One State Street Cafe - Hartford, Connecticut

Juliana Simone

May 2023 - The chili this day was a pork version. Nice surprise. Heating it up at home later, it's good but I still prefer the beef. For me, this recipe is better than the chicken and vegetarian they also make here.
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Update December 2022: The vegetarian chili didn't do much for me - little flavor and not even the addition of beans. I meant to post a photo of their chicken chili which I had between the beef and the vegetarian, but it's nowhere to be found. This version was okay. Shredded pieces of chicken breast basically in the vegetarian chili. Not sure if when they make the delicious beef chili are days missed, or if they are not making it anymore due to inflation. Theme days are back and there are still many good meal options.
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Though the cuisine theme days are gone and the wide selection of food items has been pared down since COVID, there are still specials of the day, salads that staff will assemble for you behind the counter, and great sandwiches.

Here is a photo of a cup of their chili bought to-go for three dollars. This is really good chili. I like chili whether its made with ground or stew meat, with or without beans, though some people prefer it one way or the other. The Hartford Steam Boiler Company's cafeteria, "One State Street Café," which is open to the public, makes their chili with beef stew meat, and it's not barely there in shreds, but big, bold, tender pieces of beef. The beans are cooked perfectly. The spice and seasoning is light but present. Impressive. A package of oyster crackers comes with the chili. I had some on a hot dog and the rest from the to-go cup reheated in the microwave. Please start selling this by the quart!

Ashlee Sanchez

This spot is great for lunch with plenty of space BUT the lady at the grill is so rude!! She could be the nicest person to the person in front, but she just flips a switch every time I’ve ordered from her at the grill. She doesn’t know me, yet doesn’t fail to flip the switch every time and be rude and short. Last time I went to a different station because I didn’t want to deal with rude customer service. This is the only downside to this place.

Crystal Bryant

The food here is freshly made by a good chef. A variety of items to choose from which is good. I don't like that the food is a la carte and weighed unlike most places that charge a set price for a meal and you order the items to make up your meal. This practice makes it very expensive to eat here. Plus you don't know how much it's going to cost and if you have enough to pay. I think they'd get more sales if they take away weighting the items.

Jennifer Whiten

I received an email from 'Only in Connecticut' regarding this Cafeteria that was located in One State Street on the 4th floor in Hartford, CT. The reviews that were provided intrigued me so I checked out the website and looked at the menu. I decided it would be a nice place for lunch. I'm a Lyft driver and I had a drop off in Harford so I decided to go there for lunch because I hadn't eaten breakfast and it was already 12 pm. Once I pulled into the parking garage, I realized that I couldn't get a ticket to come out of the machine so I requested help. I informed the lady that I was looking for the Cafeteria. She says "I's not open to the public.". I then explained to her that I saw on the website that it was opened to the public. Then she said, "I don't know about that. You will need an Employee badge to get a ticket. You can try to go there if you'd like." I said never mind and decided to go to for Jamaican food instead. It was a disappointing moment because I was looking forward to seeing what the place was all about and tasting the food I saw on their website and I see all these reviews from other people about it and reviews on the email I got from Only in Connecticut. Is this place opened to the public or is it closed? Glad I didn't waste a full tank of gas going up to Harford just for that. There should be a clear sign stating whether the cafeteria is open to the public or not so when people read reviews about it from other sources, they're not wasting their time like I did.

Carleton Grose

The One State Street Cafe is in the Hartford Steam Boiler insurance company building. They have rich assortment of food which is priced by weight. There food is fresh and sandwiches can be prepared by order. Taste is excellent but you could be surprised by the cost since most of the items are determined by weight.

Melissa Freeman

This restaurant is hidden away in the Hartford Steam Boiler insurance company building. You have to look for it, it won't be obvious from the street. Don't be intimidated by the location in a business, it is open to the public. From the first level I walked in there is a very small coffee bar--don't stop there! Continue up one flight to the main cafeteria. Here you'll find an amazing number of options with a big salad bar, grill and sandwich bar. The deep-fried brussel sprouts are not to be missed. I had a great half-roast beef sandwich (this was plenty big for me) with homemade potato chips and a small drink for just $4.50. I can't comment on breakfast but I'm going to try it as soon as I can. Highly recommend this lunch if you are visiting anywhere near the riverwalk, Science Center or Old State.

Paul Noren

You wouldn't know this cafeteria is there by the location as there's no signage or marketing. Selection is very good. Salad bar has lots of choices. Daily specials section. Comfort food. Grill. Sandwiches. Place is always clean. Seating area in which to eat as well.

Will Ader

I've changed jobs recently, and this is one of the places I'm going to miss having access to. Very solid choices most days, and given its a corporate cafeteria, very good quality and decent prices. The seating area is nice, light, and open.