Segundo Dining Commons

Better than Tercero. Way more spacious, a lot of different foods and the food quality is overall good. It can get full at peak times and you better not be there at very late times between meals or you won’t find much food. If you don’t have a meal plan a regular swipe will cost you $11, you can use your credit/debit card or your Aggie cash if you have any. There is always good music playing too. There is a lot of variety when it comes to their Pizzas and they also offer good vegetarian options.

The segundo dining commons is my favorite dining common. The food is fantastic, the quality is high and the people are very friendly. I highly recommend the Tofu scramble from the omelet bar even though I'm not vegetarian, it tastes delicious. Getting veggies is something I take seriously and this DC empowers me to do just that without hindering great tasting meals. Wonderful place to eat and study too. Reward yourself after each HW problem with some ice cream.

If you don't have meal passes cause you aren't a freshman living in the dorms, make sure you buy them instead of paying at the front. It'll save you a couple bucks. The beef stew was great. Was very tender and the sauce paired well.

Everyday is something new great tastes awesome staff and all you can eat for a reasonable price 😘😍 there the best. 🥰🥰🥰

Best DC ever!!! Forever my favorite place to eat on UCDavis campus 💖💖💖

Legit DC

Had a ton of fun working at the Mongolian bbq place. Played with wooden swords for 8 hours.

Here is very nice dining place in Davis

Andus

If you don't have meal passes cause you aren't a freshman living in the dorms, make sure you buy them instead of paying at the front. It'll save you a couple bucks. The beef stew was great. Was very tender and the sauce paired well.

Sarah Eshetu

Everyday is something new great tastes awesome staff and all you can eat for a reasonable price 😘😍 there the best. 🥰🥰🥰

Hazel Tran

Best DC ever!!! Forever my favorite place to eat on UCDavis campus 💖💖💖

Hazel Hanh Tran

Legit DC

Josh Kuhl

Had a ton of fun working at the Mongolian bbq place. Played with wooden swords for 8 hours.

Segundo Dining Commons is easily one of the best places to eat at UC Davis. The food is consistently fresh, and there’s a great variety—from classic comfort food to healthy, vegetarian, and international options. You’ll always find something you enjoy, no matter your dietary preferences. The space is clean, spacious, and well-maintained, and even during busy hours, the staff keeps things running smoothly and with a smile. It’s a great place to take a break, eat with friends, or even get a little studying done between classes. For a campus dining hall, Segundo really stands out. The quality, variety, and atmosphere make it a favorite for many students—including me!

I was very impressed. The place is huge and there is a huge variety of options of all kinds, from salads, Asian dishes, pizzas, burgers, pasta, rice, fruits, drinks, desserts, coffee, pastry, etc...all of them quite tasty!. I was really overwhelmed and it was hard to choose! Best of all, you can eat all you want and the price is very reasonable, around $13. Staff was in general nice but not extremely friendly, just correct.

Had a nice meal, large variety of items. They had a Bubly water dispenser with 3 or 4 flavors.

Abel

A lot of food options and plenty of space!

Arian Bn

Segundo Dining Commons is easily one of the best places to eat at UC Davis. The food is consistently fresh, and there’s a great variety—from classic comfort food to healthy, vegetarian, and international options. You’ll always find something you enjoy, no matter your dietary preferences. The space is clean, spacious, and well-maintained, and even during busy hours, the staff keeps things running smoothly and with a smile. It’s a great place to take a break, eat with friends, or even get a little studying done between classes. For a campus dining hall, Segundo really stands out. The quality, variety, and atmosphere make it a favorite for many students—including me!

Kathleen Pugliese

Had a nice meal, large variety of items. They had a Bubly water dispenser with 3 or 4 flavors.

Trachemysta

I was very impressed. The place is huge and there is a huge variety of options of all kinds, from salads, Asian dishes, pizzas, burgers, pasta, rice, fruits, drinks, desserts, coffee, pastry, etc...all of them quite tasty!. I was really overwhelmed and it was hard to choose! Best of all, you can eat all you want and the price is very reasonable, around $13. Staff was in general nice but not extremely friendly, just correct.

It's good all you can eat, but apparently they have poor record keeping and lost track of my meal card purchases and revoked about 30 meals. So much for keeping your non- dorm meal plan they said you could keep after graduating.

