★★★ (3 Stars)

I enjoy visiting cafeterias in public places such as government centers, and hospitals.  Part of the reason being that they offer a wide variety of dishes and they are typically healthier and less expensive than most restaurants.

The City Centre Cafe at the Christus Santa Rosa is definitely one of the nicer cafeterias.  It reminded me of a University cafeteria with different areas offering different types of food.  For instance, their grill area offered grilled chicken burgers, burgers, and pizza.  There was a section that had chicken enchiladas and beef fajitas.  Another section offered sesame chicken saute and deli style sandwiches.  They also had a mid-sized salad bar.

I opted for the sesame chicken saute.  It had all the regular stuff in it: chicken, water chestnuts, baby corn, green onion, mushrooms, etc.  and was served over a bed of rice.  The one thing I didn’t like about this meal was that the rice was of an instant variety and wasn’t steamed.  They should seriously invest in a steamer if they’re constantly creating Asian-style, sauteed dishes.  $5.29 for a heap of a serving.

I’ll definitely be back to try some of their other offerings.  Again, the price is good, and it’s better than fast food.  And, although they don’t offer as much of a selection as a place like Luby’s, I sure liked the food at the Christus Santa Rosa City Centre Cafe much more.

★ (1 Star)

I grew up eating at Luby’s and I hadn’t been to one in years.  I was hoping for the same old Luby’s I once enjoyed.  I couldn’t find that Luby’s anywhere!

With their stock tumbling, it appears that Luby’s has had to answer to shareholders and try to make things better, but in the process have made them worse.  After choosing items in the cafeteria-type food serving line, I had to wait for a “waiter” to get me a straw, a refill on my soda, etc.  It didn’t used to be like this.  It took 15 minutes just for someone to come to the table and get me a straw.  It was pathetic.

The food was awful, completely overpriced and the portions on my plate were half of what I remember them being.  Of course with how bad the food was, a small portion size may have actually been a positive.

I seriously will not go back to this location.  I’ll give Luby’s another try somewhere else, but will be extremely hesitant to do so.

★★★ (3 Stars)

Cafe Navarro, located on the 6th floor of the Nix health care building, is a cafeteria with gourmet intention.

They had 3 selections to choose from today: steak portobello, chicken Florentine, and a hamburger.  All of the items were in serving trays and placed on a plate by a server, just like in any cafeteria.  There were also pre-made sandwiches and salads available in containers.

I opted for the chicken Florentine which came with cous cous and a side for only $4.99.  The chicken was better than expected.  I expected it to be somewhat dry, but it was cooked perfectly.

1. Great price for downtown near the Riverwalk!
2. I went at 11:30am because I thought it might get packed for lunch with all the medical staff.
3.  Decent, square, healthy meal.
4.  Not many people outside the building know about this cafeteria.  Just walk into the NIX and go to the 6th floor.  It’s open to the public.