Usually like the food here but have to watch who is making the specially salad. It's not good when 3 salads are mixed together for customers. I ordered a beet salad and had 1 small beet in it. Not every cafe person does it this way. I am buying based on the sample which mine did not look like. Disappointed. I'm making my own salad from now on. read more

**WE HAVE A CAFETERIA ON CAMPUS and IT'S NOT BAD** I am GRATEFUL that we have a cafeteria on campus and it's not bad. SALAD BAR IS GOOD. A small salad (subsidized) with tax is $4.63. True steal. Fresh organic greens, wonderful and tasty seasonal vegetables, with healthy dressings and toppings. Optionally, you can add a small soup for $1.25. Soups are made fresh and I love the chicken noodle the best (great chicken portions, not salty, and the perfect amount of vegetables). There are also different stations. Most popular: Sushi, Indian, and Grill. TURKEY BURGER IS ALSO GOOD. I highly recommend the turkey burger. Add some provolone cheese, grilled onions, and mushrooms . . . game over. There is also a gelato station as well. No complaints from previous guests I have taken here. RECOMMEND. read more

You know, it's funny. I work at the VA hospital. I walk almost every day to TIBCO Cafe for lunch, because the Canteen at the VA is... well... let's just say we never have people from TIBCO or VMWare walking to our campus to eat lunch. But for a year, I never made it to VMWare. Not sure why. My coworkers were just somehow convinced that TIBCO was the bomb. Except today they were closed. I learned the hard way, after walking half a mile. So off to VMWare I went. I little more expensive than TIBCO, and maybe not QUITE as good, at least at first impression. But close to the same price, close to the same quality. Pretty decent, really. A nice change when you work in this neighborhood and have, like, those three options and that's about it. read more

VMware Cafeteria - Vegetarian Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Quality is steadily declining. It might be because of the horrible parking situation, in which employees rush for the valet parking tent, trying to beat everyone else before they are completely out of double-parked spots. And now major construction is happening on many campuses, forcing everyone into one parking lot. Not many people leave for lunch anymore and everyone is stuck eating at the cafeteria. Longer lines + mass cooking = messy food. The grilled chicken special turned out to be severely charred, to the point where my co-worker could no longer eat it and had to swap it for something else. I hope something can be done to increase the quality of the food, otherwise we may all be tempted to starve. TIP: There is no ketchup -- repeat, no ketchup -- here. How can a cafeteria not have any ketchup?!? read more

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I can't believe VMware Cafe has a Yelp page! What isn't on Yelp, oh my! I work at VMware and eat in the cafe almost daily and it's great! Prices are very reasonable (highly subsidized by VMware) and the food is truly delicious and authentic. Let me give you some examples: -- When Japanese businessmen fly across the world to meet our executives, we serve them the sushi, and they remark how good it is. The chef is Japanese. -- We are a software company with a large number of Indian engineers. I have unanimously heard that VMware has the best Indian food in the Bay Area. The chef is Indian. -- My couple Italian friends (and I) love the paninis, especially the Chipotle Chicken. The chef is Italian. -- The mexican food rivals that of the mission and even the smallest order will fill you for days. The chef is Mexican. -- The one exception to my authentic rule is the Asian station, which is usually something on par with General Gao's chicken, but it's delicious none-the-less (just think of it as "fusion"). -- Salad bar, sandwiches, a grill, and specials of the day complete the selection -- Oh, and of course, the dessert and gelato bar. Gelato is great, dessert is sub-par. As if that isn't enough, soda, lemonade, tea, and coffee are all free! Before joining VMware I was a consultant and traveled from one company to another, so I can say with some authority that this is the one of the best company cafes in the world. (Yes, Google's is also great.) read more

Near the Palo Alto VA are two hi-tech companies - Tibco and VMWare. Both have their own cafeterias and both are pretty good. I finally made the trek up the hill today to eat at VMWare's cafeteria. I have to say, this place is WAY better than Tibco (which I gave 4 stars)!! The menu selection is fairly extensive. Salad bar, self-made deli sandwich counter, grill, mexican, Indian, pizza, dessert alcove, and best of all...a made-to-order SUSHI BAR!!! I was too hungry to wait in line but my friends got some sushi and there were no complaints. Prices are extremely reasonable, and unlike Tibco, they take credit card! Way to keep the nerds happily fed. read more

VMWare Cafeteria has a Yelp page? Really?? Really!!! Went there for lunch couple of times. Haven't tried that many, but I'm pretty happy with the Indian food there--even though I don't usually eat Indian food :) The Chinese/Thai food I don't really like it much. The sushi...I guess it's too little to fill me up, so usually don't pick that one, haha! Seems salad bar is free...but since I don't eat salad, doesn't matter to me. Important thing is drinks are free!!!!!!! read more