The food is pretty good, not the quality you'd get from a restaurant but it's pretty good for a cafeteria. I'm glad they always have vegan options.

Segundo DC is probably the best DC on campus. I go almost every night for late-night. They have food that isn't offered at other DC's (e.g. make your quesadilla, tatchos, etc), and they do cater to dietary restrictions.

For college dorm food, this place is pretty darn good. Many choices, from burgers, pizzas, salads, stir fry and many other selections. I'm sure over time it would get redundent, but anyplace would if you're there for a 9 month span. I guess Tercero dining could change things up a little.

The food is well worth the price, but it is a bit bland. I enjoy the mongolian wok and the cowboy burger, but avoid the vegetarian options if possible.

Typically the food is pretty good, but sometimes a dish is just bad. Also, they are always out of forks... Otherwise, everything is great.

Pretty cheap (~$12) all you can eat. Decent food. Gets repetitive as a student with a meal plan

Maybe it's just me, the food tastes better at Segundo than Tercero. However, Tercero has a plethora of caffeine options. I recommended making affogatos at either DC.

For a cafeteria, the food is pretty good. Although sometimes their meat is overcooked. I do love that you can get as much food as you want. There are always multiple options and they always have something vegan or vegetarian. Unfortunately as of November 2020 they are not offering dine-in due to the covid restrictions.

I've never eaten here even though this is my alma mater. Segundo DC is the only one open on the weekend. We came for an event and decided to have a late lunch here. For $13 a person (adults and any kid over 3), it's not bad. There are quite a few choices. We went to the Mongolian BBQ first and it was very tasty although I think they use vegetable or canola oil. You add your own sauces at the end which is a good idea vs they add it for you. There's only chicken as the meat option, but plenty of veggies to choose from. The salad bar is quite good with a good variety of veggies plus we enjoyed the apple walnut salad and the curry tortellini salad, both very tasty. I was impressed that there were good quality deli meats too (pastrami and thin sliced as well as cubed pork loin roast). There's also a few kinds of cheeses to make sandwiches with and egg salad and tuna salad too. The soup bar wasn't impressive, only had a mustard green and pork soup and Thai curry soup. Hot food wise there's also roasted bbq chicken and rice. Overall, good value and delicious for a dorm dining hall. The environment is good also and doesn't feel too canteen or "mess hall" even though it is obviously not a restaurant.

Love the food, love the service. The atmosphere is great but the smell makes me feel sick

The food never quite reaches delicious, but “surprisingly good” is a thought that crossed my mind quite often

J L

I've never eaten here even though this is my alma mater. Segundo DC is the only one open on the weekend. We came for an event and decided to have a late lunch here. For $13 a person (adults and any kid over 3), it's not bad. There are quite a few choices. We went to the Mongolian BBQ first and it was very tasty although I think they use vegetable or canola oil. You add your own sauces at the end which is a good idea vs they add it for you. There's only chicken as the meat option, but plenty of veggies to choose from. The salad bar is quite good with a good variety of veggies plus we enjoyed the apple walnut salad and the curry tortellini salad, both very tasty. I was impressed that there were good quality deli meats too (pastrami and thin sliced as well as cubed pork loin roast). There's also a few kinds of cheeses to make sandwiches with and egg salad and tuna salad too. The soup bar wasn't impressive, only had a mustard green and pork soup and Thai curry soup. Hot food wise there's also roasted bbq chicken and rice. Overall, good value and delicious for a dorm dining hall. The environment is good also and doesn't feel too canteen or "mess hall" even though it is obviously not a restaurant.

Naylin tom

Love the food, love the service. The atmosphere is great but the smell makes me feel sick

Paul Smith

The food never quite reaches delicious, but “surprisingly good” is a thought that crossed my mind quite often

Used to be good. Possibly of food being undercooked (Mongolian wok). It seems the cooks have been advised. It is now satisfactory.

The food is usually okay, but definitely has good and bad options. I wouldn't eat here if I didnt have the meal swipe-in option

She's okay. There's a good amount of food options during peak times, but during off times, there's almost nothing—usually only 1-2 stations will be open. Pizza flavors are almost always weird and inedible (examples include carnitas pizza, pizza with grapes on it, etc.). Food quality doesn't match Cuarto but is okay except for the pizza and Mexican food stations. Seating is nonexistent when it's busy, but there's plenty during off hours.

