One of the biggest issues facing students all over Marquette's campus is food. All too often during my freshman year, I found myself in need of sustenance, but completely unsure of where exactly to go. In hopes of guiding newcomers to our campus, I've put together a sort of guide to our dining halls; what each one is all about, where to go, where to avoid, and so on. A lot of this is going to based off of my opinion so just bear with me and buckle up; the gloves are off on this one.

1. Cobeen Hall

Cobeen dining hall, located in the all-girl Cobeen residence hall is a pretty safe choice when you're looking for food and lots of it. Cobeen is set up as your basic buffet style dining hall. You swipe in as much as you want and you eat until it hurts. The selection is pretty good for what it is; there's always a steady supply of pasta and pizza, a salad bar, a grill where you can get anything from burgers to quesadillas, a rotation of daily entrees, and a dessert bar with a soft-serve ice cream machine. Being a buffet, the natural mentality is quantity over quality, which is just fine for any hungry college student looking to fill up. Cobeen is open 7:15 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

2. Mashuda Hall

Like Cobeen, Mashuda dining hall is located inside the residence hall of the same name. Unlike Cobeen however, Mashuda is not a buffet, instead functioning as more of a '50s-style diner with each swipe getting you one entree meal. Mashuda is far less geared towards quantity, allowing only one swipe-in every meal period (breakfast, lunch, dinner) up to a maximum of three meals every day. Where it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality, featuring tasty meal choices from
omelettes and waffles in the morning, to chicken tenders and BLTs in the afternoon. Still, this is a college dining hall, don't expect five-star quality dining and service, so just accept that, and Mashuda is a fantastic dining option for anyone looking for a slight change of pace in their dining schedule. Mashuda is open 7:15 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11:00 a.m. -
6:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

3. McCormick Hall

Located in McCormick residence hall, this dining hall is quite notorious on campus. The best way I can describe this one is just to say think of my description of Cobeen, add a stir-fry bar, build your own cold-cut sandwich bar, and drop the quality of the rest of the food by a few pegs. McCormick is the truest example of the quantity over quality mentality, allowing for students to enjoy a wide variety of semi-palatable foods in very high volume. McCormick, much like Cobeen, is the perfect place to go when you are incredibly hungry, and don't really care about the quality of the food, however poor it may be (but that's simply my opinion, don't get mad at me). And plus it's open late, which is nice. McCormick is open 7:15 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

4. Schroeder Hall

Located in my home of Schroeder residence hall, this dining option is very much like Mashuda; one meal per swipe, one swipe per meal period, only this time with more of an Italian bistro flair. At Schroeder one can partake in a fabulous selection of Italian meals ranging from the classic chicken parmesan over pasta, to chicken alfredo, to simple personal pizzas with soup and salad side options. Schroeder Hall is far and away one of my favorite dorm dining options given my love of Italian food, and also because it is quite possibly the best quality dorm food you can get on campus (my opinion, don't yell at me). The only real issue with this dining hall are the odd and very limiting hours of operation. Schroeder is open for breakfast from 7:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, lunch from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and dinner from 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

5. Straz Hall

Straz residence hall is where we find this dining hall; once again we see a buffet setup, only this time the food is actually really good. Straz is the buffet we need, giving us a beautiful combination of high-quality food and large quantities. Offering a divine hand-tossed salad bar, delicious build-your-own-stir-fry station, and a wide variety of other dining options makes Straz a close second favorite dining hall of mine. "Could there possibly be a downside to this promised land of college dining?" I can hear you asking and, sadly, there can be. However petty this may seem, the only real issue with Straz is it's location, which is on the far east end of campus, across the highway and very out of the way for the majority of students. Straz is one fine place to eat when you want a lot of good food and don't mind a bit of a hike. Straz is open 7:15 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Fridays, and is closed on weekends.

6. Marquette Place

The Marquette Alumni Memorial Union is the site of Marquette Place, quite possibly the best place to eat on campus. At this centrally located dining hub, a student can enjoy a burrito at Ultimate Baja, a burger from Grill 155, a sub from Erbert's and Gerbert's Bistro, a bagel from Einstein Bros., a salad from Fresh Greens, and much, much more. The wide variety of options all in one place, and the great quality of it all make the Union a must for anyone looking for great dining. Marquette Place is open 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends.

So there you have, a complete rundown of all meal plan-supported dining options at Marquette. Do with this information what you will.