Places to Eat in the Food Court at Work

ARBY'S

pro tip: arby's chicken tenders are really underrated

but seriously, bring your own lunch

Bossy.

for me the great thing about arby's is that they offer unsweetened iced tea as a drink option so I feel I'm not throwing away 64 ounces of sugar

man i am still addicted to taco bell, but lately i have been getting the disquieting feeling that i am eating processed vomit

if its a one time deal im goin for the burger king whopper w/cheese every time, tho on a daily basis subway is prob the most sustainable

I don't think I've ever admitted this on ILX but I hate Subway so much. It's so bland and disappointing. Every time I eat a Subway sandwich I just get sad.

tough but fair

I never mentioned it because I didn't want to upset anybody.

nothing here is good in any way except at 1 am. i don't know how the answer is anything but bring your own sandwich

i wont tell whiney dont worry xp

panda. you can get vegetables and plain rice.

hmm did not know that, dont think ive ever had pnda xprs

yeah, the wok frying and the sauces probably make it unhealthy, but if you stick with non-orange chicken and some broccoli or whatev, it's not so bad.

I don't think I've ever admitted this on ILX but I hate Subway so much. It's so bland and disappointing. Every time I eat a Subway sandwich I just get sad.

i once went in a subway in reno, nevada, that smelled of recent vomit.

when i got home, i had to change out of my clothes because i smelled so pervasively of barf.

never been back to a subway since, in reno or elsewhere.

xp (it's cool, guys, I work in downtown Chicago so I pretty much never eat in the food court of our building unless I specifically want Taco Bell or Panda Express or mozzarella sticks from Arby's.)

*phew*

in that case, taco bell express

I'm telling you though, chicken tenders at arby's are p good

I considered eating Subway for lunch (haven't had it in a few years) but instead I got a tiny gourmet sandwich from a local cafe and I kinda wish I went with Subway because at least I wouldn't be starving.

SBARRO IS GOOD. EAT AT SBARRO. SBARRO. EAT THERE. HAVED SOME FOOD. SPADGETTY. BIG BOWLS. SBARRO. FORK. KNIFE. MILKSHAKE DRINK. TASTES GOOD. NABKIN DISPENDER. HOT AIR BLOWER. COST MORE MDONILLDS. BETTER THEN MDONILLDS.

Arby's is okay I guess, I like their iced tea.
Burger King Express makes good burgers, but shitty fries
Dunkin Donuts not really a place for meals
KFC Express joek option
Panda Express orange chicken doesn't even qualify
Pizza Hut Express could be okay i guess
Sbarro is ... fuck no
Subway, please see above
Taco Bell Express gives people diarrhea

I love Taco Bell, but would not dare eat it during the workday.

Your food court is very chainy. Mine is mostly locally-owned places with a few exceptions (Checkers, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Dairy Queen).

None of the above - eat elsewhere - but Subway is the least unhealthy of these options.

xp There are some nonchains down there but I omitted them because then it would be really obvious where I work and I am pretending it is possible to still remain semi-anonymous on the internet. There's a hot beef/gyro place, a weird fucking creepy coffee shop and a sketchy soup and sandwich place that some googling reveals are both owned and operated by Sodexo, a cheesesteak place that is closed for health code violations, an actual for real decent burger place (local chain), and a hit or miss sushi place. Oh and a completely horrid "Cajun" place that is indescribably disgusting.

Oh and a completely horrid "Cajun" place that is indescribably disgusting.

i used to live near one of these. they never had any customers. i went in there once and they seemed annoyed that they had to break away from whatever they were up to in the back room.

i love token Other fast food stalls in food courts.

mongolian bbq ftw

brazilian churrasco stall ftw

tibetan momo stall ftw

What makes a person look at these options and go "zomg so unhealthy"? It's pretty obvious the thread is not about health food.

dayo OTM re: Arby's

Subway meatball with lotsa veggies imo.

You know that Arby's roast beef is totally processed, right?

It's pretty obvious the thread is not about health food.

What you eat everyday is not about your health? Subway may well be the best-tasting of those too, if you order right.

xp (it's cool, guys, I work in downtown Chicago so I pretty much never eat in the food court of our building unless I specifically want Taco Bell or Panda Express or mozzarella sticks from Arby's.)

― wore glasses and said things (thejenny), Thursday, December 29, 2011 6:12 PM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark Permalink

I came here to say you forgot Mongolian BBQ~!!

is mongolian BBQ the one where you point at a bunch of shit and they put it on a big griddle and squirt a lot of sauce at it?

Da.

I don't think I've ever admitted this on ILX but I hate Subway so much. It's so bland and disappointing. Every time I eat a Subway sandwich I just get sad.