Food is Ok, always go for pizza. Want to try Mongolian BBQ, kids love free ice cream and cereal, they stuff themselves too. sometimes the hot sandwiches are not good.. like the meat is fried long time ago and too hard to chew.

Totally dissatisfied. Bean burger bun was dry. Sauce options were limited. Stir fry veggies were flavorful but under cooked. Bummer the Mongolian barbecue was not open. The salad bar only had a couple of options and very few veggies. My friends raved about this place three years ago. Good aspect, it nice hearing people talking and laughing in the background.

As a community I have eaten at Sugundo (mostly dinners) many times over the last seven years. As the prices have increased (which I understand) the selections and quality has decreased substantialy. Often there is no salt/pepper avaliable, the soda or ice tea machines are not working. It appears that UCD has changed the catering company. Why is it that there is no ice tea at Tercero? Plese bring back the cloth napkins.

Gene Ashdown

As a community I have eaten at Sugundo (mostly dinners) many times over the last seven years. As the prices have increased (which I understand) the selections and quality has decreased substantialy. Often there is no salt/pepper avaliable, the soda or ice tea machines are not working. It appears that UCD has changed the catering company. Why is it that there is no ice tea at Tercero? Plese bring back the cloth napkins.

Howard Louie

Food is Ok, always go for pizza. Want to try Mongolian BBQ, kids love free ice cream and cereal, they stuff themselves too. sometimes the hot sandwiches are not good.. like the meat is fried long time ago and too hard to chew.

Greg Kiefer

Totally dissatisfied. Bean burger bun was dry. Sauce options were limited. Stir fry veggies were flavorful but under cooked. Bummer the Mongolian barbecue was not open. The salad bar only had a couple of options and very few veggies. My friends raved about this place three years ago. Good aspect, it nice hearing people talking and laughing in the background.

They are usually out of the things I am looking for. Bananas, mugs, almond milk. My food always goes cold on my search for these and the staff doesn't seem to care when they need to restock. Also, it is closed at 4pm which is when I want to go after my class gets out. I thought this place was amazing at first with everything they have to offer, but the magic is gone for me.

Everything was in disarray. No milk, one toaster, bread and bagels in an area and no toaster next to them. Silverware was a scavenger hunt to find along with cups..... It was so much better in years past.

Basic dining hall terrible food quality, staff is always the best tho

Terrible food. Under or overcooked. Contaminated ingredients. I stopped going here after I had a sever reaction to nuts even though everything I ate supposedly had no nuts. Also after the plates, utensils, glasses were not cleaned. When the cereal tasted like cleaning solution and when I had hair it my soup and food. Disgusting. No Ripe or Good QUALITY fruit available.

This a good dining commons on the Davis campus but the food here is so repetitive.

Terrible dining hall. Salad bar consistently has no food, milks, orange juice and apple juices do not work, consistently out of order. Not enough desserts. Not enough protein, they monitor and do not let kids serve themselves good protein, limit protein intake for kids. Dining hall wastes food showing food at front, could give to kids in Africa starving. Overall poor experience.

It always lack meats and proteins. Meats only come up for the dinner, but it’s always a chicken or fake beef’s that run out in soon.

Segundo Dining Commons is another example of UC Davis prioritizing surface-level presentation over actual student experience. It looks modern and expansive, but the reality is inefficiency, inconsistency, and a complete mismatch between cost and value. The food quality is unpredictable at best—often bland, repetitive, and poorly executed. Meals feel mass-produced with minimal attention to nutrition, taste, or basic freshness. Long lines, overcrowding, and rushed service are routine, turning what should be a basic daily necessity into a time-consuming chore. What makes this worse is the price. Students are locked into expensive meal plans that promise convenience and quality, yet deliver neither reliably. For what students pay, the experience should be functional and dependable. Instead, it reinforces the feeling that students are treated as a captive market rather than as people whose time, health, and money matter. As with other campus facilities, the problem goes beyond food. Segundo reflects a broader institutional issue: impressive branding, new buildings, and buzzwords masking low operational standards. When something as fundamental as daily meals feels like a compromise, it raises serious concerns about how seriously the university takes student well-being. For prospective students, this should factor into the ROI calculation. High tuition, mandatory housing, and meal plans add up quickly—and places like Segundo Dining Commons make it clear that the value returned does not match the cost. UC Davis may look polished from the outside, but experiences like this reveal how shallow that polish really is.

