Written by Arami Kerkian
If top-quality food is a must-have on your college checklist, FAU is not for you. There are two dining halls on campus: the Center Marketplace and the Breezeway Food Court. Students can choose from 7, 12, 15, or 19 meals per week, with varying Flex Bucks with each plan. Flex Bucks are used for food in the Breezeway Food Court, any of the Outtakes convenience stores located throughout campus, Coyote Jack's, Starbucks, and Einstein Brothers Bagels. The Center Marketplace is a buffet-style restaurant that is part of your meal plan and always has a sandwich bar, a salad bar, and burgers and chicken sandwiches with fries. Everything else changes by day, although commonly it is composed of some sort of pasta, meat, and vegetable. Occasionally, there are specials like stir-fry or tacos, made to your specifications. In general, though, the cafeteria is pretty repetitive. This monotony would be OK if the food was spectacular, but it isn't. The choices also tend to be unhealthy, with few vegetarian options. The cafeteria does not stay open late enough and if you come too late, you're lucky to get anything more than a sandwich for dinner.
Quiznos, Wendy's, Papa John's, Chick N Grill, Salsarita's, and Jow Jing highlight the Breezeway Food Court's offerings, an excellent alternative to the Center Marketplace. However, if you do not have any Flex Bucks, the money for the meal is coming out of your own pocket. The downside to this dining location is that it is not open on the weekends and is only open until 5 p.m. during the week.