Campus Favorites: West Union

As the new year starts up, we head back to regularly eating at the one of the best university dining centers in the country. Here’s a quick rundown of all the permanent vendors that are offered in West Union (officially called Richard H. Brodhead Center for Campus Life but honestly who calls it that?)

Au Bon Pain 

Au Bon Pain offers an extensive bakery in addition to sandwiches and salads made for all times of the day. It’s the perfect place to stop on the way to class for some coffee and a quick breakfast!

Cafe

Cafe offers a wide variety of pastries in addition a delicious coffee menu. If you have a little bit more time grab a crepe and some gelato!

Ginger + Soy

Ginger + Soy offers food from all over East and Southeast Asia. Grab some stir fry cooked to perfection or a customized poke bowl!

Gyotaku

Gyotaku allows you to enjoy some deliciously made fresh sushi made right in front of you! Or grab some pre-made sushi if you’re in a rush!

Il Forno

Il Forno offers an incredible selection of customizable, hand-crafted, wood-fired pizzas in addition to other Italian dishes!

JB’s Roast & Chops

JB’s offers classic American dishes freshly cooked and seasoned! You’ll get a heaping load of meat, potatoes, and veggies!

Sazón

The newest, permanent addition to West Union is Sazón which offers Latin American food cooked to perfection! It’s been a long-awaited addition, but I think I can safely said it was worth the wait! 

Sprout

Sprout offers a solely vegan and vegetarian menu. With diverse layout of dishes, this is a favorite of any vegan or vegetarian student!

Tandoor

Tandoor offers modern takes on classic Indian food. The flavorful meats, breads, and vegetables are bound to be something you’ll enjoy!

The Chef’s Kitchen

The Chef’s Kitchen is a culinary classroom that offers cooking classes and feature guest chefs. However, the best part about it is the pop-up restaurants that give students a surprise option every now and then! 

The Commons

The top-floor of West Union houses The Commons, an upscale dining experience. This is the perfect place to FLUNCH a professor or to take your parents when they come visit!

The Devil’s Krafthouse

The Devil’s Krafthouse offers a campus pub with an menu full of American favorites and craft beers. Stop by and sit inside or outside for special viewing parties for every Duke basketball away game!

The Farmstead

Farmstead takes some classic dishes and makes them fresh, healthier and sustainable. Head to Farmstead if you want a meal that tastes good and feels good!

The Skillet

The Skillet offers the classic Southern dishes we all know and love. With their own unique twists, they give you a meal that tastes great and gives you that cookout feeling!

All Images via. Duke Student Affairs

Now that you know a little bit more about the vendors in West Union, I’ll give you my personal rankings along with the rankings from a survey of the Duke population. (Not included in these rankings: The Chef’s Kitchen since it’s not permanent and The Commons since it’s upscale dining)

My Personal Rankings

1. Sazón

2. The Devil’s Krafthouse

3. Tandoor

4. Ginger + Soy

5. The Farmstead

6. Gyotaku

7. Sprout

8. Cafe

9. Au Bon Pain

10. JB’s Roast & Chops

11. Il Forno

12. The Skillet

Duke Population Rankings

1. Sazón

2. Ginger + Soy

3. The Devil’s Krafthouse

4. Tandoor

5. JB’s Roast & Chops

6. Il Forno

7. Café

8. Farmstead

9. Au Bon Pain

10. Gyotaku

11. Sprout

12. The Skillet

While the Duke population and I agree on what’s the best and what’s the worst of West Union, everything in between gets kinda jumbled. The crazy variations in vendor rankings obviously comes down to everyone’s personal preference and the occasional bad experience at one place or another. Overall, the food offered in West Union is amazing and we’re given a wider variety than most campuses in the US. Even though we get sick of rotating through our same 5 favorite places and complain about every little thing, we wouldn’t trade West Union for anything else.

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