― wore glasses and said things (thejenny), Thursday, December 29, 2011 7:00 PM (42 minutes ago) Bookmark Permalink

tough but fair

― Cooper Chucklebutt,

i lol'd because it's so, so true. i end up eating at subway about once a week due to my own food court situation and yeah, i derive almost zero pleasure from it.

jenny, is this the food court i would be eating at too if i landed that one job? fuck, dude!

If you aren't putting oil and vinegar on yr Subway sandwich, which is either a cold cut trio or a BMT on classic Italian, IMO you are doing Subway wrong. I don't think any of their other sandwiches are particularly tasty but those two are great with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, provolone, salt & pepper and oil & vinegar.

I got an 'avocado sandwich' at a HK subway once and they only spared me half an avocado, and they pasted it onto that awful fast food restaurant shredd lettuce, and mealy tomatoes, and they put cheese on it (36 calories)

really though, could not spare a whole avocado

xp Different building, but you can get to this food court from where you would be working through Chicago's network of underground tunnels. I would recommend instead taking those tunnels to Macy's and checking out the food court on their seventh floor, which is really good.

However if you are ever in serious need of one of those Taco Bell burritos with Flaming Hot Cheetos in it or you want to try Arby's reputedly delicious chicken tenders, you know where to go.

I think I have done everything possible to make Subway palatable and it always ends in despair.

If you aren't putting oil and vinegar on yr Subway sandwich, which is either a cold cut trio or a BMT on classic Italian, IMO you are doing Subway wrong

Exactly what I was going to say

Except I order (I haven't eaten subway in years) the (probably fake) chicken

I cannot imagine ordering anything but a traditional roast beef sandwich from Arby's. It's like ordering a steak at a seafood restaurant; it I probably still good but why go there if you're not in the mood for their raison detre

U should order one thing from every place listed here and have a Xmas feast

otm

return to work to work throwing the feast onto yr colleagues until they are slathered in all the wonders of the food court

fast food shredded lettuce evokes a unique note of helplessness

When I was a kid I would've killed to eat an Arbys but my hippie snob parents wouldn't let us eat fast food but then o heard it was garbage so I never tried it as an adult so it still seems so mysterious to me

I'm so hungry I could eat at arby's

*kids gasp and recoil in horror*

I'm going to make it rain shredded lettuce all over the data entry department.

I cannot imagine ordering anything but a traditional roast beef sandwich from Arby's. It's like ordering a steak at a seafood restaurant; it I probably still good but why go there if you're not in the mood for their raison detre

― OH NOES, Thursday, December 29, 2011 7:56 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark

that's the thing though - they realize this so they made their chicken tenders extra nice, it's the 'move' to 'pull'

everybody realizes that iceberg lettuce is the worst of all the lettuces. and then they shred it

nobody wants to eat lettuce the color of a highlighter

the whole concept of arbys freaks me out, like how their logo is a big brown hat and they serve roast beef, dont think ive ever had it except maybe like french fries at a rest stop once

fight back against shredded iceberg. get spinach leaves on your subway instead.

i kinda dig shredded lettuce *shrug*

I'm going to make it rain shredded lettuce all over the data entry department.

― wore glasses and said things (thejenny), Thursday, December 29, 2011 8:05 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Permalink

cosign

my standard subway these days: six-inch turkey, wheat bread, no cheese, spinach, tomatoes, pickles, oil/vinegar, salt/pepper. it's boring but it does the job.

arby's fries are also otm, what other fast food chain is brave enough to offer curly fries as the default standard

very glad that trudy campbell is saving 36 calories

It doesn't matter what kind of leaves you put on a Subway sandwich because it will all end up tasting like boredom and bad choices.

36 calories adds up! for instance 36+36+36+36+36+36+36

trudy campbell can't taste the cheese anyway under that nasty bread

Man ive never eaten at like half of these (well i havent eaten at most of them but im assuming express locations are basically the same as non express ones) im really missing out

subway is p gross but its just wood pulp and recycled stuff so i figure it cant hurt me too much

Panda is the best of those by far.

that's racist

(sorry just wanted to say that out loud)

really though, could not spare a whole avocado

1. establish subway as a giant worldwide restaurant chain
2. advertise
3. do not spare a whole avocado. only use half
4. profit

I believe you have figured out the Subway Key to Making Money©

in 7 days Jared will appear at your front door and try to kill you

I think it would have been only right for you to have consulted with me before creating this poll, as I am deeply involved in the situation.

food court manager

jared fogel

I understand the anonymity thing, but the "local chain very good burger" is the clear winner. It's my write-in vote.

The Jenny and I had lunch today in this food court. I ate at the hit or miss sushi/udon place and Jenny at at Panda.

If I worked in the loop, I would eat at Frontera Fresco every day.

