Love this place! It's great to be on campus with all the students. I live locally in the community and this dining hall has a great vibe. It also has an incredible selection of food and prompt service. It's literally the best buffet in town and open to the public. read more

Goudy Commons Cafe - Current 2026 Fall hours - Cafeteria Near Me - Salem, Oregon

food is generally terrible every day. under and overcooked at the same time or soggy. also nothing is seasoned. Maybe some variety at lunch but there are only 2-3 options for food every day and dinner is the same thing pretty much everyday. also it's mandatory and 2k...‍ all other reviews are lying bro read more

Never had a bad meal or snack there. The grill is accommodating in customizing your order. Wish I still worked across the street.

Good food good prices...good atmosphere. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable... I would recommend this place to all.

If I could give it zero stars I would. The food they serve here should be considered a crime against humanity - I wouldn't feed it to a dog. It once gave me food poisoning so bad I thought it was my final hours. The people who work there are nice, but the atmosphere is much like an old people's home, which fits in with the theme of serving you food to just about keep you alive rather than actually nourish you. You go in hungry and you come out starving. Stay away from this place if you'd like to keep your sanity. read more

Ate here tons as I attend Willamette. Someone called it a leveled-up cafeteria from an earlier review, and I agree for lunch. Breakfast and dinner aren't as great. From any given day, I'd say a meal for one cost about $7-$13. Pros: - Lunch: The Global Meals are amazing. It's really what makes Goudy. Monday's are meatless. Tuesday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's vary. Each meal has a vegan option. Thursday's are small plates which are amazing! Go to this line if you ever come. They also have a solid taqueria line, sandwich & wrap options, and baked/frozen sweets. - Breakfast: They have pretty much all the staples for breakfast: bacon, eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, cereal, toast, pastries, fresh fruit. It's pretty good, but it's similar to any other cafeteria. - Vegan & Veggie Options: Goudy really does well in having vegan and veggie alternatives for most of their meals. - Service: A lot of the servers there are complete sweethearts, others couldn't care less about being there and treating you well. Cons: - Dinner: The quality of dinner at Goudy is quite inconsistent. They have varying meals to choose from, quite a few inspired by the students who suggest which meals they want. Some of it is very good! But the rest you can experience things from way too salty, under-seasoned, over-seasoned, burnt, UNDERCOOKED (mostly chicken), FINDING BEES IN THEIR SALAD, unappetizing to look at + taste, and are just plain inedible. A majority of students would agree with me here. The Filipino food stint they had once was appreciated, but not accurate to the tastes of the culture I grew up in at all. The pizza line is fairly consistent though. Overall, I'd say come for lunch. read more

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Eating here is a pox upon my very existence. We are routinely fed food little better than garbage while being told that it's 'not that bad' and 'it only gives you the shits sometimes'. I have been brought near to tears struggling between starvation and Goudy, and once or twice Goudy has even won. The one good thing is the workers are nice, seemingly apologetic about the rancid slop they must force down our unwilling throats. I was once against food waste, but at Goudy the food has already been wasted, so feel free to throw it away on your way out the door. read more

Leveled up college cafeteria style with an amazing range of choices. Open to the public. I've only had lunch here but have never been disappointed in quality or quantity. Today is jambalaya traditional or vegetarian. I had to jack up the heat some because I would rank the spice heat in the moderate range and I can't eat Cajun/creole without some degree of completion. Most folks might be just right or even much if sensitive. Lynette says I'm both insensitive and have blown out my tastebuds. Whatever I'll always come back. Not great parking so it's a great place to walk from work. read more

Goudy Commons Cafe - Cafeteria Near Me - Salem, Oregon

For sure, Not your typical college cafeteria. Nice variety and selection for students and others from outside the college.

I love having lunch here! Great people watching, reasonable prices and an ever-changing menu keep me coming back. I usually choose a soup / salad / bread combo or one of the weekly specials. They are willing and able to accommodate any dietary restrictions with ease. Goudy is a common luncheon spot for government employees working in and around the capitol. It's common to see politicians and other government big-wigs dining here. Of course there are lots of young people and folks like me that are somewhere in between. The campus is lovely and makes for a nice pre / post lunch walk. I cant wait to dine alfresco this summer. read more

I've been back a couple times since my initial review. While the breakfast and dinner are OK, it's really the lunches that steal the show here. The Small Plates that Chuck B. writes about are petite gourmet dishes not found in just any ol' college cafeteria. While they only surface during the academic year, anyone can partake in this Thursday lunch spread. There's new dishes each time, and you can get all five for under $15 (that's what I tend to do). Today, I met a friend and we got some wraps. I chose a whole wheat tortilla with some veggies, cheese, teriyaki chicken, and some parmesan chicken (this chicken being a special choice of the day) for $5.25. Yeah, I passed on the rice, but it's still a huge honker anyway. Finishing it off with some Frank's Red Hot sauce and sriracha, I got the happy spicy rush I crave all the time. Sometimes I wish they carried fresh chiles (habaneros or ghost peppers, anyone?) to incinerate my insides. Heck, it's a college campus, there must be some brave souls here.... Note: The line for the wrap always gets the longest lines at lunch. Even if you get there at 11 a.m., it's still a considerably long wait compared to the other choices. We went after 1 p.m., and the line wasn't as daunting. Good stuff...check them out! read more

Breakfast and dinner are good at Goudy, but lunch is what really stands out. They recently introduced a​ new menu​ of "global" dishes during lunch, all of which have been far above and beyond what I would expect to find on a college campus.​ I am constantly impressed by the locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients, creative recipes​, sophisticated flavors, and attention to detail. If you're here for lunch, head straight to the "global" or "small plates" area. Here you'll find dishes such as a Goat Cheese Endive Boat with Blueberry Citrus Frisée, Vietnamese-Style Vegan Tempeh​ Bowl, Spicy Korean Tofu Kimchi Jjigae, Lentil Tacos with Carrot Jicama Slaw and Avocado, Curry Tofu Lentil Dahl, and Spicy Chocolate Pot De Crème. Absolutely​ marvelous​! read more

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One of our favorite places to eat. Great variety, reasonable prices, clean, all in all a nice place to eat. There is a stream next to the windows on the north side of the dining hall They are closed when classes are not in session. read more

This is a fun place to stop for breakfast. Serve yourself style with about every breakfast option you can think of available: oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage, cereal, muffins, bagels, fruit, yogurt. There's something for everyone here! read more

Goudy is a frequent destination for Capitol employees during lunch. Lunch at Goudy is always pretty solid, with a vast array of options. The food is also inexpensive relative to other areas in town. For lunch, I recommend getting there as close to 11 as possible, as it gets pretty packed. read more