Dining Options at Bama

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>Reallllly dumb question.</p>

<p>Way back when I was an undergraduate, shortly before the Flood, we had one on-campus dining option, period: You went through a cafeteria line. Behind the counter, rather grim old ladies dished out the slop–oops, I mean the food. There were no real choices. First, they gave you the Meat Thing du Jour. Then the Potato Thing du Jour. Then the Vegetable Thing du Jour. Maybe a roll. And some sort of dessert. Then they handed you your plate, and you put it on your tray, and you were set.</p>

<p>Toward the end of my college years, several entrepreneurial students opened a little on-campus deli, which sold bagels and burgers and egg creams (my first exposure to egg creams – delicious!). But, if you were on the meal plan and didn’t want to spend the extra money, you stuck with the cafeteria line and the daily slop.</p>

<p>Now, here’s the dumb question: Is there anything like that at Bama? At Bama Bound, we experienced the Ferg (food court featuring national-chain fast-food joints, a salad bar, Starbucks, etc.) and Lakeside (we didn’t dine there–DS did–but, from the little we saw, it looked like pizza, pizza, and more pizza).</p>

<p>Are there any other meal-plan options? Is there a more traditional cafeteria-style option, either at Lakeside or at Burke? (We didn’t visit Burke.)</p>

<p>One thing I have to say for the classic cafeteria option: You got your three basic food groups. Meat, starch, veggie. I’m afraid that a constant diet of fast food will be much less varied and healthy. </p>

<p>Also–doesn’t the food-court stuff at the Ferg come out of Bama Dining Dollars rather than the regular meal plan? Pardon my ignorance, but we were kind of confused and overwhelmed during Bama Bound, so we never did get all that stuff straight.</p>

<p>(I understand every college nowadays has gone the food-court route…but I was just wondering whether a more traditional option might still exist, at least as an alternative, somewhere at Bama…?)</p>

2

<p>You don’t use your meal plan at the Food Court.</p>

<p>You use your meal plan at Lakeside, Fresh Food, Burke, and Bryant.</p>

<p>You use cash, credit, Act card money, or Dining Dollars at any of the Food Courts.</p>

<p>*nd Lakeside (we didn’t dine there–DS did–but, from the little we saw, it looked like pizza, pizza, and more pizza).</p>

<p>Are there any other meal-plan options? Is there a more traditional cafeteria-style option, either at Lakeside or at Burke? (We didn’t visit Burke.)*</p>

<p>Lakeside isn’t just Pizza…that’s just what’s right in view from the entrance. Lakeside offers sandwiches, usually a meat entree of the day, baked potatoes, burgers, fries, Chinese, Italian, etc. </p>

<p>However, my kids liked the food at Fresh Food, Bryant and Burke better than Lakeside.</p>

3

<p>You don’t use your meal plan at any of the Food Courts.</p>

<p>You use your meal plan at Lakeside, Fresh Food, Burke, and Bryant.</p>

<p>You use cash, credit, Act card money, or Dining Dollars at any of the Food Courts.</p>

<p>*nd Lakeside (we didn’t dine there–DS did–but, from the little we saw, it looked like pizza, pizza, and more pizza).</p>

<p>Are there any other meal-plan options? Is there a more traditional cafeteria-style option, either at Lakeside or at Burke? (We didn’t visit Burke.)*</p>

<p>Lakeside isn’t just Pizza…that’s just what’s right in view from the entrance. Lakeside offers sandwiches, usually a meat entree of the day, baked potatoes, salad bar, soups, burgers, fries, Chinese, Italian, etc. </p>

<p>However, my kids liked the food at Fresh Food, Bryant and Burke better than Lakeside.</p>

4

<p>Thanks so much, mom2ck!</p>

<p>OK, hate to be such a pest and a noodge…but what sort of food do you get at Fresh Food, Burke, and Bryant? Also–where is Fresh Food?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

5

<p>^ Never mind! :slight_smile: I found the Campus Dish site via Mr. Google, and it had all the answers. :slight_smile: Thanks much!!</p>