I came here to eat lunch with a friend who works at VMware. The decor is nice, and the food was decent. I got their Indian special, which consisted of chicken biryani, dal, and naan. The food was so-so. I've had way better Indian grub. In particular, I'd take Tibco's cafeteria over VMware anyday. Ironically, Bon Appetit provides the food for both cafeterias. I'll come back to eat with my friend soon so I can try something else. On the bright side, sodas and lemonade are free! read more

I agree with John S. As a vegan, VMware does really well. The Asian and Indian stations each have a vegan option every day. A you can always get a nice salad. Bon Appetit in general does a pretty good job, based on my experience at a variety of corporate cafes around Silicon Valley. That said, the subsidy here isn't as nice as other corporate cafes. My typical lunch costs $7-8, compared to $5-6 when I was at Yahoo. read more

Entirely decent cafeteria food, with a few reservations. The desserts tend to look great, but taste mediocre, the pizza and grill station are hit and miss. Stand outs: 1.) Sushi. It's ok, not great when compared to restaurants - but for a cafeteria, it's superb. 2.) Specials. Most of the time, the daily special ends up being the best tasting item of the day. If the ingredients intrigue you, go for it. 3.) Panini station - all their sandwiches are good, but the Cuban in particular is a real stand out. 4.) Mexican station. It's often overlooked, there's rarely a line and the burritos are decent and quite large. read more

Standard quality for a silicon valley software company. Sushi is better than average, there's always multiple vegetarian entree options, and the salad bar and panini bar are good reliable bets if none of the rotating options sound good. Would LOVE to see them use the brick oven for personal pizzas made to order. Very nice to always have veggie sliders of some type, in addition to the traditional kind. read more

Lamb curry with side of lentils, decent basmati, a bit of naan, throw it down with a sparkling drink called "Talking Rain" and a scoop of blueberry cheesecake gelato = $8. A cut above any cafeteria food I've ever experienced. Sorry VA greaseteria- our 1 month relationship is over. Forever. read more

My workplace has a cafeteria. It's not all that great and doesn't have any ethnic variety. So when my colleagues and I have a little extra time, we go to one of the cafeterias at the surrounding businesses. Now, I'm not in the tech industry and I don't know if there is a particular standard of quality that is expected, but as grab-and-go food goes, I think this place is pretty good. It gets crowded, to be certain. Lines can be long, but we've never had any difficulty finding a place to sit (finding parking, however, is a different story). I like the Indian food line; I'm not a connoisseur of South Asian fare but I know what tastes good to me, and this good tastes good. The grill line often has interesting options as well. Decent salad bar variety. Free sodas - that's a plus. read more

I missed out on the gelato and the Sushi station when I went over for lunch today... I choose a duck dish that was pretty tasty, and the salad bar looks great with variety and healthy ingredients. They are located on a much bigger campus thus a much bigger cafeteria and a few more station with choices. All in all, a great place to have a chat with friends over lunch. ^_^ read more

Amazing selection and convenience. Indoor and outdoor tables, 10+ stations to choose from: Indian (longest lines and a local favorite), fresh panini, 1 or 2 scrumptious daily 'uniques', a standard faire grille, a very nice sushi station, chicken roast, incredible pizza and a robust salad bar, desert station, and ice-cream bar. Prices are reasonable. Staff are simply amazing - up and coming local chefs - each with a story to tell, and they aim to please with their dishes. They will 'take care of you'! Standard faire breakfast menu as well. VMware employees and contractors only. read more

The Verdict: "Healthy and convenient onsite cafe." Choices are plentiful here: salad bar, sushi, pizza bar, Indian, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, grill and deli sandwich bar. Almost all food is locally sourced and cooked in a healthy gourmet style. It can get crowded during 12-1 (peak lunch hour) and lines could be organized a little better; however, for a company cafe, it does really well. Staff is always friendly and efficient. Drinks are free for employees and their guests. Untensils are biodegradable and the entire cafe is eco-friendly with compost bins and recycle bins for your food waste. Would I Recommend It? Yes, for the healthy and not so healthy options ;-) read more

I have my lunch, almost every day here. Food here is as good it can get for the price you pay for. The Indian and the Taqueria sections are particularly noteworthy. Though the wok here is somewhat decent, It still wouldn't compete with the previous places where I have had my mouth watering down. Ask for an eggroll (separate, for 2$) as an add-on to your wok food. To top it all, they have free soda, lemonade and fruits (kept in a basket at the check out counter). The cafeteria is open to public and everyone pays the same price (employees and others). Overall - Wholesome food, worth the price. read more

Several choices of Indian, Mexican, and health food daily, plus staples from the grill: can't beat a fresh burger with sweet potato fries!

