Ranking of Dining Halls at Michigan State University

Wondering where to eat on campus? Well you should be! Whether you like it or not, the dining halls are likely going to be one of your greatest resources during your freshman year of college. It’s hard to keep up the grind with no fuel, and Spartan cash only lasts so long! Have no fear, though; with this ranking of dining halls at Michigan State University, you’ll know exactly where is your best bet to assure that you don’t lose your mind or your physique!

1. The Gallery at Snyder Phillips (Otherwise known as Sny-Phi)

With the highest quality food, Snyder Phillips takes the win! Rarely will you find a piece of food that isn’t satisfying there, and its close to most classes and dorms on campus. Proximity is key when the hunger pains kick in. Grilled chicken all day, and personal pizzas during late night will prevent you from ever going hungry. #Bless

2. Brody Square

Although intimidatingly massive, and somewhat isolated on campus, no one can deny how much they love Brody cafeteria. With sushi, a pasta bar, sandwiches, pizza, Home-style food, Mexican, Vegan and Kosher options, and the most beautiful dessert bar on campus, its impossible to get sick of the menu! On top of that, the interior decoration of these new facilities make you feel like you’re dining at a five-star hotel. While its extensive layout may be overwhelming at first, it becomes a great thing when trying to find a table, because they never run out of room.

3. Heritage Commons at Landon

North neighborhood strikes again with Landon’s cafeteria, which is arguable the cutest and quaintest places to dine on campus! Located next to the union, Heritage Commons offers such a charming experience. Cozy chairs, book displays, and quieter areas tucked away in the back make you feel as if Lumier himself swiped your Spartan ID card and greeted you with a “Be our guest!” The menu at Landon is never sub-par, serving well prepared healthy options all day, as well as offering decadent lunch and dinner options (try the Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla if you see it!).

4. The Vista at Shaw

Another large venue, the Vista at Shaw residence hall, always makes you feel right at home. Great home-style options are served every day for lunch and dinner, along with a Wok bar, Italian food, traditional soups and sandwiches, and more! Similar to Brody, the design inside is impressive and seating is plentiful. Business students, this is likely your best bet, as it is located right next to the Business College Complex (B.C.C.); just make sure you get there before 8pm when it closes!

5. Holden Dining

Surprised? Yes, Holden dining surpasses Case. While it may be more low-key, only serving students Monday-Friday with shorter hours, Holden’s cafeteria is notorious for having more variety and better quality food than its South-Neighborhood counterparts! You can enjoy Asian, Mexican, Vegetarian, soup, and delicious dessert options here! Don’t be shy, explore your options South kids!! After a while, you’ll need a breakup from the same rotations in Case.

6. South Pointe at Case

Despite the aforementioned comments, Case still has great food to offer! They are constantly stocked with a great salad bar, homemade bread, sushi, desserts and sandwiches. During lunch and dinner, you can also enjoy Global and vegetarian options! This is also going to be your go-to option for late night and weekend dining for those living in south, unless you’d like to make the trek to Brody (ill-advised during Winter months, my friends). Other than that, this caf probably wont be the go-to for many others on campus, as its fairly remote.

7. Holmes Dining

Despite being down here on the list, Holmes is a hidden gem!!! Its tiny size makes it difficult to hold many people, however, if you live in Akers, McDonnel, or Hubbard, make the effort to check it out! For whatever reason, the quality of the food is substantially better than that its competitor across the street, The Edge. The menu here is always changing, breakfast includes smoothies and egg white omelets, and the pizza crust is remarkably better than the rest on campus. Holmes never disappoints, my friends.

8. The Edge at Akers

If the Edge did not stay open until midnight and have INCREDIBLE chocolate chip cookies, it would certainly take last on this list. It is not an awful location for those in Rivertail or north, but truly, there’s no point in going when you have options 1-4 on the list. The Akers options make it difficult to stay healthy, as there are limited protein options outside of lunch and dinner, and the overall quality of almost everything you will eat deserves about a half-star rating, at best. Thankfully, the Tandoori usually pulls through with decent chicken and hummus from 11-2pm and 5-8pm. Still, only choose this caf as a last resort.

9. Wilson Dining

Finally, we have Wilson. Does anyone even know this place exists? Debatable. Strictly serving dinner and late night on Sunday-Thursday makes this dining option more like a Sparty’s than a cafeteria. Although they have reliable options, (i.e. sandwiches, pasta bar, kosher, etc.), you are still very limited as to what you can get. More than likely, you’ll only go here if you live in south neighborhood and missed out on Holden for the day. Still, Wilson serves as a great backup; you never want to find yourself unsure whether you have food poisoning or mercury poisoning because all you eat is Case sushi.