Bene’s Pizza & Pasta

The pizza here is actually pretty good — I guess if you go at the right time. It can be hit or miss, but usually I stick to the pasta. Pasta station wasn’t open when I went in, so I opted for two slices of pizza (Pepperoni, sausage).
Cheese was perfectly melted on both, toppings were plentiful and the pizza looked fresh. The crust — and this is where a pizza place either «gets it» or doesn’t — was delicious. It was just the right bit of doughyness, crispyness and had a light buttery taste to it. The pizza also wasn’t that oily compared to other pizzas I’ve had.
Prices are a bit steep, but again, you’re paying for the convenience of eating on campus.

Great pasta dishes! They cook it in a pan like stir fry. I got the small and it filled me and my friend up. Friendly service.

Haven’t tried the pizza yet, but the pasta is just mediocre. I have to try to make the pasta tastier by adding a lot of the seasoning and taking the red pepper flakes where the pizza is to hand it to the student cooking my pasta. They really need to get new containers because after a few minutes the pasta leaks through the container, which makes it so messy when I’m trying to study and eat on campus.

I never really went here until my senior year. I wish I discovered it sooner. I always go here for the salads. You build your own salad. You can choose between a small or large. I usually get a large half spring mix, half spinach with chicken, feta cheese, mandarin oranges, grapes, tomatoes, cranberries, and half a scoop of honey mustard. Mmmm mmmm mmm, delicious!
You can choose to add a protein for an extra $ 1
They also have pizza & pasta here, but I’ve never gotten either of those.

Love this place so much. Great prices and EXCELLENT pasta. I’ve never had their pizza, but their pasta is too good to pass up for any good pizza. I come here at least once a week.
The cooking is not always consistent though, I can definitely tell when someone is actually cooking and when someone is just mixing the pasta around in the pan :/​there is a noticeable difference in taste whenever I see this happen and it kind of sucks but I’m too shy to point it out…
The garlic breadsticks sucks. Period. It’s not fresh and usually always burned on one side. They used to be pretty good but I don’t know what happened… All of a sudden they began burning them all the time.
They don’t put Parmesan cheese in while they’re cooking anymore. I wish they didn’t stop doing that. Some do it but most don’t. I like my Parmesan cheese cooked with the pasta, but now you can only add it in afterward. Why!!! *frustrated*

Overall, Bene Pasta is decent. If you’re looking to fill up, then here’s the place. Portions are pretty big, which makes up for the price. Spent $ 8 on a large pasta with chicken today.
The organization is the worst part though. You’ll find yourself jumping back and forth between the pan, the vegetables and protein, then back to the pan, then over to the pasta and sauces. It’s pretty inefficient if you ask me. Placing the pans between the vegetables and the pasta would mean less awkward movement for both the employees and the customers.
Pasta itself is OK. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but it’s a little bland. I’ve been here two times and got bowtie pasta with Alfredo sauce on both occasions. The sauce was definitely lacking in flavor. I’ll try something else next time and see if it’s any better. Maybe I just have to add something else.
Customer service is very friendly, although a little slow (it’s expected though, since your pasta is being prepared right in front of you). As your fellow students, you can easily talk to them about school.
If you have a little chunk of time and you’re in the student center, Bene’s Pasta is definitely a place you should check out at least once.

I only go to Benes because so I can see this cute coworker named Shanekwa. She is very friendly and nice and deserves a promotion!

This is a great spot to kill your zotbucks if you are a freshman. Otherwise, I would say this is a last resort. I always feel mildly guilty about buying food here because it all seems like stuff that is pretty easily made yourself. Pasta is like the go-​to food when you’re lazy at your apartment, why pay these guys an arm and a leg to eat it even more. Salad as well is something very easy to make yourself. But yeah it is really convenient though!
I feel like this place is always trying out new items (hot wings, mac and cheese balls) so keep an eye out, not to say these experiments are always good. Do not get the mac and cheese.
Fav pizza to get is the bruschetta pizza with tomatoes and basil and chicken. For pastas gotta have the pink sauce alfredo-​red sauce mix.
This is also a good spot to get water when you are thirsty in student center.

Bene Pasta is a great place for lunch when you are stuck on campus. Lines are long during lunch rush. The food here is fresh, made right in front of you, which I think is pretty cool. Pick your own pasta, sauce, vegetables, everything — even seasoning. It’s all up to you, to your perfection.

Custom made pasta made by your fellow students!
They have 2 sizes: small or large and 2 options: protein or no protein.
With protein is $ 1 extra, and I usually get it without because the pasta is filling enough without it.
Small = 3 veggie choices
Large = 4 veggie choices.
For me the small is usually big enough. They tend to give you a lot. Sometimes I share the large with a friend.
It’s usually fun to order because you get to make small talk with the people making your food. Do not come if you do not like small talk. kidding.
Bene’s is the go to place if you are sick of fast food.

