University of Georgia - UGA Insider

Dining Introduction

Most freshmen sign up for the meal plan because of the first-year live-on-campus requirement. It can be difficult to make your own food in the dorms but with some patience and creativity, it is very possible. There are kitchens in every residence hall that usually include an oven, microwave, sink and an ice maker. However, UGA has an award winning food service program that far surpasses that of most colleges and institutions. If you are unsure, check it out. It really is fantastic and the best part about it is the convenience. The experience is exceptional, overall, despite the high prices. The biggest downside to not being on meal plan is not having the chance to meet new people and eat with your friends because more than likely, they will be on the meal plan.

Current Cost:
5 Day Plan - $3,320/year - to be paid in two semester payments of $1,660.00
7 Day Plan - $3,522/year - to be paid in two semester payments of $1,761.00

10 Things to Know

1. In order to purchase a meal plan for the fall semester, you MUST contractually agree that you will purchase it for the spring as well. There are only a few ways to get out of this contract (graduating, leaving UGA, having to change your diet for health reasons, etc.). If you MUST leave the meal plan, you are still charged 30% (around $500) of the price of the spring meal plan. You can find out more about the meal plan on the food service web site. You should know that over the course of several years, the cost of UGA's meal plan has increased incrementally by about $100 or so every year. When the class of 2009 came in, the meal plan was about $2,750 for the entire year, which made it easier to minimize the need for student loans and to budget for college.

2. Despite the convienience, you should only purchase the meal plan if you are going to fully use it. Many people purchase the meal plan only to realize that they don't have enough time in their schedule to enjoy it. So if you are on the meal plan, make sure to use it!

3. You can register for a prepared and bagged lunch from any dining hall which can be schedueld for pick up for you more busy students, but that doesn't compare to the other food selections that you could be enjoying when you dine-in.

4. You should realize that many students tend to go straight to a dining hall right after class, so watch out for the predictable lines right at 12:15 on MWF.

5. Of course, the dining halls are a great place to eat, but they've evolved into prime places to study, meet people, chill out and have fun. Many people bring their laptops to the dining halls because of the Wi-Fi accessibility and the comfortable environments.

6. If you don't have anybody to eat with when you go to a dining hall, it's very common for freshmen to sit down at tables with complete strangers. It can be awkward at first, but remember that everyone is a student here and you should be getting to know your peers. Meeting people is as easy as going up to a good-looking table and saying, "Hey, do you mind if I sit with you?" Then, of course you introduce yourself and utilize your striking charisma. Not scary at all. We're kidding! But honestly... Ask basic question such as where he/she is from, what high school they went to, what classes they're taking, where they live, etc. If they're from a high school that you're familiar with, it's always fun to see what mutual friends you have. Of course, you could just friend each other on Facebook to find out later.

7. Portions! Portions! Portions! The Freshman 15 clearly isn't just a clever little way of categorizing "Insider" information. Here at UGA, this reality is the 15 pounds every freshman tends to gain from being on the meal plan. 24 hours, all-you-can-eat plus an incredible variety of options is enough to make anyone pig out. But remember to watch what you eat in the dining halls. It's very easy to eat fatty foods and desserts, but it can also be just as easy to eat healthy alternatives and maintain a balanced diet. And with very sophisticated salad bars, taste doesn't have to suffer. There is a nutrition course that the meal plan offers for free. Also, remember that Food Services has its own nutritionist and registared dietitian in Snelling Dining Commons, so utilize these great resources!

8. As far as quality goes, it is exceptional, as Michael J. Floyd brags about at Orientation. One of the biggest reasons why the food is so good is because it is so fresh. You'll notice that the quality declines when the food begins to sit out for too long. If you want to get some of the best-tasting food, be sure to go to the custom lines, such as the sub, egg, waffle, Mexican, and pizza stations.

9. Speaking of taste, if you want the best food, you've got to become creative and make it yourself! If you mix and match different ingredients from all the lines, you can make a Panini, a smoothie, a new kind of dip, or even a milkshake. Have fun with it, because the meal plan menu can become old pretty quick.

10. The people who work in the dining halls are very friendly. Especially the greeters! Be sure to speak to them... And hugs are of course encouraged.

