“If I’m going to gain the Freshman 15, I’m gonna need to know where to go.” – Incoming Freshman

Transitioning from cozy home cooked meals and treasured local restaurants to bland dining halls and sub par fast food joints is tough for many new students. Maneuvering through all the unfamiliar dining options on campus can be a daunting task, but with the help of this article you can bypass the trial period and go straight to eating like a second semester freshman.

At the beginning of the year many freshmen find themselves suffering through Lakeside day in and day out. I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemies to experience the war crime that is that dining hall, so instead here lie some fantastic options for on campus dining:

Burke Dining Hall:

Now I wouldn’t actually consider Lakeside as something that goes against the Geneva Convention, but when put next to the other options like Burke, it doesn’t compare. Come dinner time Burke rivals none as a choice to use up some of your meal swipes. Upon entering you’ll be greeted with a number of stations which almost always stay full. The pizza, salad, breakfast, and grill stations stay consistent throughout the week while the other stations rotate what’s on the menu. Perhaps my favorite day of the week at Burke is Wednesday’s Nugget Night which never disappoints. Burke also holds the title as the only dining hall with an operating(sometimes) ice cream machine, a huge plus.

Raising Cane’s:

Moving away from dining halls for a moment, we arrive at Raising Cane’s. Located in Paty Hall this might be the student body’s favorite non dining hall choice for food. Specializing in chicken tenders, fries, and Texas toast, the usual combo is sure to satisfy. This spot tends to stay open pretty late making it a perfect pitstop after all your late night ventures.

Chick-Fil-A:

Continuing the chicken based dining options we have Chick-FiL-A , another appetizing option. If you visit in the morning be sure to grab one of their delicious breakfast biscuits, but their menu isn’t any worse later in the day. Nuggets or a chicken sandwich stand as the main entrees which pair perfectly with their waffle fries, in my opinion some of the best fast food fries. Of course don’t forget to grab a shake too as Chick-Fil-A is the only place on campus you can get one.

Fresh Foods Co.:

Moving back towards dining halls we come to the other best option to use your meal swipes, Fresh Foods Co. This dining hall becomes an even more appetizing choice if you happen to be an engineering major as you can find it located in the engineering quad right across from Rogers Library. While the options aren’t as plenty as Burke the food is just as good. The standard food stations are equivalent to Burke’s and they also have rotating stations so you can mix it up everyday.

The Store:

When it comes to spending money on food, hands down the best option is to go grocery shopping. I can usually manage to buy a week’s worth of groceries for only $20. That’s roughly equivalent to eating out just twice. So when comparing two fast food meals to a week’s worth of food, I think there’s an easy winner. Just head on down to the local Publix to get started!

These may be the best, but show only some of the dining options presented to people on campus. Check out the two links below to see all the locations and see their operating hours. Have any different opinions on dining on campus? If so be sure to leave a comment below!

http://bamadining.ua.edu/hours-operation/

http://bamadining.ua.edu/locations/