Terrace Cafe - Chapel Hill

Terrace Cafe is one of three cafeterias located at UNC Hospitals ' main campus in Chapel Hill (UNC Health/UNC Medical Center). My wife regularly works at the hospital and will sometimes bring home leftovers of her food from Terrace Cafe. On occasion, she 'll also grab us a takeout lunch or dinner. The food has always been tasty and I don 't know exactly why, but I 've always found it to be a treat, probably because it 's hospital food. For me, I guess part of it is the novelty of it. The only other hospital I 've had food from is Grady Hospital in Atlanta. UNC 's hospital food blows Grady 's out of the water. Terrace is located on the 2nd floor of the main hospital (Memorial). If entering the hospital from the main front entrance, you 'll want to make a left to get to the cafe. There will be a sign for Terrace and a stairway leading up. The cafeteria isn 't huge, but it 's big enough to have a few different stations/counters. It 's like a mini food court, but with only one set of checkout lanes for the multiple vendors/stations inside. The stations have names like Continental Traders and Flatiron Grill. This isn 't like a mall or airport food court with brand name vendors like Chick-fil-A and Sbarro. At the time of writing this review, my favorite meal from Terrace Cafe so far has been the fried chicken from Continental Traders. It 's branded as Carolina Chicken Co. I 've had it multiple times now. The chicken is seasoned and spiced well. It tastes great. The dark meat is tender and juicy. There 's a small additional charge if you want all white meat. The cabbage, collard greens, potatoes au gratin, red beans and rice, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes and gravy sides are delicious. For healthy food, I thought the salmon with lemon jam was pretty decent. It was tasty even as leftovers. From Continental Traders, my wife has enjoyed almost everything she 's tried. That includes chicken pot pie, shepherd 's pie, baked chicken, and sweet potato. The only thing she didn 't like was the sweet potato side once. The other times, it 's been fine. I 've tried several of the Fast Breaks items. These are grab-and-go meals in clear, plastic, snap-shut containers near the entrance. They include things like salads, sandwiches, snacks, and desserts. I 'd say most of these items are or look par for the course such as the spring mix salad and protein box (walnuts, pecans, cheddar cheese cubes, dried cranberries). Of the items from Fast Breaks, the ones I 've liked most thus far have been the apple pie, cheesecake with strawberry topping, and Cobb salad. Also near the entrance, there 's a display case of self-serve pastries and treats. I believe they 're branded as Great Beginnings. They consist of breakfast foods like bagels, muffins, and Danishes. There 's a neat little contraption that blows air into a stack of disposable plastic gloves, allowing you to put on a glove with just one hand to then grab your pastry of choice. I tried the Black and White Cookie from this display and it was alright. It tasted like a cheap donut with chocolate and vanilla icing. My wife and I have had the breakfast burritos from Flatiron Grill many times. They 're filling and yummy. My wife also likes to get the breakfast sandwiches such as the ones with avocado and egg inside. Those are good too. In general, the breakfast menu is arguably the best thing Terrace Cafe offers when you consider the combination of taste, variety, and price. Flatiron Grill also makes customizable omelets and burgers. Across the way, where they have sealed packs of cereals, there is sometimes a station that serves made-to-order crepes and waffles. Red Ginger, to the right of Flatiron Grill, sells Asian food. I 've never had it, but my wife said it 's okay. She said it 's like Chinese takeout food. Things like fried egg rolls, stir-fried noodle bowls, and fried dumplings. Sometimes

Yammy foods, fried catfish , Mac cheese , blacked chicken

They do not accept cash! I spent the entire weekend at the hospital with my daughter and couldn't get any food from the cafeteria. I was really looking forward to some chicken with mashed potatoes, only to be let down immediately.

The food here is reminiscent of cafeteria fare, but it's a welcome option since it's located on the hospital campus. It tasted delightful and was reasonably priced—definitely a better choice than fast food. Unlike the usual bland offerings, there is a nice variety of entrees to select from.

I visited Terrace Cafe today and was excited to see two of my favorites on the menu: Lomosaltdo and tortilla soup. The lomo was decent, but the soup... it was so thick that it resembled a stew more than soup. The rice was overcooked, turning it into mush. Honestly, I don't understand how it can be called tortilla soup when there are no tortilla strips in it. It was more like a vegetable stew with black beans.