20 Great Things about the Meal Plan

1. Joe Frank Harris (aka: ECV/The Summit) and Snelling Dining Commons have outstanding meal options.
2. The accessibility and ease-of-use are stellar.
3. All you can eat! You can eat as much food as you'd like.
4. There are many options for vegan/vegetarian students.
5. Snelling is 24 hours throughout the week...this is huge.
6. The cashiers are very friendly. Sandra and Hilda, we love you!
7. There is a large variety of cereals, soups, pastas, and sandwich options.
8. Health and Safety standards are top-notch.
9. Hot. Fresh. Cookies. Enough said.
10. Dining Halls have Wi-Fi-- It's easy to stay all day to dine and study.
11. The egg bars produce fresh-made omelettes and custom scrambled eggs.
12. The UGA meal plan hasn't won countless awards for nothing, the food really is fantastic
13. The personal pizzas at ECV are delicious.
14. The ice cream section has a fresh variety of flavors to try.
15. The environment is pleasent. This produces a great way to interact with your friends and to meet people.
16. Bolton has a phenomenal salad bar.
17. The specialty dinners are very memorable, creative, and delicious.
18. At O-House, you can get unlimited espresso and custom-made coffees.
19. There are conveniently-placed hand-sanitizers in every dining hall.
20. The stir fry, fresh sushi, custom wraps and quesadillas at O-House are unbeatable.

20 Worst Things about the Meal Plan

1. A comparative lack of quality at Bolton and Oglethorpe House (aka O-House).
2. Expensive Contract Plans.
3. Limited Number of Contract Options (we still have no lunch-only contract!).
4. Fattening foods are easier to find than healthy foods.
5. The menu uses some of the same items too much.
6. The Skim Milk and Green Tea are always out.
7. Sunday Brunch at O-House is always crowded. So crowded that running into people and colliding with people's chairs is common.
8. There's no Root Beer.
9. No Sunday Night meal options...at all.
10. The only meal option at Snelling between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. is cheese and pepperoni pizza.
11. The salad bar at a couple dining halls is very limited.
12. The filtered water machines are really slow at dispensing water.
13. Lunch hours during the week are typically crowded.
14. It's extremely difficult to cancel your contract.
15. After 2 years...it can get old. Very old.
16. Food Services is not terribly green or sustainable.
17. You must have your UGA ID when entering Snelling after midnight.
18. The employee-served portions for the main entree line at Snelling don't allow for you to portion.
19. You can only take one piece of fruit or a cookie out of the halls.
20. The "Taste of Home" recipes could be used more throughout the year, but they are only used sparingly.

Taking Food Outside Dining Halls

The only things that are technically allowed to be taken out of the dining halls are fruit and ice cream. Increasingly however, people take out coffee tumblers, cookies, finger foods and muffins, cofffee in plain view and nobody says anything.

If in the 2nd semester, you find yourself bringing a backpack full of compartmentalized Tupperware boxes and zip-locs, you may want to reconsider what you are doing because you can actually get kicked off of the meal plan for doing things like that (it's not unheard of for people to do this, though).

Entering the Dining Halls

One of the biggest tips ever for coming to UGA is this: Memorize you 810 student number on your UGA Card. You will use this for the next four years. You can use this to enter the dining halls and many students use it every single time they enter because it is simply more convenient. When you scan your hand remember that if you receive anything less than a 10, you're guaranteed to have good luck for the rest of the day.

By the way, if you have a friend who is not on meal plan, remember that they can always come in with you if they pay the breakfast/lunch/dinner amount. Lines are typically not long for entering, but lunch and dinner times can result in larger crowds.

To avoid crowds, the best times to dine are early morning before 9 and between the typical lunch and dinnertime, which is roughly from 2 and 5 in the afternoon. If you do happen to come at a time where the lines are out the door, it is NOT cool to start talking to a friend already in the line, and then just 'stay' there. Yes, everyone behind you is looking at you and talking about how rude some people can be.

