| On the Menu Mods 6-20 (3/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Lydia O'Connor | |
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Lydia O’Connor 3-21-2008/Features/SFSU Caf review School cafeterias usually don’t have the best of reputations. Canned vegetables and mystery meat come to mind. However, the San Francisco State University dining facilities doesn’t fit this stereotype. With a changing menu of food representing every corner of the world, lunching there is overwhelming in the best possible sense of the word. Appealing to hungry students on a budget, the cafeteria’s buffet-style system allows you to unleash your inner pig for $5.95. Most of the food stations let you serve yourself, so trying a little bit of everything is easily done. Health-consciousness is promoted, however, through large nutritional labels accompanying each item. The cafeteria’s best asset is undoubtedly its expansive salad bar. Name a topping and it’s there — alongside 10 more toppings that you’ll end up wanting just from sheer excitement that they’re offered. My salad, which started out as a modest plate of spinach, ended up sprinkled with onions, olives, carrot shreds, walnuts, cucumbers, kidney beans and broccoli¬ — enhanced with a splash of vinaigrette. One of the most unique qualities of the dining hall is its interactive aspect: Besides dressing my own salad, I fried my own rice, grilled my own panino and watched others toast their own bagels. The concept of do-it-yourself allows students to tailor food to their own personal preferences. The friendly staff, composed of SFSU students, welcomed me as a non-SFSU student. The girl at the counter even gave me the SFSU student discount after we got acquainted. The food, while several steps above most cafeterias, still leaves a little to be desired. Some dishes are not replenished consistently, which can lead to crunchy, stale rice and cold, hardened cheese in your quesadilla. And although made to order, the burgers aren’t anything close to In-N-Out’s. An additional setback is the lack of to-go options. Doggy bags and take-out containers aren’t provided, so you have to take at least three mods to sit down and eat. My three plates were loaded with exotic Indian cuisine, Italian polenta and pizza, various pastas, crisp greens, french fries and a quesadilla. I had about $30 worth of food on several overfilled plates, and I found myself forgetting about most of the flaws of the ingredients as I basked in the low price of it all. Located close by on State Dr. and Lake Merced Blvd. near the Seven Hills Center and Mary Ward Hall, there’s no reason Lowell students shouldn’t give this utopian cafeteria a try. 4 out of 5 stars. |
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to listen.
