Dining options abound on campus
Campus is home to 23 places to eat, ranging from grab-and-go delis to sit-down meals with table service.
Many UW employees can find a quick bite to eat a short walk away from their work sites at one of the 23 on-campus eateries, including 10 restaurants and delis operated by Wisconsin Union and eight run by University Housing.
Dining in the residence halls isn’t just for students, notes Keri Robbins, senior marketing specialist at University Housing. Faculty and staff are welcome to eat in all Housing facilities, and may especially enjoy Chadbourne Café, with its central location, and Liz Waters, which features an atrium and outdoor terrace overlooking Lake Mendota.
The selection in the dining rooms caters to different palates, Robbins says. “We’re offering more sophisticated entrées than people might expect in a cafeteria. It’s not all hamburger noodle hotdish.”
Menu items, which are posted online, range from jerk chicken to vegan eggplant to sub sandwiches. “The food is priced to be affordable for a quick lunch on campus,” Robbins says. “For $3.20 you get a complete meal and beverage.”
That $3.20 buys a take-out lunch, or, in one of the four dining rooms, soup and side salad, a burger and fries, or the day’s special hot entrée.
Faculty and staff can pay with cash or use Wiscard Campus Cash accounts like debit cards at any of the residence hall dining rooms or delis, or the Wisconsin Union’s restaurants and delis. To set up a Wiscard account, stop at the cashier’s office at Memorial Union or Union South, or visit http://www.wiscard.wisc.edu/.
On the western front
1 University Bay Café, the cafeteria at UW Hospital, offers breakfast, hot lunch and dinner entrées, sandwiches, soups and a salad bar. Five hot entrées are served daily. “Everything’s almost from scratch,” says Joe Buchicchio, food service manager. Although it can be crowded at lunchtime, Buchicchio hopes a remodeling project that will begin later this year will help to alleviate that. The hospital also houses some food courts, a coffee shop and the Atrium, which is open 24 hours a day. University Bay Café hours: 6 a.m.-7 p.m., weekdays; 6:30 a.m.- 6:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday. Prices: $1.50 to $7.
2 The ApotheCafe, Rennebohm Pharmacy building, sells snacks and sandwiches to go. Hours: 7:15-9 a.m., 10:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m., weekdays.
3 The Feed Bag Deli, second floor of Veterinary Medicine Building. Hot lunch entrées, grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, bakery and beverages. Hours: 7:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m., weekdays.
4 The Babcock Dairy Store offers lunch specials Monday-Friday for $3.90-$4.50, in addition to ice cream and cheese. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., weekdays; and 10 a.m.- 1:30 p.m., Saturdays.
5 Frank’s Place in Holt Commons, between Cole, Sullivan and Kronshage halls. Entr>=es, ala carte, and sandwich, cereal and salad bars. Hours: 7 a.m.-11:30 p.m., weekdays; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Saturdays; and 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Sundays.
6 Carson’s Carryout, Carson Gulley Commons behind Slichter Hall. Nachos, pizzas, sub sandwiches, hot dogs, jumbo pretzels, chili and calzones. Hours: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 5-11:30 p.m., weekdays; 5- 11:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. Groceries also sold 1:30-5 p.m., weekdays.
Central campus
7 Liz Waters in Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall. Low-fat, vegetarian and vegan foods, made-to-order entrées and salad bar. Hours: 7-10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m., 5-6:45 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays; on Fridays hours are the same, except it closes at 6 p.m.; 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 5-6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.
Two delis operated by Wisconsin Union 7 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays provide bakery, sandwiches, soups and hot lunches for dining in or toting back to work.
8 The ICU Deli offers a seating area inside Charter Street entrance to Medical Sciences building.
9 Ingraham Deli features a cozier atmosphere.
10 Red Oak Grill, Union South. Breakfast includes omelets and pancakes. For lunch, grilled sandwiches and burgers, fries, soup, chili and salads. Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday.
11 Einstein’s food court, Union South. Mexican entrées, made-to-order stir-fries, soups, specialty baked potatoes, salad bar, pizza. Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., weekdays.
12 Quick Byte, Union South, offers fare for those on the move, including sandwiches, popcorn, bakery, beverages and Babcock ice cream. Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.
Go east, young diner
13 Blue Chip Deli, Grainger Hall. Sandwiches, bakery, soups and food to go. Hours: 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m., weekdays.
14 Executive Dining Room, Grainger Hall. Reservations suggested. Call 262-8679. Prices range from $12.50 for full buffet of hot and cold foods, beverage and dessert; to $5.25 for salad bar. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., weekdays.
15 Chadbourne Café, Chadbourne Hall. Made-to-order entrees, vegetables, desserts, hamburgers, grilled cheese, veggie burgers, cold sandwiches, freshly baked cookies, salad bar, frozen yogurt and ice cream, beverages. Hours: 7-10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m., 5-6:45 p.m., Monday-Thursday; on Friday the hours are the same, except it closes at 6 p.m.; 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 5-6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.
16 Side Bar is tucked away beside a locker room in the Law School. Take-out sandwiches, bagels, soup, beverages and desserts. Operated by Madison catering service Elegant Edibles. Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m., weekdays.
17 Open to the public through February, The University Club’s fine-dining, full-table-service lunches feature soup, salad, sandwiches and hot entrées. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Meals cost $7.25-$12.50, though members save 7 percent by charging meals to club accounts.
18 Daily Scoop Deli, Memorial Union. Sandwiches, soup, chili, salads, snacks, bakery, Babcock ice cream and beverages. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., weekdays; noon- 9 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.
19 Der Rathskeller, Memorial Union, features quick-serve grilled specialties, breakfast sandwiches, omelets, Mexican entrées, soups, salads, made-to-order deli sandwiches and beverages. Hours: 7 a.m.- 8 p.m., weekdays; 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.
20 Pop’s Club, Gordon Commons, campus’s largest University Housing Food Service dining room. Entrées, cereal bar, salad bar and a la carte. Hours: 7 a.m.- 8:30 p.m., weekdays; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday.
21 Ed’s Express, Gordon Commons, made-to-order foods, including nachos, taco salads, pizzas and subs. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., weekdays; 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m., Saturday-Sunday.
22-23 The Fluno Center’s Study Pub and Executive Dining Room in the Fluno Center are open to faculty and staff. On the eighth floor, the Study Pub sells pizza and houses a pool table. Hours: 4:30-10 p.m., Sunday-Friday. Executive Dining Room hours: 7-8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., weekdays; 5:30-7 p.m., Monday-Thursday. Breakfast and lunch are buffets, while dinner features a wait staff and menu. Each meal, with dessert and drink, is a set price that includes tax: $10.50 for breakfast, $11 for lunch and $24 for dinner. Reservations recommended, especially for lunch. Call 441-7159.
Four locales specialize in coffee
A Open Book Café, Helen C. White Hall. Specialty coffees, fruit juices and other beverages, bakery items, sushi. Has wireless Internet connection. Buy items to go or stay to relax, read or meet with others. Hours: Opens at noon daily. Closes at midnight, Sunday and Thursday; 2 a.m., Monday-Wednesday; 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
B Espress Yourself in Ed’s Express, Gordon Commons. Opens 10:30 a.m. weekdays, 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closes 30 minutes after midnight.
C Bean Scene, Chadbourne Hall. Hours: 7:30-11:30 p.m. daily.
D Common Grounds, Frank’s Place, Holt Commons in lakeshore residence halls area. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 30 minutes after midnight, Sunday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday.