Overview of Each Dining Hall

You’ve made it through moving in, met thousands of new faces, finally figured out how to not get lost making your way from Forum to the HUB- now it’s time to tackle your biggest challenge yet: finding food.

I know what you’re thinking- no one ever looks forward to eating at a dining hall. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Penn State has tons of options that are sure to satisfy any craving you have throughout the school year.

Penn State has one dining hall per housing area- North, South, East, West, and Pollock. And just because you live in one complex doesn’t mean you can’t try all the food in every dining hall. Each dining hall has a buffet section, which is what you typically think of when you hear dining hall. It’s all you can eat and has tons of options to choose from, with special meals for any dietary restriction you might have.

In the next few blogs, you’ll learn the specifics about the dining halls, but here’s a quick cheat sheet to give you all the info on what each place has to offer:

South: I may be a little biased because this is my commons area, but South quite possibly has the best food options on campus. On one side, you have the standard buffet, with plenty of options for both carnivores and vegetarians, complete with Happy Valley ice cream (found in every dining hall). On the other side, you have a wonderful conglomeration of a la carte mini establishments. Here you can find paninis, salads, Italian food, Mongolian food, and burrito bars (just to name a few). It’s a great option when you’re in a rush and have to run to a meeting.

East: East is a little different from the other dining halls. It has a normal buffet, but it’s only open for dinner on the weekdays and brunch on the weekends. The rest of the dining hall is completely a la carte- that being said, it has the most to choose from. You could go here every day and still not try every combination of meals offered. They offer pizza, pasta, kosher meals, vegetarian meals, burritos, wings, burgers, omelets, coffee, grilled cheese- the list goes on and on. 

West: The cookies. Need I say more? The fresh, piping hot, gooey chocolate chip cookies are the most incredible thing you will ever taste in your life. Other than the cookies, West has a great buffet selection that has a little bit of everything. There’s also an a la carte place known as the West Wing, where you can buy quick things on the go, like paninis, wraps, and salads.

North: Disclaimer: I have actually never been to North. Not because its food is inferior, I just have a hard time walking more than seven minutes unless I have the West cookies as an incentive. But fear not! The food in North is just as good as anywhere you’ll find food on campus. North features the normal dining hall like the others, and similar to the other dining halls, offers some a la carte and personalization stations. Here, you can make your own pizza and pasta just the way you like it, or customize a sandwich or salad to your choosing.

Pollock: Pollock easily has the best buffet on campus. Located on the second floor of Pollock Commons, this buffet features all different kinds of food, featuring a special entree and dessert every night. If you don’t like the special, there’s always a standard mix of veggies, protein, and pasta suit your needs. Similarly to the other dining halls, if you’re on a tight time schedule, you can grab something to go in the Mix, located downstairs in the commons.


So don’t worry about not being able to find something to eat at one of the dining halls on campus- your biggest problem will be picking what to eat with so many options to choose from! Find your favorites, try new foods, and don’t be afraid to walk the extra couple of minutes to try a new dining hall- you may find your new favorite meal!

By: Sydney Hannah (Envoy Team B)