Gunrock Pub

Named after the «famous» horse that is UC Davis’ Mascot, Gunrock is actually a place for Aggies to be proud of as it has a nice ambiance that serves organic food, alcohol, and helps supports students (I think most of the servers are students).
I’ve come here for lunch and dinner numerous times as it is one of the most convenient place to grab food with UCD faculty. It’s quiet but semi-​upscale. A lot of student groups rent out the floor for a dinner event with 50-​maybe 100 people.
The food is typical American but features locally sourced ingredients that happen to be health conscious. I’ve tried the quinoa salad with grilled chicken, fettucini pesto, and a steak dip, and all were well cooked, light, but had good flavor. My favorite item is probably the quinoa, it has a lot of vegetable components that work well with each other. The wine and beer here are also decent. I wish they had more of a selection of dessert, but maybe that would ruin the health aspect of this on campus pub.

Gunrock pub is a great place to eat if you’re on campus. I had a delicious blue cheese bacon burger (7.95) with steak cheese fries that are out of this world. The staff was extremely friendly and even the manager came by to drop off our food which is a nice touch in teamwork if I must say. Place is pretty calm with music and lighting of the rooms. I definitely see a lot of professors and high class looking folks. But you can definitely come in here as a student and enjoy the great food and beer (which I was shocked they had on campus) mon-​fri for lunch. Wish they were open for dinner but this is just a lunch spot unfortunately. Still give it 5 stars for overall service, food taste and the feel of the establishment.

I come here from time to time for lunch. Salad bar is nice and fresh for the price for all you can eat. You get to drissle the famous UC Davis love olive all over their fresh locally farmed vegetables. Service is hit and miss and I seem to get missed to be serves with water and bread. There always seem to be someone being interviewed along with faculty dining with their research and teaching collaborators. Overall a good experience

Coming from UC Berkeley, The Faculty Club and The Women’s Faculty Club, was the go-​to dining on campus. There’s no faculty club on the UC Davis campus, but there is the Gunrock Pub.
Not much on ambiance, with metal upholstered chairs, but I ordered the Gunrock Burger, which was surprisingly tasty. Served on and Onion Roll with choices of green salad, frie, curly fries, or fruit, it was truely better than the UCB faculty clubs.
$ 10 bucks. Not bad at all.

Gotta admit, it’s pretty awesome to say your school has a pub on campus! Right?
So I had set out on trying this place awhile back. Finally was able to go this past Friday on a lunch date with the sister and boyfriend. They have very limited hours which can make it difficult to go during the week, especially when you have class. (Open Monday through Friday 11:30AM-2pm)
I ordered the Cuban Mango Ham Sandwich with a side of greens. My sister the Hawaiian Turkey Burger with side of sweet potato fries and my boyfriend the French Dip.
In all honestly, there was nothing amazing about my sandwich. Sauce was good, portion was also a reasonable size, not huge or anything. I probably liked my sister’s Hawaiian Turkey burger the least on whole wheat bun. It all just tasted somewhat bland. The slice of pineapple could have been grilled more.
My boyfriend loved his French Dip, thus I was not able to try it in time. He was very happy to enjoy a beer on his lunch break.
The place is quite fancy inside! I felt somewhat under-​dressed because when I think «pub» I think casual, but it’s definitely more of a restaurant! Looking around, I noticed it was all faculty except us.
I’m glad I was finally able to try this place in the Silo. Dishes are about $ 10 and up. I think it’s a nice place to come back with family who is willing to invite ;-) Our waitress was very nice and attentive. Over all, good experience.

This is the only place on campus you can grab a drink… without consequences of course!
To be honest I wasn’t expecting the food to be that great but I ordered the Penne Portobellini with grilled chicken breast and it was the bomb diggity! Super saucy, but not too creamy, with just amazingly cooked mushrooms. A definite ⁵⁄₅.
In terms of the beer, you can get a pitcher for $ 15 (enough to fill four pint glasses). The interior is quite fancy and this is usually where all the professors hangout (yup, we found them). Come here during your break between classes, but bring friends!