The line is crrrrrazy long unless you get there at 11.

well some people have assitants to wait in line for them ::adjusts bowtie::

Panda gets my vote.

The cafe at my office has gone from a not bad housemade soup/daily special + short order sandwiches to totally dreadful everything-from-Sysco to its current incarnation as a pathetic bbq place where multiple people have gotten food poisoning in the 3 years I've been working there. I was working at a customer's site in Birmingham AL a few weeks ago and ate at the Chick-Fil-A in their food court every damn day (by choice; there aren't any at home). When I'm back next month, I might explore the other (all non-chain) options.

The Panda Express is good, and very fast, even with awful-looking lines. But what makes it fast makes it terrifying. If you are anything but 100% alert and ready to speak your selections QUICKLY - speak up; no needless words, "white rice and entree!" "medium Pepsi!" - you will be eaten alive.

The first couple of times I ordered there I left with heart palpitations and pupils the size of saucers. You need to have your shit together.

The Katz's Deli of the food court.

It feels like 1 minute of boot camp.

There is a Wendy's in the Loop that is also very, very efficient, but not quite as terrifying. They have huge lines, but at busy times, a person with a pen and order form takes your order and hands it to you to give to the cashier. It is a really smart idea! All the hemming and hawing and questions are taken care of during time you would be idle.

But then there is sometimes that one d-bag who for some reason insists on ordering at the register. >:(

If I worked in the loop, I would eat at Frontera Fresco every day.

― illegal crew member (C.K. Dexter Holland), Friday, December 30, 2011 2:09 AM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Permalink

did you guys know there's a Frontera Fresco at O'Hare, in terminal 3? they don't have all the options though (no huaraches, which is what I usually order).

smh @ arby's apologism

we can't all eat at the snake shack

huh apparently pizza hut pizza sauce is vegetarian (contrary to what i had heard) so i voted that

if faced with these choices today I would probably get some regular burritos at taco bell and use lots of hot sauce

I haven't had taco bell for years but have a weird craving for it sometimes

i always associate arby's with that location w/ all the crackheads, by the sunset/bronson studios. it's pretty dire in there.

http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/outoftown/california/losangeles/sunsetblvd/015920wsunsetblvd.jpg

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/arbys.asp

Frontera in O'Hare is pretty great, as in I would probably eat there if I wasn't trapped in an airport. Flights into my hometown all go through ORD and I ate there twice this summer.

In my food court aka the student union I'm always kind of amazed at how many people are waiting in line for Panda Express. Way more than Subway which is in second place. I imagine it has to do with the default restaurant in the NW being one that serves the holy trinity of pho, teriyaki, and sushi and this is as close as it gets.

I pack lunch every day.

Arby's Roast Beef consists entirely of Beef and a Self-Basting solution

my man!

xp

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/615/pd8.JPG

It feels like an Arby's night.

#2, super size, hurry up I'm starving

sorry just an attempt to get that out of my FUCKING HEAD

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I always eat in whatever Asian place has bourbon chicken (cuz there's always one!)

I think Panda Express is overpriced but its usually the best-tasting of the food court choices, IMO. It is kind of like a giant pile of salt, though.

The Oh and a completely horrid "Cajun" place that is indescribably disgusting has bourbon chicken.

You know what tho, I never thought it was such a bad place. I've eaten there a couple of times.

I miss the DQ.

Arby's Market Fresh sandwiches used to be the shit (relative to other fast food options).

Their Jamocha shakes are good. Also, the jalapeno poppers.

I always eat in whatever Asian place has bourbon chicken (cuz there's always one!)

Ha, the terrible Cajun place has bourbon chicken and is run by Asian people.

The line is crrrrrazy long unless you get there at 11.

Didn't we meet there at like 1 PM one time, and it was practically empty? (Actually, I can't remember if you were there or not -- I know Jesse and n/a and Sarah were.)

Can you hear me....
Can you hear me fappin....

I was not there in that fateful day. I believe it is possible but I stand by my caution that most days the line during peak lunch hours is prohibitively long.

It's because a specific cashier is painfully slow.

GD, why are my posts fro Zing not showing up.

I said earlier that the according-to-Jenny shitty Cajun place had Bourbon chicken and it was run by Asians. And I thought that overall it was not such a bad place.

Wait, my post did show up. Please forgive and disregard me.

Their macaronic and cheese tastes like dishwater. Unforgivable IMO.

It's New Years Eve, let's not fight.

http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/files/original/mouth+shut.jpg

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Surprised there were no secret shame votes for Taco Bell.

At the food court at the local mall, there are four or five restaurants that usually have someone giving out free samples on a toothpick. Sometimes when i'm hungry i'll walk through and eat one of each. I'm so cheap....

that is just a smart way 2 be proactive abt portion control imo