University of California - Santa Barbara - Campus Dining

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Students say the dorm food doesn’t make them gag, but that it does become boring fairly quickly. Most enjoy eating in the on-campus restaurants instead, where the variety ranges from fast food to more café-like food and deli standards. Even the drinks are varied, with everything from coffee and frappuccinos to frozen juice drinks at Jamba Juice. Everyone seems to have their favorite place to recommend, like Romaine’s for salads, Gaucho Deli for sandwiches, and The Coral Tree Café for a good breakfast. The Die Bretzel and Chilitos Express stands in the centrally located Arbor are popular stops.

The dorm cafeterias do have one advantage—they offer vegan and vegetarian options. Santa Catalina used to be known as having the best dorm food because it was privately owned, had the best hours, and offered an unlimited meal plan. But since UCSB bought Santa Catalina, the food has become more like the on-campus food, yet continues to offer some of the extras it used to. All of the dorm cafeterias have a salad bar, a grill, frozen yogurt, and a hot-food line. Despite the fact that the food gets boring and isn’t always very healthy or gourmet, dorm food is bearable for a year. If your tastes run similar to most of the students around here, you’re going to want to stock up on your Access Card, which you can use at any of the on-campus restaurants.

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Students Speak Out

iloveketchup123 says: University of California - Santa Barbara 2013 Physical Sciences

The food is quite edible but not... The food is quite edible but not very interesting. It took me less than a week to start to get tired of it. 12345 Campus Dining: September 23, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

The dorm food is pretty good, but... The dorm food is pretty good, but you tend to get tired of it by the end of the year. 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

The food in the dining commons is... The food in the dining commons is pretty standard cafeteria food. It gets old, but it’s not that bad. 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

The campus dining halls are scary.... The campus dining halls are scary. Avoid them especially at the end of the week, when the week’s leftovers are combined to make new treats. 12345 Campus Dining Report

Anonymous says:

Food on campus is good, but the... Food on campus is good, but the best places are off campus in Isla Vista. 12345 Campus Dining Report

Did You Know?

You can put money on your Access Card and use it everywhere on campus, as well as the UCSB-acquired housing buildings that are located as far as a mile away from campus. Students choose a meal plan of either 10, 14, or 19 meals per week and can eat at any of the dining halls. Take-out meals, cultural food events, nutrition classes, vegan, vegetarian, organic and low-fat options are also offered.

Carrillo Dining Commons offers students indoor and outdoor tables and different food stations, such as a salad bar, grill, Mongolian line (which specializes in stir-fries), and an “oven” section that has freshly made pizzas and desserts.

Possibly the biggest of UCSB’s dining halls, De La Guerra was most recently renovated and offers the usual food stations, its specialty being a taco station. Jack Johnson (UCSB graduate) sings about this dining hall, “the DLG,” in his song “Bubble Toes.”

Bought by the University from private ownership in 2003, Francisco Torres features a salad bar, hot line, grill, deli bar, desserts, beverage bar, and a specialty bar that is usually made-to-order Mexican or stir-fry. Vegetarian, vegan, and even organic options are offered.

Ortega Dining Commons is a smaller dining area that offers salads, a hot food line, deserts, and a “sushi machine” that supposedly makes perfect sushi rolls.

Bin candy is the top seller at the Corner Store on campus and at the market in Isla Vista. Sour Patch Kids is the top choice.
 

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