I don’t come here too often mainly because they’re only open on weekdays for a few hours during lunch but I’ve enjoyed my visits here.
Half the reason I come here is because I absolutely love the bread (which they switched out with a different appetizer for the summer and part of fall I believe). I am perfectly content ordering all-​you-​can-​eat soup and unlimited bread. However their food is pretty good and I’ve had mostly positive experiences (all my bad experiences have been with the salad). The ingredients are fresh and local so there’s usually seasonal menu items. I enjoy bringing out of town guests here for a casual but slightly nicer lunch.
The location is a bit out of place and there aren’t a lot of students but its never bothered me personally. The servers are always really kind but sometimes they mess up (forget to bring water, check, etc.) but they’re always very nice.
Overall I’d definitely come here again (once they bring the bread appetizer back)

Love the gunrock pub!
Usually faculty come here for lunch. Students don’t really know about it, but if they did… they’d take advantage. The only sit down real restaurant on campus. Also the only place on campus where alcohol is allowed. Yup, wow right?
They have a salad and soup bar where you can get as much as you want for 9 bucks a person. Their dishes on their menu all are consistently around 9 – 10 bucks before tax.
Salads of all sorts, melts and burgers, and if you like neither, they have a few other dishes such as the steak stir-​fry that is served over brown rice. 11 dollars, pretty decent.
Enough seating inside, and lovely seating outdoors as well. Service is fast and upbeat, food is good.
In all honesty, I come for the soup and salad bar or a beer. Nice get away on campus in a super convenient spot that people take for granted. Maybe ¹⁄₂₀ of my friends have been here before.
Def check it out if you’re on campus often, just don’t tell too many people about this little gem ;)

This is a farm to table style restaurant that aims to serve locally supplied produce and meats from the UC Davis campus to its patrons. The restaurant is a great place to find air conditioning when it is just too hot to eat outside. The menu is pretty simple and the ambiance is country kitsch. My chinese chicken salad was huge, well seasoned and very filling.
A great place to bring people that you are trying to impress on campus. It is a little more expensive than eating in the silo, but reasonable for a restaurant with table service.

This was my first time here (had to squeeze it in before I graduate). I was expecting something fancy and unwelcoming since this is mainly an establishment for professors and graduate students. Though what I found was great service and food.
We were seated right away (we got there shortly after it opened). Very nice hostess and nobody minded that we were wearing shorts and tanktops. We expected to wait a while so we brought some work to do, but the staff was right on top of us the whole time. I don’t think my water glass was ever empty.
The food: I ordered a carne asada sandwich and immediately thought to myself «why am I ordering that in Davis? It will be terrible.» But to my surprise it was really good. And the only reason it isn’t carne asadas I’m used to is the high quality ingredients they use. And it came with a choice of side, I got fruit. All of the fruit was delicious. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a mix of fruit as good as Edible Arrangements, except here.
My friend got a hamburger, which apparently comes with shrimp in the middle? She said it was great and the curly friends even better.
We split a pitcher of Sudwerks Lager, because «hey, this is our first and last time here and it’s only a little more than the cost of 2 beers». The lager was great, probably didn’t need so much and had to let a little go to waste.
Total bill: $ 45. $ 11 for each sandwich + $ 15 for the pitcher + tax + tip.
I’d say it was definitely worth it. Couldn’t afford to drink here every day, but the food was very filling and I still have half my sandwich left over from yesterday.

Best place to drop by in-​between classes for a beer and some food.
The soups and sandwiches are really delicious.
I just wish it stayed open past lunch.

Looking for a nice, seated restaurant on campus with good food? This is it!
This place is a fresh change from the fast food joints or food carts in the Silo. The interior has a nice, fancy vibe to it. They have salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches using local, fresh, sustainable ingredients. On a student budget, this place is pricier than its fast food neighbors, but is most definitely worth a try if you haven’t eaten here before.
I ordered a Lemon Grass Steak Sandwich with sweet potato fries on the side, and boy, was it yummy! Sweet potato fries were crisp and yummy. The thin slices of steak was both juicy and flavorful, and it was complimented wonderfully by the fresh Asian sesame slaw sandwiching the steak on both sides. My only complaint? My ciabatta bread could have been crispier.
Also, prior to ordering, you get to try some complimentary bread, with the options of eating it plain, or dipping into some UCD Olive Oil or UCD Vinegar. What’s not to love?!

