Your first year of college is a year of transitions, and one of the most crucial transitions that a freshman must be prepared for is the move to dorm food. You’ve been complaining about the same old dinners your family made you in high school, and now you finally have the opportunity to choose each and every meal from one of ten cafes and restaurants. The trick for the freshman is to know how to do it right. The keyword here for not getting sick and tired of dorm food is rotation.
Each dorm restaurant has something to satisfy any appetite, but the trick is to not overdo it. To avoid getting sick of dorm food, you must have a clear view of all your options.
DUX Bistro: Located in LLC North
If you are in the mood for handcrafted salads and sandwiches, coffee shop breakfasts or bread bowls, head to DUX Bistro. DUX is famous for the cheesy griller (a giant grilled cheese sandwich) and carrying supermarket quality sushi.
Carson Dining: Located in Carson
It is sad but true that many dorm residents fail to realize the beauty of Carson Dining until as late as halfway through their freshman year. DON’T BE ONE OF THEM.
Carson Dining has a rotating buffet menu every night. For a set number of points, it’s all you can eat. Not to mention you can count on unlimited pizza, ice cream, cereal and coffee at every meal. That’s not even the tip of the Carson Dining iceberg — enter Carson Late Night. During after hours at Carson, the average freshman can get one point pizza AND the delicious and infamous Whammy. A Whammy is essentially a Blizzard — but better.
Big Mouth Burrito: Located in Hamilton
The classic. Big Mouth is the unofficial favorite lunch destination of most freshmen. Burritos, tacos, salads, AND the occasional Churro. Really hard to go wrong here. Did we mention free salsa bar?
Fire ‘n’ Spice Café: Located in Hamilton
Fire ‘n’ Spice is fun because you get to walk through and pick your own noodle or rice bowl ingredients and watch it cooked in front of you! But get there early or don’t go at all because that line can take days.
Grab ‘n’ go: Located in Hamilton
Grab ‘n’ Go is essentially a combination of a 7/11, a Subway, and the hot lunch line in middle school. You can use points to buy prepackaged food, toothbrush and soda, but you can also go through a Subway-esque sandwich line or get a plate of hot food. Please try the vegan cookies. Please.
Barnhart Dining/Puddles Café: Located in Barnhart
Barnhart is another buffet-style eatery, and Puddles Café is similar to DUX. They are most frequented by residents of Riley and Barnhart, but even if you only go once, you must try Barnhart Brunch.
Freshmarket Café: Located in the Global Scholars Hall
New this year, this Café is still a mystery. It’s rumored to be fabulous, and I’ll leave you with one bit of gossip floating around campus—sushi track.
That’s the short and the long of it. You will love dorm food, after a while you will hate dorm food, but no matter what, you will miss it when it’s gone.