<p>So I was looking at WUSTL dining and I realized that the meal plans are different from many other schools (i.e. Brown, UMich, UPenn, Duke etc.). Unlike many other schools, WUSTL dining is exclusively points, not the "meals + dining points/bucks." SO, I was wondering, are the dining options at WUSTL not the all-you-care-to-eat option (a.k.a. buffet style). Like, is it like a restaurant where they charge you a specific amount for a item, not where you can select as much as you want and play the same amount regardless of the amount of food you take.
Also, how are dining options. I heard WUSTL food is great and I don't doubt that, I thought the food look good on my visit.</p>
<p>Most of the time, yes, it is dependent on what you buy, and all the prices are usually listed. The only exceptions I can think of are the brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 11am-2pm when it’s an all-you-can-eat ($8.25), and certain special occasions.
There is quite a diversity of dining options and WashU right now is promoting more healthy eating. However, I wouldn’t say it is absolutely great, since compared to my university back home WashU really pales in comparison, and the prices for certain items are somewhat ridiculous in my opinion. Nevertheless, since WashU’s student population is much smaller I guess I can understand why this would be the case, and most of the food are quite good. All dining options on campus, except maybe Subways and a few others scattered around, are run by one company Bon Appetit.</p>
<p>A couple quick additional comments: There are different sized meal plans, and for most freshman the cheapest option should provide plenty of points for the whole year. If you do run out, you can buy more points later.</p>
<p>You also have a “cash account” on your ID card, too, which you can use at the bookstore, printers, vending machines, and laundry. You refill the cash account as you see fit. Rumor is that some local businesses will start accepting your Wash U ID card, but not sure when/if that will be implemented. </p>
<p>Personally, I love the food at Wash U and find the variety to be greater and overall quality to be much higher than any other similar University I visited. My only advice is don’t eat at Bear’s Den or the DUC for every meal as to not get bored with the same location; instead, try the Village or Ibby’s every once in awhile, and go off campus once or twice per week for dinner or lunch.</p>
<p>One thing to always keep in mind…Wash U food tends to be deceptively unhealthy. Even healthy sounding items are unhealthy. Nutritional information for all meals is available online.</p>
<p>Example…a “Spinach and Brie Sandwich with Marined Tomatoes” has close to 100% daily fat, and 200% sodium.</p>
<p>Food is also expensive…a bagel from Whispers is 1.65 (add in the cost of being forced to have the meal plan and it’s over $2.00). There’s Einsteins on campus now which is great and cheap, but doesn’t take meal points (do take campus card points).</p>
<p>I’m not a huge fan of Dining Services and Bon Apetit…they have great potential, but their first priority is making obscene profits.</p>
<p>I’m a huge Bon Apetit fan! The workers on campus are fabulously nice, and the management has been extremely welcoming of student input. They regularly get rid of / bring back / add new menu items according to student recommendations.</p>
<p>The meal plan to me is a waste of money but all freshman have to purchase one. they inflate the prices of the meal points (1 meal point is 1.5 or so dollars) and then tack on a dollar or two to everything. $6.49 for a small jar of nutella? </p>
<p>Wash U dining is fantastic. They have a great variety; made-to-order stir fry, pasta bar, pizza, comfort food, indian food, grill/fries… I have gotten a little tired of all of it but they mix it up once in a while and I enjoy the new things to try.</p>
<p>Whatever you want to call it (base cost, point inflation) the reality is still you are paying more than 1 dollar per point. And on top of that food prices are ridiculously high, as stated in the Nutella example. Another example is that you can also get a full gallon of milk at Schnucks for only 20 cents more than what a half gallon is at the little food store on campus. Bon Apetit has a monopoly on the food services, and since most students have to buy at least a $3600 meal plan, Bon Apetit can get away with highway robbery in my opinion.</p>
<p>Little known fact: WashU sets the cost of meal plans and decides which plan is required. They pay a set price to Bon Appetit for the cost of operating our food services.</p>
<p>^ right. And, Bon Appetit takes a loss on several of the dining locations on campus. There are only 6,000 people here that eat 3 meals per day on campus (a couple thousand grad student and employees may eat lunch or something, too), which is not enough to support profitability at 15 dining locations that cater to the weird hours of college students and an immense variety of food. WUSTL covers the loss at some of these places, otherwise there would be no company that would provide food service here. Every other college that has outside vendors does the same thing. Does Bon Appetit make money off Wash U students? Sure, they have to. Is it exorbitant considering the quality and variety of food/services? Probably not. Looking at the dollar-per-points value is an extremely superficial way of looking at the issue. </p>
<p>When I visited I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was, particularly the Asian stir-fry station where you fill a bowl with the vegetables you want and then tell the cook if you want to add meat and choose a sauce and it is made in front of you on a huge grill.</p>