Napa Ranch

Many years ago I used to work in an office building in the next block. So this was in my lunch rotation. It seems like I’ve always worked within 5 blocks of this place.
This salad bar had a large variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Average food quality, mostly canned food ingredients. Also average service, although a few times not so friendly. After 38 years in business (under 2 names, 16 years under the Napa name), this FiDi lunch only spot is now CLOSED.

I hear they’re closing. That’s too bad because I liked how close they were to my office and their huge salad bar.
I guess the lousy service from the woman at the register didn’t help matters.

Worst experience ever. Do NOT eat at this place! I’ve never been treated so rudely in my whole life. The cashier has a smart mouth and as a paying customer I feel she needs to shut it. I asked for a bag for my purchased lunch and she said no. She said that I need to «man up» and carry my lunch w/​o the bag. WTF?

Salad bar review only. I am infrequently in San Francisco when teaching at the fabulous Academyx.
When I happen to be there, I always try to go to Napa Ranch for their amazing salad bar. It’s quick, it has amazing variety, and I would say cheap but it isn’t cheap. It is San Francisco and everything is overpriced for us East Bay folk.
That said, the cashier always has a smile on her face and even though they ONLY accept cash, she is very good natured about it. I can never guess their daily quiz, but it makes me laugh.
More important, it’s healthy easy-​to-​get quick cuisine for a lunch in the city. Yummie Yummie salads!

It’s one of those places where – it’s weird – you automatically lower your expectations, probably a three-​star establishment at best, given its primary goal of feeding the FiDi lunchtime crowd quickly and get them back to their cages… uh, I mean, offices ASAP. So, I had a «Mediterranean» chicken wrap with eggplant in the «green» tortilla. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great, it was just… there.
Oh look, three stars.

Fantastic layout and overall selection. I have only had the salad bar and soup so will only comment on that…
great salad bar. minus one star for selection — it would be great if there were more veggies to add. Awesome dressing selection. very clean bar.

Napa Ranch is a nice cafeteria-​style restaurant. I usually go here to make my own lunch salad. It’s easy to make a healthy lunch with their large salad bar filled with fresh ingredients. Also it’s kept clean. I never see wilted veggies or anything like that.
I’m no fan of their «cash only» policy — a little inconvenient in the age of plastic. It’s really weird to have a tip jar at the check out since you literally are serving yourself. There is no waiter service. So… I’m tipping you because.

Did this place get new ownership? Because things have been going downhill for the last few months. I used to get the spicy chicken wrap or the Thai wrap and they were always yummy and fresh. But lately, the spicy chicken is missing that zing, and they give you less. The Thai wrap? Forget about it. No flavor at all, not enough sauce, I felt like I was eating plain white rice in a wrap. The ladys there are nice enough, but they are quite stingy whenever you ask for anything extra.
If they want to call this place «napa» ranch, then they should reflect the name improve the taste and quality of the food. I doubt I’ll go here anytime soon, but if I’m craving that spicy chicken again, maybe I’ll give them another chance…

I’ve been here several times and the food overall is decent and like many other reviewers have stated is pretty much your normal average sandwich shop type place. They do have a nice salad bar and the setup is pretty clean.
My chief complaint and probably the reason why I won’t return anytime soon is the fact that I have to argue about getting a bag when I pay for my food to go or if I don’t have my money ready before I get rung up. It’s not like they’re doing me a favor treating me like I’m 10, and there are plenty of alternatives in the FiDi. Note that this only applies to that one particular cashier. There is another one that is very nice, which is why this place doesn’t get one star from me.

The cafeteria trays are a hint: this ain’t Burger King they do it their way.
You will get Rusky-​brusque service with a smile that comes after the bills are snatched from your hand, and yes you must stand in line during the busy hour. Pray you don’t violate any of the rules of the road here or you will be smacked in the face with a ruler.
But putting all that fluff aside this is the best place to build an awesome salad. The hot items are refreshingly off to the side and out of the way. the bar is the focus here so green up. But I also find the soup selections tasty (but not SFSC), and the burritos /​pizza etc passable.
And for desert… well your SF Experience is *not* complete until you have had the Mara’s Crunchie cookie. Don’t bother with the takeaway for Mara’s. that one alone is a five star treat.

(See pic)
One of the late lunch days and this place did save me on a very hungry and tired afternoon. They let me quickly grab my salad. The salad was refreshingly good and I was grateful they were still open even it was way past 3pm.

Sometimes, you just have to concentrate on core strengths; or build one.
Yes, we are talking about food/​restaurants, I realize…
Given it’s good central location and a wide selection, I too, have tried several visits to see if my first impression would change.
Well, not quite. It rather feels like a college dining hall; where there are many selections, but none of them are good. Just kinda there. The vast seating area is helpful, but that somehow that just seems to reinforce Napa Ranch’s feel as a college dining hall.

I still don’t like Napa Ranch. I go today at 115 strictly for a baked potato and they were all out. I decide on a turkey pocket sandwich. Guess what? They were out of avocado, so they charge me $ 4.75 instead of $ 5.75. Fine.
I order a diet coke with my $ 4.75 sandwich and the total is $ 6.75. What!!! So when the angry, not so happy cashier (yeah, you know who I’m talking about) tells me the total is $ 6.75, I ask her why since my sando was only $ 4.75. «Oh, well that’s because it’s grilled, then there’s tax, then you ordered a soda and there’s tax on that.»
Whatever. I didn’t need some rude, defensive response. Just say tax is $ 2. I hate this place. I wish their baked potatoes weren’t so delicious.

