Expensive. Not filling. Too far away.
These are terms occasionally used by Auburn's male population to voice their dissatisfaction with the assortment of boutique-like restaurants, food trucks and dining hall options offered on campus.
Though the University's job is to cater to both genders and all tastes, some of the guys are beginning to speak out.
"Other than, like, AU Smokehouse, there's really nothing we really want to eat," said Wesley Labarge, senior in chemical engineering. "That new greek place in the student center, I just don't eat that. I like the Hibachi [food truck] but it's the only one. I did the macaroni and cheese [food truck], too, but only a couple times."
Most men would agree that finding food on campus is not an issue for them, even if it's the same thing every week, Labarge said.
But given that every student at Auburn is required to have a minimum $300 meal plan, the plethora of eating options available and the rapid pace at which they change makes the idea of settling for something more and more frustrating, Labarge said.
"I like to eat healthy," said Dharshan Soundarrajan, senior in chemical engineering. "But I'd much rather have cafeteria food rather than going to a restaurant or a food truck."
When asked what their preferred alternatives were, Soundarrajan and Labarge responded with cheap, easily accessible foods and more options than a single-theme menu.
Specialized on-campus options or name-brand restaurants can charge higher prices for their products while still selling generic items like pizza, sandwiches and salads. - according to who?
The most widely used on-campus option, Chik Fil-A, sells more of the same three items to both genders than anything else on menu, server Shaquita Ford (not on People Finder) said.
"The guys usually order the spicy chicken or the chargrilled chicken sandwich," Ford said. "The girls usually order the chargrilled chicken or the nuggets."
When asked which gender frequented Chik Fil-A more, Ford said it was a no-contest.
"The guys definitely got the girls beat," Ford said.
For students who eat the majority of their meals on campus, having to pay upwards of $6 a meal can mean deciding between one menu item or another when neither is completely satisfying and both cost too much to buy together, Soundarrajan said.
"I'd really like to see a cafeteria-style place, where you can just pay like a flat fee and eat however much good food you want," said Jonathan Thornber, senior in chemical engineering. "Just one place where you can get a burger and chicken and fries or a salad, all in one place. A lot of other universities seem to have that."
The buffet-style option is only available at Terrell Hall in the Hill and at Tiger Zone in the Village and at different times.
Tiger Zone is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 9 p.m. but closes by 2 p.m. on Fridays.
Terrell's buffet is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. but is closed after 2 p.m. on Friday and all day on Saturday.
Terrell is the only dining hall to offer a buffet on Sunday, from 5 p.m to 9 p.m.
"That's too far away to be worth it," Thornber said.
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