Cafeteria food

American Slang

Definition

Pejorative shorthand for bland, mass-produced institutional fare perceived as low quality.

Examples

"This hotel buffet tastes like straight-up cafeteria food—bland and rubbery."

"The chain’s new chicken sandwich is cafeteria food at best, all filler and no flavor."

"They gave us catered lunches, but it was basically cafeteria food: lukewarm, mass-produced, and forgettable."