4/21/2023
Hi everyone, I hope you are well! In this blog, I’m going to talk about the different places one can get food on campus, and my personal preferences. If you have any questions, please email me at sgoldsmith24@amherst.edu!
Valentine Hall
Amherst has one main dining hall, which is named Valentine Hall (although students refer to it as Val). Val is open on weekdays from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM, and students can come into Val whenever they want between those hours, however many times that they wish. Val doesn’t serve hot food for all of those 13 hours; breakfast is served between 7:30-10 AM, lunch from 11-2 PM, and dinner is 5-8:30 PM. The Val menu is available online, and they have a mobile app that students use to check what’s for lunch or dinner on the fly.
When Val isn’t serving hot food, their salad bar is open, along with fresh fruit, bagels, bread and spreads, waffles, and panini presses. Students can always get juice and soda, and make coffee and tea. There are plenty of dairy and non-dairy milk and creamer options, and honey and lemon for tea. I like to go into Val to sit with a cup of diet Coke and do some homework in between meals – I find it very peaceful. And the Val staff are all incredibly nice!
Grab n Go
Another option for food on campus is Grab n Go, located in the Keefe Campus Center. Grab n Go is only open for extended lunch hours (10:30 AM-2:30 PM) on weekdays, and you can only swipe in once per day. In addition to easy-to-eat-on-the-go meals like wraps and sandwiches, they also have snacks, fruit, desserts, and drinks. Sometimes I like to go to Grab n Go just to stock up on snacks, only to proceed to Val for my actual lunch. That being said, it is a great research if you have class during when Val is serving lunch and want to be able to grab food to eat.
Cafes
There are two cafes on campus: one in the Science Center, and one in the Frost Library. The cafes serve coffees, milkshakes, smoothies, pastries, and meals such as sandwiches and pizzas. Unlike Val and Grab n Go, these cafes are not included in the meal plan, and you have to pay if you want to get food from them. I typically avoid the cafes and just head to Val if I want food, because Val IS included in the meal plan, but the cafes are very convenient if you are having a marathon study session and don’t want to break for food.
Thank you for reading! Please email me if you have any questions!