Gina’s Cafe

(7÷16÷2015) I didn’t get to try the old Gina’s. Went to the new one on a friend’s recommendation, she works at the courthouse and I had jury duty. Place is conveniently right across the street, basement level entrance, shared with a 7-​Eleven. Lots of fresh options, actually more than the cooked. Prices touch high. Seasonings a bit weird, like cumin in my cooked spinach, no jerk in the jerk chicken (more like teriyaki). Meats are fully-​cooked, but tend to be on the dry and tough side. Salad bar has ample cold choices, even sushi and very fresh looking. Would recommend as a quick option if at work or on break from trial.

Very similar to the Big Apple Tree on E. Baltimore St. In the nine years I’ve been working in Charm City, these are the best AYCE joints in the area.
Consistently clean, salad bar offers fresh mixed fruit including kiwi, red peppers, and other high-​rent items. Whole sliced hard-​boiled eggs. Always well-​stocked.
For breakfast they’ll make you a sandwich to order in a flash. Bacon egg & cheese with a Minute Maid OJ in the bottle, 5.44 w. tax
The lunch offerings almost always include something with mushrooms, they always have decent broccoli, and a good mix of Asian and American fare.
It is hard for this type of establishment to get what I cal a «ten» or what Unilocal calls 5 stars. The service is efficient but not super-​friendly, the prices are reasonable but not exactly cheap.

Since my last review and time here they have renovated the place. Its slightly smaller because they split the location with 7 eleven. Anyways they still have a hot foods bar, cold/​salad bar, fresh made sandwiches with tables for dining in, and they make breakfast. There are small tables and bigger tables for group eating. The salad was fresh and the food was maintained. The workers made sure to constantly stir the hot foods and make sure things were filled and appetizing for customers.
While there a customer stated that the soda machine was out of ice and they replaced the ice in an instant. This was a good observation of good customer service.
As well, during lunch time hours around 12pm and 1pm the place gets pretty busy. The line was nonstop, people looked satisfied, and I assume some were loyal/​everyday customers.
This time around I had the orange chicken, mixed vegetable steamed rice with my beef/​peppers/​onions, Chinese noodles, spicy veggies, and 1 meatball. (pics available) The orange chicken was pretty good with big chunks of meat and only 1 piece of fatty part. The beef concoction was good and had a little spice to it. The beef was tender and non fatty. Made my sinuses leak a little lol. The noodles were nothing to rave about plain unless you threw something on top of it. I had 1 meatball just to sample it and it was decent in its brown graviness. The spicy veggies were good consisting of sliced carrots, zucchini, and broccoli.
All in all I’d eat here again when in the area and do suggest you giving it a shot! And just remember it’s not gourmet, but at least you get decent edibles and choices!

This place is really convenient! It may not be the more upscale or even rustic café vibe that some people may prefer, but it does have a lot to offer. From salad buffets, hot food buffets, and even a little deli area for fresh sandwiches, there is a variety of food that most people will enjoy. It doesn’t hurt that the staff there is pretty nice too.

A lot of low quality fast prep food service food in a new york buffet style setting with a grill in the back. The place is in need of a paint job and newer seating. The prices are fair but not super cheap. Your experience may improve if you take out instead.

Ok, maybe I was a little too hasty with the 3-​star rating. Compared to the monotonous sandwich shops offered within walking distance from my work, Gina’s offers a wide selection of hot lunch entrees (on top of the breakfasts, which I reviewed last time). This is a nice break from the Subways, Quiznos, and other sandwich joints which become so tiresome after a while.
You can get a wide array of Chinese American entrees such as orange chicken and fried rice or southern comfort foods. I prefer sticking to the non-​double-​deep fried items (otherwise I’ll go back to work and want nothing more than to crawl under my desk and nap). The salad bar is pretty extensive. The fruit they have is sooo good, it’s always ripe and sweet. And the drumroll… KIMCHI. I found the kimchi, hidden in a small container by the sushi on the end of the buffet bar (I couldn’t find it the first time I ate here for lunch!). It always makes me happy to see ANY Korean food offered in a Baltimore restaurant. And within walking distance to my place of business? Even better. Get ready for some rancid breath, fellow coworkers.

Ok, see, when I hear the term café, I think of a place where you sit down and someone serves you coffee, and you can chat with friends over a meal. The name is deceiving in this case. Gina’s Café — really more like a cafeteria? They do offer some items on a menu, but mostly it’s a buffet-​style dive. You pick what you want, and they weigh your food and charge you by the weight. (I’m thinking it’s like $ 4.99/lb at breakfast, but can’t swear to it)
The building is strange… you have to go down a couple steps to hit the door. Walking in and out is awkward. Definitely not accessible if in a wheelchair or on crutches (unless there’s a mystery entrance on the side somewhere?)
The food is really, really good though. They open early (5am) and I’ve gone for breakfast plenty of times. I never leave disappointed. (Never had their lunch, so I can’t tell you what it’s like.) The buffet items don’t really change — tons of meats, omelets, pancakes, etc.
They stay busy, so the food never gets a chance to look old or dry. I highly recommend their French toast (one of the best I’ve ever had– i’m not sure what their trick is, but YUM), the banana pancakes, and their chicken sausage patties.
It’s not one of those places that I’d drive across town to get to — but I lived at the Munsey, directly across the street, and found myself there a LOT. If you’re in the neighborhood, and looking for something quick, cheap, and still really good, this is a great choice!