Find your new favorite meal through Miami’s on-campus dining options

Transitioning to college can bring up many homesick feelings for first-years, but the most unexpected of them all is how much you will miss your parents’ cooking or just one of your favorite takeout options.

One easy fix to this recurring problem is finding new favorites on campus and foods that will bring comfort during all-nighters and long school days.

I’ve taken it upon myself to help the new students at Miami University find replicas of their favorite home cooked meals and easy to-go options for busy school days.

Beyond the day-to-day options on-campus, keep an eye out for changes throughout the semester, which happened frequently last year, as well as special themed events hosted at dining halls. The food at special events is usually much higher quality — I even had lobster mac and cheese at a casino night event on Western last year.

Dining halls

Miami’s campus has five dining halls spread across campus and located in different quads, including Bell Tower which is set to reopen this fall! You’ll probably settle into going to whichever is closest to your dorm, but all of the dining halls have different food options, so it’s important to try them all.

A few highlights I recommend are the Indian food at Garden Commons, the stir-fry at Maple Street Station and the soft serve machine at Western Dining Hall (if it reopens this semester). For a more in-depth review of the dining halls, check out my ranking of them all from last year. All of these dining halls are buffet-style and require one meal swipe to enter.

Armstrong Student Center

Armstrong is located in the center of the academic quad and is the hub for student life, making it a great place to grab lunch between classes. Food options inside Armstrong include Pulley Diner, Red Zone, Cafe Lux Coffee, Sumeshi Sushi, Clean Plate at Haines, and new this fall, a Panera Bread.

Pulley is a Miami campus staple. Its grilled cheese and tomato soup is a must try, in addition to the mac and cheese. Pulley is also a great place to get a late night milkshake or snack, as it stays open later than other on-campus dining options.

I would stay away from indulging in a lot of dessert as the first-year 15 is realer than you think, but Pulley also has great chocolate cake. Pulleys’ toasted roll takes the crown for their best desert and is a must try on campus!

Red Zone is sports-themed and their menu reflects this. Their food is similar to what would be served in a pub, and they offer items for games such as billiards. The buffalo wings are their most popular item and are definitely worth a try.

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Cafe Lux closes early, so it's a great place for breakfast, serving many coffee variations as well as bagels and pastries. Sumeshi, known as Kabaar last year, is one of my favorites, and you can’t go wrong with their made-to-order sushi.

Clean Plate at Haines, which is new this year, offers great bowl options made to avoid the nine most common allergens, according to Aramark. All of these made to order options in Armstrong can be purchased with declining dollars.

Armstrong also features Emporium which offers a wide variety of snacks. The King Street meal swipe meals there can be bought with, you guessed it, a meal swipe. These range from a simple ham and cheese croissant to different salad variations.

Starbucks

There are two Starbucks on campus, but be careful you don’t spend all of your declining dollars on a coffee and bacon egg and gouda sandwich every morning. These options are also typically very popular, so I wouldn't recommend waiting in the line unless you have at least 30 minutes to spare.

MacCracken Market

Similar to the Emporium, the MacCracken Market is almost like a grocery store offering so many amenities to students. This market has a smoothie bar, which is great for hot days. They also have a food station in the back with sandwiches, paninis and burgers!

Dividends

Whether you are in the Farmer School of Business or not, the market located inside this building is a great lunch option. Their salad bar is my favorite on campus and they also offer Asian food, breakfast options and other snacks and sandwiches.

Scoreboard Market

For those of you living on North Quad, Scoreboard Market is a great place to order pickup to eat on the way to your dorm or for a late night snack. This market offers delicious mac and cheese bites.

mcdowekr@miamioh.edu