Complaining about the lack of quality food: as much a Stanford tradition as getting heckled at Exotic Erotic. And while there’s no doubt that our food situation leaves something to be desired (Will someone please sell me food after 11 p.m.? I’m drunk! I’ll buy anything!), it’s also true that several great on-campus locations just haven’t made the rounds yet amongst undergrads. Bytes Café, close enough to the Quad to allow for a quick lunch run between classes, offers maybe the best food on campus at very reasonable prices. The word has gotten out in some sectors of the Stanford population (I’ve come to expect an awkward conversation with a TA or professor), but I can’t remember ever recognizing an undergrad there. Consider this your official notice.

Open from 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. every day, Bytes is housed in the David Packard Electrical Engineering building, on Serra Street past the psych corner of the Quad. Its futuristic, sanitary décor goes well with the historical computer exhibits on display elsewhere in the building, though it makes an odd contrast with the rich, warming fare on the menu. Still, at least someone thought about how to design the place. That’s what sets Bytes apart from other campus food destinations: From the streamlined interior to the creative, well thought-out menu to the trained, courteous service, they do everything they can to create a pleasant meal. The overall experience is like going out to a quality restaurant. After ordering your food, you receive a numbered flag. The café offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Your food is carried out to your table, usually within a few minutes of ordering. On my visits, the staff was always good-natured and helpful. Maybe great service isn’t what everyone’s looking for in a campus establishment, but I found it a nice change of pace from the mercenary diffidence you endure at — well, you know.

The lunch menu at Bytes features soup, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and frequently changing specials. In addition to various bottled sodas and teas, they offer espresso drinks. Prices range from $6-$7 for heaping salads and generous sandwiches with a side included. On a recent visit, the menu featured two specials. I chose a spinach and potato frittata over pasta carbonara with onion cream, which sounded delicious but a little heavy for a hot spring day. The frittata (an Italian take on an omelet) was dense, almost cake-like, and had a nicely browned, peppery crust. It came with a green salad dressed in a mustardy vinaigrette that went perfectly with the rich frittata.

Bytes does a good version of the popular mozzarella, tomato, and basil sandwich. The tender mozzarella came couched between slices of focaccia bread with fresh basil leaves and a chunky, garlicky pesto sauce. Pretty soon we’ll have the perfect tomatoes to make this sandwich really brilliant. The star of the plate though was the potato salad. In place of the standard mayonnaise-drenched goo, Bytes opts for tender chunks of potato in a light, zingy dressing with lots of lemon juice and chives.

Next time you’re deciding between Subway and Jamba Juice, give Bytes a shot. It’s one of the hidden gems of Stanford campus.