Steam Coffee Bar

This place has really gone downhill. The food quality is just not what it used to be. They once had some of the best cheesesteaks and burgers at the grill, but now the meat used for both is extremely fatty and often tough and chewy, which has been disappointing. Some of the other food options are decent, such as the sandwich station, but I typically go for the grill. The new screen-based ordering system is frustrating and poorly implemented. The menu options are often inaccurate, and staff regularly have to tell you to order something “close enough” on the screen and then explain your actual order to them. It feels completely pointless, and you can tell the employees aren’t fans of it either. On a positive note, the eating area is very nice, and the cafeteria itself is clean, modern, and well-maintained. I’ve been coming here for about 15 years, which makes it especially disappointing to see the quality decline this much.

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.

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. # 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. # 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!

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.

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.