Not the best, not the worst. Middle of the road. Not cheap, not expensive. Mid-​priced. Though the giant hubcap-​sized cookies are pretty darn tasty and I have had some good warm from the oven muffins in the morning here. And the half-​parfaits in the fridge are tasty, the lemon is my favorite.
I’ve tried their burritos, the baked potato, pizza, and Cesar salad (a bit too vinegary) at lunchtime (not on the same day, of course). All are fine, filling.
I’ve had no issues with the counter-​persons, they’ve been friendly and patient with me, even on those scatterbrained mornings and lunchtimes.
While it’s not my first choice for lunch, it’s ok.

The good: Central location within the financial district, spacious layout, nice exterior/​interior, tons of selection (salad bar, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, burritos, tacos, soup, desserts), and friendly staff. The chocolate brownies here are amazing.
The bad: Most food is just okay, nothing special. The wraps and sandwiches are quite bland. The salad bar is a bit overpriced. Overall, I only come here when I need to grab food quickly. Otherwise, I would definitely venture out to much better options nearby.
The ugly: The chicken burrito — avoid at all costs!

Food = fresh. At least most of the stuff at the salad bar are. They have a huge selection of dressing, and I think they have the best lite ranch out there! :)
They have hot foods too. Bland, if you ask me. (Burritos, nachos, pizza, pasta, etc.) But they do have a very, very good white bean chicken soup. *drool* (They have lots of vegetarian choices, and some vegan too.)
They have morning stuff too… like pastries, bagels, eggs, etc.
Drinks = very large selection. Have fun choosing something. (Yes, they have coffee, you fiends.)
It’s cash only though. And trust me, do not pay at the register/​line to your right (when you’re facing the cash registers after the salad bar/​soup area). She is not friendly, she is snappy, rude, and always, always has to give her damn two cents about anything/​everything. (Oh and don’t try to give her change (coins) at all…*cues psycho music*) I rather stand in the other line (by the hot foods) and be treated with courtesy and friendliness!
This place has some seating but take out is totally the thing to do. Total FiDi lunch place.

This place reminds me of the cafeteria days from college. The food is meh but I like sitting in there on cold rainy days. Somehow it feels cozy.
Avoid the «nachos» or burritos. Stick to soup, salad or sandwiches. Definitely can be in the under $ 5 club if you just get a small salad or soup.
Chocolate cinnamon oatmeal cookies are worth every bite.

4 stars: service and food.
The ladies behind the counter were nice and quite patient when I was ordering.
Napa Ranch offers: breakfast, lunch and a decent dining area. When I came here I did find that the woman who took my order was quite nice when I ordered, so I can’t complain about that.
Napa Ranch offers:
–Breakfast: Bagels, breakfast specials, oatmeal and pocket breakfast that includes eggs with pita bread or tortilla w/​herbs and spices for a decent price.
I got the scrambled eggs w/​herbs and onions in pita bread.
What I like about Napa Ranch is that they offer more than just breakfast. When I walked in I noticed the coffee station to the left and in front of me (walking distance) the burrito bar. That made me think to myself that I need to come here and try lunch out. They have sandwiches, chili’s, a salad bar, wraps and desserts.
Not bad, prices decent and again ladies were quite nice.
Napa Ranch is worth a try.

After working in the B of A building for over a year, you would wonder why it took me so long to wonder in this place…
Seems as though they have something for everyone. Hot entrees to your left. Salad and Soup bars in the middle. Sandwiches to your right and burritos and wraps in the back!
My choice. the salad bar… OK, I will have to admit I am a little sketching about pay by the weight places. I don’t know, maybe because I’m a girl, but pay by the weight just make me so uncomfortable! You just never know what that price will be once you conveniently place your salad on that scale… what number will it be. was I modest? am I engorging myself? the suspense is killing me! This is worse that standing on the scale at home!
To my surprise… $ 6.40!!! wow a salad for $ 6.40 in city. you can’t beat that! What’s even better I was completely satisfied with the freshness and taste of everything!

Sometimes, after yoga at equinox, I like to wander, even though I know I should head back to the office.
I wandered in here one day, mistakenly thinking this place was related to Niman Ranch. I believed this as I perused the salad bar and read the hot specials off the boards. I was mistaken. No this place is not related to Niman Ranch.
This place certainly looked shinier and prettier from the outside.
I don’t need shiny nor pretty though to get through a meal.
The soup selection was varied and impressive. Having had a cold for most of 2008, soup has been my favorite meal by default. I took a small container of the Cream of Mushroom to go and absent mindedly grabbed a piece of bread.
This happened to be Whole Wheat Foccacia.
One star for the reusable plastic containers they use for to-​go soups. Love the instant tupperware factor.
One star for a decent Cream of Mushroom soup that tastes like mushrooms and not just Creamy Cream.
One star for the excellent foccacia.
Minus 2 stars for the cash only and while the cashier seems friendly and nice, she insisted I have my money out in hand so she could do the math while she rung up the customer before me.
Yeah. WEIRD.