St. Olaf College - Campus Dining

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

With more than 90 percent of students living on campus all four years, St. Olaf is a very residential campus. School policy dictates that living on campus means having a meal plan. To those unfamiliar with the school, that probably sounds awful, but the St. Olaf cafeteria was actually ranked ninth in the nation for college food, so it isn’t nearly as bad as you may think. There is only one cafeteria on campus, and it can get pretty crowded when 2,700 students are all trying to get to dinner sometime between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. But what the Caf lacks in elbow room, it more than makes up for in quality.

The Caf works in an all-you-can-eat style. There are multiple stations or lines, each with a different meal option. These can range from meatloaf, potatoes, and green beans to falafel and couscous in the all-vegan grains line. There are eight lines plus a salad bar, soups, cereal, and desserts. While students at most schools are spending a large amount of their cash going out to eat, Oles enjoy restaurant-quality meals right on campus. When you buy your meal plan, you also get about $70 a semester to spend at the Cage. The Cage is run by the same company that handles the Caf and is like an upscale diner. You can use your student ID, cash, or credit cards to buy fresh fruit smoothies, grilled cheese, salads, soup, ice cream, espresso, and things like that. The downside is that the place closes at 8 p.m., which is ridiculously early.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

“The dining hall is great. We’re... “The dining hall is great. We’re ranked ninth in the Princeton Review for food. I haven’t tasted a lot of other campus food, but ours is really good. There’s a good variety, too.” 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

“On-campus dining tastes very... “On-campus dining tastes very good, and it offers a tremendous variety for people with various meal limitations. The dining hall itself is beautiful with vaulted wooden ceilings that are reminiscent of an old hockey rink and modern light fixtures. There are also always flowers on the tables.” 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

“Food on campus is actually really... “Food on campus is actually really good! Stav Hall provides a wide range of options, and the school-run Cage makes some awesome chicken tenders. The Lion’s Pause is student-operated, and they make really good, really cheap pizzas.” 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

“St. Olaf is definitely the best... “St. Olaf is definitely the best place for cafeteria food in all of Minnesota. Every friend that comes to visit me always raves about how spoiled I am to get such a great selection of delicious foods.” 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

“The food is outstanding—I love... “The food is outstanding—I love it!” 12345 Campus Dining Report

Did You Know?

The Princeton Review ranked St. Olaf ninth in the nation for “Great Campus Food.”

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