Dickinson College - Campus Dining

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

The Dickinson cafeteria is very popular, so much so that it is usually crowded during peak eating hours. Choices between salads, sandwiches, soups, stir-fry, vegan meals, and the hot entrée of the day are offered, as well as a wide assortment of desserts that are made fresh from the bakery daily. For those who need a break in their eating routines, the Union Station (fondly referred to as the “Snar”) and the Quarry are open during all mealtimes and later at night than the cafeteria. An additional benefit to these eating alternatives is that food can be made to order and taken out, making both extremely popular with students looking to grab a quick sandwich or salad. The Underground serves great coffee, baked goods, and bagels on weekdays, and it is set in a comfortable lounge environment, perfect for studying or meeting up with friends.

The problem most students find with dining on campus, however, is the lack of options. Though students are satisfied with the four places to eat, these spots are usually crowded during peak hours, and none are open 24 hours. Late at night, some students opt to eat off campus at local takeout favorites such as Deli-C, Sheetz, and various pizza places. However, eating on campus is the norm, and most students are generally content with the available food choices.

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Students Speak Out

DicMP says: Dickinson College 2013 Arts, Visual and Performing

The cafeteria is pretty good, but... The cafeteria is pretty good, but gets extremely repetitive. The vegan is usually better than everything else. The SNAR has very tasty food but terrible service. Grab-and-Go is great for lunch. 12345 Campus Dining: February 20, 2009 Report

DicMC says: Dickinson College 2013 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities

Food on campus is generally high... Food on campus is generally high quality and balanced for a healthy diet. The one main dining hall on campus makes for a community atmosphere, but the hours are limited, so the more involved a student is, the less likely he or she is able to eat there. As with any institution, there are many cult favorites and, of course, a few menu items that send students running for the cold cereal bar at dinner. More often than not, though, Dining Services does a pretty good job taking care of us and listening to our wants and needs. 12345 Campus Dining: February 20, 2009 Report

DicKM says: Dickinson College 2011 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

The food on campus is good. The... The food on campus is good. The caf, the main dining hall, is definitely where you get the most for your money. They have really good food most of the time and always have vegan options, which are yummy. The meals do sometimes get repetitive, so Union Station is a good option for burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The Quarry has great sandwiches and milkshakes and is the place to stop to get coffee on a cold day. Definitely get the traditional meal plan your freshman year because you don't know what your schedule will be like, and if you get the flex plan, you'll run out of points before the end of the semester. 12345 Campus Dining: February 20, 2009 Report

DicAS says: Dickinson College 2011 English Language and Literature

The food on campus is fine. It... The food on campus is fine. It gets repetitive, but they have plenty of options to try to break up the monotonous routine. Be prepared to mix from different parts in the caf, like waffles, ice cream, and toppings. The coffeeshops around campus are quite good even though they aren't Starbucks. Try to get on the Flex I meal plan after first semester, so you can experiment with places off campus and not feel guilty about wasting meal points. 12345 Campus Dining: February 20, 2009 Report

DicJC says: Dickinson College 2013 Arts, Visual and Performing

Everyone goes to the caf to get... Everyone goes to the caf to get their social fill and a variety of decently good food. The menus rotate unnoticed really and sometimes you can be blown away by the caliber of the food. The salad bars are the best. Then there is the SNAR, which is short for the Snack Bar. This place is more of a grill where you can get yummy greasy foods at pretty much any time of the day. Then there is the Quarry, a renovated 1950's frat house that is now a deli. You can get cold or hot subs and hoagies that are all equally delish. 12345 Campus Dining: February 17, 2009 Report

Did You Know?

Dickinson offers a choice of three meal plans for students living on campus. They are the Traditional (20 meals a week) or the Flexboard I and Flexboard II points plans. With the points plans, students receive a number of points on their meal card (700 for Flex I and 650 for Flex II). A point value is assigned to every meal, so when the card is used, a certain number of points are deducted (2 for breakfast, 3 for lunch and 5 for dinner). The advantages of choosing one of the Flex meal plans over the Traditional plan are that you can bring a guest to dinner without any additional charge (you simply “Flex” your guest in to the cafeteria using your points).

You also get “declining balance” money in your student account ($125 with Flex I and $150 with Flex II) that can be used anywhere on campus, and if you have leftover points at the end of the semester, you can go to the “Bargain Parlor,” a store the college sets up for those with leftover points, and purchase food. The Flexboard plans are not good, however, for those who intend on eating every meal, as it is possible to run out of meal points and have to buy more.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Rachel Warzala
Hometown: Somerset, NJ
Major: English/Political Science

Fun Fact: Rachel is a campus tour guide and a member of the Orientation Committee. So if you decide to come to Dickinson, either to visit or to stay, make sure you say hi

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