Every first year student at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park is required to live on campus, and have a student meal plan. This meal plan is kind of odd since it has a base cost and then most on campus food options have a 65% discount. To understand it, I have to perform calculations in my head as I'm ordering things.

This post is about the food I've had since being here. I have now been through half a semester and the weather is starting to get colder. The campus has five main dining locations: North, East, South, West, and Pollock. There is also the Hub Robeson Center, but since that isn't covered under the 65% discount I never end up eating there.

West

West dining halls at Waring commons is the closest location to my dorms, and it's a nice space. If I'm on the busier side, or have a meeting to attend to, I'll usually just drop in and get one of the options here.

Waring commons is known to have the best all you can eat buffet on campus. It is always packed with options of things to eat, and a wide variety too. For breakfast they always have the basics, but for lunch and dinners they have a ton.

The buffet has an entree station with a unique item every day, a grill that is usually only open during lunch, a vegan menu including a salad bar, another area for pizza and pasta, and finally a dessert area on either side of the hall.

West has the best vegan options, from seitan to veggie burgers to different chickpea dishes. All of these dishes have been good, I haven't had a single one I haven't really liked. The main options are usually good too, but the portion sizes given are usually a little small, with only the main entrees not being self serve. The cookies and ice cream are always a hit, and it's usually an enjoyable experience to be in the space.

There is one main problem with the hall, it is always extremely crowded during the lunch time between my classes, so I don't usually go for lunch much. Crowded to the point where you have to wait a decent bit of time for a seat to even open up to sit down.

Other than the all you can eat, West only has 2 other food options. State Chick'n and the Edge cafe. Before my morning classes, I either usually eat something in my dorm or grab a bagel from the Edge cafe. The Edge cafe is essentially a rebranded Starbucks, with all the drinks you would normally expect.

I'm not a coffee drinker but I will occasionally get tea, in which the 65% discount often makes it quite cheap.

State Chick'n is the last option, and I don't personally care for it too much. I've tried most of the menu items already, and I'm not particularly a fan of either the combos or the chicken sandwiches. When I need something to go, and I need to be by west, I'll get their macaroni and cheese bowl with some chicken on top, but if I have more time, I usually go to south instead.

South

South dining halls at Redifer commons is my personal favorite location to go and eat. It is the next closest location to my dorm, and I am always already over there for classes so this is where I usually end up for lunches.

Redifer commons offers a lot more options for non-buffet food. The main ones I have been to are Redifer City Grill, On a Roll, and Choolaah Indian BBQ.

The dining hall is similar to West in quality, but has less variety in what you can get. I enjoy the environment there for lunches since it is often a lot cozier and less busy. It's a much calmer space to sit down and have a meal, than the often louder Waring commons.

Redifer City Grill is the location on campus that basically just sells burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries. It is very standard, and always a decent meal.

On a Roll is a hoagie shop, generally they're fine, but not usually my go to option. I find that this one is open much more often, especially on weekends when a lot of other locations are often closed, or have shorter hours.

Choolaah Indian BBQ is one of my favorite options when over at south. They offer "Power Bowls" which are rice bowls with a sauce and protein of some kind. I enjoy their offerings, and the Mango Lemonade tastes more fresh like I'm eating a mango compared to the version over at State Chick'n.

This is probably my favorite location to get food on campus.

North

North Dining halls have two main options that I have tried, the Northside buffet and the Halal Cart. This location is very far away from my dorm so I almost never get over to North, but it is still a great option.

The buffet over here feels the most modern of the ones I have visited. It has a similar level of options to south, but nothing that specifically makes it better.

Halal Cart is a very good option. They offer a few main dishes, but both times I've gone I have gotten the "fry platter." More recently I tried the Turkish Lamb Kofte fry platter, which was very good, and worth the entire journey over to North to get.

I rarely get food at North just due to the sheer distance it is away from my dorm. I love the food, but can't usually justify the amount of time it takes to get over there.

Pollock

I've only tried one option from Pollock, the Market Pollock Asia kitchen. They sell Boba teas and various bowls with different types of chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu. I specifically like the fruit teas they offer, but the menu of which teas they have seems to change very often. I usually go at least once a week, and this option isn't too much further than South Dining.

East

I have not ever actually been over to East Dining. Generally the reputation of East seems a little bit lower than other halls. It is also about the same distance away as North so I'm basically never on the East side of campus anyways.

Monthly Specials

Most locations have a monthly special item, and they are often very odd. Two going right now are the "Mac Attack Sandwich" at Redifer City grill, and a mocha boba at Market Pollock Asia Kitchen. From my experience, these are often very unique but not my personal favorite. I've gotten about three different ones at this point, and I haven't ended up getting any of them more than once.

Ranking Locations

This is based off of my personal experience, and this includes how far from my dorm the location is to my experience, but here is my ranking of each.

1. South Food District at Redifer Commons
2. West Food District at Waring Commons
3. Pollock Dining Commons
4. North Food District at Warnock Commons

Conclusion

None of these locations are outright bad, actually I'd say all of them are incredible options. While it does get repetitive, there's enough to keep myself from getting sick of the food here. The people who run dining at PSU do a good job of keeping the options fresh, though I still hope to be able to cook for myself after I'm not required to live on a student meal plan.