As a college student, finding food that is both nutritious and enjoyable on campus can be a daunting task. Entering the dining halls is a gamble, especially here at Lafayette. You never know what you’ll find in Upper or Marquis that day, or if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day at Lower. Oftentimes, even the menus on the Cafe Bon Appetit website are wrong, and you take a trip to the dining hall for something specific and find that it’s not even there! It really can be tough to find something to eat here, so I’m going to share with you some of my favorite options on campus that never fail me.
-Wings at Marquis: Every week, I wake up and count the days until it’s Friday. Not because I will finally be done with class for the week, or that it’s the weekend, but because it’s Wing Friday. Every Friday, Marquis serves buffalo wings and wings in another flavor that changes weekly, sometimes barbeque, sometimes honey mustard, and many more. These wings, surprisingly, are actually extremely good. The chicken, unlike most of the other chicken on campus, is not dry. They provide you with ranch, bleu cheese, and celery, and they almost always serve macaroni and cheese or french fries with the wings. Wing Friday has never failed me.
-Breakfast Sandwiches at Gilbert’s: Nothing beats waking up on a Sunday morning and going to Gilbert’s with my roommate for breakfast sandwiches. These sandwiches are fully customizable with your choice of bread, meat, cheese, and even egg. They are also always served with tater tots. Personally, I get pork roll, egg, and cheddar cheese on a croissant, and it is one of my go-to’s here on campus. And, nothing beats a good tater tot.
-Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup at Gilbert’s: Here we are again at Gilbert’s. Sometimes, when I’m not in the mood for a breakfast sandwich, I go with the grilled cheese and tomato soup instead, and it also never disappoints. This sandwich is made with a few different types of cheeses on sourdough bread, and the tomato soup is really quite delicious. And who doesn’t love dunking their grilled cheese in tomato soup?
-Sandwich Press at Marquis & Upper: My last go-to on campus is the sandwich press at Marquis, or the one at Upper. Though I personally eat at Marquis more often than Upper, they are still interchangeable in terms of the sandwich press. Here, you can get your choice of bread or wrap, your choice of meat, cheese, and other toppings and sauces. My personal favorite is a spinach wrap with chipotle mayo, pickles, onion, lettuce, ham, salami, pepperoni, and provolone cheese. Whenever the food at Upper or Marquis looks sub-par, you can always turn to the sandwich press for something delicious.
These dining options are my absolute favorites, but there are still so many other options that are actually surprisingly delicious. The key is to broaden your horizons, explore your options, and you will absolutely find something that you genuinely want to eat here on campus.