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So you’ve got a gaggle of co-workers who have different ideas for lunch. One’s on the South Beach diet, one’s in the mood for soul food, one just wants a sandwich, and one would love to join you but he promised his wife he’d pick up a porno DVD on the Block. Fret no more—you can do it all.

The Big Apple Tree Cafe, a cafeteria in the shadow of the Alex. Brown Building, and catty-corner from the Sweden House adult bookstore, boasts more than 100 food options. Most of them are buffet-style and $4.99 a pound, à la the more expensive delis in D.C. and NYC. The salad bar is remarkably good—fresh blueberries and strawberries on one end, three kinds of greens on the other, and plenty of toppings in between. Another buffet offers a plenitude of prepared salads ranging from roasted vegetables and marinated artichoke hearts to better-than-average Caesar and potato salads. There’s the ubiquitous soul-food bar, as well as a buffet table of numerous species of stewed meats and veggies. Or you can order some sushi. We opted for a baked ham and Swiss on rye ($4.79), tasty thanks to the Boar’s Head cold cuts. Big Apple Tree is pretty good as far as lunchtime buffets go, and you get a good view to boot.

E-mail Tim Hill