Although I bring lunch almost everyday, it is hard to resist the urge to not buy anything from the VMware cafe. The menu changes on a daily basis and always have a ton of healthy options for those who are health conscience. The indian and mexican food are the best options in the cafe. The dishes are served fresh and flavorful. read more

I will give the VMware cafe 5 stars as far as corporate cafeterias go. I work at VMware, and have been going here almost daily for several years. The Mexican station is amazing - fresh salsas rotating each day with homemade pickled vegetables & chilis to die for. They even have added grilled vegetables which makes a vegan like me jump for joy. I also enjoy the "Pan Fried" - wok stir-fry. They always have a tofu option, but the meat options look like they must be good too. Sometimes I get the veggie burger and fries at the grill. The bun is fried on the grill too. The fries are really tasty - so bad for you... but sooo good. The salad bar is awesome as well, with lots of fresh organic veggies plus protein options. This cafe has all the bases covered. Feeling like a pure and healthy eater? You're good. Feeling like a rebel? You're covered. If you don't work at VMware, you don't get the VMware subsidy, plan and simple. It's an employee benefit, not a benefit to everyone who happens to work in Palo Alto. :) read more

Recently I got the opportunity to have lunch at VMWare 3 days in a row while working on a neighboring campus. I was pleasantly surprised by their wealth of vegan friendly food items, and just the overall quality of their cafeteria style offerings. They have several stations, serving various styles of food. The first day i had an indian lentil dish with a large side of rice. It was seasoned well and tasted fresh. Then second day I had a basil tofu stir fry, and it was just wonderful, along with tomato rice soup and a spring roll. On the Third day i had a Tofu marinated in hoisin sauce panini, and a bowl of curried lentil soup. The Panini was simply one of the most delicious sandwiches i have had in my life, and I have had cravings for it ever since, even trying to recreate the dish at home. Everything is fresh, and the campus is dedicated to efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint. I am likely to be returning to the site next month, and I am looking forward to 4 or 5 more quality lunches at vmware! read more

Rip off..!! Too expensive for a meager meal. Aint that tasty either. Forced to eat here since I get no time in morning to cook a meal for myself and get it to work everyday. The rates are also not constant. Sometimes they charge more and sometimes less for the same food which I take everyday. The only good thing is lemonade but that too is deteriorating in taste. They have - Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Sushi, Pizza, Burgers, Salads, Panini. read more

What's wrong with you guys? Have been eating here for more than half a year now with my whole team. I do not work for VMware but had the feeling that I was always welcome to eat here. This has, all of a sudden, changed now. 35% surcharge on everything for non-VMware employees? Just close our place for non-VMware employees if this is the plan behind this. Really disappointing! Going to other places now. read more

This place is outrageous. They now charge a 35% guest charge if you aren't an employee.

If this were a normal restaurant, it would get 3 stars, since it's not bad and not that amazing either. But it's walking distance from my desk and the drinks are free. It seems like most places managed by Bon Appetit are pretty similar - they focus on sustainable food and good waste practices without breaking the bank. Though, I would say the food here is mid-priced, and not subsidized as much as I think it ought to be for such a large company where it's in the company interest to pay a buck or two a meal extra if that means an employee might get it more often and eat lunch at his or her desk.. I usually go for the Indian counter, but there's often decent pizza and something interesting at the grill (though be forewarned, getting something there takes the longest out of all the food stations.) read more

This is a cool venue to snag lunch. Lots of options and nice campus layout although it is a walk to get to the actual cafeteria.

The food quality varies from decent to absolutely delicious. Some days they really get it right. Desserts are occasionally amazing, but usually just fine. I tend to like the Chef's Corner. The food management company is Bon Appetit. read more

Good food, inexpensive, quick and convenient. I've enjoyed every meal I've eaten here.

Pretty good. Needs more variety. They tend to have the same specials week after week. It gets old pretty fast. Really, how many times can you eat a turkey pastrami Reuben in a year (every Monday)? How about having some REAL pastrami for a change? Place is deathly busy around noon, empties out around 1, of course many of the specials are gone by then. The doors around the seating area are generally open so anybody can walk in to try if they want. No idea what the official policy is. read more

This Cafe is Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The food is innovative, healthy and diverse. Its great the company subsidizes the menu. The portion size is perfect and I'm always excited to eat lunch. Thanks Bon Appetit for coming to VMware read more

Not sure why this place has such a low rating. This cafeteria is designated for employees working here. However the food is delicious and very well priced and outsiders are welcome too if they can come in between 1am to 2pm on workdays. read more