Ohio University has two main dining halls, Nelson Court, located on South Green, and The District on West Green, also known as Boyd. Although similar, each dining hall offers its own unique options for all your hunger needs.
Here are the best foods to eat at each dining hall:
Noodled (Boyd) and Kalamata Leaf (Nelson)
Noodled, located in Boyd, and Kalamata Leaf, located in Nelson, are pasta lovers' paradises. Kalamata Leaf typically has an alfredo sauce (specialties include roasted red pepper, pesto and ranch alfredo) and/or a red sauce (spaghetti sauce, meat sauce). It also includes an array of pizzas and dips.
Noodled also features alfredo, red sauce options, and macaroni and cheese. There are two macaroni and cheese options for lunch and dinner: a specialty macaroni and cheese (cajun shrimp, pepper jack, crab, meatball, etc.) and regular macaroni and cheese. There is typically also a specialty pasta such as baked feta pasta, baked ziti and rigatoni.
West Greens (Boyd)
Both Boyd and Nelson host large salad bars, but West Greens at Boyd is by far the best. In addition to typical salad toppings and dressings like lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, carrots, ranch and Italian dressing, the bar also houses toppings for the taco station like salsa, sour cream, cheese and pico, allowing students to create the salad of their dreams.
Bamboo Bowl (Nelson)
Bamboo Bowl in Nelson Court offers Asian cuisine and boasts the longest line in the dining hall. It serves fried rice and sushi rice, noodles (spicy veggie or lo mein), vegetables, orange chicken, veggie potstickers, egg rolls, Asian chicken wings, tofu curry, vegetarian Thai noodles and spring rolls. The selection varies daily, but there are always several options for building the perfect stir-fry.
Margaret’s Made for You (Boyd)
While vegetarian and vegan options can be found in both dining halls, Boyd houses Margaret’s Made for You, a made-to-order station for students with allergies and dietary restrictions. They offer lunch, dinner and dessert options, and a trained staff member prepares each meal. The menu frequently offers brown rice, gluten-free cakes and cookies, gluten-free pasta, rice stick noodles, NGI tacos and NGI pizza.
Nothing But Dessert (Nelson)
When it comes to dessert, Nelson cannot be beaten. From their ice cream station to their dessert cooler to their piled-high tray of brownies and cookies, Nelson has whatever students need to satisfy their post-meal sweet tooth. Depending on availability, the ice cream bar serves various hard ice creams like strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, coffee and moose tracks. Students can also choose between a cake cone or a bowl and a few toppings like chocolate chips or Oreo crumbs. The dessert cooler is stocked with an everchanging variety of cheesecakes, pies and cakes. The dessert trays next to the cooler often have brownies, cookies and cupcakes, perfect for a quick treat.
While there are many food options at OU and in the surrounding Athens community, students can always find a nice meal at Nelson or Boyd. The menus change daily and can be found on the culinary service website, ensuring every student has something to enjoy.
