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University of San Diego
- Campus Dining

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University of San Diego - 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

Comparable Schools' Campus Dining Grades:

Quick Stats

Freshman Meal Plan Required? Yes
Student Favorites: Campus Dining Hall Pavilion Dining
Student Favorites: Campus Restaurant/Vendor
  • La Gran Terraza
  • Tu Mercado
Student Favorites: Breakfast Food on Campus
  • Bagels from Missions Café
  • Brunch on the weekends
  • Chocolate-chip pancakes
  • Omelets
Student Favorites: Lunch/Dinner Entrée on Campus
  • Chinese food from Pavilion Dining
  • Salmon Caesar salad
  • Sandwiches from Tu Mercado
Student Favorites: Late-night Snack on Campus
  • Frozen yogurt ("fro yo") from Missons Café
  • Pizza

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

It’s easy to gain the Freshman 15 here because most students find it hard to complain about campus dining. At the Student Life Pavilion, various chefs specially cook each order, and you can get authentic Mexican food, customized pasta, hamburgers with sweet potato fries, stone-fired pizza, sushi, and much more. Since the SLP is the only place where the meal plan is accepted, the lines can get long right after classes get out, but the food is well worth the wait. It is made right before your eyes, and healthy options are always available. Plus, there is no limit to the amount of food you can enjoy because every dinner and weekend brunch is buffet-style. One of the biggest complaints is that freshmen must buy specific meal plans that force them to eat on campus every day or else meals will be wasted. Although the food at USD is of high quality, eating on campus for every meal quickly gets old because there are only so many combinations of dinner you can try throughout your college life without getting bored.

Dining dollars—money on your ID card—can be used at any campus café, including Aromas, Bert’s Bistro, Frank’s Lounge, La Paloma, Missions Café, and Tu Mercado. Dining dollars can only be used for food, but they are more flexible than the “meals” portion of the meal plans, which can only be used at the SLP. La Gran Terraza, a sit-down restaurant, and O’Toole’s, a pub, are new additions to campus. Overall, few students complain about the food on campus, other than the fact that the Freshman 15 is inevitable.

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San Diego Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Dining at University of San Diego

snipergirl17

'15

Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Medicine

4.2
A-

GREAT Food, Can Get Slightly Monotonous Though.

The food is really good. La Paloma is one of the favorites on campus, and has the best sandwiches, but it gets a little crowded. The SLP dining hall has a good selection, and the pasta station is definitely a top choice for a lot of students. It is somewhat difficult for students living on the main part of campus to get food late at night, but down in the Valley, our Missions Cafe is open until midnight during the week. I would suggest buying more dining dollars than meals.

Jan 30, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of San Diego

kllovdanc

'15

History

3.5
B

Not Bad.

The quality of food is pretty good, the only negative is that the menu at the dining hall doesn't change all year. If you are a vegetarian it is not impossible to eat there, but the dining at USD does not have a bunch of variety for vegetarians. Overall our food is not bad.

Jan 10, 2012

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Campus Dining at University of San Diego

kdugquem

'15

Finance

5.0
A+

AWESOME

The food anywhere on campus is OUTSTANDING! Best food at any school by far!

Jan 09, 2012

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Page 1 of 11

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 USD Dining Services offers foods that are gluten free, low fat, organic, nut free, vegan, and vegetarian. Color-coded symbols designate these options, so they're easy to spot. USD also serves fair trade items and meals made with local ingredients.
Did You Know?

USD has an excellent bakery and market, and local magazines often feature campus dining because of its excellent fare.

Dining Halls & Campus RestaurantsWhat's This?

Aromas
Location: Maher Hall
Food: Pastries, Starbucks coffee
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m.–12 a.m.

Bert's Bistro
Location: Mother Rosalie Hill Hall
Food: American, breakfast sandwiches, Mexican, paninis, rice bowls, salad bar, sandwiches, soup
Hours: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

La Gran Terraza
Location: Hahn University Center
Food: American, California cuisine
Hours: Monday–Friday 11:30–2 p.m., 5 p.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

La Paloma
Location: Kroc Institute
Food: Breakfast, coffee drinks, hot entrees, gourmet on-the-go items, signature sandwiches
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.–3 p.m.

Missions Café
Location: Missions Fitness Center
Food: Breakfast, salads, sandwiches, sushi
Hours: Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–1 a.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–1 a.m.

O'Toole's
Location: Hahn University Center
Food: Tapas
Hours: Monday–Friday 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.

Pavilion Dining
Location: Student Life Pavilion
Food: American, Chinese, Japanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, pastries, pizza, salad bar, soup, vegetarian, Vietnamese
Hours: Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–10 a.m., 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m., 5 p.m.–8 p.m.

Tu Mercado
Location: Student Life Pavilion
Food: Natural food grocery store, smoothies, specialty bar
Hours: Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–1 a.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–1 a.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 USD

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Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Major: Business

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