213 Cafe

This is close to where I work, so I come here sometimes when I don’t feel like venturing out too far. I like to get the fish or the turkey from the buffet area. They always have roasted turkey breast with gravy and then some kind of baked fish. The salad bar doesn’t really blow me away, but they usually have some kind of prepared kale salad or something that’s healthy and tasty. The guys I work with like it when they have stir fry noodle days and you go through the line and have them make your stir fry to order. I’m not a huge fan of that, but it seems popular.

A little lettuce with your lettuce…
This is the cafeteria located under the Bank of America building at the northeast corner of LaSalle and Jackson downtown. Yeah, yeah, it’s a BANK and they take my money and charge me fees for it. But the BANK people have to eat there too. And they eat healthier than most.
WHY REVIEW A BANK FOR LUNCH? — Well, for one thing, snooty bankers have to eat. And the SNOOTIER the bank, the BETTER the food. Plus, they let the public eat here too.
SO, HOW DO WE GET THERE? — The entrance for the cafeteria is on the northeast corner of Jackson and LaSalle (there is a Clark entrance). After passing the entrance door, go down the first set of stairs in the middle of the hall.
WHAT THEY HAVE — First, the SALAD BAR, is pretty amazing. Two kinds of roast sliced chicken breast, cajun and caesar. Marinated grilled tofu, hearts of palm, baby corn, baby spinach. REAL bacon bits, candied walnuts (excuse me?), beets, and lots of high end stuff I never see, etc. Plus you can either take a container or eat off a real plate (also a nice touch).
WHAT ELSE — Burger bar, Sandwich bar, Pasta bar, Daily Grill — all look top notch.
AND… — If you are a dessert fan, this is another one of the few places that has a full DESSERT bar. I’m talking pound cake, devils food AND German chocolate, strawberry cheesecake. And then there are the cookies.
Of course, you have to remember that this IS a bank, and the more you get, the more you pay.
A salad plate + dessert + drink will set you back at least $ 10.
WHY EAT HERE — Like I said, the food here is of a much better quality than some of the other cafeterias. You may pay a little extra, but its definitely worth it.

This restaurant is more of a cafeteria inside the Bank of America building on the corner of Lasalle and Jackson, downtown.
Their menu changes daily, every week. Dont quote me on this but I believe they have chefs in training or something to that effect. I know they offer classes for chef’s as one of their programs.
Anyway, I get my lunch here daily and talk about gourmet lunches for under $ 6, in downtown!!! It is quite amazing.
Examples are Ribs and BBQ Chicken, Au Bön Pain desserts, Salad bar, Mexican dishes, Pizza, Jambalaya, Italian, etc. The other day I had a Walnut, Raspberry, Blue Cheese and Chicken salad for $ 5. Unreal.
Like I said, everything changes here all the time, so you never get bored. If you are downtown and need a place to eat some lunch, swing through here!