Everything you could ever possibly want to know about Michigan’s dining halls

There are seven unique dining halls on the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, each equipped with fantastic kitchens with assorted menus, but some common factors are: friendly staff, cereal bars and ice cream machines. The food at Michigan’s dining halls usually changes by the season, and they always show their school spirit on game days with celebratory desserts and they even offer special options for anyone with specific dietary restrictions.

South Quad (Squad) 

The most bougie dining hall of them all. Because Squad is the newest dining hall, equipped with the most diverse options, and closest to central campus, expect to wait in some lines if you eat here. Rush hour is usually 12-1 for lunch in between classes. Some of the options here include: Sabaro, a Chipotle-style station, a grilled cheese booth, and a stir fry line.

Oxford (Twigs) 

Twigs is unique from all the other dining halls in that it has late hours beyond the normal 9pm closing time, so it’s perfect for hitting up after a late night. Unfortunately, because it’s on the smaller side, there aren’t many options — so bagels and cereal are a staple if you’re living in Oxford and don’t feel like walking to another dining hall.

Markley 

Convenient for the majority of freshmen (because Markley is full of them), located in the basement of the dorm, has decent pizza, and that’s just about it. The consensus here is that if you don’t live in Markley, you shouldn’t go out of your way to eat there. On top of being sub-par all around it’s also closed during the weekends, so your best bet is to walk down the block to Mo-Jo.

North Quad 

North Quad is a dorm for upperclassmen, so that’s who you’ll most likely see at this cozy dining hall. An endless supply of fruit is waiting in baskets near the door, and the tables and chairs are definitely more diner-like than any of the other dining halls. Stop here if you’re looking for a quiet, peaceful dining experience.

Bursley (Burs) 

Unless you live on North, there’s no reason to visit this dining hall. Similar in menu and style to Squad, Bursley dining hall is a gem in the rough for North-campusers. Each year, they host a “Grilled Cheese Day” where there are tons of different types of grilled cheese sandwiches to enjoy.

Mosher-Jordan (Mo-Jo) 

COOKIES. WARM COOKIES. Mo-Jo has the absolute best cookies on campus, which are kept warm at all times. I recommend taking as many as you can carry on your way out. This is the biggest dining hall on the Hill, and the only one open seven days a week, so it’s usually full of people. Besides the unbeatable cookies, there are ice cream machines and they switch up the flavors every couple of weeks.

East Quad 

East Quad is infamous for meatless Mondays. Most freshmen will eat here at least five times because of orientation. Additionally, because it’s closer to Ross and East Hall, it can be convient to drop in between classes depending on your schedule. There are many stations to eat here too, but most impressive is the salad bar with cool rectangle plates, or the long cereal bar.

As we all know from Mean Girls, where you eat at lunch (or breakfast, or dinner) is incredibly important. It can dictate your social standing, friend group, or y’know just dictate the kind of food you get to eat on a daily basis.

Feat img: Alumni Association