Eating on Campus
When it comes to dining on campus, UCI’s got you covered. Students can choose from two large dining halls, many other on-campus eateries, and plenty of restaurants just across the street.
Dining Halls and Meal Plans
We have two dining halls at UCI: Brandywine and the Anteatery. Brandywine is located in the Middle Earth freshman housing area, near the schools of Social Sciences, Engineering, and Computer Science. The Anteatery is in Mesa Court, the freshman housing area near the school of the Arts, Biological Sciences, and Humanities. Click on the following links to look at today’s menu for Brandywine and the Anteatery.
What are my meal plan options? Are meal plans just for freshmen?
Students living in the residence halls can choose from three meal plan options:
7-Day All-Access + $50 FlexDine per quarter: As many meals as you want, all day every day!
135-Block + $250 FlexDine per quarter: You can go to the dining hall 135 times during the full academic year, which breaks down to approximately 5 meals per week. Good for students who frequently go home or prefer to eat off campus on the weekend.
85-Block + $300 FlexDine per quarter: You can go into the dining halls 85 times during the quarter, which breaks down to roughly 2 meals per week.
FlexDine dollars are loaded onto your student ID card and can be used at any of our on-campus eateries such as Zot N Go, Jamba Juice, and Subway.
If you are not in a residence hall and would still like a meal plan, you can get one! Plus, you’ll have even more options. Click here to learn more about meal plan options.
I’m a junior, and my meal plan is really helpful. I’m often on campus from early in the morning till late at night, so it’s rare that I get to go home during the day for a meal. It’s really helpful and convenient to go to the Anteatery, which is close to my classes on the Arts campus, to get a quick bite.
Other Places to Eat On Campus
One of our main areas for finding food on campus is the Student Center. The Student Center is home to our student store, The Hill, as well as restaurants like Bene’s Pasta, Panda Express, and Starbucks. We also have a pub, which is pretty cool (if you’re over 21, of course)! For a complete list of Student Center restaurants, click here.
If you’re not by the Student Center, we also have other cafes and restaurants around campus. Click here for an interactive map of all of our on-campus dining locations!
UTC
Last but not least, if you’re game to venture a little farther away, just across the Watson Bridge, you will find University Town Center, where there are even MORE great dining options! There is boba galore, with Cha For Tea, Snow Monster, and ShareTea within a minute of each other. We also have Tender Greens, Del Sushi, Mendocino Farms, Eureka, In N Out, and so many more restaurants to choose from!
If you want to save money, there are also affordable grocery stores in the area. There’s a Trader Joe’s in UTC (my personal favorite), and there’s an Albertson’s a block away, closer to most of the university’s apartment buildings.
For me, figuring out healthy eating patterns in college has been a challenge. It’s all too easy to get so busy that eating becomes the last thing on your to-do list, and it never gets done. But even though eating enough has been a struggle for me, it has been so helpful to always have food nearby, whether it’s the Anteatery or Starbucks or Trader Joe’s. It’s something that I really appreciate about UCI.
So when you visit the campus, make sure to check out some of our wonderful dining facilities! We look forward to seeing you soon!
