Amherst College
- Campus Dining

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Amherst College - Campus Dining - Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Campus Dining

Quick Stats

Meal Plan Available? Yes
Average Meals/Week 21
Average Meal Plan Cost $4880 per year
Freshman Meal Plan Required? Yes
Freshmen must get the full meal plan.

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Central dining has a huge impact on campus social life because it brings everybody together on a daily basis. The huge social advantage to central dining almost compensates for what many students believe are serious flaws in the current dining system. Hours should be at least one hour later for every meal. Nobody gets up at 7:30 a.m. to eat breakfast, and many people would rather see dinnertime continue past 7:30 in the evening. The food itself usually cannot shake the bland aftertaste that central dining halls have become infamous for. The variety of dishes, however, is impressive. At every lunch and dinner, there are different traditional cuisines, meat, salads, fruit, dairy, pizzas, and desserts. The ice-cream machines are probably a fulfillment of a childhood fantasy for everyone. Outside of the dining hall, the only on-campus option is Schwemm’s, and while this is also a popular hangout with wonderful ambiance, you can’t possibly be fully satisfied with what the menu has to offer. How many ham and grilled cheese sandwiches can a person have in a day? The many restaurants and takeout places provide only a partial alternative, because, like it or not, Amherst students must live with Valentine dining hall through bad times and good.

Friends who live in faraway dorms just have to IM each other to meet for dinner. And students don’t have to worry about not seeing the person they’ve lent their notes to because everybody basically meets up at Val. Still, if you asked students what aspect of college life at Amherst they would most like to see improved, campus dining will be probably be it.

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Amherst Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Dining at Amherst College

wk15

Political Science and Government '15

2.7
C+

Passable, but Fun to Complain About

Honestly, Val (Valentine Hall, that is, our only campus dining hall) isn't great. You can bridge common ground with most Amherst students by complaining about Val. Breakfast is probably the worst and most repetitive meal. Fried or scrambled [rubbery] eggs, some kind of breakfast meat (ham steaks are gross, "bacon" is more grease than meat, sausage is occasionally good but usually overcooked), muffins (not bad, actually), and oatmeal. There's also cold food available, like cereal and mediocre fruit. The "traditional" entrees at lunch and dinner change things up more, and really aren't so bad, even if not particularly flavorful. The "lighter side" offerings (supposed to be healthier) are barely edible, and almost always the same: chicken with the consistency of sawdust, oddly shriveled-up sweet potatoes, whitefish (which is advertised as being a different kind of fish every day, but always tastes the same), and brown rice. Occasionally green beans.

Soft serve ice-cream machines are pretty awesome, though.

Schwemm's, the little cafe in the student center, actually has good food, though it's a little expensive.

Oct 15, 2011

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Campus Dining at Amherst College

finderfinder

'11

3.1
B-

Valentine Dining Hall

You can always find good food to eat at val but the food does get repetitive. Dining services does make an effort however to cater to all needs. This includes vegetarians and vegans.

Jun 24, 2010

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Campus Dining at Amherst College

A lot of people complain about the...

A lot of people complain about the food. I wouldn't say it's anything spectacular, but I've always been able to make it work.

Mar 04, 2009

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User rating for Amherst College - Campus Dining is 2.3 out of 5 based on 19 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate campus dining on the following topics

Facts

24-Hour Dining None
Off-Campus Places to Use Flex Money None
Did You Know?
  • Creative students make their own thousand island dressing in the dining hall with the cunning use of ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard, with a french fry used for the mixing. Add black pepper for seasoning.
  • Students can give their favorite recipes to the dining hall, and if the recipes are any good, these students can proudly see them incorporated in the menu. No copyright royalties are paid.
  • The Daily Jolt Web site, amherst.dailyjolt.com, posts Valentine dining hall menus each day.
  • The dining hall, upon request, will make you your very own birthday cake (when it's your birthday).
  • If you have a class during meal time and are unable to make it to the dining hall, they will make you a bagged lunch. Just be sure to put your order in ahead of time, and it will be prepared for you.

Dining Halls & Campus RestaurantsWhat's This?

Lewis-Sebring Commons
Location: Valentine Hall
Food: Entrées, salads, soups
Hours: Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Schwemm’s Gourmet Coffee House & The Underground Bakery
Location: Keefe Campus Center
Food: Coffee, baked goods, salads, sandwiches
Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Saturday 7 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 7 a.m.–1 a.m.

Valentine Dining Hall
Location: College Street
Food: Grill, paninis, pizza, salads, stir-fry, waffles
Hours: Monday–Saturday 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Lem Atanga McCormick
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Major
Pre-Med (Biology and French)

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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