A Fresh Plate: Exploring Diverse Dining Options at the University of Iowa
The University of Iowa Dining Services offers a wide range of dining options to cater to the diverse tastes and needs of its students, staff, and visitors. From traditional dining halls to food trucks and grab-and-go locations, there's something for everyone. UI Dining Services strives to keep things fresh and exciting, ensuring that students have access to quality food that fits their schedules, budgets, and lifestyles.
A Culinary Landscape: From Marketplaces to Mobile Bites
Far from the days when Burge Market Place served the east side and Hillcrest the west, UI students, staff, and visitors can now choose from 19 different dining locations across campus. In addition to the three main marketplace dining halls (Burge, Hillcrest, and Catlett), spots include cafés in academic buildings like the Pappajohn Business Building and Main Library, grab-and-go stops in the Iowa Memorial Union and two residence halls, and late-night grills on both sides of the river.
Each location features its own signature dishes, such as the sushi at the IMU’s Union Station and walking tacos at the residence hall convenience stores. A rotating international station in Catlett Dining Hall offers everything from crêpes to bibimbap, depending on the day. Even back at Burge and Hillcrest, the dining services staff strive to create an experience that combines reliability and excitement. Menus are planned months in advance to incorporate themed dinners that celebrate major holidays like Thanksgiving or fun occasions such as Major League Baseball's opening day.
The Street Hawk food truck is a well-known sight on campus in the warmer months, blasting upbeat music as lines of hungry students stretch across the T. Anne Cleary Walkway or around Hubbard Park to wait for a burger or a Korean fried chicken sandwich. Originally created to draw crowds away from Burge Market Place before Catlett Residence Hall was built in 2015, Street Hawk remains a popular stop not just for students, but for anyone who catches it as it visits different campus locations each day. This season, for example, they introduced a new mediterranean veggie burger he hopes will be a big hit. We’re always testing and trying stuff out, says Horras.
Green Market2Go boxes allow students with a meal plan to take their dining hall favorites with them for study sessions, Pentacrest picnics, or wherever else they go.
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Addressing Dietary Needs and Preferences
To create a positive student experience, the UI Dining Services team ensures its food options offer something for everyone. Under the guidance of dietitian Laura Croteau-Lopez, UI Dining Services has developed a thorough support system. Each food item is labeled with any common allergens or restrictions (such as meat or dairy), and each dining hall offers plenty of alternative options. For peace of mind at mealtime, diners can visit Burge, which is nut-free and features the Thrive station, where the entire selection is prepared without the nine most common allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame.
Accommodating allergies is just the beginning. Croteau-Lopez meets with students daily who have more complex health concerns, seek nutrition advice, or are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices as they transition to eating away from home for the first time. In each case, Croteau-Lopez works with the student and her team to come up with a plan: Should a chef prepare their meals separately? Are there alternative products the university can order? Soon, the team hopes to add a second dietitian specializing in student outreach and engagement, who can help connect students who need support navigating campus dining but don’t know where to start.
Commitment to Sustainability
Feeding large numbers of people inevitably generates a lot of waste-a reality Stanwick acknowledges but still works actively to change. Since 2007, the UI has been a leader in environmentally friendly waste-reduction practices that serve as a model to other institutions. The dining services team plans menus filled with both popular and novel choices, they track what’s left behind on the shelf or in the buffet line, constantly revising their grocery list to make sure what they buy gets eaten. Additionally, the university partners with over 20 local producers to source food, supporting both the environment and businesses like Oasis and Wilson’s Orchard.
Whenever possible, food is safely reused: for example, extra meat or vegetables in storage can be turned into soup later in the week. UI Dining Services also composts 450,000 pounds of food scraps annually, and food pulpers reclaim and save 2.25 million gallons of water per year. Sustainability is also baked into the everyday dining experience. The dining halls are now trayless, cutting back on both food waste and water and energy usage. Dishes, including the green Market2Go boxes, are reusable or recyclable. Currently, UI Dining Services and Undergraduate Student Government are working together to start providing reusable bags for students at to-go locations, reducing plastic waste.
Meal Plans and Cost-Saving Options
This year, thousands of survey responses helped select a new meal plan system to be implemented in the fall that offers more choices across campus that fit students’ schedules, budgets, and lifestyles.
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Hawkeye Meal Share is an initiative that gives students the opportunity to donate their unused guest meal swipes online to any undergraduate, graduate, or professional student in need at the University of Iowa. Students experiencing food insecurity will be able to receive meals by contacting Student Care & Assistance in the Office of the Dean of Students. The Food Pantry is a free service available for all students, staff, and faculty. Available items may include fresh produce, protein, beans, pasta, canned fruits/vegetables, soup, breakfast items, snacks, and toiletries.
Locations and Hours
There are numerous locations on campus to purchase food. University of Iowa Housing and Dining provides a range of food options. UI Health Care provides coffee shops and full-service dining options to employees, visitors, and patients. During the academic year, the Street Hawk Food Truck is located at the Main Library Plaza (Monday, Wednesday) T. Anne Cleary Walkway (Tuesday, Friday) and the Iowa Memorial Union (Thursday). Food trucks are also available through Science Thursdays in the courtyard between the Medical Education Research Facility (MERF), Eckstein Medical Research Building (EMRB), Bowen Science Building (BSB), and the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building (PBDB). Note: during academic breaks, dining locations may have adjusted hours.
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