I usually come here at least twice a week for the pasta, pretty tasty IMO, at least for on-​campus food, though slightly overpriced. For the pasta dish you choose up to 4 vegetable toppings, and for additional cost you can add a «premium» meat topping, then they mix it together with pasta and sauce of your choice (I like the tri-​color penne and pesto alfredo). Nice healthy place on campus to get food.

I don’t know what’s so good about this place.
Honestly, I’ve only eaten here twice and each time, my experience gets worse and worse. It’s overpriced, it’s not that great of a portion, and they need to take into consideration that we, as students, are cheap & low in funds!
So this place is ran by student workers and they make your pasta for you. You got the usual pesto, alfredo, marinara sauce (all vegetarian-​friendly). Then you got your choice of pastas. You get to choose 3 vegetables if you’re getting the non-​premium package and 4 vegetables + a meat if you’re getting premium. Prices vary from $ 6 – 7 dollars. FOR A PLATE OF PASTA THAT SUCKS?! NO THANKS.
However, their salad is okay. Just go over to the Greens-​To-​Go section. Delicious salad and much healthier!

So if you ask around UCI and try to find the best place to eat on campus, you’re probably going to hear this name tossed around almost more times than not. Student run workers and cooks bring about the pasta that is known as Bene’s Pizza & Pasta. I’ve never tried the pizza portion of Bene’s but man the pasta sure does hit the spot. It’s a little overpriced for pasta but you do get a generous portion compared to Italian restaurants that you go to outside of school or anywhere for that matter. Bene’s style is remniscent to a Benihana’s style as they create and cook the food in front of you so you know exactly what you’re getting. You get full customization of ingredients down to the seasoning and amount of cheese or sauce you want. Great bite, decent price, close to major locations around school. Don’t count on this place if you’re not a student at UCI.

Bene’s alright. It’s one of two places I’ll go to if I’m ever starving on campus.
I been here maybe three times in my college career and for the most part, I just remember thinking: man, I could be saving this $ 8 for something else and make exactly this back at my apartment with less oil and more vegetables. The sauce is also quite heavy. I always feel like sleeping after eating at Bene’s.
Good: on campus dining
Bad: not enough vegetables in each serving, heavy sauce, oily, oily, oily!

WTF why does it does not have 5 stars?! Benes is so bomb. It’s one of the best pastas you can get in a 7 mile radius of UCI. Nuff said.

We miss bene but topio’s is even better. Great service and tasty options.

While I prefer Ray’s to this place any day, Bene’s pizza is okay. The crust is really interesting, it’s like swirled up and lathered in oil. It’s also pretty filling too since it’s fairly thick. I always felt like the pasta and salad was a bit overpriced though… for a couple bucks more I could go to Souplantation and get all-​you-​can-​eat salad and soups (and even pasta). Come on Aramark, we’re broke college students!
If you’re looking for good thin-​crust pizza, Ray’s in the University Center is your place. But if you’re just looking for something quick to pick up between classes, Bene’s will do.

I have been here twice to get their lunch pasta ($ 3.99). You get to add 3 veggies of your choice, choose the pasta type and sauce, and they season to your taste. They make it hot right in front of you.
Their original prices were too high but they are now offering some more affordable and portion controlled options.

These Irvine students are picky! Bene’s is good stuff… either that, or I’m on crack. I come here about once every 2 weeks or so, and I have tried their pizza, pasta, salad, and special rolls (asiago, foccacccia). All good, all at good prices — example~4.50 for soup of the day in a bread bowl.
The pizza is tasty and not oily with fresh ingredients, the minestrone is yummy, and the special rolls hit the spot (andd they come with marinara dipping sauce). I wish they had oyster crackers for the soup, or butter for the rolls that come with salad or pasta though.
Salads and pastas are all Create Your Own, which I love – if it tastes weird you can blame yourself. My pasta was okay – I probably could have gone with a creamy sauce instead. I loved my salad though: spinach and romaine with marinated steak, Parmesan cheese, Croutons, tomatoes, cucumbers, artichokes, and carrots, tossed with Caesar dressing… fancy :) You can also go with shrimp, chicken, or even tofu! Yum.

Bene’s has existed since the grand opening of the UCI Student Center, located on campus. Their pizza is the WORST pizza imaginable. I would say my elementary school cafeteria pizza or a store-​brand expired frozen pizza with toppings I didn’t like are better than Bene’s. You actually could not pay me to eat a slice. At nearly $ 5 a slice, I’d have to be insane to pay them to eat it. Their pizza is a puffed up loaf of flavorless bread with some bought in bulk sauce and cheese sprinkled over it.
Why, UCI, WHY is it so difficult for you to bring tasty, affordable food to the Student Center? I’d settle for one or the other even. Bene’s belongs in the graveyard of failed eateries supplied by Aramark, Tortilla Express and Rice Garden. It currently stays in business because of mere volume, there are thousands of hungry students at UCI everyday. Please replace Bene’s with a real pizza place!