We all love Drexel. We all chose to attend this university for our own reasons, and its academics are often lauded as being among the best on the East Coast. But if there’s one thing Drexel needs to fix for the better, it’s their dining options for their students. There are three main halls where dining dollars and/or meal swipes are accepted. Northside Dining Terrace, Urban Eatery and the Hans (short for the Hanschumacher Dining Center, which nobody says). All three halls are known to be undesirable to students due to frequent instances of food poisoning from ill preparation, poor quality of ingredients, and minimal care from staff. But us students don’t really have other choices if we’re on a dining plan and are running on a college budget. With that, going to Urban to grab some chicken tenders at Ignite instead of ordering Chinese sounds much better for our wallets.
Believe it or not, there are ways around the less desirable options that can allow us to have better meals. Here they are:
Northside
This is everyone’s favorite dining hall because it’s a convenient location, right in the middle of all the freshman dorms. It also provides Chick Fil A, Subway, a little supermarket, and up until this fall it had Currito (a knock-off Chipotle). It is also the dining center with the least accounts of food poisoning.
Be healthy at Chick Fil A …
Next time you go to get an already-made sandwich at Chick Fil A, stop and ask one of the employees behind the counter if they’ll make you a grilled sandwich instead. The grilled chicken is a lot healthier as it is not fried in fatty oils. It also includes lettuce, tomato, pickles and condiments. You’ll have to wait about an extra five minutes, but if you want to do everything humanly possible to be healthy – these five extra minutes are worth it.
Don’t be “that”person” …
Nothing is worse than getting to Northside before closing, just to see empty shelves and a long line of kids who decided to be “that person” coming in to get food. Waiting to pay while cramped in the small market in that long line is just a waste of time in all of our lives. It’s ridiculous how crowded it can get in there. This line is formed by those who thought it was a clever idea to come to Northside just minutes before closing hoping to get everything they possibly can to last the night. The main reason so many students at Drexel (namely freshman) go to Northside is because they can get what they need without spending ‘real’ money. They can easily pay with a swipe of their DragonCards and not make a dent in their pockets. Regardless, do whatever you can to avoid that incredibly long line.
Urban Eatery
This dining hall is just a little over a year old making it the newest on campus. It offers a number of options that aren’t offered elsewhere. The design is also large and comfortable, which makes it a great place to socialize and get work done, not just eat.
Say “yes” to the panini …
Somewhere at Sola Deli in Urban Eatery, there is a sign that should say “Panini of The Day.” You may have tried ordering that panini, but the cashier probably said that there are none. That cashier is lying. Most likely the panini is available, they just don’t want to make it. Not only that, but you can also request to have any sandwich you order pressed in the panini press. Having these sandwiches freshly pressed so that it’s warm and crispy makes the dining experience at Urban Eatery much more bearable. Don’t forget to choose the right side for that sandwich, though. If they have the tortellini salad or the macaroni salad, get it. It actually doesn’t taste too bad and seems pretty fresh.
Avoid meat …
The main reason that so many students get sick from the food at Urban is because they tend to get dishes with meat and that meat isn’t always fresh. When you have to prepare and produce so much for so many people, the quality of your food isn’t going to be the finest. Therefore, the meat at Urban isn’t the best to eat. Avoid getting hamburgers at Ignite, get their black bean burgers instead. Their veggie burgers taste pretty good, and we can rest assured they aren’t made with low-quality meat. They come with red peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese, along with the side of fries you get with any menu option.
Make friends …
While you’re at Urban, try to take some time and make friends with the staff there. Having close relations with the staff can lead to free food or food that is better prepared. Not only that, but they’re entertaining people and you get some friends out of it.
Hans
The Hans is a traditional college dining hall. One meal swipe and you can get whatever you’d like in the buffet-style hall. With that one meal swipe, there are multiple benefits. However, the Hans is everyone’s least favorite dining option because it’s far from the dorms and has extremely poor quality food.
One meal swipe doesn’t mean one meal …
Once you let that cashier swipe your card and enter the dome, you are able to stay in Hans for as long as you’d like, take whatever and however much you want. To many who haven’t visited the Hans, this may seem like heaven. It’s far from the dorms, which is a hike for all the students living anywhere past Arch Street, and the Hans is known for one thing among students: its tendency to give people food poisoning. But if you’re tough enough, then take advantage of the all-you-can-eat aspect and stock up. Bring a jug and fill it with what you can. Be discreet, though. It’s obviously not allowed, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.
This can technically go for any dining hall on campus, take what you can. You’re paying an absurd amount of money to go to school here so you shouldn’t have to pay any more to eat comfortably. Students take anything they possibly can – fruit, milk, snacks, silverware, straws, ketchup, salt, pepper, drinks, napkin dispensers (yes, it has been done) and anything else they can get their hands on.
These are some of the biggest hacks you can use to enjoy your dining experience at Drexel a little bit more. Avoid all meat if possible, socialize with the staff, avoid rush hours, get healthy options if possible and most importantly, do not run out of dining dollars. Dining dollars are your best friend and unfortunately Northside will be too. Happy eating!