Chefs prepare food at an “Iron Chef” style competition in the Spring of 2012. (Sidney Hollingsworth / The Daily Campus)
The warm, savory smell of a favorite meal roasting in the oven is part of what makes home home, and for students moving into dorms at SMU this year it is something that will likely be missed.
One of the biggest routine changes for new students living on campus this fall will be eating at a cafeteria multiple times per day.
But with two cafeterias, several food spots and a market on campus, students can start to feel at home at SMU.
Located off the main quad on the west side of campus, Umphrey Lee is SMU’s primary cafeteria.
Umphrey Lee features several different food stations, and with so many options to choose from it helps to know what kind of food you can get in each line.
The grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to about 11 a.m., and offers choices including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and oatmeal. For lunch and dinner the grill serves items including burgers (including turkey and veggie burgers), hot dogs and fries. Grilled chicken breast and fish are available upon request.
The international station serves dishes from a variety of cuisines including Italian, Chinese, Mexican and American.
The homestyle station serves popular meat, pasta, and vegetable dishes such as fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and meat and potatoes.
For students looking to eat clean and simple, there is Healthy on the Hilltop. This station always features one gluten-free option, one vegan option and a lean meat protein. There are always two varieties of freshly steamed vegetables, as well.
The sandwich and salad bar are two of the most popular lines in the cafeteria. The sandwich line works like a Subway where you can build your own sandwich or wrap. The salad bar is self-serve.
And last, but certainly not least, is the bakery. There seems to always be an endless supply of freshly-baked cookies, brownies, cakes and other desserts, including gluten free and vegan items. For breakfast there are muffins and pastries.
Umphrey Lee is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It tends to get the most traffic around noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and between 5 and 6 p.m. on weeknights.
SMU’s other cafeteria, Mac’s Place, is located inside McElvaney Hall. It is smaller than Umphrey Lee, but has a burger grill with more options, a different salad bar and more grab-and-go items. Mac’s Place is not open for breakfast but is open late-night.
The Hughes-Trigg building, located directly across campus from Umphrey Lee, has a coffee shop and mini-market upstairs that sells sushi and Mexican fast food. Downstairs there is Chick-Fil-A, Subway and Pizza Hut.
It can also be helpful to keep food on hand inside your dorm room for when you don’t have time to go to the cafeteria.
If you have a mini-fridge you can keep milk or yogurt to have with granola for breakfast to save yourself some time before morning classes. If not, you can also make oatmeal in the microwave on your floor. Keeping a snack such as nuts, dried fruit or a granola bar inside your backpack is good for days when you tend to get hungry between classes.
