by Ellie Schulman, Film and Television Student, College of Communication

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I often feel really small when I walk into West because everyone is so tall (this is where most of the athletes live and eat).

But OMG THE WEST BURGER

Not gonna lie, when I first got it I was kind of let down because it looked so plain on those little pieces of white bread. But then I took a bite, and it was like I finally understood why everyone says “West is the best.” I know it’s not Sargent Choice, but it’s something everyone at BU needs to experience at least once!

West has a lot more stations than Warren—about equal with Marciano—which means you get a lot more variety. And because West and Warren are on a separate menu cycle system than Marciano, there’s enough diversity between the dining halls to feel like each one has its own…specialness.

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Another thing about West is that the salad bar has slightly different things than you might find at the other salad bars—like crumbled blue cheese! Find your cut up fruits here too, but your whole fruits just inside of each entrance.

If you’re looking for the minifridge of dairy/lactose-free milks like you can find in Marciano, don’t! West has created an official milk dispenser for their Lactaid, Rice milk, and Soy milk! How nice of them! It’s by the traditional milk dispenser by the Claflin Hall entrance to the dining hall.

Since West is so big, you’ll probably be tempted to try something from a lot of different stations. If this is the case, “Treat the dining hall like a tapas restaurant and share plates with friends. It’s a great way to get outside your comfort zone without worrying about wasting a ton of food (or having to stand in all the lines!)” comments Sarah Butler, a Registered Dietitian at the SCNC.

Two tips for mixing and matching your food is 1) “If you don’t like the proteins being offered at the station don’t forget about utilizing the deli station as a way to get some protein,” says Sarah, and 2) “If you don’t like the cooked veggie options, grab some raw veggies from the salad bar, add a smidgen of water and microwave on high for about 3 minutes –viola!” adds Lisa Ferreira, another RD at the SCNC.

Oh and before I close up, I have to let ya’ll know where the microwave is. It’s right by the whole fruits on the Sleeper Hall entrance to the dining hall.

There you have it folks! All of my best tips for navigating the dining halls are now on our blog so you can check back and reference them whenever you need to. Maybe in about a month I’ll do a really short, quick list of the most helpful ones, just to refresh your brainy-ma-bob.

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