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Comparable Schools'
Campus Dining Grades:
Quick StatsFreshman Meal Plan Requirement
Yes
Off-Campus Places to Use Meal Plan
- Savory/Spruce between 38th and 39th
Average Meal Plan Cost
$4,080 per year
Student Favorites
- Beijing
- Fresh Grocer
- Hemos food truck
- La Petite Creperie in Houston Hall
- La Terasse
- The Real Le Ahn food truck
24 hour Dining
- Fresh Grocer
- McDonald’s
- Wawa
Other Options
- Food trucks can be found all over campus and offer a variety of food from fresh fruit to Japanese to hoagies. These trucks are usually convenient and incredibly cheap; as a result, they are very popular among busy students who like to grab a bite on the go. Late at night, it is not uncommon to order-in for wings and pizza from a place like College Pizza on the edge of campus.
College Prowler Take
Students’ opinions of the food on campus really depend on what they are used to. Some people are impressed by the quality and variety of food, while others get sick of the dining options extremely quickly. For the most part, students acknowledge both positive and negative aspects of the dining program. At Penn, students on a meal plan have three ways to pay for food. They can use a specific number of allotted meals per week or semester at the Dining Halls, Dining Dollars which can be continuously replenished at most retail locations around campus, and PennCash, which works somewhat like a debit card. Whether you like the food or not, there is certainly enough to eat, facilitated by multiple all-you-care-to-eat locations. In addition, there is something to eat at all hours. Wawa is a popular place to grab a made-to-order sandwich. Freshmen are required to purchase a meal plan, but as long as you purchase the smallest plan available and you make an effort to find places with food that you like, your freshman dining experience should be more than bearable. When it comes to people with special diets, the choices become much slimmer. Dining administration assures students that there are vegan and vegetarian options at every dining location, but the selection usually gives these students little or no options. However, improvements seem to be just beyond the horizon as the school adjusts to alleviate low dining participation rates after students’ freshman year. Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
The dining halls are, as one would...
The dining halls are, as one would expect of college food, mediocre. They’re not the worst, and they are actually pretty decent for what they are, but the reused menu options become quite nauseating halfway through a semester. Not to fear: there’s Houston Market, which offers an array of excellent deli-like food, Subway, and Au Bon Pain (if you can stand the lines), which all accept dining dollars. Then, for those with an ample supply of money, there are tons of great restaurants right on campus. You definitely won’t go a week without late-night Wawa sandwiches. Yum. |
Anonymous says: |
Campus food was not very good this...
Campus food was not very good this year, but starting next year, they are trying a completely new system based upon student input, so it should improve drastically. Needless to say, I will not have a dining plan this coming year. The dining halls are nice, though they get crowded around dinner time. Penn students can also use Dining Dollars at certain retail locations if they get sick of campus food. |
Anonymous says: |
Dining halls are comparable to...
Dining halls are comparable to those at other universities. The food may not be spectacular, but there exists variety and the ‘PD Express’ lunch program (essentially lunch-to-go) is a popular option for those on the meal plan. Being that Penn is located in Philly, with its abundance of delicious restaurants, most upperclassmen seek meals at restaurants for dinner and grab something from one of the numerous food carts which line the streets for lunch. Hemos and the Greek Lady are two of the more popular food cart lunch options. There are also other carts, including several Chinese, Mexican, and vegetarian options. |
Anonymous says: |
Meal plan dining is ok, not the...
Meal plan dining is ok, not the best, but not that bad. Better places exist on campus where you can use dining dollars or PennCash, and some where you have to pay cash. Houston Hall is a big spot. Food trucks are a must for lunch. |
Anonymous says: |
Dining is not that great, but it’s...
Dining is not that great, but it’s a great time saver. I am usually on a plan just because sometimes I don’t want to make food at my place. There are also plenty of restaurants near the campus that have decent food. |
Dining Halls
1920 Commons
Buffet style, salad bar
3800 Locust Walk
Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 5 p.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Accenture Cyber Café
Coffee, pastries
Towne Building
Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.–9 p.m.
Au Bon Pain
Sandwiches/pastries
Huntsman Hall, ground floor
Monday–Friday 6 a.m.–7 p.m.
Hill College House Dining Hall
Various, all-you-can-eat buffet
3333 Walnut St.
Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 5 p.m.–7:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Houston Market
Various, food court
3417 Spruce St.
Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.–8 p.m.
Kings Court/English House Dining Hall
Various, all-you-can-eat buffet
3465 Sansom St.
Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–7:15 p.m.
Mark’s Café
Coffee, sandwiches
Van Pelt–Dietrich Library
Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–12 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.–12 a.m.
McClelland Hall (express service only)
Various
3700 Spruce St.
Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.–3 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.–8 p.m.
Subway
Sandwiches
1920 Commons, lower level
Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.–12 a.m.
Did You Know?Penn Dining is in the midst of vast improvements. The following eateries are some recent additions in the 1920 Commons:
• Chic-fil-A
• Freshens smoothies and ice cream
• C3 convenience store
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