When you hear my friend at UCLA talk about their campus dining halls, she says, “The choices are plentiful, the quality is excellent, and the prices are reasonable—you’d be missing out not to go.” After hearing the same dining hall review almost 801 times, I decided that I had to go for myself. I earned a tour of the dining scene that earned UCLA its incredible dining reputation and includes everything from mapo tofu and French-style cream desserts to facilities and interiors.
A. Dining Halls
Dining halls in UCLA include Bruin Plate, FEAST at Rieber, Covel, and De Neve. Covel and De Neve offer American Classics and are well-known for their high calorie and hearty comfort food.
1. Covel
From previous meals, Covel served rosemary fried chicken on Thursdays and steak on Tuesdays, which meant it was always a great option for meat lovers. It's always smart to check the menu before going.
2. De Neve
With the late-night menu, De Neve is a popular choice amongst students. During the hungry late-night hours, my friend would always be in line for chicken tenders and fried potato rings with buffalo sauce, ketchup, and a vanilla milkshake on the side. Pretty great way to enjoy dorm life if you ask me. Another dish worth waiting in line for is the grilled pork chop.
3. FEAST
FEAST is the very famous Asian dining hall at UCLA and has menu items such as pho, sushi and steamed meat buns as well as fried rice.
Each bite of the spicy diced chicken rice bowl is delicious, from the fiery chicken pieces to the crunchy peanuts, and that soft white rice means you can eat it again and again. While you’re there, check out the desserts. You can enjoy lots of space, and maybe even meet someone special with the floor to ceiling windows.
Bruin Plate
Bruin Plate is claimed to be the healthiest dining hall on campus thanks to it being the only dining hall without sodas and junk food. The majority of the offerings are on the lighter side with grilled items, but the most popular choice seems to be the grilled lamb chops that have long lines of customers waiting to get them.
With the opening of Hedrick Study, UCLA Dining has been actively changing and adding to their dining options by including pizza and desserts to the menu.
B. Cafés
In addition to the four main dining halls, The Hill has three cafes for students who want a quicker option.
Cafe 1919
Pizza is what Cafe 1919 is known for, and it also has fresh baked options for students that need to grab food on their way to class. Other popular choices include tiramisu and ice cream.
Bruin Cafe
Also known as B-Cafe, Bruin Cafe is famous for its roast beef sandwiches. Aside from that, they also sell a variety of milkshakes, yogurt cups, and fruit cups.
Rendezvous
Rendezvous is a popular cafe and is located on the bottom floor of Rieber Terrace. The most ordered items from there are the Mapo Tofu Rice bowl and the Boba milk tea.
C. Meal Plans
UCLA has up to 9 different meal plan options.
You should get the 19P plan. Your UCLA friend can get the 19P plan, which gives them 19 swipes a week, and they can carry over any unused swipes to the next week. The 14P plan is similar because it also lets you carry over unused swipes, and it lets you treat friends to meals as well.
Each of UCLA's dining halls has a unique vibe and the food quality is high. To promote student satisfaction, Dining Services posts the daily menus for every major dining location.
To get the dreaded "what do you want to eat?" question out of the way, check the menu before you decide on a dining hall to eat at. This is the best way to make sure you pick a good spot.
After walking around all of UCLA's dining halls, I can confidently say UCLA has some of the best campus dining in the country. If you want good Chinese food, you'll need to find a friend with a meal plan. Other schools with exceptional campus dining should be recommended to UCLA as well.
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles, also known as UCLA, is a prestigious university founded in the year 1919. It is located in California and has no surrounding fences, allowing for a free flow of visitors across the campus. Students gather between the buildings on the grass to converse and enjoy the sunshine.
The long history of Royce Hall represents the history of the university's architecture. The tree-lined paths and the active campus atmosphere all contribute to a pleasant experience walking through the school. The libraries and academic buildings are also a part of the experience of visiting a large university. Here you can read and study.
