Dinning Hall Series: South Quad

Neal Richardson  

As a freshman, my only experience eating in a college dining hall before starting school at Michigan scared me. After attending orientation I thought to myself, “If all the food is as bad as what they served us in East Quad that weekend, I may starve.” I’m sure you all remember the eggs that must have been made from powder, the cantaloupe that was the most sickly shade of green you’ll ever see, and the baked chicken that tasted just plain funky.
If you’re anything like me, the prospect of eating like this daily made you want to pull your acceptance and never leave home, where the promise of home-cooked meals compares to college eating like Zingerman’s compares to Jimmy John’s. I feel your pain. Freshman, I have decided to give you a nice run down of the dining services at Michigan. In this series, you will learn where to use your meals, and where to avoid on post-game Saturday afternoons. I’ll start off with my usual go-to dining hall: South Quad.
South Quad is a good place to eat if you’re looking for the classics. With their endless pizza supply and consistent offerings of beef, chicken, and rice or pasta, South Quad will always have something for you. Their extensive salad bar and vegetarian options are sometimes more appealing than the advertised entrees, and they always have fresh fruit on hand.
What South Quad lacks in variety, they make up for with consistent quality. They normally have one selection of main entrées, located in 2 different lines. However, like most U of M dining halls, they have make-your-own sandwich materials, with the dining hall staple panini press. South Quad also boasts delicious hot dogs and surprising desserts. Though most dining halls have the same dessert menu —after eating the same apple crisp at West Quad, South Quad and MoJo— I have concluded that South Quad puts more love into their treats. Their cookies are gooier and their cheesecake is restaurant quality. Their dessert counter at South Quad is not one to miss.
The staff at South Quad is quite friendly, and their dining space is expansive, giving the place a very campus-like feel with good quality food to boot. Because of its all day hours, the student dubbed “Squad” never runs out of food, (except for their deliciously gooey chocolate chip cookies, which come out about every 10 minutes and are scooped up in 30 seconds) and there is never a MoJo-length line to get anything. If you go in during off hours, you may even find the dining hall pretty quiet and peaceful.
I highly recommend South Quad for a quick, quality meal. It may not be the most gourmet dining hall on campus, but it is certainly the most consistent, which is something a college student really deserves.

South Quad
Fall 2011 Hours:
Monday - Thursday: Continuous: 7:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday: Continuous: 7:00 am - 8:00 pm Saturday & Sunday: Brunch: 10:30 am - 2:00 pm, Dinner: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: 600 East Madison

Quality: 7/10
Accessibility: 9/10
Variety: 3/10
Just Like Mom Used to Make it: 6/10
Overall: 6.5/10

Hidden Gem: If you’re looking for a place to spend those dining dollars, South Quad offers two great spots in Café ConXion and Ciao Down. The café is a great place for $1.50 made-to-order grilled cheese, a smoothie, or even just a coffee. Ciao Down is perfect for a delicious late night pizza and for those of you who are lucky enough to be in West Quad like me, they even deliver.