Dining Etiquette

Upon entering a dining hall, you're typically going to sterilize your hands with the convenient dispensers, grab a tray, plate and silverware. Once you've done this, you'll want to figure out which line has the best food that day. If everything looks terrible, just remember that cereal is the only thing that is 100% dependable in the dining halls. Some people may want to find where they are going to sit first, and this is fine as long as it is not extremely busy. One of the most rude things you can do in the dining halls is put down your backpack/purse at a table in say, Snelling at the peak lunch hour, to save the table for you and a friend while you are in line for a Burger. While you are waiting in line for your food, there are two things that are happening to your 'reserved' table: 1) Dozens of groups of people are walking around trying to find a table, and they are seriously considering moving your stuff onto the floor; 2) Your belongings could be easily stolen in such a high-traffic environment (not that there have been many incidents of theft in the dining halls, but you really need to be careful about what you do with your belongings).

While you are walking around and getting your food, try not to talk on your cell phone, because it makes it really awkward when you are trying not to bump into everybody. If you are being served by a meal plan worker at say, the egg line, DO NOT talk on your cell phone or listen to a mp3 player. Also, try to figure out your portions. It can be easy to take too much, but try to finish everything you take. After you've figured out your meal, you can eat anywhere in the building, for the most part. In order to make room for everyone, try to sit at a smaller table if you are alone or with one other person. This way, larger groups can find the room they need at larger tables. It is very rude to leave your tray or your trash at your table. Return everything to the tray return area so that the dining halls remain clean and the workload of dining hall staff is minimized.

Also, if you order something at a specialty line, please don't step out of line after you order.

Say please and thank you to those that are serving your food.

Overall, just be considerate of everybody in the dining hall because everybody is trying to find something different.

If you want one item in say, the entrée line, be sure to make sure that you are not cutting someone when you reach in to get it. If the line is really long leading up to that entrée item, you might just have to wait in the line to get that one item, for the sake of being polite.

Reviews of Each Dining Hall

Now that you have an overall feel for the pros and cons of the dining halls, we wanted to go over every dining hall individually. These reviews are not the end-all be-all of dining hall knowledge, but it should ideally give you a great idea of what students think of each dining hall. You will want to pay the most attention to Bolton and O-House, since the majority of freshmen will likely be eating at these places the most.

Bolton

(Mon-Fri 7am-8pm)
Located right next to Creswell Hall on West Campus

Highlights:
• Grill for hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, etc.
• Deli sandwich bar
• Hot sandwich bar
• Buffet of different entrée meats, vegetables, and sides
• Pasta station
• Taco/Nacho station
• Wing station
• Omelet/Breakfast station (cereal included)
• Salad bar
• Dessert and ice cream bar

Review:
Bolton is the king of freshman dining. It has more seating than any other hall. The majority of freshmen tend to eat at either Bolton or O-House. Bolton arguably has the best salad bar of all the dining halls. This is the place to go if you want to maintain a healthy diet. On top of that, Bolton has a "Lean Eats" section that features low-fat entrees. The Southwest, a spicy chicken sandwich, is one of the most popular hot sandwiches. You can find this to the left of the grill. The grill has hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken sandwiches, burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Typically, all of this is good quality, but you want to watch how much you get from here. Even a dawg with a high metabolism will gain love handles from this part of Bolton. Anything from the sandwich line or egg station are going to be good because everything is fresh and custom-made. The entree line can have good food on rare occasions. During peak hours, Bolton can be very hard to navigate. You'll get the hang of dodging people after a month or so. This dining hall is also closest to the MLC so it is first to feel the lunchtime rush.

O-House

(Mon-Fri: 7am-8pm, Sat: 8:30am-8pm Sun: 8:30am-2pm)
Located next to Oglethorpe House Residence Hall

Highlights:
• Made to order Stir fry and oriental foods
• Fresh Sushi
• Taco and burrito station
• Grill with selection of burgers
• Sandwich station
• Buffet (same selection everyday)
• Cereal
• Ice cream and frozen yogurt
• Coffee bar
• Sunday buffet

Review:
O-House used to be the black sheep of the four dining halls. Luckily, it got a facelift a few years ago and it is now one of the more modern-looking dining halls on campus. It is the only one to feature a coffee bar that houses its own barista who serves lattes, mochas, espresso, coffee and other specialty drinks. Get creative with this one-- It's rare to be able to experiment with different flavors of syrups at Starbucks.

