<p>There might already be a thread about this, but I was just curious on the dining experience one has at Vandy.</p>
<p>I've already read on the website but I would like some first-hand experience of the types of food/availability, etc.</p>
<p>I have a friend who used to work in the Music Row area … they used to walk over to the Commons for lunch. THAT’S how good it is. 
</p>
<p>You’ll be spoilt for choice…Commons has a wok station, good old American food, fresh pizza, a great salad bar and some of the best desserts I have had. You can also use your meal money at other locations such as Chili’s and Moe’s which are a few minutes away from campus. We also have Bamboo Bistro in Alumni Hall. There are 21 meals a week in the first year meal plan. When I don’t want to eat too much, I use many of my meal plans at the Munchie Mart where you get loads of microwaveable stuff, cupcakes, milk, yogurt, cereal and ice-cream. Have a look at the extensive menus at <a href=“NetNutrition Start-up Error”>http://campusdining.vanderbilt.edu/menus/</a> </p>
<p>As for first hand experiences, I really like the quality of the food here. It is quite tasty! When I get bored of the Commons menu, which doesn’t change much, I head over to Rand, the pub or Bamboo Bistro. Rand’s cookies are freshly baked and are legendary There is a Dunkin Donuts just 2 minutes away from my dorm so I like to eat there too. </p>
<p>Haha sounds sooo good @Sophie1295</p>
<p>Actually when food is availabe, it is quite good. However, Vanderbilt is horribly remiss in not even providing options for much of the week for dinner for upperclassmen. There is not even a regular cafeteria style option…kids have to go to some off beat casual options on campus, which offer limited or horrible options.
How a college can refuse to have standard meal service for all students for all meals every week is incomprehensible to me.
I give Vanderbilt an F grade in their attitude.
When food is available, it is quite good. (freshmen have no problem, others have horrible dinner options several nights/week).</p>
<p>Oh, a new perspective.</p>
<p>So upperclassmen do not have as great of a dining experience? </p>
<p>Default dining plan for juniors is 8 meals per week plus some flex meals and meal money. My son likes this. He lives in an apartment style dorm this year and likes to cook for himself. You can get a plan with more meals if you want, though.</p>
<p>I will say that it depends when you want food. Breaks are HORRIBLE for food. I’m in fall break right now, and it feels like everything’s always closed that’s on the plan. But during the year, it’s fantastic! I use the Munchie Mart a lot, for about two meals a day. I do Midnight Munchie almost every night and get snacks or poptarts for breakfast (and stock up on drinks as necessary) I grab the breakfast swipe there after my 8 am gets out since I have an hour between that and my 10 am, and get coffee and lunch for later that day, then get my dinner swipe at Commons usually, sometimes the Pub or Rand if I’m over there. Weekends are the only times I get breakfast in Commons Dining.</p>
<p>I say all this to point out that while the Commons food may be really good, it’s easy to get into a rut of mostly Munchie Mart food. So if the thought of poptarts and Lean Cuisine is horrifying to you, you may have a bit of a problem.</p>
<p>well, the Commons dining experience is superb in contrast to the food I saw being served at flagship colleges. However, Vandy is not Bowdoin which is often number one in best food rankings. Also you don’t have to walk down a snow shoveled path in the pitch dark at five pm to find the pretty much only dining hall. 
(one son was admitted to Bowdoin…don’t get me wrong-love that college) But one thing we love about Vandy is the cozy spot between the West End and Hillsborough Village commercial districts. Vandy’s area feeds 6000 graduate students and 6000 undergraduate students and the entire complex of Vanderbilt’s paid workers. Thus you will never be claustrophobic if you choose to hoof it a bit. Altho our son also was guilty of buying less than healthy food on breaks when the campus was deserted and options on campus dried up, he was mainly trying to use up his food contract. If he had been willing to walk just a bit, he could have had a fairly healthy meal at the Noshville Deli or a sandwich or salad in Indian/ethnic restaurants within a few blocks of campus out of pocket. This area is not NYC, but it beats the districts around a great percentage of most colleges. We thought our son would like a liberal arts college but he ended up liking the broader sphere of a medium sized research university. </p>
<p>There is such a big variety of options available close to campus, from chains to one of a kinds. SATCO, Panera, Cabana (yum), Fido, Pancake Pantry, and Jackson’s are among those that come to mind in a flash.</p>
<p>These are all good things to hear- thanks!</p>