The Best Miami University Dining Halls (Before They Were Taken From Us)

Ranking of the best Miami dining halls before the tyranny of Armstrong. For those of us that remember the time before Dining services did everything in their power to make sure we ate at Armstrong, we think back about when buffet dining was not a rarity, but an expectation. This article salutes the best dining halls in the pre-Armstrong era.

6. Alexander

Anyone that was willing to trek all the way to the wild wild Western campus was rewarded by one of the best brunches on campus on the weekends. Located in Clawson Hall, Alexander made you feel like you had just walked into a dining hall one would find at a summer camp. Resembling a log cabin, the atmosphere resonated with the woodsy look one would see from the rest of Western.

5. Haines

Located in the basement of the Shriver Center, Haines food court was about the only place you could find a hot meal if you had other activities past 8. While it certainly wasn't the best food you could find, its Campus Grill was unparalleled by any other dining hall. Breakfast items were available all day, and the Chicken club and Philly Cheesesteak never failed to satisfy.

4. Scoreboard

Our most recent casualty from construction cuts deep into the heart of anyone who has ever lived on North Quad. From 10am to 10pm this sacred eatery would provide famished students with fried pickles, fried green beans, mozz sticks, and corn dogs. But who could possibly forget the staple in every northerner's diet, the one, the only: spicy chicken sandwich.

3. 1809

If you never had brunch at 1809, I truly feel sorry for you. The only real option for higher quality dining that could be bought with meal plan has left an empty feeling inside us all. The perfect spot for awkward, overly formal first dates between freshmen and sophomores, 1809 provided the best way to impress on a budget.

2. Erickson

Housed inside the Dirty Den herself, Erickson was the only dining hall that had every mini buffet restaurant in one location. From Miami Traditions, to Wok This Way, and even Sonora Stop, Erickson had it all. Here students could load up their plates with food originating from all corners of all the world, and go back again for more. If you had an appetite that couldn't be satisfied, this was the place to go.

1. Bell-to-Go

The holy land for every kid with an insatiable case of the late night munchies. Spotting this lagoon in the drunken desert was enough to make you cry after a long night uptown. This a.m. God-send served up students mozz sticks, calzones, and chili-cheese fries. But most importantly, Miami's irrefutable rebuttal to the Blizzard: The Tornado. Bell-to-Go is sorely missed and makes every one who remembers it ask dining services: "WHY DID YOU TAKE THIS AWAY FROM US?!?!"