<p>Can anyone explain to me the meal system at USNA? Is there an opportunity to, say, cook your own meals? I know at regular college campuses they have fast food on site - does USNA offer this type? Will food in the dorm result in a public whipping or something? Will there be opportunities to eat out? I love Chipotle and Long John Silvers =(.</p>
<p>at summer seminar, we ate family style meals in king hall, the huge cafeteria there at usna. i think pretty much all of our eating will be done there. they varied the cuisine throughout the week, and it wasn't bad...</p>
<p>at my summer seminar some of the first classmen also said it was their first time to see ice cream at lunch since their summer seminar :) I don't think the food is horrible but think about it this way you don't have to worry about when or where you are eating you just better know what exactly you are eating :)</p>
<p>It's not official what I'm gonna say, but as far as I've seen since I've been in the Navy, most of the eating will be done at the Chow Hall. They have a huge one at the Academy, and that is where everyone eats the 3 meals a day or whatever. I almost guarantee that for everyone, especially the Junior troops because they don't get let out during the work week at all.. So maybe you can eat out on the weekend once in a while, but it's mostly the on-base/campus galley where the food is served.</p>
<p>And don't worry about the quality, I'm at a run-down Marine Corps base and the chow here is wonderful.. I'm sure the Academy is leaps and bounds above here though. And it's all designed to be healthy, or healthier for you. That's a Navy-wide thing.</p>
<p>Might wanna cut your "food place/eating out" habits out.. don't wanna turn into a fatty now, huh? :) But seriously, you can't maintain a decent physique by consuming that garbage.</p>
<p>LOL Food in King Hall is not to good - in fact can be really bad.
Calories for meals is quite high. Need to watch what you eat in King Hall.</p>
<p>In the hall plebes cannot have any "cooking" equipment. Youngster year we had a hot water pot which we made soups. Second class year you can have a coffee pot. Many have "other appliances." There is a microwave in the ward room and firstie year you can have a mini frig.</p>
<p>Sunday night through Thursday night you eat in King hall - or at least are present for dinner.
You can order delivery from numerous eating places in DTA. Saturday many eat out or at their Sponsors house. And for the upperclasses many eat out Friday night and Sunday too.</p>
<p>I have no idea what the food is like now, but back “in the day” ('79 grad) we all thought the food was VERY good. Maybe we had lower standards then. 
It seemed the menus rotated, about every 2 weeks before they repeated themselves. There was good variety, quality, and quantity.</p>
<p>Of course, we all had our favorite and least-favorite meal which all became well known. Everybody was upbeat for the “Big N Steak Sandwiches” - wow, just saying that makes my mouth water like Pavlov’s dog - and it has been over 30 years. </p>
<p>Sneaking something out of the Wardroom (that’s what we called it) was VERBOTTEN. Even walking away with an apple to take back to your room was punishable with demerits. Of course, it always seemed that the upperclassmen (particularly the firsties) violated this without any repercussions, but a plebe wouldn’t dream of it.</p>
<p>No cooking in the rooms.</p>
<p>Let me just put it this way, my mid drove her car from Southern California to Annapolis just prior to the start of her 2nd class year so she could supplement the King Hall slop with nutritious food from Annapolis Trader Joe’s. Ward room fridge: food in locked sock is pilfered, another mid put ice cream in ward room freezer and it was gone within 20 minutes; doggie box with restaurant leftovers picked over by hungry stranger. Firsties can have dorm refrigerators and my mid has a brilliant Bodum electric tea pot for hot water. I’ve heard of third class with George Forman grills in their rooms (I thought that was pretty funny). Get a diet chit for extra dairy products. Prison food is superior to what is served at USNA (that’s speculative ;)).
I’ve eaten in King Hall a couple of times for “special parent” events and the food was worse than most public school cafeterias or 7-11 take out. One would imagine that they would knock themselves out for parent lunch/dinner. NOT.</p>
<p>I think I’ll mention it to the CIC at commissioning! Seriously, if the White House has a vegetable garden, why not USNA? :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It SO pains me to continue hearing this. King Hall served VERY good food back in my day. :(</p>
<p>Food’s been a point of major contention, especially over the past 2 years. No doubt it’s been less than outstanding for a longer period of time, but it’s only been during that time the problem has come to the attention of politicians and more closely, the BoV. They’ve continued to examine this despite indications the Supe has made attempts to avoid or diminish the issue.</p>
<p>While only the powers (and maybe the comptroller?) know how this problem has precipitated and developed over the years … and consistent information seems to indicate it’s not the traditional “lousy food” complaint coming from many campuses … several more knowledgeable souls have suggested it’s the result of years of eroding funding and/or purchasing power, and perhaps internal reallocation of funding intended for food stuffs. While some days you can get tomatoes @ half price and the diners won’t notice they are a little green, this practice over time impacts. Last spring there was a budget boost for per diem funding. My understanding is that it has not shown consistently improved results. So, this is definitely a problem that remains unresolved, it seems, and is more than simple perception from the days when chow was considered “good.”</p>
