The familiar long lines of a dining hall still wrap around the buffet counters, but Starbucks' SODO Kitchen doesn't dish up your regular order of bland lunchroom food. Instead, the restaurant's focus on local, sustainable ingredients makes it an easy-to-justify stop in the Sodo neighborhood.

Located on the third floor of Starbucks headquarters, the cafe serves food that is fresh and trendy yet still comforting, says general manager Rick Stromire.

SODO Kitchen, owned by Starbucks and managed by Bon Appétit Management, opened to the public in early May for breakfast and lunch.

Breakfast is a sleepier affair of continental fare (bagels, pastries, oatmeal and cold cereal) and omelets, scrambles and breakfast meats at the ready. But the kitchen fires up the hot stations in time for lunch, when big crowds bustle through the restaurant's doors.

The menu: Rotisserie items, like the prime rib with a horseradish crust ($9.79) and roast chicken served with seasonal veggies ($8.29), make for a well-rounded meal. For more traditional fare, try the burgers — beef, chicken or quinoa patties ($2.89-$7.79) — or thin-crust pizzas ($6.79-$7.49).

The "global" dining station offers some zingy alternatives, such as chicken tikka masala ($8.29). Make-yourself salads (51 cents per ounce for vegetarian or 62 cents per ounce with meat) feature locally sourced produce.

What to write home about: In the past, I have been rightfully skeptical of scrambled eggs made in bulk, but the Beecher's cheese and chive scramble was excellent. For lunch, the rustic mushroom bisque, potato cauliflower purée and crisp-skinned roast chicken hit the spot during a gray Seattle day.

What to skip: The red-chili mahi mahi was a bit fishy and seemed out of its (nautical) league compared with the other local seafood options.

The setting: A sleek cafeteria with modern concrete floors and plenty of plush seating.

Summing up: Breakfast for two with corned-beef hash ($6.99), egg scramble with a side of bacon ($5.99) and two drip coffees (99 cents each) came to $14.96, not including tax and tip. For lunch, a rotisserie chicken with two sides ($8.29), bowl of soup ($3.99), mahi mahi ($8.99) and a single slider ($2.89) rang up at $24.16 and fed two.