I'd like to start off by saying this list is by no means an end-all-be-all judgement of UGA's dining halls so much as a personal ranking based on my experiences. I've spent hours arguing with my friends over which halls are better than others and no one really agrees completely. In fact, none of the dining halls are even bad, just some are relatively better than others. No matter where you end up eating, it'll be better than that fourth bowl of ramen for the week. So here it is: my completely biased and non-factual ranking of all of UGA's famous dining halls.
Last Place: The Niche
You may or may not be surprised to see The Niche in this bottom ranking. I have met people who absolutely love The Niche, and more power to you, but in the few times I've been there I just haven't understood the appeal. It's easily a thirty minute trip by bus just to get to the building considering that it is in the Health Sciences Campus. And your wait isn't over once you get there, either. Due to limited space and food options, they can only let in a set amount of students at a time. This can mean your friend will get in and stand in line while you're left outside hoping for more people to leave (which is exactly what happened to me). I will admit, once you've finally gotten your food, it is amazing--especially the pizza, but the wait and effort is just not worth it to me. Not to mention the fact you're spending at least an hour of travel round trip to stay for maybe twenty minutes as they don't want you to sit around taking up seats.
Fourth Place: Bolton
A less controversial ranking, Bolton comes in near the bottom. There is nothing outwardly wrong with Bolton: it is the postcard building that UGA wants visitors and touring prospective students to see and fall in love with. The food isn't bad either, in fact, it has more options than some of the other halls. But where the Niche struggles by being so out of reach, Bolton suffers from its own convenience. Being right next to the MLC and Tate, trying to get a seat in Bolton during lunch hour is just about impossible. And people just grow tired of it, especially freshmen. The less-than-ten-minute walk from the high rises results in many first-years eating themselves full of Bolton after only a month or two. Usually students learn to branch out to other halls and get a routine of variety going, but everyone has their own Bolton-hating phase, however brief.
Third Place: Snelling
The night-owl's saving grace, Snelling is the only 24-Hour hall, at least on weekdays. Depending on the hour you go, you will see very different types of people. My personal favorite the late-night/early-morning crowd around 2am. You can sense the stress and tiredness in the air as people try to cram all the information they possibly can during the wee hours of the morning. I know this because I am one of them more often than I should be. Hey, sometimes you just need some french toast sticks to get you through psychology homework. Usefulness aside, Snelling food is good but nothing to really stand out. Plus, seating is kind of limited, which can be a good or bad thing depending on how social you want to be with strangers during your lunch hour.
Second Place: Oglethorpe House
I get mixed reviews when it comes to O House. One of the more limited when it comes to food variety, what they do have is darn good. The only one to have hibachi, if you're willing to wait, you can get Japanese food cooked and mixed to order, all right in front of you. The Mexican food and all-you-can-eat cheese dip is a personal weakness of mine (pro-tip: get some french fries on a plate and pour hot cheese dip over it. You'll thank me later). And if you are one of the pickier eaters, O House has chicken fingers that you can dip into their 'famous' O-sauce which is basically Zaxby's sauce. This dining hall is especially convenient for freshmen as it is right beside all the high rises and typically doesn't get too much traffic. O House is arguably the most underrated dining hall.
First Place: East Campus Village
It's big, it's pretty, and it's good. ECV may be a bit of a journey for those who don't live over there, but that just makes it a special treat when one does make the trip. It is perfect to grab a post-workout snack/meal, but don't be afraid to pick up the 'less-healthy' options like curly fries or made-to-order personal pizza. The food is just better there, often tasting fresher, and there's something for everyone. It has the best salad bar hand down and I never leave without eating one. There's not much negative to say about ECV and that is what puts it at the top of my list.
