University of California-Irvine Top Questions

Tell us about the food and dining options.

Andrea

Well we have many options. First, freshmen are required to purchase a meal plan. there are three meal plans: the first one is 100 meal plus $75 flex dollars, 120 meals plus $75 flex dollars, and 165 meals plus $50 flex dollars. You are given the number of meals every quarter. the only thing that sucks is that if you don't use up all your meals, they don't roll over to the next quarter. The flex dollars (or we also call them zot bucks) you are able to use those to purchase food in any of the food courts around campus. There are dinning commons in the residential complex. we have to dorm residents for freshmen. One is called Middle Earth (named after the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and our bigger complex is called Mesa Court. the food is good and they have a variety to choose from. Also, if you have special requests on your food (vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, gluten free) you can always contact the the dining commons and make arrangement with them. And if you loved the dining commons so much, there are optional meal plans for upperclassmen.

Natalie

If you live in the dorms in Mesa Court you could dine at Mesa Commons. Everyone gets to see this dining location during orientation, but it is like a buffet. You could eat anything you want. If you live in Middle Earth you could eat at Pippin Commons. I could tell you more about Pippin since I live in Middle Earth. Pippin is a lot bigger than Mesa and in my opinion, a lot nicer. They throw these big events for the holidays and you get better food options on these days, plus there are performances by talented singers and dancers from UCI. I'm sure they do these at Mesa too, but like I said, I cannot really tell you much about Mesa. Pippin is also buffet-style. Near Middle Earth, there is also Brandywine Commons. It is the smallest dining area, but sometimes they have really good food. You could go to any of the dining areas although you are not a resident from that particular area. Besides dorm dining options, we have a lot of different places to get some food here or around campus. At the Student Center we have: Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Anthill Pub and Grille (I have not been here yet, but I hear it is a very popular place to hang out and eat), Bene’s pasta, Organic Greens-to-go, Panda Express, Quizno’s, Topio’s Pizza (very good), Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, and Wendy’s. We also have Phoenix Food Court, where they sell burritos and other kinds of food. We have BC’s Cavern Food Court and Subway. There are also small places for coffee, snacks, and hot chocolate around campus, such as Café Espresso and Espress Yourself Coffee Cart. At the University Town Center we have Taco Bell, In-N-Out, Veggie Grill, and Jack in the Box. You could also take the shuttle to Koba and Del Taco. There are unlimited dining options a short drive away from campus as well, including Italian and French restaurants. .

Natalie

If you live in the dorms in Mesa Court you could dine at Mesa Commons. Everyone gets to see this dining location during orientation, but it is like a buffet. You could eat anything you want. If you live in Middle Earth you could eat at Pippin Commons. I could tell you more about Pippin since I live in Middle Earth. Pippin is a lot bigger than Mesa and in my opinion, a lot nicer. They throw these big events for the holidays and you get better food options on these days, plus there are performances by talented singers and dancers from UCI. I'm sure they do these at Mesa too, but like I said, I cannot really tell you much about Mesa. Pippin is also buffet-style. Near Middle Earth, there is also Brandywine Commons. It is the smallest dining area, but sometimes they have really good food. You could go to any of the dining areas although you are not a resident from that particular area. Besides dorm dining options, we have a lot of different places to get some food here or around campus. At the Student Center we have: Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Anthill Pub and Grille (I have not been here yet, but I hear it is a very popular place to hang out and eat), Bene’s pasta, Organice Greens-to-go, Panda Express, Quizno’s, Topio’s Pizza (very good), Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, and Wendy’s. We also have Phoenix Food Court, where they sell burritos and other kinds of food. We have BC’s Cavern Food Court and Subway. There are also small places for coffee, snacks, and hot chocolate around campus, such as Café Espresso and Espress Yourself Coffee Cart. At the University Town Center we have Taco Bell, In-N-Out, and Jack in the Box. You could also take the shuttle to Koba and Del Taco. There are unlimited dining options a short drive away from campus as well, including Italian and French restaurants. .

Perry

A look inside one of UCI's three Dining Commons: Pippin. Get a sense for the layout, type of food, quality, and seating here.

Sandra

Lunch time outside the Student Center

Sandra

Lunch time inside the UCI food court.

Sandra

A brief tour of the Starbucks on UCI's campus.