<p>Adding fuel to the firestorm of controversy surrounding the quality of the food (way beyond the “normal” complaints regarding institutional food) were the requirements to attend each meal, the closure of Dahlgren during meal hours, the mandatory study hours which limited the ability to obtain food from delivery, and the inability to prepare meals in Bancroft to supplement meals which were less than appetizing, and at times not sufficient to feed the entire table of mids.</p>
<p>I do not know if any of these restrictions have been lifted or relaxed. This is the way it was last year, and the controversy was well publicized.</p>
<p>According to my mid, the food has improved since the low last August- certainly there is more quantity; quality is another issue. Coffee was upgraded to starbucks, if your Mid drinks coffee at all. There is still steerage and dalghren, although access to both can be limited. Take out/delivery through gate 0 is still an option, if your funding allows.</p>
<p>During BGO training last summer, the food was edible, and even Ok, although my Mid tells me the “summer food” is better than the AC year stuff. On parent weekends, it has been - ummm- lets just say, we ate afterwards!</p>
<p>as for cooking-
during AC year, most companies will allow plebes the use of the microwave in the company wardroom- you won’t be able to eat there, but at least you can heat things up. Forget storing stuff in the wardroom refrigerator, as USNA09mom has already pointed out. Don’t know if it’s the mids or the mice, but food left in the wardroom does disappear, and quickly. Hot pots: depends on company, but most plebes will not be allowed them. Need to check with your company first.</p>
<p>refrig: if there are particular dietary needs you can get a chit to have one in your room prior to 1/C year, although it is very company-specific. If you do get to have one, it will be small. Some will sneak them in (not recommended as it can land you with a heap of demerrits).</p>
<p>Things lighten up a bit 3/c and 2/c year, as each stripe brings more access to wardroom. 1/c’s get to have a refrig in their room as long as it is the prescribed size.</p>
<p>Somehow you will manage a way to eat, and even find things to eat, even though you may not always know what it is you are eating. But last I looked, my mid was holding weight, which is huge compared to the pounds he lost last August. Progress.</p>
<p>And as many have pointed out in the past, the mids like to complain sometimes, and food is an easy target- even on the “good food” days!!!</p>
<p>Morale of the story: be nice to your parents so they will send you lots of care packages. And when all else fails, there is still PBJ on the tables- bread optional! ;)</p>
<p>“Can anyone explain to me the meal system at USNA? Is there an opportunity to, say, cook your own meals? I know at regular college campuses they have fast food on site - does USNA offer this type? Will food in the dorm result in a public whipping or something? Will there be opportunities to eat out? I love Chipotle and Long John Silvers =(.”</p>
<p>Seriously? You are actually wondering what the FOOD situation is at USNA?</p>
<p>Is this some kind of joke? It’s a Military Academy…no they don’t have fast food restaurants on the yard…</p>
<p>You seriously have your priorities mixed up.</p>
<p>That’s really not as crazy as it may sound. While I believe most are closed @ present, the Navy once had a plethora of fast-food outlets on their bases, facilities. Why not? Anyone eating in the basement grill room might also add …“why not!”</p>
<p>And while food is always a prime target for bellyaching …figuratively, too many times it seems to have its literal applicability @ USNA.</p>
<p>Remember, there is a very pragmatic, functional challenge @ USNA that doesn’t apply, changes the entire game @ other institutions …Mids eat family style …thus EVERYONE’s meatball sandwich or creamed chipped beef on a shingle must be ready at the same instant. No cafeteria gig here. Nor are the pizza or taco huts possibilities in that grill for spending “USNA chowchange.” </p>
<p>The really, really GREAT NEWS in this scenario???</p>
<p>There has been not one single report of a Mid being starved to death. The cals are there it seems …but too often the sorta “suck.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s hardly what I would call an upgrade. A punishment if you ask me. Dunkin’ Donuts coffee would be an upgrade. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, he doesn’t. It’s a valid question to ask when you’re planning to spend four years eating at the place.</p>
<p>Second, there ARE “fast food” places on the Yard, but not what you’d find at your local mall food court. As for food in the rooms, that has apparently changed a great deal since my day (when it was pretty much a free-for-all), so I’ll let the youngins answer that one.</p>
<p>The OP should remember, however, that during your Plebe Year you will most likely not rate going down to Steerage and that therefore only the place over in Dahlgren will be available, and then only on the weekends (assuming the schedule I’m familiar with still holds).</p>
<p>Bottom line: You’ll eat in King Hall 95% of the time.</p>
<p>Brigade seats. Enjoy! ;)</p>
<p>USAFA has buffet style where everyone can choose what and how much they want, USNA not so lucky. Plus the commandant or superintendent at USAFA (not sure which) made sure to secure extra funding for better meals before Bush left office. We have no such luck…</p>
<p>USNA got extra funding …actually up about 50%/diem as I recall. As noted by one, sporadic, inconclusive outcomes thus far.</p>
<p>I don’t think cafeteria-style dining would be appropriate anyway. It’s not that way aboard ship (not for officers, anyway).</p>
<p>It might work for USAF, but it’s not right for Navy.</p>
<p>Yeah, I really enjoyed the way we ate at NASS last summer and the food… Not a single complaint here! Maybe thats just a southern man being easy going but seriously I ate well.</p>
<p>same here. i thought the NASS food was great! my squad mates would laugh at how much i liked the food. it was pretty funny.</p>
<p>^^^It’s a recruiting tool; they serve good food to prospective candidates then after I-day it’s downhill from there!</p>