Bryden Bistro

Better have your Prilosec ready, cause you’re gonna get major heartburn… I ate there a few days ago and I got so sick! I gave it a shot, and it was horrible. Not to mention they were overpriced and the employees were pretty rude. The hospital is horrible too, but it’s not their fault I guess. I’d rather die than eat that food or go to that hospital again! Wouldn’t even feed it to my dogs!

My girlfriend had surgery yesterday, which means I was going to be waiting around the hospital for about 8 hours.
I went to the cafeteria expecting to pay $ 10 for a sub-​par breakfast. To my surprise it had all kinds of fresh hot foods (omelets, pancakes, sandwiches, etc.). I got a big scoop of cheesy scrambled eggs, a scoop of seasoned hashbrowns, and 2 thick sausage patties for $ 3.75! Good deal… I’d come here just to have breakfast if I lived close.
I decided to get lunch there too. They had alot of options (pizza, deli subs, burgers, etc.), but I just got chicken strips, fries and a Coke for $ 7.25, which was higher than I expected, but still an ok deal.
My only complaint is the layout is very confusing & needs more signage… half the items they had didn’t have any signs & I couldn’t tell what it was. Also, instead of a menu board for each station, they have TVs that scroll though each page… if you missed it, then you have to wait for it to come back around. And one cashier during the lunch period took a long time.

It’s a little hard to rate a hospital cafeteria, but I’ll have to say I’m a fan!
Bryden Bistro is the new cafeteria inside of Mt Carmel St. Ann’s. Apparently, St. Ann’s used to be in Old Towne East on Bryden Rd, hence the name.
As far as hospital cafeterias go, this is as good as it gets. I spied great to-​go items like wheatberry salads and fresh fruit (about time a hospital food dispensary offered healthy options), but the hot stations are really where Bryden shines.
There are daily variants on risotto, wood-​fired pizza oven, comfort foods, and grill. The salad bar is above-​average: their dressings appear to be house-​made and lots of great toppings like chickpeas and artichoke hearts. Three choices of fresh, hot soup, too!
Apparently breakfast is pretty sweet, too, though I haven’t tried it yet. Made-​to-​order omelets and the like.
The space is gorgeous and updated. Think dry-​stack stone and glass tile. This is a huge upgrade from the old cafeteria layout, which was confusing and labyrinth-​like.
The best part about the Bryden Bistro is the pride of the staff. Employees were eager to answer questions and show off the space. My dad works at St. Ann’s as a doc, and he was super excited for the fam to come visit him during a long shift so we could see Bryden Bistro.
The dining area still leaves something to be desired, but apparently the expansion and cafeteria reboot isn’t complete, and the dining room will soon be expanded and refreshed.