<p>Swarthmore is such an amazing school at so many levels. Its high caliber academics, close-knit community, history of social activism, and gorgeous campus are all impressive strengths. The only issue that caught my DD by surprise during her visit was the dining hall. It seemed a bit limited compared to other schools she visited. Food will not be a major factor in her college choices, but I'm just wondering from those of you who know Swarthmore well: how is the food at Sharples in terms of quality and variety?</p>
<p>My D is a sophomore who loves attending Swarthmore and would not trade places with any student at any other school. However, she absolutely hates the food and feels that it is not of the best quality. Therefore, she often shops for food to cook for herself or takes the train into Philly or Media to eat out. </p>
<p>I should provide a disclaimer that I love to cook and sent her off to school through middle school and high school with freshly cooked meals almost every morning, that were the envy of many of her classmates. She grew up eating a variety of different foods and misses them. Her favorite college visit food was at Tufts. Had she based her selection on food, she would have chosen Tufts. However, the food was not a driving force in her final decision, and despite her disappointment with the food, she still would not choose to be anywhere else.</p>
<p>I am a junior, and I am generally happy with the quality of Sharples food; not all of their food is high-quality, but I can generally find things that I want to eat. The variety is more of an issue; after a few years, the same food on a 3-4 week rotation can get old. </p>
<p>I’m generally happy with the food, but I know that others feel differently; if your daughter felt like it was limited during her visit, she’ll probably find it limited as a student.</p>
<p>I am a Bryn Mawr student and I prefer Swarthmore’s food over our dining halls at Bryn Mawr. Swarthmore has more and higher-quality vegetarian options. And Swarthmore’s 4-week rotation beats Bryn Mawr’s 1 to 2-week rotation by miles!!!</p>
<p>And maybe I should mention that Bryn Mawr dining services is ranked #7 in the country?</p>
<p>i’m a vegan and have the opposite opinion of b@r!um. i find sharples to be the single most depressing thing about my experience at swat. i greatly prefer bryn mawr’s options (there are more, imo, especially in terms of vegan desserts) and food quality. the monotony is painful and they have a reeealllly awful habit of mislabeling things vegan or vegetarian only to have changed the label to its appropriate designation several weeks latter, after many unwitting vegetarians have eaten it (thai food with fish sauce, pierogies with milk and butter, and a clam chowder–yes, clam chowder–were all marked vegan at one point). sharples couldn’t cook tempeh to save its soul and completely ignores the existence of the wondrous creation that is seitan. furthermore, at least half of all vegetarian options are drowned in this disgusting generic “asian” sauce which tastes like a mixture of high fructose corn syrup, soy sauce, and a dash of sesame oil. going to brunch on saturday and sunday is worthless for vegans since there is nothing but the salad bar option at that time, while all the non-vegetarians chow down on bacon, waffles, eggs, omelets, quiche, french toast, etcetera.</p>
<p>i can’t comment on the non-veg options, but most people at swat, dietary restrictions or not, hate sharples and complain endlessly about it. being a vegan is awful here, especially as someone who comes from a home where we love to cook, use high-quality ingredients, and experiment with different techniques, foods, and flavors. all my friends agree, also, that there seems to be a secret ingredient of “industrial-strength cleaning fluid” in every single dish.</p>
<p>all that said, i’m getting a great education. even if i waste half the meals on my required 14-meal plan every week.</p>
<p>It’s ****ing awful.</p>
<p>Overall I find the food to be OK. Sometimes it’s really good, but sometimes I don’t want to eat anything from Sharples. Some memorable comments: “This is the driest chicken I’ve ever had in my life.” “Only Sharples can make mozzarella cheese taste like nothing.” So it can get pretty bad, but if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, there are enough options, or so I’ve found. At home I eat pretty much the same thing all the time, so I guess I’m pretty used to the repetition. I just can’t believe how sometimes they just heat up a bunch of frozen burritos and serve that. That’s awful. The food tends to be a bit too greasy. I’m definitely looking forward to going back home.</p>