University of California - Santa Cruz
- Campus Dining

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University of California - Santa Cruz - Campus Dining - Campus Dining - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Campus Dining

Quick Stats

Freshman Meal Plan Required? No
Student Favorites
  • Joe's Pizza & Subs
  • Owl’s Nest at Kresge
  • Tacos Moreno

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

There are five dining halls on campus, varying only slightly in regards to the food they serve. Most UCSC students can handle the dining halls and actually find the food edible, but most students get sick of it—some literally—by the end of the year. Although the dining halls try to offer a wide array of food, it seems to get repetitive toward the end of the year. The food is served in an all-you-can-eat buffet style, so once you swipe your student ID card to get in, you can eat as much as you want. All of the dining halls have an extensive salad bar, main course options, a sandwich bar, and drinks. There are always vegetarian options, and at some of the dining halls, there is a vegan option for every meal. Every week at UCSC, sushi rollers, hired from outside sources, rotate through the dining halls.

All of the colleges on campus have a café or eatery of some sort, which include taquerias, coffee shops, and pizza joints. They are a nice alternative to the dining hall, and students with meal plans can use flexi dollars to buy food there. Favorites are the Hungry Slug, which specializes in sandwiches and Mexican food; the Stevenson Coffee House, which offers delicious baked goods and a great atmosphere; and the Kresge Café, where you can score a great burger and fries for a decent price. Joe's Pizza & Subs is located on central campus and is a popular place due to its prime location, decent food, and because it is the only place on campus that serves beer. It gets crowded on Fridays when they serve $2 pints. A bit of advice: Make sure you watch your flexi dollars. It’s easier than you think to empty your account once you start to grow tired of dining hall food. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the Tums.

 

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UC Santa Cruz Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Dining at University of California - Santa Cruz

yamaya

Legal Studies '15

3.1
B-

Alright

The dining halls provide a lot of options. But you see the same things over and over. And not all are open on the weekends.

May 17, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of California - Santa Cruz

ucscbound

Psychology '16

5.0
A+

Really Healthy

The food is very pro healthy.Makes you want to become vegan because it's so easy to live that sort of lifestyle.

Apr 30, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of California - Santa Cruz

Wilara

Literature '15

4.6
A

Super Good Organic Local Food

The food at Santa Cruz is extremely yummy. It's mostly all locally and organically grown, and it tastes super good. You won't be disappointed with the food here, trust me.

Jan 11, 2012

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User rating for University of California - Santa Cruz - Campus Dining is 3.5 out of 5 based on 31 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 None
Special Options University Inn, The Village Kitchen
Did You Know? About a quarter of the produce served on campus is certified organic, half of which comes from local farmers.

Dining Halls & Campus RestaurantsWhat's This?

ARCafè
Location: The Academic Resources Collaborative (ARC)
Food: Fruit drinks, sandwiches
Hours: Monday–Friday 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.

Banana Joe’s
Location: Crown College
Food: Burgers, chicken fingers, fries
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

College 8 Café
Location: College 8
Food: Ready-made sandwiches, snacks
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:45 a.m.–11:30 p.m., Friday 7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

College 9 /10
Location: Colleges 9/10
Food: Cafeteria-style
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–12 a.m.

Cowell Coffee Shop
Location: Cowell College
Food: Pre-made salads and sandwiches
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–11:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.–3 p.m., Sunday 7 p.m.–11:30 p.m.

Cowell/Stevenson
Location: Cowell College
Food: Cafeteria-style
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Crown Merrill
Location: Merrill Hall
Food: Cafeteria-style
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–12 a.m.

The Hungry Slug @ Porter
Location: Porter College
Food: Mexican
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 4 p.m.–10 p.m.

Joe’s Pizza & Subs
Location: Bookstore Quarry
Food: Pizza, subs
Hours: Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Sunday 6:30 p.m.–11 p.m.

Kresge Café & Coffee House
Location: Kresge College
Food: Breakfast, salads, sandwiches
Hours: Sunday–Saturday 7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

Merrill Cultural Center
Location: Merrill College
Food: Cafeteria-style
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

Oakes Cafè
Location: Oakes College
Food: Coffee, snacks
Hours: Monday–Thursday 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m., Friday 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

Oakes/College 8
Location: Oakes College
Food: Cafeteria-style
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–12 a.m.

Owl’s Nest
Location: Kresge College
Food: Rice bowls, salads, sandwiches, smoothies
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Perk Coffee Bar
Location: Baskin Engineering Buildings
Food: Coffee, pastries
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Perk Coffee Bar
Location: McHenry Library Atrium
Food: Coffee, pastries
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Porter/Kresge
Location: Porter Hall
Food: Cafeteria-style
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:15 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–12 a.m.

Stevenson Coffee House
Location: Stevenson College
Food: Salads, sandwiches, soups
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Tacos Moreno
Location: Merrill College
Food: Mexican
Hours: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Terra Fresca
Location: Above College 9/10 Dining Hall
Food: Entrees, falafels, salad
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

University Inn & Conference Center
Location: UCSC Conference Center
Food: Fine dining
Hours: Monday–Friday 6:45 a.m.–9:30 a.m., 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 5:45 p.m.–7:15 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 6:45 a.m.–9:30 a.m., 10 a.m.–12 p.m., 5:45 p.m.–7:15 p.m.

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Name
Alexandra Iorfino
Hometown
Huntington Beach, CA
Major
Politics and Psychology

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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