For the past two years, I’ve lived in the Central residential area of UMass Amherst. I love this area of campus, and the closest dining hall to me is Franklin dining hall, or Frank for short. I’ve seen a lot of different rankings of the dining halls, but this is how I would rank it and I think most Central area students would agree with it.
#1 Franklin Dining Commons
Frank has pretty good food and good vibes. As a vegetarian, I’ve noticed it has a lot of options for people with dietary restrictions, including a gluten-free and vegan section. They have a salad bar with lots of options, a Mediterranean bar with different kinds of hummus, and other Mediterranean snacks. They have a deli bar, Asian food, burgers, the best stir fry, pizza, pasta, ice cream, and desserts. So, lots of options! I also like the seating arrangement of Frank the best. The high tops are great if you want to sit by yourself or with just a friend or two. They also aren’t as busy as some of the other dining halls on campus, so you can usually easily find a seat. They also have larger road tables for bigger groups and really long tables for big and small groups. I once heard someone say they liked Frank because you could come in your pajamas and eat alone without feeling judged or weird about it. Frank feels more comfortable and homier than the others.
#2 Hampshire Dining Commons
Hamp is my second favorite dining hall at UMass Amherst. For a Central girl, it’s a bit of a walk from the dorms, but the food is good and sometimes worth it. Hamp is known as the “healthy” dining hall. They have a lot of different options and everyone can usually find something they’ll love. Their sushi is my favorite, especially the teriyaki tofu one. If I or my friends are craving sushi, we come here. Besides the rest of the regular dining hall food options, they also usually have a few different kinds of salads and other lighter and healthier meal options. The other difference about Hamp is that they only keep a few drink options besides water, coffee and tea, but it varies every day. They usually have apple cider, some type of lemonade, other fruit/vegetable juices, and smoothies. Hamp, although far, does have some pretty good options.
#3 Worcester Dining Commons
If you want Asian street food or some good pizza, this is the place. With the brick pizza oven, Worcester, by far, has the best dining hall pizzas. They also seem to have more Asian food options including a stir fry line, Asian street food, pho, poke bowls or sushi, and a Tandoor line. Worcester was recently renovated, so it is probably the nicest looking with string lights overhead and a pretty nice layout. However, Worcester also tends to be the busiest of the four dining commons. This is the spot where a lot of parents and professors go, along with a lot of students since it is so close to the center of campus and near a lot of classrooms, so the atmosphere does feel a bit more rushed and chaotic than the others. It’s not a far walk from Central, about 10-15 minutes, so if you don’t want to go to Frank, this is the next best choice location wise. My favorite part about Worcester is that they serve Oatly soft serve ice cream.
#4 Berkshire Dining Commons
Berk is definitely the farthest from the Central residential area, all the way in Southwest, so I hardly ever go there. I also don’t think they have a lot of options, especially for people with dietary restrictions. Most times I’ve been there, I’ve been unsure of what to get and am left unsatisfied. However, they do Late Night well. Berk and Worcester are the only two dining commons that serve food late at night, but I’ve noticed that Berk usually has more options and specifically more comfort food options.
So this is my rundown of the dining halls here, and I think a lot of people, especially from the Central area would agree. Each dining hall has its ups and downs, and we all need a change in food and pace once in a while, so it’s nice to go to some of the other ones once in a while. However, for now, Frank has my heart.
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