Mount Holyoke College - Campus Dining

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

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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Students Speak Out

MHCEH says: Mount Holyoke College 2013 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

At first I didn't appreciate our... At first I didn't appreciate our food, but it is much better than the food at most other colleges. The dining halls are very nice, and the dining hall staff is friendly. There are always different options at the different dining halls. The major drawback is that they are only open at specified meal times. 12345 Campus Dining: March 02, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

It’s a fact of life: wherever... It’s a fact of life: wherever there are dining halls, there will be complaints about the food. The food at MHC is actually very good, though. Everything is usually very fresh, and there is a wide variety of food options. So it might not be what your mother makes at home. Deal with it. 12345 Campus Dining Report

thworldshines says: Mount Holyoke College 2014 Social Sciences

Each dining hall has its own... Each dining hall has its own distinct characteristics. Blanch is the student center and has mostly grill food. Wilder has kosher/halal, and there are dairy days (so good!) and meat days (not good!). Prospect has a daily 'culinary showcase' with things like 'build your own burger' or 'mediterranean flavors'. It also has the best salad bar and waffles on Sunday. Abby/Buck is not that good, except for crepes on sunday. Torrey is lunch only in a 'grab n go' format. Rockies is small and not too good. Ham/MacGreg has ice cream machines and more gracious dinners than any other hall. Gracious dinners occur a few times every semester. The tables are covered with tableclothes and candles, and you get cloth napkins. The food is particularly good. My favorite is the Thanksgiving gracious, in which everything is locally grown. 12345 Campus Dining: December 01, 2008 Report

Anonymous says:

No comment—just kidding. I enjoyed... No comment—just kidding. I enjoyed Wilder Dairy Days and loved Prospect Sunday brunches. I don’t remember one Sunday where I didn’t go there to enjoy their omelettes and waffles. Good stuff. I also liked Blanchard a little more than I care to admit, though I am aware that it is bad for me. 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

Food is good compared to other... Food is good compared to other schools. 12345 Campus Dining Report

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!

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