Not only does O-House feature a coffee bar, it also houses a Mongolian grill. The stir fry is definitely a student favorite, which is evidenced by its consistently long lines. While the Asian food and sushi could be a tad more authentic, we give it an A. The hole in the wall grill makes a variety of great-tasting burgers that can only be found at this dining hall venue. You can also let your creativity run wild, so be sure to go a little crazy a few times every few weeks. There is a southern food section that always has chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, fried okra and other assorted vegetables. This could be viewed as a good or bad thing.

The most unique thing about O-House is that it is the only dining hall that is open to the freshman community on the weekend. You can go to ECV, but with limited bus service, it could be hard to get there and back before it closes at 2:00 p.m on Sunday. Because O-House is the only dining hall that serves thousands of young, hungry freshmen on the weekend, it tends to have trouble accommodating everyone. Not only are there long lines, there's literally very little space to move around. If you can find a table, you should immediately stake your claim because it won't be there for long. Also, if you can pile your dishes on a friends tray on Sundays, it might help with the dish line that develops because of too many people attempting to return their trays.

Snelling

(Open from 7am Monday until 2:30 Friday 24 hrs)
Located on south campus near Myers and Boyd halls

Highlights:
• Grill with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, hotdogs, philly steaks and philly chickens, etc.
• Pizza station
• Burrito, taco, and quesadilla station
• Salad bar
• Cold sandwich and soup bar
• Buffet (different daily selections)
• Ability to Snellebrate after midnight with breakfast

Review:
Snelling is best known for its late-night hours and fun crowds. The food here is higher quality than Bolton or O-House for sure, but you've gotta watch out for the portions. If you're in the entree line and you ask for peas, they will GIVE you peas. Be sure to specify how many spoonfuls you want or try to specify the type of dish (large/small plate; large/small bowl). This applies to any dining hall really. If you are getting anything custom-made, be sure to specify an amount, because they won't know otherwise.

The grill at Snelling is high quality. They specialize in Philly chicken and steak. Snelling's pizza is very well-made, mainly because everything is typically fresh out of the oven. Snelling doesn't really make custom pizzas, but they try to shake things up with different kinds of pizza, such as BBQ Chicken, White Pizza, and Meat Lovers.

After nine, Snelling only serves pizza until 12:00 midnight. At this time, it then begins serving breakfast.

Joe Frank Harris aka: ECV or The Summit

(Mon-Fri: 7am-8pm, Sat: 8:30am- 8pm, Sun: 8:30am-2pm)
Located on East Campus next to East Campus Village and Ramsey

Highlights:
• Sandwich Bar
• Grill
• Salad Bar
• Personal pizza station
• Buffet selection
• Smoothies
• Omelet station
• Burrito and quesadilla station
• Dessert and ice cream bar

Review:
Oh, ECV. They tried to rename you as the "Joe Frank Harris Dining Commons," but we know that won't stick. ECV actually stands for East Campus Village (the residence halls) and the dining hall was named East Village Commons so it should have been called EVC rather than ECV...but ECV was a mistake that just kind of stuck and now that's what everyone just calls it. ECV (which is also called "The Village Summit") has always been the hallmark of on-campus dining. Many have wondered why the food tastes so good, and while it could be that the environment just makes you feel better about life. (It's designed to look like the inside of a ski lodge) It's more likely that they simply have the newest facility to work with. ECV is the favorite of places to eat on campus during the day-- If it's past 8, it's Snelling (because who doesn't want to Snellebrate??).

At ECV, anything you get is going to stick with you. One of the most notable foods here is the personal pizzas, which are comparable to Pizza Hut's personal pan pizzas. You can even make your own custom pizza with anything that you want cooked to perfection in under five minutes.

In addition to the personal pizzas, anything from the grill, and smoothies are all favorites. They have about 10 smoothies that are delicious, but Strawberry Landslide has been the most popular smoothie-of-choice for about four years now. Come to think of it, they should probably innovate their menu, because honestly... Peach Pizazz just doesn't cut it anymore.

The only downside to ECV is its less convenient location. Of course, like anything on campus, it is just a bus ride away.