Brown University
- Campus Dining

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While most schools have contracted with Marriott or fast-food companies for their dining needs, Brown prides itself on maintaining a University-run food service. Why exactly this is a source of pride is another question entirely. The main dining halls—the Ratty and the V-Dub—serve what can only be described as average food. Chances are, you won’t return home for the holidays demanding your mom cook more like Brown Food Services (BFS). A lack of variety and the inability to use credits in real restaurants close to campus can be frustrating. The few cafés and restaurants run by the University are equally frustrating because they are more expensive than independent cafés and diners on Thayer and Wickenden Street. The Brown meal plan feels more like a middle school lunch program than a welcomed dining experience.

Year after year, the Ratty is the butt of new and old jokes, but as demonstrated by the Ratty Recipe Repository, many Brown students embrace the standard cafeteria-style eating. Besides, the meal plan provides much more than hot food every day. The meal plan is a state of mind. From your first week on meal plan, you will undoubtedly enjoy meals with friends, meet lots of new people, and sing karaoke with your fellow Brunonians at the V-Dub. Good or bad, surviving meal plan freshman year is a defining experience and undoubtedly a right of passage. In time, however, you’ll find the right balance of splurging for off-campus meals and eating creatively at the dining halls. Students who are off the meal plan might enjoy better food, but it is costly and time-consuming to fend for yourself.

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Campus Dining at Brown University

mchay

Biology '13

3.8

B+

Exciting the First Year; Some Places Continue to Be Delicious Over the Years

Overall, the food on campus is pretty good. After the first year of trying all the options, the two main dining halls, "The Ratty" and "The V-Dub" get a little old. The salad bar in the Ratty is always great though, and the self-serve waffle irons at the V-Dub are fun. Otherwise, the Blue room has great coffee, muffins, sandwiches, sushi, etc. The Gate has great pizza and paninis. It's no 5-star dining, but most of the time you can find something good to eat.

Dec 21, 2011

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Campus Dining at Brown University

kstaub

Economics and Econometrics '15

4.2

A-

Dining Halls at Brown

The Sharpe Refractory offers a wide variety of food choices. Some days are better than others, but with the large selection one can always find something good to eat. The V-dub offers less selection but the food is usually better quality and better tasting.

Nov 15, 2011

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Campus Dining at Brown University

saraann

Language Studies and Linguistics '15

3.5

B

Go Flex

The food in the dining halls is decent but very repetitive. A flex plan is definitely the way to go, and the eateries where you can spend points have significantly better food than the all-you-care-to-eat options.

Nov 06, 2011

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