6

<p>Don’t know why my post posted twice…sorry. I thought I was editing one.</p>

<p>*but what sort of food do you get at Fresh Food, Burke, and Bryant? *</p>

<p>Typical foods found at “food stations” in the dining halls…there are usually the following stations…</p>

<p>Italian station …pasta and pizza
Asian station…stir fry and noodles/rice/veggies.
American station…burgers fries, etc.
Sandwich/sub sandwich station…made to order
Hot meal station…meat of the day, veggies, baked potato bar, breads
Salad bar and soup bar
Dessert station
fresh fruit
cereal and milk station
and…during the breakfast hours…scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc. </p>

<p>Bryant seems to have more “meat of the day” selections.</p>

7

<p>Yum, I’m getting hungry. Thanks much, mom2ck!</p>

8

<p>D’s favorite dining plan location is Fresh Foods by far. Unfortunately, their hours are limited so dinners were never an option there.</p>

9

<p>Did your D ever eat at Burke or Bryant? The food is good there.</p>

10

<p>m2ck,</p>

<p>When are the breakfast hours? I thought many of the dining halls didn’t open until around 10:30 am.</p>

11

<p>i don’t know when they open, but i am SURE it is before 10:30.</p>

<p>DD said breakfast CLOSES around 9:30.</p>

<p>check on campus dish.</p>

12

<p>hours…</p>

<p>Don’t go by the current Summer hours…</p>

<p>Campus Dish is only showing summer hours right now. </p>

<p>Usually there are at least 2 meal plan venues open for breakfast.</p>

<p>One year it was Fresh Food (in the Ferg) and Burke</p>

<p>Another year it was Lakeside and Burke</p>

<p>I just sent an email in to find out the situation for this fall. </p>

<p>Don’t know if Bryant serves breakfast or not.</p>

<p>Of course, the Food Court in The Ferg serves breakfast, but that’s not on the meal plan.</p>

13

<p>Something tells me DS will just microwave some grits for breakfast, LOL. :slight_smile: If he even does breakfast at all–he has an 8 a.m. class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Poor thing!)</p>

14

<p>I think many kids either skip breakfast or eat cereal, bagels, or something in their dorms.</p>

15

<p>With regard to Bryant dining, what is the deal for non-scholarship atheletes eathing there? You pay extra? Only certain meals? You have to swipe two meals? How does it work?</p>

16

<p>As I understand it…</p>

<p>for lunch it’s just a regular swipe.</p>

<p>for dinner there is an upcharge of several dollars for **Bryant **because they have high-end meats for dinner.</p>

17

<p>Son’s experience for dinner at Bryant: one swipe + $10 upcharge. He treats himself rarely because of the cost but the food is so much better, he claims. In general he tries to eat lunch at Bryant or Burke and dinner at Lakeside, where he’d rather not eat.</p>

18

<p>Son would often grab a morning pastry before class at Lloyd’s Food Court before his calculus class if he didn’t have time to zap his pancakes in the morning. I think that’s where the little bit of Dining Dollars he used went.</p>

19

<p>Older son never at breakfast.</p>

<p>Younger son would either eat at his dorm, or on days when he had an early morning break, he’d eat at that point in the Ferg.</p>

<p>He had an early class at Gordon Palmer, he then had an hour break before heading to the SEC. So, he’d head to The Ferg, grab a ready-made sandwich and some yogurt, and eat that during the break.</p>

<p>It’s much easier once they don’t need a meal plan. They can just buy what they want, when they want at the various retail venues…or eat at their dorms…or eat off campus.</p>

20

<p>my DD rarely eats breakfast. so she NEVER eats breakfast in the dining halls. if she eats it at all it is either a yogurt or a bagel. something simple. most kids would rather sleep than get up earlier to make time for breakfast. </p>

<p>all you freshman parents - don’t worry - your kids will not starve! most likely they will have unused meals left over.</p>