Mount Holyoke College
- Campus Dining

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Mount Holyoke College - Campus Dining - Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Campus Dining

Quick Stats

Meal Plan Available? Yes
Average Meals/Week 21
Average Meal Plan Cost $6010 per year
Freshman Meal Plan Required? Yes
All campus residents are required to purchase a meal plan.
Student Favorites Blanchard Café

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Mount Holyoke students like to make little complaints about food, but the reality is that most people enjoy it. Since the board plan is required for all students who live on campus, food is extremely important. There is a wide range of student opinion on the topic of campus dining. Some say the food in Blanchard is too greasy. Other students say they love having so many options. Some say dining hall food is horrible, while others say they don’t mind it. In general, the food is edible, and there are always vegetarian and vegan options. However, it can sometimes lack flavor, and some of the more “creative” vegetarian alternatives tend to become the stuff of legend—not in a good way. Some things, such as meatballs, just weren’t meant to be vegetarian.

In recent years, Mount Holyoke has begun to compost in all dining centers, which can trip up first-year students at the dish line, but it certainly helps the environment. Dining Services has also made an effort to get more locally grown food from area farmers and even from the Mount Holyoke College Student Garden. In fact, one of the most popular Gracious Dinners of the year is the local food Gracious Dinner. While there are still complaints and kinks to be worked out, the food at Mount Holyoke is better than food at other schools according to those who’ve been to other campuses, so students count their blessings.

 

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Mount Holyoke Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Dining at Mount Holyoke College

rocio093

Political Science and Government '15

4.2
A-

Dining Options

There are about 5 different Dining halls all offer a variety of food. There is also Blanchard Cafe which is the main food court on campus. The food is great but may get tired of having the same thing on the menu every other week or so.

Apr 02, 2012

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Campus Dining at Mount Holyoke College

uknowho0807

Environmental Studies '13

3.5
B

Decent, but Sometimes Difficult

Dining Services usually works out well-- unfortunately, the meal times don't extend past 715, so it's often difficult to eat if you're an athlete. Blanchard is always an option, but there's a significant decline in the healthy food options if you constantly go to Blanchard. Blanchard is great for the sake that it's open until midnight every night, but it's often hard eat healthy there, so dining halls are the best bet. All dorms have continental breakfast, but hot breakfast in dining halls goes to 9am, but even then it's not always the best food. The best meal of the week is definitely sunday brunch! Even if the meal hours tend to suck, the food's usually pretty fresh and good, and we've got identifiable substances, not weird things!

Mar 05, 2012

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Campus Dining at Mount Holyoke College

Pemy

Developmental and Child Psychology '14

5.0
A+

Plenty of Options

In about half of the dorms on campus there is a dining hall located within, and the other half contains a kitchen, allowing students to eat, buffet style, at any location depending on what is on the menu or cook for themselves if they so choose. The dining hours vary for those in dorms, but there is the campus center which is central to campus and offers more flexible hours as well as a huge variety of salads, sandwiches, and grilled items.

Jan 12, 2012

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User rating for Mount Holyoke College - Campus Dining is 4.6 out of 5 based on 22 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
Special Options Rao’s Food: Coffee, muffins, pastries Location: Library atrium Hours: Monday – Thursday 8a.m. – 11p.m. Friday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday 9a.m. – 9p.m. Uncommon Grounds Coffee Bar Food: Coffee and coffee drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, bagels, pastries and desserts Location: Blanchard Campus Center, middle level Hours: Monday – Friday 8a.m. -9p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday
Did You Know?
  • Many dining halls have special features only available at that location, in addition to the regular offerings. Prospect has the Culinary Showcase, which provides extra options for lunch and dinner such as a stir-fry, a carving station, or soup bar. Ham-MacGregor has an Edy's soft-serve ice cream machine.
  • Every Sunday, lunch is replaced by brunch in dining halls. Foods such as scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, and gourmet muffins are available. Each dining hall that serves brunch has a specialty; for example, Prospect has a made-to-order omelette and waffle bar, and Abbey-Buckland has crêpes with a variety of fillings.
  • Private dining rooms are available in Abbey and North and South Rocky. These can be reserved (usually by student organizations wishing to hold a meeting), and students can have a measure of privacy while still eating in the dining hall.
  • Gracious Dinners, held at semi-regular intervals throughout the school year, are a long-standing Mount Holyoke tradition. They used to be formal affairs but now involve mostly just the addition of candles and special place settings to dining hall tables—but they are still something to look forward to. They are usually centered on a theme, such as African or Italian food. The Halloween and Valentine's Day dinners often feature more dessert than dinner!

Dining Halls & Campus RestaurantsWhat's This?

Abbey-Buckland Dining Center
Location: Abbey-Buckland
Food: Station dining, including omelets and stir-fry
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m.

Blanchard Café
Location: Blanchard Student Center, lower level
Food: Grill, pasta, quesadillas, salad bars, sandwiches, soups, stir-fry
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–1 a.m.

Ham–MacGregor Dining Center
Location: Ham-MacGregor
Food: Breakfast, deli, ice cream
Hours: Monday–Saturday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 11 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m.

Kendade Atrium
Location: In the corner of the lower level of Kendade Hall
Food: Salads, sandwiches, snacks, yogurt
Hours: Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Prospect Dining Center
Location: Prospect, on the lake
Food: “Culinary Showcase,” which can include nearly anything (pasta, pizza, soup/noodle bar, stir-fry)
Hours: Monday–Saturday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 11 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m.

Rao’s
Location: Library Atrium
Food: Coffee, muffins, pastries
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–12 a.m.

Rocky Dining Center
Location: Rocky Dining Hall
Food: Deli
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m.–7 p.m.

Torrey Grab n’ Go Dining Center
Location: Torrey
Food: Pre-packaged salads, sandwiches, snacks, soups
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–9:45 a.m., 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Uncommon Grounds Coffee Bar
Location: Blanchard Campus Center, middle level
Food: Baked goods, coffee, smoothies
Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–1 a.m., Saturday–Sunday 11 a.m.–1 a.m.

Wilder Dining Center
Location: Wilder
Food: Asian, kosher/halal, Middle Eastern
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:15 a.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m.–10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m.–10 a.m., 11 a.m.–1:15 p.m., 5 p.m.–7 p.m.

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