The Silo Food Center is marketed as the beating heart of student life at UC Davis — but step inside, and it’s clear the heart’s stopped. The food is flavorless, the portions random, and the prices laughable. It’s cafeteria food that’s given up, coasting on branding instead of effort. Everything about it screams convenience over care.
But the Silo isn’t an exception — it’s a mirror. UC Davis has perfected the art of selling style over substance, mistaking glossy sustainability slogans for progress. Behind the recycled-paper menus and “innovative dining” signs is a campus allergic to authenticity. The school pushes buzzwords about community and innovation while delivering mediocrity wrapped in marketing.
The truth is, UC Davis isn’t just out of touch — it’s worse. It’s a university so consumed with image that it’s forgotten purpose. The Silo is its perfect metaphor: overpriced, overhyped, and hollow to the core.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Carlos Sinner
The Silo Food Center is marketed as a central hub for student life at UC Davis, but in reality, it’s an overpriced, underwhelming mess. The food is bland, portions are inconsistent, and the options feel like they were designed for convenience, not quality. It’s the kind of cafeteria that gave up trying a long time ago.
Much like the rest of UC Davis, the Silo is all about presentation — shiny branding, inflated prices, and no real value behind it. For a school that prides itself on sustainability and innovation, this place is embarrassingly outdated and tone-deaf to what students actually want or need.
It’s a perfect symbol of UC Davis itself: all show, no substance, and a waste of time and money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
C.
The Silo Food Center is supposed to be a big part of student life, but it’s a total disappointment. The food is bland and overpriced, and it feels more like a cafeteria that stopped trying years ago. Like the rest of UC Davis, it’s all show with no substance. Just another waste of money and time.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Maria Rottersman
Lots of affordable food options, often crowded
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
jiahe fu
food track is kind of expensive
Erik Lehman
The bathrooms were nice and clean
Emma Fielder
The spokes grill ruins the atmosphere of the entire silo. After 10am everyday is intolerable to stay inside as the spokes grill emits this foul smell of burning oil. They use rice bran oil and their friers are too hot causing the smell of burnt oil to fill the air inside. Its disgusting and most people clearly dont notice how this isnt normal for a frier to be emitting the smell of burnt oil. Once you notice it, you cannot unnotice it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Gunwoo Kim
I like
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Fries
조창민
If you're an exchange student, definitely get the Fenders Combo from Silo. If you don't eat, you will be Skynet's first victim.
The Silo Food Center is marketed as the beating heart of student life at UC Davis — but step inside, and it’s clear the heart’s stopped. The food is flavorless, the portions random, and the prices laughable. It’s cafeteria food that’s given up, coasting on branding instead of effort. Everything about it screams convenience over care.
But the Silo isn’t an exception — it’s a mirror. UC Davis has perfected the art of selling style over substance, mistaking glossy sustainability slogans for progress. Behind the recycled-paper menus and “innovative dining” signs is a campus allergic to authenticity. The school pushes buzzwords about community and innovation while delivering mediocrity wrapped in marketing.
The truth is, UC Davis isn’t just out of touch — it’s worse. It’s a university so consumed with image that it’s forgotten purpose. The Silo is its perfect metaphor: overpriced, overhyped, and hollow to the core.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The Silo Food Center is marketed as a central hub for student life at UC Davis, but in reality, it’s an overpriced, underwhelming mess. The food is bland, portions are inconsistent, and the options feel like they were designed for convenience, not quality. It’s the kind of cafeteria that gave up trying a long time ago.
Much like the rest of UC Davis, the Silo is all about presentation — shiny branding, inflated prices, and no real value behind it. For a school that prides itself on sustainability and innovation, this place is embarrassingly outdated and tone-deaf to what students actually want or need.
It’s a perfect symbol of UC Davis itself: all show, no substance, and a waste of time and money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
The Silo Food Center is supposed to be a big part of student life, but it’s a total disappointment. The food is bland and overpriced, and it feels more like a cafeteria that stopped trying years ago. Like the rest of UC Davis, it’s all show with no substance. Just another waste of money and time.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Lots of affordable food options, often crowded
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
food track is kind of expensive
The bathrooms were nice and clean
The spokes grill ruins the atmosphere of the entire silo. After 10am everyday is intolerable to stay inside as the spokes grill emits this foul smell of burning oil. They use rice bran oil and their friers are too hot causing the smell of burnt oil to fill the air inside. Its disgusting and most people clearly dont notice how this isnt normal for a frier to be emitting the smell of burnt oil. Once you notice it, you cannot unnotice it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
I like
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Fries
If you're an exchange student, definitely get the Fenders Combo from Silo. If you don't eat, you will be Skynet's first victim.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Transit terminal while here
Restaurantji Recommends
Place was ok. Used to have a Starbucks not sure why that's not the case. I'll be back one day.
Atmosphere: 3
i wish it was open on weekends
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yummy food!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Fries
The smash budget is amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
stinks
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