Latitude Restaurant ends up being a frustrating experience. While the space looks fine and the branding suggests quality, the food and value don’t deliver. Execution feels lazy, prices feel inflated for what you get, and nothing about the experience stands out in a positive way. It’s functional at best and disappointing overall.
What makes it more irritating is how closely it mirrors my broader impression of UC Davis. Much like the restaurant, the campus appears polished on the surface but feels hollow underneath. Compared with other UC schools—UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara—Davis lacks the same level of rigor, talent density, and outcome-driven culture.
There’s also an underlying atmosphere that prioritizes politics, hierarchy, and performative agreement over merit or substance. Progress often seems tied less to quality or competence and more to navigating bureaucracy, signaling the “right” attitudes, and pleasing the right people. For motivated or capable individuals, that environment can feel stifling rather than empowering.
Latitude isn’t just underwhelming food—it’s symbolic of a place that settles for mediocrity while rewarding optics and compliance. In a UC system where stronger, more demanding environments exist, this one simply doesn’t justify the time, money, or expectations.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Haiyan Chen
At Latitude, you’re likely to find sushi, ramen, flavorful stir-fries, seafood, Asian snacks, and more. In contrast, the other three dining commons (Segundo, Tercero, and Cuarto) are more like traditional American college cafeterias, with menus featuring pizza, salads, grilled meats, pasta, and standard American breakfast/dinner options. Their selection of Asian or international dishes is noticeably less extensive than Latitude’s.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
fruit salad
terrible people running the market, fix your employees attitudes because god forbid they do their jobs
food okay, the restaurant i have very little complaints
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Razzle Robotics10
Terrible food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Andrews
Latitude Restaurant looks nice on the surface, but the food is bland, overpriced, and often poorly prepared. It’s cafeteria-level quality dressed up to seem like something more — much like UC Davis itself. There’s a lot of hype, but when it comes down to the actual experience, it’s a major letdown.
If this restaurant is supposed to reflect the campus’s global, progressive image, it’s doing a poor job. Save your money — both at this spot and, frankly, at the school if you're expecting top-tier standards.
Carlos Sinner
Latitude Restaurant looks nice on the surface, but the food is bland, overpriced, and often poorly prepared. It’s cafeteria-level quality dressed up to seem like something more — much like UC Davis itself. There’s a lot of hype, but when it comes down to the actual experience, it’s a major letdown.
If this restaurant is supposed to reflect the campus’s global, progressive image, it’s doing a poor job. Save your money — both at this spot and, frankly, at the school if you're expecting top-tier standards.
best dining hall on campus! i love the chile clams, beef and lamb shawarma, and the andino bowls. you can check the menu online before entering to see what is being served which is great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef and Lamb Shawarma
Anubhav Mishra
It is a good area to have food and they have Indian food options also thats the best part
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jonathan King
I like the vibe in this place but it is too crowded and the food is average.
Latitude Restaurant ends up being a frustrating experience. While the space looks fine and the branding suggests quality, the food and value don’t deliver. Execution feels lazy, prices feel inflated for what you get, and nothing about the experience stands out in a positive way. It’s functional at best and disappointing overall.
What makes it more irritating is how closely it mirrors my broader impression of UC Davis. Much like the restaurant, the campus appears polished on the surface but feels hollow underneath. Compared with other UC schools—UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara—Davis lacks the same level of rigor, talent density, and outcome-driven culture.
There’s also an underlying atmosphere that prioritizes politics, hierarchy, and performative agreement over merit or substance. Progress often seems tied less to quality or competence and more to navigating bureaucracy, signaling the “right” attitudes, and pleasing the right people. For motivated or capable individuals, that environment can feel stifling rather than empowering.
Latitude isn’t just underwhelming food—it’s symbolic of a place that settles for mediocrity while rewarding optics and compliance. In a UC system where stronger, more demanding environments exist, this one simply doesn’t justify the time, money, or expectations.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
At Latitude, you’re likely to find sushi, ramen, flavorful stir-fries, seafood, Asian snacks, and more. In contrast, the other three dining commons (Segundo, Tercero, and Cuarto) are more like traditional American college cafeterias, with menus featuring pizza, salads, grilled meats, pasta, and standard American breakfast/dinner options. Their selection of Asian or international dishes is noticeably less extensive than Latitude’s.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
terrible people running the market, fix your employees attitudes because god forbid they do their jobs
food okay, the restaurant i have very little complaints
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Terrible food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Latitude Restaurant looks nice on the surface, but the food is bland, overpriced, and often poorly prepared. It’s cafeteria-level quality dressed up to seem like something more — much like UC Davis itself. There’s a lot of hype, but when it comes down to the actual experience, it’s a major letdown.
If this restaurant is supposed to reflect the campus’s global, progressive image, it’s doing a poor job. Save your money — both at this spot and, frankly, at the school if you're expecting top-tier standards.
Latitude Restaurant looks nice on the surface, but the food is bland, overpriced, and often poorly prepared. It’s cafeteria-level quality dressed up to seem like something more — much like UC Davis itself. There’s a lot of hype, but when it comes down to the actual experience, it’s a major letdown.
If this restaurant is supposed to reflect the campus’s global, progressive image, it’s doing a poor job. Save your money — both at this spot and, frankly, at the school if you're expecting top-tier standards.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Please enjoy the odor.
Please enjoy the odor.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Cheap and good portions
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They are closed indefinitely
Restaurantji Recommends
They are closed indefinitely
best dining hall on campus! i love the chile clams, beef and lamb shawarma, and the andino bowls. you can check the menu online before entering to see what is being served which is great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef and Lamb Shawarma
It is a good area to have food and they have Indian food options also thats the best part
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
I like the vibe in this place but it is too crowded and the food is average.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
I love to!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef and Lamb Shawarma, Poke
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