UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 29, 2024

OPINION | Best and worst of campus dining

Paige Davis, a freshman biology major from Bismarck, North Dakota, and Alyssa Dodge, a freshman biology major from Kingman, Arizona, head over to Grazers to enjoy a delicious banana cream crepe and açaí bowl, two of the best options on campus. Trey Urban | Sun News Daily

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While we can all agree on-campus dining needs to hit refresh on what is offered, here are the best and the worst of what we currently have.

Grazers – Best

This menu always calls my name when I enter the Human Performance Center, but the cost, wait, and availability keep me from purchasing. Acai bowls are known to be pricey, but $8.50 for the size offered is too much for my broke college self. Not to mention that when I order they seem to be out of a major ingredient such as strawberries or bananas.

However, when I do have time to wait, money to spend, and the ingredients are in stock, I enjoy the “Blazer” acai bowl. The blend of coconut and chocolate chips create great flavor and a texture that makes the experience worth it. The crepes are pretty gourmet, and the “Burstin’ Berry” is my favorite as it has raspberries, blueberries and cream cheese filling. “Banana Cream” also deserves an honorable mention for its ability to satisfy my craving for banana cream pie.

Stacks

Located on the second floor of the Jeffrey R. Holland building, Stacks offers paninis, sandwiches, wraps, salads, beverages and desserts. Looking at the menu online, I was very excited to have this option on campus. Sadly, many menu items aren’t available, and the food quality could improve. The sandwiches are not filled with the ingredients they claim are included. When available, the top seller “Chipotle Chicken Melt” is very good because the pico de gallo adds great flavor.

The Trailblazers Cafe

Three dining locations, but all three are mediocre. The Trailblazers Cafe does have nice seating areas and the location of all three, ACE Sushi, Chick-fil-a and Pizza Hut, is quite convenient.

ACE sushi

I appreciate the effort in bringing a diverse option to campus, but with complete honesty, I am afraid of this option. The fear is probably irrational, but the sushi sits out in a semi-cooled fridge for an unknown amount of time, and I have a hard time overcoming that. When I’ve felt confident, I’ve gone with a “Golden Dragon Roll” because I like the crispy onions on top and there is no raw fish, so I feel it is safe.

Chick-fil-a

A classic, good option, but I don’t choose the on campus Chick-fil-a because they don’t have the full menu. I would rather drive to either of the locations in St. George and be able to have the entire menu to choose from.

Pizza Hut

My opinion on all Pizza Huts is to pick another pizza place. Pizza can be great but not at the Hut. I would recommend Dixie State University pick a different pizza option. The cheese is not good, the grease pools and I don’t even want to get started on the pasta.

The Market at Dixie

DSU’s very own convenience store and location of Subway. The store offers gas station type food such as Frazils, chips and cookies, so there isn’t much to review there.

Subway

Create your own sandwich is always appreciated as long as when I ask for a small amount of mayo and mustard, they actually listen. Subway workers tend to overdo it on the condiments.

Brooks’ Stop – Worst

The convenience of being located within the on-campus student housing makes it most frustrating. If Brooks’ Stop had a variety of more nutrient-dense foods students could live off of, this would be perfect. The menu is the same as what’s offered elsewhere on campus, pizza, chicken and fries. While these can be great options once in a while, they are not sustainable. If I lived on campus, I would not rely on Brooks’ Stop as my source of food.