Banner – University Medical Center Tucson Cafeteria

I eat lunch here most days of the week, which is a little weird, but it’s so good! Chicken tortilla soup is the best I’ve ever had! Even the sushi is quality. The atmosphere is obviously a bit depressing because it’s a hospital cafeteria… but it’s right by my office. I probably wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to eat here, unless you’re on a tight budget or just love chicken tortilla soup and the look of IVs.

Full disclosure: as a public health student, things like uncovered pizza, soup, and bread makes me cringe (whether it’s the errant fly or someone who doesn’t sneeze properly — you don’t want to know how far those disgusting droplets travel). With that said, I tend to purchase items from here which are packaged (salad, sushi). Did I mention sushi??? The sushi is relatively inexpensive, fresh and tasty, made on site. In fact, you can customize your sushi. They also make my allergy-​prone self happy by labelling everything with allergens.
Did I mention they serve strong coffee, an absolute necessity to grapple with biostats. Yes, it’s as awful as it sounds.
A fifth star? If they covered everything that would make me happy. Like public health nerd happy.

The food is good! Sushi bar is made fresh each day which is a plus. Starbucks coffee baristas make it just like the real store. And there is a fresh salad bar with healthy options. Super cheap as well.

The eating light stand is the best part of this place. Especially when they have mango, salmon and the feta salads…
Everything else is the avearge cafeteria food made from packages, processed goods and out of a can.

For a hospital cafeteria, you really have to give it to UAMC. They try hard to offer something for everyone, and most days they do. You can find all of the necessities here via stations. One for sandwiches, salads, hot foods, Cooking Light for healthy options, pizza, even sushi! They usually have at least one gluten-​free labeled item at the hot bar made by Amy’s brand. They have a refrigerated area for grab and go items such as salads, hummus and chips, pre-​cut fruits and veggies and pudding. Deliciousness! I also find the prices to be extremely reasonable — I usually can grab lunch for $ 5-​$ 8 (without a drink).
Java City adjoins the cafeteria, if you want a specialty drink, which is super convenient. But they do offer numerous coffee options in the cafeteria itself as well, and I’ve heard from several people that the coffee is excellent.
Where they really outdo themselves is their amazing employees. These peeps have hearts of gold and are just fantastic. Mario, for instance, who works in Cooking Light, got dressed up as a Transformer for Halloween, and after his shift, he went over to Children’s Diamond to spend time with the kids there. What a sweetheart. Recently one of my favorite ladies that works at the checkout register told me that she loves me! Ahahaahahah– how can you not love that?
I could go on and on. I come back day after day not just for the food, but for the camaraderie. It warms my heart that such wonderful people work here — offering a helping hand to employees and patients alike.

I am checking in and writing a review so I can tell you guys about an awesome wrap I just got made at the cafeteria and consumed so enjoyably.
Tomato wrap, spicy chilli sauce, grilled chicken, spinach, mushroom, green bell peppers, olives, one slice pepper jack, and topped with a bit of honey mustard. DO it.
Do Not get the black bean enchiladas or the orange java frap. I repeat, do not.
At tenish pm on weekdays, they have freshly baked cookies and scones. Now that’s what you call a scone. It was yums.

I attended a lecture at UMC and, having run late in leaving, forgot to eat breakfast. I didn’t want to eat at the cafeteria, but my husband and I were starving and we were told by a friend we went with that the food was good and inexpensive.
I was shocked at the food being served; I have never seen sushi offered at a hospital cafeteria! For everything being so inexpensive (the average price was $ 3.25), the portions were super generous. My husband was able to eat his fill on a single slice of pizza, and he’s a big eater.
The coffee offered displayed about six different varieties, and there were three different flavored creamers. I haven’t seen that in most cafes, let alone a hospital.
The next time I attend a lecture at UMC’s auditorium, I’ll know if I run late, I won’t have to splurge to get a good meal, and will only have to walk a few hundred feet from the auditorium.

