Where & What to Eat on Campus
So, Orientation has ended and the free-food frenzy will soon be over. Pretty soon, you’ll have to fend for yourself and learn how to navigate the complicated system that is Dartmouth Dining Services.
SmartChoice 20 means that you are allowed 20 meal swipes a week. You have four opportunities a day to use a meal swipe – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night. You can choose to eat at the Class of 1953 Commons, which is the only all-you-can-eat dining option.
Another way to use your meal swipe is at Collis Cafe or the Courtyard Cafe at the Hopkins Center. A dinner swipe is worth $9.25 at these locations, so you can pick and choose assorted items from the dining hall totaling that amount. In addition to your meal swipes, you get $75 in your Declining Balance Account, which is money that you can use to buy snacks & such per term.BlockChoice 180 follows essentially the same guidelines, only you get 180 meals a term instead of being limited to 20 meals a week.
All right, now that you have some idea of how your meal plan will work for the next ten weeks, here’s what to eat at the various dining locations on campus.
Collis: A favored dining option of many students, Collis offers a wide array of options. Two student favorites tend to be the stir-fry and the pasta, which are both made to order. This often leads to ridiculously long lines, so if you’re in a rush, you can always grab a sandwich from the fridge and a smoothie. Made-to-order sushi is another option on weeknights and during late night on Sundays and Mondays. Though it isn’t always worth the price, it is good if you’re craving it.
The Hop: Head to the Hop if you’re craving something a little…greasier. Popular choices include the Billy Bob, the breakfast sandwich, chicken fingers, and tuna melts. For dessert, try one of the big cookies – you won’t be disappointed.
'53 Commons: Try all the desserts. Well, you might want to be a little more disciplined than that, but the incredible variety of the baked goods at FoCo is undeniably difficult to resist. FoCo also has the best salad bar and vegetarian options of any of the dining halls on campus.
King Arthur Flour (KAF): Located in the library, KAF is the perfect place for a study break – assuming you don’t mind waiting in line for a bit. Students particularly enjoy the Greek Salad, the Brie & Apple Sandwich, and pretty much all of their spreads (which come with two of their delicious rolls). Also, if you end up with extra DBA at the end of the term, you can spend it on KAF’s delicious made-to-order cakes & cupcakes.
Novack: While Novack certainly isn’t the best place to eat on campus, it’s certainly the quickest. It’s an especially popular breakfast spot – the safest bets are probably the muffins and the breakfast sandwiches.
For hours and locations, check out the DDS website.
