While dining at Valentine Dining Hall is always a great option, Grab-n-Go is often a popular lunch choice for students, regardless of whether they just want to avoid the lunch rush at Val or don’t have the time to get lunch at Val. One of the best parts about Grab-n-Go is its location in Keefe Campus Center. Since it’s located right across the mailroom, most people are able to grab their packages and get some lunch on one trip. Additionally, there are plenty of places to eat with friends inside Keefe after grabbing lunch at Grab-n-Go. There’s a nice balcony and indoor lounge on the second floor, and the five resource centers in Keefe also offer a quiet and comfortable space to enjoy your meal.
If you choose to eat lunch right near Grab-n-Go in its designated dining area, whether indoors or outdoors, the science center and the Beneski museum are both a quick two-minute walk away. Keefe is also located near Fayerweather Hall and Chapin Hall. Since Keefe is also a five-minute walk from Val, I’ve even had friends who stop by Val for the main lunch course and go to Grab-n-Go to get snacks, which brings me to my next point: Grab-n-Go has an amazing selection of snacks.
Whether you prefer a sweet or salty treat to go along with your meal, Grab-n-Go offers snacks for everyone. There’s a variety of chips and classic snacks such as Chex Mix and Goldfish available in the snack rack that the staff does a great job of keeping stacked with snacks, and there are even granola bars and fruits, such as bananas, cantaloupes, pineapples, and grapes, that are available for those who prefer healthy snacks. My personal favorite snack from Grab-n-Go is the chocolate chip cookies, which I make sure to grab every time along with my favorite drink, pink lemonade High-C that’s also only available at Grab-n-Go. I also enjoy the dessert cups that have savory chocolate pudding but often have different flavors and themes, such as cookies and cream.
The selection of lunch food that Grab-n-Go is also fantastic as they usually always have salads and sandwiches available for those who don’t want to eat what’s on the menu that day. Though Val’s salad and sandwich bars are more customizable, Grab-n-Go’s pre-made salads and sandwiches are more convenient for those who need to get to classes quickly. My favorite sandwich at Grab-n-Go is the roast turkey and cheddar on multigrain bread sandwich, which is also one of the types of sandwich that the school dining provides for the sports team I play on when we’re traveling for competitions away from Amherst. A popular Grab-n-Go meal people often enjoy is the sushi they offer on most Tuesdays. As someone who worried about the selection of Asian food that Amherst would be able to offer, I was relieved that one of my comfort foods is so frequently available at Grab-n-Go. Overall, Grab-n-Go is a convenient and excellent alternative to Val dining that’s an integral part of the Amherst student experience!