A gem at UCD! You see professors and other private parties, and not much undergraduate students at this fancy set-​up. The prices are sort of up there, but completely worth the price you’re paying for sustainable, locally and campus grown foods. Though Carl’s Jr. and other fast food joints are just around the corner of the Silo, students should experience this wonderful establishment at least once during their time at UCD. Now, I’m not a UCD student, but my father was a part of the university. He still drops by to meet with professors and dined at the Gunrock Pub (or the Silo Pub as others call it) in the past. My father and I came to campus to get my new bike registered at the TAPS office and decided to have lunch at the GP.
We came in, sat down, and were given a plate of rosemary bread with olive oil (locally pressed) and balsamic vinegar dip. The bread was soft as cotton and fresh out of the oven. The perfuming smell of rosemary was the best at every bite. As for the olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip, the olive oil was very mellow and had a very clean taste to it. The balsamic was great, as well. What a great appetizer.
For our entrees, my father ordered the Aggie Lager Burger with the soup of the day on the side and I chose the Lemongrass Steak Sandwich with a side salad. It took a while to get our food, but at least you can ask for more rosemary bread while you wait, which may be a bad idea because you’d be too full by the time your food arrives, but it’s so good and addicting!
Finally, our food came out and it looked so scrumptious! My Lemongrass Steak Sandwich had a very generous amount of thinly sliced steak. The steak was so flavorful from the Thai/​Asian inspired marinade and the cabbage-​cilantro slaw was crisp and fresh. I like how the ingredients are organically raised, which is good for the our environment and health in the future. My father said that his burger was delicious and very wholesome. The soup of the day he chose was cream of mushroom and he enjoyed that as well. We both finished our meals, leaving our stomachs happy. The amount of food was just right and keeps you energized throughout the whole day. Treat your body right and invest more for the best quality from the local university.
I’m surprised this place has 3.5 stars. I would recommend those who gave a rather low rating to give this place another chance.

The Silo Pub is the ultimate hidden gem in Davis. It’s unbelievable that a pub located in the heart of campus could go unnoticed by a majority of the student body, but somehow it does.
What’s so special about the Silo Pub (I refuse to call it the Gunrock pub)? It is the only place on campus that serves alcohol. That’s right, you can come here and order a pitcher of ice cold beer right after your last final and you don’t even have to leave campus.
The patio here is huge and never crowded. It’s the perfect place to come and be irresponsible on a spring day. What sounds better … Going to class or drinking beer with your friends? Yeah that’s what I thought. I love you Silo Pub, thanks for the memories.

So what brought me to try this place out was a coupon I got from spinning the wheel at the silo! I have to say, I don’t think I would have tried this place out if I hadn’t had the coupon. Good thing I got it, because Im totally a fan of this place! I ordered the talapia burger and my friend ordered the chicken quesidilla. The burger was really good, the fish was tender and crispy with the panko bread crumbs. The chicken quesidilla was delicious as well! The service was, for the most part, great, with friendly waitresses and waiters. The disappointing thing was, was that we asked for to– go boxes for our leftovers about 3 times, and they still didn’t bring it to us… we had to go up to the front to ask for it one last time, then we got it. Aside from that, I thought that everything was great! I would totally come here again, but occasionally because it is a tad pricey for a college student, about $ 10 a dish! But I would definitely say to try this place at least once in your college career!!!
Also! we sat at the outside patio, which was very relaxing, the indoor seating seems very classy and dim =). So it’s just your preference.

I’m so glad I found this place on campus, great place to go when you’re in the mood for a nicer lunch.
Service was super friendly and attentive, the servers got a little frazzled at times and didn’t seem to know which table ordered what. But as long as I get my food, I have no complaints.
Really interesting and eclectic lunch menu, there’s something for everyone. It’s nice that the ingredients are all local. I usually come for the to-​go salads. You can buy a card for $ 50 for 10 salads, and save some $$. Took a friend to lunch here and did the sit-​down experience.
Lemon grass steak sandwich was great. Beef is marinaded in lemon grass, chili sauce, ginger & soy. The beef was tender and really well flavored. It was a little saltier than what I expected, but the sweetness of the slaw balanced it out. The bread was also so good, toasting it made a huge difference. My friend ordered the french dip. Looked delish. Generous portions is a plus!

