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University of California - Berkeley
- Campus Dining

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University of California - Berkeley - 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
  • 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

mar01

'15

History

4.6
A

Dining Halls

I live in Unit 2 and the closes dining hall is Crossroads. It is the dining hall I eat a the most because it is convenient and has the most room to eat at. They offer different cultural dishes. From chow mein to tamales and the traditional American classics of hamburgers and pizza. There is always pasta available, so if all else seems undesirable, your best bet is here.

Feb 08, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of California - Berkeley

stardude610

'15

Music Teacher Education

3.5
B

Pretty Good...

Dining on campus is all right. the dining halls have slightly repetitive menus though. Depending on which dining hall you go to, they have different meal choices and more or less variety. Meal points can also be spent on select locations outside of campus, or other restaurants on campus. Most are not that expensive, and provide an excellent alternative to campus dining halls.

Feb 05, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of California - Berkeley

hkeren092

'04

Architecture

3.1
B-

Menus

The food is not that bad but they do have constant/dull menu.

Jan 25, 2012

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Page 1 of 18

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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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 Cal

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