Very terrible customer service experience. The employee treat you like garbage and the face clearly shows that he doesn’t want to work at this establishment

Segundo Dining Commons is one of the most disappointing parts of campus life at UC Davis. The food is repetitive, often poorly prepared, and rarely caters to actual student needs. It feels more like a high school cafeteria than a part of a major university that constantly brags about its "world-class" status. For the price students pay in housing and meal plans, the quality here is inexcusable. Long lines, cold food, and a lack of variety are the norm. It’s hard to find balanced meals or anything remotely satisfying — unless you lower your expectations dramatically. Sadly, Segundo is just one more example of UC Davis prioritizing cost-cutting over real student experience. A shiny exterior with very little underneath — exactly like the university it belongs to

Segundo Dining Commons loves to pretend they “switch it up” every day, but it’s all surface-level effort with zero real improvement. The food might look slightly different day to day, but it’s the same bland, low-effort meals repackaged with a new label. They rotate dishes just enough to claim variety, but you can taste the laziness. Quality stays low, flavor is forgettable, and after a week you realize it’s just the same cycle of mediocrity. For the amount students pay, the dining experience is honestly disappointing and repetitive. If you’re expecting decent meals or actual variety, prepare for a daily routine of disappointment.

Wwe 417 Jia

It always lack meats and proteins. Meats only come up for the dinner, but it’s always a chicken or fake beef’s that run out in soon.

Joshua Han

Very terrible customer service experience. The employee treat you like garbage and the face clearly shows that he doesn’t want to work at this establishment

Gary Osterloh

Segundo Dining Commons loves to pretend they “switch it up” every day, but it’s all surface-level effort with zero real improvement. The food might look slightly different day to day, but it’s the same bland, low-effort meals repackaged with a new label. They rotate dishes just enough to claim variety, but you can taste the laziness. Quality stays low, flavor is forgettable, and after a week you realize it’s just the same cycle of mediocrity. For the amount students pay, the dining experience is honestly disappointing and repetitive. If you’re expecting decent meals or actual variety, prepare for a daily routine of disappointment.

Carlos Sinner

Segundo Dining Commons is one of the most disappointing parts of campus life at UC Davis. The food is repetitive, often poorly prepared, and rarely caters to actual student needs. It feels more like a high school cafeteria than a part of a major university that constantly brags about its "world-class" status. For the price students pay in housing and meal plans, the quality here is inexcusable. Long lines, cold food, and a lack of variety are the norm. It’s hard to find balanced meals or anything remotely satisfying — unless you lower your expectations dramatically. Sadly, Segundo is just one more example of UC Davis prioritizing cost-cutting over real student experience. A shiny exterior with very little underneath — exactly like the university it belongs to

C.

Segundo Dining Commons is another example of UC Davis prioritizing surface-level presentation over actual student experience. It looks modern and expansive, but the reality is inefficiency, inconsistency, and a complete mismatch between cost and value. The food quality is unpredictable at best—often bland, repetitive, and poorly executed. Meals feel mass-produced with minimal attention to nutrition, taste, or basic freshness. Long lines, overcrowding, and rushed service are routine, turning what should be a basic daily necessity into a time-consuming chore. What makes this worse is the price. Students are locked into expensive meal plans that promise convenience and quality, yet deliver neither reliably. For what students pay, the experience should be functional and dependable. Instead, it reinforces the feeling that students are treated as a captive market rather than as people whose time, health, and money matter. As with other campus facilities, the problem goes beyond food. Segundo reflects a broader institutional issue: impressive branding, new buildings, and buzzwords masking low operational standards. When something as fundamental as daily meals feels like a compromise, it raises serious concerns about how seriously the university takes student well-being. For prospective students, this should factor into the ROI calculation. High tuition, mandatory housing, and meal plans add up quickly—and places like Segundo Dining Commons make it clear that the value returned does not match the cost. UC Davis may look polished from the outside, but experiences like this reveal how shallow that polish really is.