I love the fact that they feature a menu highlighted by campus produced foods, ingredients from local growers, craft brewers & local vintners. I’m all for sustainable food & supporting the local businesses. I also think it’s cool to have a full service restaurant on campus.
Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, but my Honey Lime Chicken Salad ($ 9.75) wasn’t good at all. It was too plain & the chicken strips, though fried, were so dry & tasteless. The honey yogurt dressing was bland as well. I did, however, love the complimentary rosemary bread dipped in the olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette. I wish I had just eaten an entire loaf of it for lunch rather than that awful salad!

Pretty much the only place serving alcohol on campus — legally.
The food is pretty fancy, some of the more fancy food you can get on campus. I heard that the food is catered by Sodexho, the same company that does the DC food. I like that they give you bread with UC Davis’ famous vinegar and olive oil.
It’s a bit on the pricey end, but a nice place to have date on campus. Also you may run into some of your professors here. LOL.

Whoa, whoa, whoa… a pub on campus? Behind the Silo? Whaaaat?
My friend randomly invited me to try Gunrock Pub and my first reaction? I was so shocked/​surprised that I laughed uncontrollably. Who would eat here?!!
Even though I’ve been studying at UCD for over 3 years, I’ve never thought about this place… big mistake!
Gunrock Pub was actually pretty amazing. I didn’t actually drink anything from the bar, itself, but I thought the food ended up being very delectable.
PROS:
+ they served olive oil from the Robert Mondavi institute and balsamic vingegar for the bread! Cool!
+ lots of veggies in my Greek Sandwich! unfortunately, this item is seasonal… I just checked the menu and it’s not there =(
+ speaking of veggies… most of their ingredients are locally grown!
+ grrrreat service!
+ pretty classy. This would actually be a great place to eat lunch with a coworker or if you need to find somewhere more formal, and on campus
+ salad bar where you can to-​go your food
+ healthy
CONS:
— Felt out of place… there were seriously no students eating here. Probably because it’s…
— pricy. Each entrée ~$ 10. A no-​go for broke college students.
— only open on weekdays, during lunch
CONCLUSION:
UCD students, pleeease try this place at least once. I heard they’re replacing Gunrock Pub soon with a Starbucks. As if we need another one on campus?! Boooo.

I remember first arriving in Davis, and I heard from someone that on campus there was a pub. I never found it until I was in my last year here. It was funny I never noticed it, because it was right next to the Silo where I would go in and get coffee, crepes, sandwiches and if I was desperate, pizza hut or Carl’s Jr. This was a very different compared to next door, dark wood, an extensive bar selection, cloth napkins and even food options seemed a little higher end, and were served with plates (rather then wrapped in paper) and you traded in the plastic silverware, for the real metal ones. I’m not sure how recent this is, but it appears to now be called Gunrock Pub, I have no idea when this change over appeared, and I’m also not sure if they may have since changed their beer on tap and even their menu, because when I was last here was was just called the Silo Café and Pub…
This spot became apart of a ritual that some of my classmates and I would do together before our landscape design studios (to get the creative juices flowing) during our studios (for a break and refresher) and after our studios. (to unwind) I’m not to sure how productive it was, but it was a convenient location and when you are on campus working through the night on designs and pretty much living there, you need a place to kick back and have a drink to two. They had a bunch of beers on tap, it may have changed (I doubt it and hope not) but I remember that some of regular choices was Blue Moon, Stella Artois and New Castles. I think our pitchers went for about 10 bucks which wasn’t bad in my opinion.
I never tried the food, it seemed as though the results were mixed. But considering this would be the only place on campus you could have a drink (without repercussions) that alone made it worthwhile. Since graduating I haven’t made it back, probably a good thing, since it took me quite a while to work off that beer gut… :P