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University of California - Berkeley
- Campus Dining

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University of California - Berkeley - Campus Dining - Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.24

Campus Dining

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

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Quick Stats

Freshman Meal Plan Required? Yes
Student Favorites
  • Crossroads
  • The Den
  • The Golden Bear Café

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Before its recent campaign to improve food, Cal’s poor campus dining gave prospective students a reason to attend UCLA instead. Now, Cal Dining is proving itself by offering the nation’s first all-organic salad bar and hiring gourmet chefs to design meals. While everyone likes to make fun of dorm food as second-rate to local dining, no upperclassman would turn down a free "swipe” to Crossroads, which is why when the dining halls are open to the public during move-in days they are packed with older students. The huge, 800-person capacity commons is clean, modern, and gives students more of a buffet-style setting, rather than a cafeteria atmosphere. Most students buy a lunch item at the Golden Bear Café and catch dinner at Crossroads. The other on-campus restaurants serve less-enticing entrees with less variation, but they are nonetheless good places to grab a quick snack or sip coffee and read. Most students also agree that the meal plan is a good idea for incoming students because it’s considerably flexible, convenient, and affordable, and it gives students one less thing to worry about when adjusting to Cal.

 

Every cafeteria offer a several entrées each night, a soup and salad bar, an American entrée like chicken and potatoes, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, Asian, Mexican, and pasta. There is always at least one vegetarian option, sometimes to the point that there’s no strong “real meat” entrée available. Also, almost every cafeteria offers soft-serve ice cream and several dessert options, which are inconsistently good. Almost everyone agrees that while the food is nothing compared to local restaurants and most stop eating at the cafeteria after freshman year, it is fine.

 

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UC Berkeley Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Dining at University of California - Berkeley

cdrichter

Forest Resources Management '14

3.5
B

OK Quality, but Repetitive and Overpriced

Food in the dining commons is edible, but menus repeated several times a month. I often opted to spend my meal points on campus at GBC or Qualcomm Cafe or Peet's Coffee because the food was generally better and there were more options. I can't lie, I don't miss having to eat at the dining commons.

May 27, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of California - Berkeley

jelisemack8

Mathematics '14

5.0
A+

Dinning

The food variety around Berkeley is fantastic. So much ehtnicity everywhere, and not only is it diverse but its all very tasty and can cater to almost all dietary needs. There are vegetarian spots, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Pizza, and everywhere there are all natural/organic cafes and grocery stores. Everything is very close in proximity with Berkeley so grabbing a meal between classes is extremely convenient.

May 27, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of California - Berkeley

ilashines

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology '15

3.8
B+

Fine

If you are talking about dining halls, all of them basically offer the same foods. One might have more variety or a better menu one day but overall, it's the same type of food which is why you easily get bored of it. However, restaurant wise, there are a lot of different ones that are great places to eat especially because they are pretty cheap as well. You just have to research them and find them. As a freshman, I have been to a few but during my last three years, I can't wait to find more places to eat. Berkeley has a great number of ethnic restaurants all around, you just need to take time to find them.

May 16, 2012

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Page 1 of 20
User rating for University of California - Berkeley - Campus Dining is 3.5 out of 5 based on 58 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 Meal points cannot be used off-campus, but students may add money to their Cal1Cards and use these debit points at many local vendors, including Chipotle and Blondie’s Pizza.
Special Options Cal 1 Debit Card, Cal Diners’ Club, Co-operative Housing Room & Board plan
Did You Know?
  • Even if you're not a hall resident, you can still use a meal plan with the Cal 1 Debit Card or the Cal Diners' Club. Go to www.housing.berkeley.edu/dining/meal_plans.html for more info.
  • UC Berkeley is the first university to offer an all-organic salad bar.

Dining Halls & Campus RestaurantsWhat's This?

The Bear’s Lair Pub
Location: 2475 Bancroft Way (Student Union)
Food: Bar food, burgers, pizza
Hours: Monday–Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–1 a.m., Thursday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.

Cafè 3
Location: 2400 Durant Ave.
Food: Breakfast bar, deli bar, desserts, sandwiches, soups
Hours: Monday–Thursday 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m., 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Friday 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

Clark Kerr Campus (CKC)
Location: 2601 Warring St.
Food: Made-to-order sandwiches, salads, soups
Hours: Monday–Friday 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m., 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m.

Common Grounds
Location: Level F of Dwinelle Hall
Food: Coffee and tea products, grab-and-go food items
Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Crossroads
Location: 2415 Bowditch St.
Food: Deli, grill, pizza, vegan
Hours: Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–10 a.m., 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–3 p.m., 5 p.m.–9 p.m., late-night grill open daily 10 p.m.–2 a.m.

The Den
Location: 2415 Bowditch St.
Food: Sandwiches, smoothies
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 7 a.m.–2 a.m., Friday–Saturday 7 a.m.–9 p.m.

Foothill
Location: 2700 Hearst Ave.
Food: Deli, pizza, vegetarian
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 5 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m., 5 p.m.–8 p.m., late-night grill open Sunday–Thursday 10 p.m.–1 a.m.

Golden Bear Cafè
Location: Cesar Chavez Student Center
Food: Breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, soups, sushi
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.–7 p.m.

Pat Brown’s
Location: Koshland Hall
Food: Breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, sushi
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

Ramona’s
Location: Wurster Hall
Food: Breakfast, made-to-order panini and rice bowls, sushi
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Terrace
Location: Bechtel Building Rooftop
Food: Breakfast, salads, soups
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Meegan Brooks
Hometown
Granite Bay, CA
Major
Political science

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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