Campus Food Quality at Lehigh University

After a long day of class with still more work to be done among the library stacks, a nourishing meal is a student essential without question. Going away to college can cause many sudden albeit positive changes in your life, and food is no exception. The convenience and even the deliciousness (we promise you’ll think this in retrospect) of a home-cooked meal are gone. Making the right dietary choices is completely on you. That’s why it’s important to consider your prospective college’s dining situation, because the thought can get lost when discussions are focused on academic programs or sports teams. Is there accessibility? Is there high quality? What about the stipulations of your less-than-cheap meal plan? We asked these questions and more of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University. The answers were a resounding “yeah, kind of.” Read on if we’ve piqued your appetite for culinary criticism.

First, let’s break down the school’s setup. Two main dining halls, dubbed Rathbone and Lower Cort, respectively, serve students. Smaller places that cater more to snacks can be found in the libraries and business center. If the word Sodexo doesn’t strike fear in your food-loving heart, then it should. The downside to all of these locations is that they use the aforementioned dining services company. Of all the schools we’ve reviewed who rely on Sodexo, students have had some of the same shared remarks: unhealthy cafeteria-style items that rely on frozen ingredients, hard for the stomach to process, lack of flexibility to change up the menu (see the last point in this article about Kenyon College), and the list goes on.

Current Mountain Hawks say that the food gets the job done, but it’s not especially appetizing. Most abandon their meal plans once moving off campus. Anyone with a sweet tooth will be pleased to hear about The Cup, which is a beloved ice cream shop located on Campus Square. While not exactly good for you, at least there’s a chill spot to grab a cone with friends. Nearby is also Johnny’s Bagels, a high-traffic, locally owned morning spot, and a Saxby’s coffee shop.

If you’re interested in Lehigh University, check out our story on Campus Safety at Lehigh University.

The average meal plan price comes in at just under $5,000. Students say the price just isn’t justified given the lack of quality. There’s also concern over just how much food you get for that price. No, we’re not talking about a lack of food here. It’s actually too much for some, leaving them to feel like their dollars could be better spent on other college necessities. Additionally, one main dining hall closes over the weekend, leaving scholars who aren’t eating off campus no choice but to crowd the remaining one.

Sophomores and beyond who are a part of Greek life rejoice over their fully stocked kitchens and personal chefs. This is an attribute that comes up time and time again when we review dining options at schools. Going the fraternity or sorority route on your end for the yummy perks might just be too much work, though. If you’re rushing for anything, it’s probably going to be for a slice of pizza at Pandini’s, Lehigh’s Italian fixture.

We urge you to think about how high up dining is on your list of priorities when selecting a school, because it’s truly a choice you’ll have to live with and fill your stomach with almost every day as an underclassman. While many schools do push off dining priorities onto outside companies, we encounter just as many who emphasize fresh, local ingredients and feedback-based menus that accommodate all kinds of individual needs. Whether a stellar degree program at Lehigh overshadows that less-than-average-tasting cafeteria meal is your call.

Ryan James is a ’13 alumnus of Ohio University’s College of Arts & Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in writing and media. He currently works as a copywriter for a Fortune 500 e-commerce corporation based in Columbus, OH.