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Santa Clara University
- Campus Dining

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Santa Clara University - Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Campus Dining

B+
Where does this grade come from?View all Campus Dining rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Campus Dining Grades:

Quick Stats

Freshman Meal Plan Required? Yes
Student Favorites: Campus Dining Hall Benson Memorial Center
Student Favorites: Campus Restaurant/Vendor Sunstream Café
Student Favorites: Breakfast Food on Campus Made-to-order omelets
Student Favorites: Lunch/Dinner Entrée on Campus Build-your-own-pasta bar
Student Favorites: Late-night Snack on Campus
  • Chicken tenders from the Bronco
  • Curly fries
  • Pizza
Student Favorites
  • Mission City Coffee Roasting Co.
  • Mondo Burrito
  • Sara's Kitchen

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Santa Clara's dining options are a far cry from stereotypical "dorm food." Here, you won't find mystery meat or lumpy mashed potatoes; instead, the school offers a variety of made-to-order options, from pastas and stir-fry to paninis and salads. In addition to these "healthier" options, the cafeteria also features traditional college "comfort" food, like pizza and burgers. The food is usually pretty fresh, as the school makes an effort to use local and sustainably-produced ingredients. The school has significantly increased its vegetarian and vegan options in the past few years, and is generally pretty accommodating for different dietary needs. 

On the other hand, the food is definitely not cheap, and many students have difficulty eating three meals a day on a typical meal plan. Each meal plan is based on a number of points rather than a number of meals, and each point equals $1. This setup allows for flexibility and portion control—you don't have to worry about using up an entire meal when you only want a banana or a small sandwich—but points often don't go very far, as entrées range from $8 to $15.

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Santa Clara Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Dining at Santa Clara University

bronco413

'13

Mechanical Engineering

4.2
A-

Taste Good, but Repetitive

The food taste really good and great quality. But it does get repetitive towards the end of the year, which is probably the same for most universities.

Dec 13, 2011

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Campus Dining at Santa Clara University

Dtrujillo

'15

Biological Sciences

4.2
A-

Food

The food is good, but I feel like after a while it gets old. Don't get me wrong tho, the food is made by chefs and there is plenty of variety (Asian, Mexican, Burgers, Sandwhiches, Pasta/Saute, etc.) and it's not a crappy buffet like some other campuses. Nevertheless, it's always nice to go out with some friends to change things up.

Dec 13, 2011

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Campus Dining at Santa Clara University

windian1019

'14

Communications

4.2
A-

Good but Gets Old

The dining center is very good, just remodeled a year ago. Bon Appetite is our food provider, which offers lots of fresh and healthy options. There is a good variety for food, but by the end of the year everyone gets sick of it. While living on campus you are required to have a meal plan either basic or preferred. As a general rule guys always run out of points while girls have extra. We have a point system where you pay per item you buy. Unlike other schools you are allowed to take the food to go.

Aug 03, 2011

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Page 1 of 7

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
  • Blondie's Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream
  • Chalateco
  • Chili's
  • Chipotle
  • City Lights Espresso
  • Cramers Bagels
  • Fast Pizza Delivery
  • Frozo's
  • Hatcho Japanese Cuisine
  • Henry's Fresh Mexican Grill
  • Joao's Restaurant
  • Mio Vicino
  • Mission City Coffee Roasting Co.
  • Mondo Burrito
  • Papa John's
  • Pluto's
  • Quiznos
  • Round Table Pizza
  • Sara's Kitchen
  • Seniore's Pizza
  • SmokeEaters
  • Subway
  • Taco Bell
  • Taqueria La Veracruzana
  • Togo's
  • University Stuft Pizza
  • Wahoo's Fish Taco
  • Wrap This Mediterranean Cuisine
  • Yum Yum Tree
Special Options Outside of a resident dining plan, students can also use a flex account to purchase food at selected on- and off-campus venues. Each student's flex account is tied to his or her access card, making it a convenient option for students who want a break from the dining hall.
Did You Know?

The Benson Center cafeteria offers dishes for vegetarian and vegan students every day.

Dining Halls & Campus RestaurantsWhat's This?

The Bronco
Location: Benson Memorial Center
Food: Pizza, subs
Hours: Monday–Tuesday 11 a.m.–12:45 a.m., Wednesday 11 a.m.–1:45 a.m., Thursday 11 a.m.–12:45 a.m., Friday 11 a.m.–1:45 a.m., Saturday 9 p.m.–1:45 a.m., Sunday 9 p.m.–12:45 a.m.

Cadence Cyber Café
Location: Lucas Hall
Food: Dinner entrées, paninis, salads,
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–3:45 p.m.

Cellar Market
Location: Benson Memorial Center, lower level
Food: Deli meats, produce, snacks
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

The Marketplace
Location: Benson Memorial Center
Food: Deli, grill, home-style, Italian, Latin, made-to-order, vegetarian
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

Mission Bakery
Location: Benson Memorial Center
Food: Coffee, gourmet bistro
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Sunstream Café
Location: Learning Commons, Technology Center, and Library
Food: Coffee, salads, sandwiches, snacks
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m., Friday 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at SCU

Name: Lauren Silk

Hometown: Bainbridge Island, WA

Major: English and French

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