Zanzibar Cafe

Located at the loft, this cafe is hidden out of view at UCSD's Price center, and is definitely a pleasant surprise to walk into. The furniture and artwork are modern and sleek, and has a very welcoming atmosphere. I ordered the Zanzibar combo, and this came with half a cold sandwich, a soup, and a small side. I was thrilled to choose this option, giving me a greater variety of foods. However, quantity is not an adequate substitute for quality. The bread in the Banh mi was very dry, and overpowered the taste of the sandwich. The tofu and the inside of the sandwich was a little under-seasoned. The elote was the best part of this combo, put was also quite plain. It lacked any kind of diverse flavor- and seemed like simply a mixture of corn and mayonnaise. Adding some tajin, lemon, and some hot sauce would have completed this dish, and their absence was very apparent. The tomato basil soup was lukewarm and lackluster, I wouldn't have been able to tell if this was freshly made or out of a can. The vegan burger was also quite a disappointment. The buns were dry, and the Beyond burger severely lacked seasoning and failed to bring out an iota of flavor. Further, the traditional components that are widely expected in a burger were shockingly missing. The only remainder being arugula and a splash of "special Zanzibar sauce" that went unnoticed. The saving grace of this dish was the side of fries, which seemed to be fresh and crispy. The iced mocha seemed to have a bit extra milk, and was nothing spectacular. On a diverse campus that's expanding each year, students may find themselves more satisfied with some of UCSD's other dining options.

Ordered the vegan burger and none of the toppings it's supposed to come with were on it. It was flavorless and incredibly disappointing, especially for $10. I couldn't even force myself to finish it.

Pretty good quality food! A bit pricey at a total of $15, but not bad. Both the turkey and bacon panini and the macaroni and cheese (which isn't cheap, American cheese ones) were very tasty and had good quality. Nice to have nice food on UCSD campus like this.

My friend told about about this place because they have $1 orzo pasta and they give a hefty amount for that price. We each got an orzo pasta. I also got the lobster roll for only $9. They gave a lot of lobster for that price and it tasted really good. The orzo pasta and the chips were alright to me but it's greatfor the price. You order up front and then they give you a number to take to your seat. They bring the food out to you when it's ready. They also serve alc and coffee.

Zanzibar Café is probably the best place to eat on the UCSD campus. That being said, my 4 stars is relative to other places on campus, and would probably be a little harsher otherwise. Although the menu is small, there is a great variety of order options. I got the blackened fish sandwich with a side of fries. To be honest, I would not order it again. The fish came out cold, making it clear that it came frozen. Taste wise, it was fine. The fries on the other hand, I would definitely order again! We also got an order of the potato chips for the table. They are handmade and came out super hot and fresh. I would order these again.They have great happy hour deals, so I would come again for the sides at a good price!

-Update-So I've noticed an unfortunate recurring trend with their sandwiches. This time I ordered their blackened fish sandwich again with large chips, and the price was again $10 flat. This sandwich was overall better than the pork belly banh mi in terms of being more moist and flavorful, but it was about the diameter of a dollar menu burger from McDonalds... I haven't tried their happy hour, so I can't attest to how good it is, but for lunch given the price and the quantity, I'd recommend elsewhere in PC. Still a cool hangout spot though, and I'm still gonna come back for chips!

This has been my favorite spot on campus for the past four years now, and probably will continue to be. It's also referred to as The Loft and can be found on the second floor of Price Center. The location itself is great, and it's a nice moderate-volume establishment with decent views and cozy decor. The staff is super chill and helpful, and they're very efficient given how few of them there are. The prices are pretty fair, and their menu's got great variety food and drink-wise. I usually grab an iced chai latte from here, and it's a pretty solid mix. As for food, my staple used to be the lamb burger, and I wholeheartedly recommend it! The patty is cooked perfectly, paired with a nice brioche bun and the yogurt sauce, pickled cucumbers and onions? Super solid. Since switching to my pescatarian lifestyle, I've been ordering the fish tacos, which are a great serving size and pretty solid in terms of taste. The shrimp tacos are also pretty good, but there's something about the chipotle cream in the former that's got me hooked. Their carnitas taco is also good, but I'd recommend the seafood ones over it. Nonetheless, they do do taco Tuesdays and happy hour deals for the tacos! The side of fries is also a must for me, and I actually find them to be really good (I'm a fan of thinner cut fries, and I'll usually ask for them to be cooked well). The lobster roll is also another recommended pick, especially since it's so affordable for a lobster roll and it's packed with lots of meat without any overwhelming flavor. I'm just such a fan of the vibe and atmosphere of this place, and they're always playing really solid music. It's a nice place to be for solid food and background noise while you do work in a lively setting.

I got the chicken pesto hot sandwich as a panini with mixed greens (comes with balsamic vinegarette on the side). It was $10, and definitely not worth it as the sandwich was mediocre at best. It was a little small, the bread was way too hard, and the chicken was really dry.The workers were really friendly and the place itself was clean, but overall, I would say choose a different place to eat if you're in PC.

the staff here are really nice. it's also a good study/work space.vegan burger didn't come with all of the listed toppings, so we asked and got them. the decaf coffee tasted really weird, wouldn't recommend

A laid-back campus spot featuring a diverse and inventive menu, amiable staff, discounts on afternoon bar bites, and a thoughtfully curated selection of craft beer taps. The ambiance is complemented by a chill soundtrack playing through the PA system.