Cafe Yumm

Like a restaurant out of Mike Judge's cult treasure "Idiocracy."

Cafe Yumm is a chain in the mold of Panera or Chipotle.

The first thing I noticed at Cafe Yumm were large posters on the wall with lots of marketing words. "Cafe Yumm. Delicious. Cozy. Warm. Organic." There were three or four of these large posters mounted to the wall. And, honest to God, all I could think of was the movie "Idiocracy" where the characters go to Costco and are greeted with "Welcome to Costco. I Love You." A dream of marketing people, how to convey a message without actually saying anything. What's Cafe Yumm sell? What are the prices? What's the food look like? Nevermind all that, sonny, move on and be bathed in the Warm Organic Familial Setting of Cafe Yumm. You'll be Happy til it permeates your very soul. (At least, that's what I envisioned the marketing people were thinking.)

So I get up in line and try to figure out the menu. Their big thing seemed to be bowls of food. Some sort of salad/soup hybrid. (For the record, sandwiches, wraps, and soups were also available.) I looked over the bowl options, all of them seemed to offer "Yumm Sauce" (*facepalm*) or some likeness thereof. I chose "Jazzy" (*facepalm*) because it was supposedly a little spicey. I had to pay another $2 for chicken. Apparently Cafe Yumm is mostly vegetarian, I guess???

So I take my table number placard and wait for the lady to bring me my bowl. It only took a couple minutes. Inside there was avacado, rice, Yumm Sauce (I'm sure this is trademarked, right?), cheese, olives, and some other items. It wasn't blended but each had it's own place or layer in the bowl. The rice was well cooked. The avacado was simply cut with no flavoring added (depending on who are, either a fantastic or awful thing), olives sliced, cheese shredded. The chicken tasted like pre-cooked chicken reheated in a microwave. And here's where Cafe Yumm committed it's most vile sin; the bowl had a combination of temperatures ranging from cold to hot and everywhere in between. The portion (a medium) was perfect for lunch.

All in all I got a soda (16 oz me thinks) and a bowl of food for a little over $9. It's certainly not a "deal" and Eugene offers much better for comparable prices.

The other thing to consider here is that Cafe Yumm seems environmentally conscious. I wasn't offered a "to-go" cup for my soda. My silverware (not plasticware) was not wrapped in any sort of paper or plastic sleeve. In fact, the only waste I produced were my napkins. Cafe Yumm doesn't even have a garbage receptacle, instead you put all your stuff in a bin and they sort it for you. This may be important to you and is worth a mention.

All in all this isn't my bag. I much prefer a Panera which has better pricing and a larger, more tasty selection. The food had some good elements and some poor elements. The service was pretty good as the young man behind the counter offered samples. I wouldn't NOT recommend the place, but I wouldn't go back either. You simply have to give it a try to decide if it's up your alley.

"Yumm!" are always the words out of our mouths every time we dine at Cafe Yumm!

My husband and I love the variety of Yumm Bowls they offer and occasionally venture to try other dishes like Tempeh Bento plates or Tempeh Rueben sandwiches. Our kids (ages 4 and 2) share a DEVOUR a medium sized Deluxe Yumm Bowl with all the toppings, extra olives and avocado. We buy their delicious original sauce to make Yumm bowls at home when dining out is not a pocket book option. It makes a great salad dressing as well.

We've been dining with Cafe Yumm since they first opened in Eugene. It was an instant love for my entire family and something we always introduce out-of-town guests to. But the other reason: it's one of the FEW restaurants that caters to our gluten free and veganish lifestyle. (Our kids are gluten intolerant, I'm lactose intolerant, and we stopped eating meat and dairy after watching the documentary "Forks Over Knives" in March 2012. That was the BEST decision we've ever made for our lifestyle goals!)

This is our idea of fast food, and we're thankful it is the best kind of fast food out there.

My only desire is that I just wish they offered more than potato chips as their main side dish to their sandwich meals.

Part of a good healthy food chain
Delta Highway location
Nice rice bowls w/brown rice or tempeh
Loved the chicken Yumm bento: 1 teriyaki chicken skewer, brown rice, salad w/great dressing
Sauces are great
Have wraps
Good lemonade
Have to bus own tables