Who realllllly wants to be eating in a hospital cafeteria?
(Correct answer is mostly no one).
UMC’s cafeteria, however, makes the experience a little better. The selections are plentiful, the food is actually good, and they have a good variety of healthy and not so healthy options. Also, their beverage selection is top notch. The prices are insanely reasonable, hospital or no hospital. I enjoyed a choose your own ingredient salad as well as clam chowder soup. Both were surprisingly good and cheaper than I would have paid someplace like Paradise. I was really pleased with my experience.

I grew up eating and enjoying cafeteria food, so I can really appreciate how nice of a cafeteria UAMC has. Plenty of choices, plenty of seating, very good prices, and the place was well run. I was not blown away with the food preparation, but it’s a hospital cafeteria. Compared to most other hospitals, this food is great.

I find it hilarious that anyone would expect good food at a hospital cafeteria. I mean, it’s a frickin hospital. Food for non-​patients is probably the last thing on the hospital staff mind.
Anyways, with that in mind, UMC is next to my lab so I find myself here at least twice a week. It is great, considering that, again, this is a hospital cafeteria. There are different stations so variety is this cafeteria’s forte. A pizza station, a salad station, a prepared-​foods section, a homestyle station (which changes the menu daily). You can also buy chips, yogurt, granola bars, and the like. I used to like that the salad bar was self-​serve and sold by the ounce. This is no longer the case and it’s also pricier. There is also a Java City inside (crappy coffee but the only option unfortunately).
Overall, pretty good food for, let me re-​iterate, a hospital cafeteria.

Aramark food service runs this cafeteria. They are also the same company who provide food to the prisons in florida where I’m originally from. I worked on their kitchens for a year and the Aramark staff, quality of food, and attitudes are all three disgusting and it was no different here. Some of the worst hospital food I’ve ever had to eat and If you ever worked for Aramark you would never eat anything anywhere they are providing food again.

The Burgers are really well prepared, and the Pizza, according to my gf, IS AMAZING…
They’re a hospital cafeteria, but it is not hospital bed style food. The food in the main café includes: pizza, custom sandwiches, a burger grill, pizza (whole and slice), salad bar and lots of refrigerated good stuff including pre made sandwiches and salads and fruit. They promote healthy eating inside and have tons of juice and fruit options. Biggest benefit would be that the cafeteria is very wallet friendly (by that i mean its $ 5 for one person whole meal with fries, coke etc). And as the other reviewer said, the ONION RINGS are pretty amazing, try them with a side of the chipotle mayo from the grill. You would probably not be disappointed!
I’ll go back, and considering the number of students living around here, its surprising more havent caught on to the bargain that is the UMC Cafeteria.

Why anyone would expect much at a hospital cafeteria boggles my mind a bit…
Don’t expect much and you just may be pleasantly surprised.
While visiting a family member I had lunch once and breakfast twice at the UMC Cafeteria. I also visited Java City Café, the coffee shop within the cafeteria, to get some pretty tasty caffeinated drinks.
Lots of options at very fair prices. For breakfast there was precooked oatmeal or cream of wheat, bagels and toast with toppings, fresh fruit and someone prepared to cook eggs to order. For lunch there was a salad bar, pizza bar, and a hot area where again, there was someone preparing food to order.
If this was a stand alone restaurant, I would rate it lower. But it’s not. It’s a cafeteria. At a hospital. Keeping THAT in mind, it’s not bad at all.

In my worldwide quest for good onion rings, only two or three places in Tucson have made my list for deliciousness. The cafeteria at U of AHospital
Is one. Hospitals are legendary for bad food, but this one has some very good stuff, and Now and then, I take my husband and three kids to the hospital
For a greasy food
is a big space and we can usually find an isolated table, or even a spot on the terrace with a great view of the University area.
At the grill, you can see doctors and nurses lining up for the Western bacon cheeseburger and fries after a long day
Of treating heart attacks and cautioning diabetics to eat healthy food. all the burgers are good, and if you catch the grill on a slightly off hour
Like an hour after the lunch rush or an early dinner at 4, they cook to order and the dings are fresh from the fryolater. Onion Rings. Get them.