go to a restaurant, I like the fact that someone has prepared what I ordered for me. So for that reason, I am not that hot with Chandy’s. It is a do it yourself place in which you choose what you want to get. Items are sold by the ounce, so you have to be particular of what you are picking up. I guess buying stuff by the ounce/​pound makes you want to be selective like you were at a buffet and only pick up the expensive type stuff.
Essentially there are about four or five stations of food. There is a sandwich and salad bar, a section for wraps, a specialty section in which it is currently focused on barbecued meats and the hot entrees area. I got a turkey with cranberries wrap and a serving of macaroni & cheese for just under $ 7 which is a pretty fair price.
Overall, I was disappointed with the food though. The wrap could have used some extra seasoning or dressing of some sort. The macaroni and cheese was just okay, nothing special. It was not as good as the version sold downstairs at Pike Place @ The Commons. Though I think Pike’s version uses Beecher’s, so of course they are beat in this regard.
For a healthy bite, Chandy’s is a decent option at The Commons. But, I just think the food offerings and the serve yourself setup are not very appealing to my tastes unfortunately.