UVA Dining
by Joshua King
You may be wondering how UVA dining compares to other schools. UVA’s food is pretty decent
compared to the competition but please do not come here for our gastronomy because we are
not #1 in dining! That being said, UVA does have a large variety of restaurants and foods to choose
from, allowing students to have a well-balanced diet. Here is a basic overview about dining on Grounds.
compared to the competition but please do not come here for our gastronomy because we are
not #1 in dining! That being said, UVA does have a large variety of restaurants and foods to choose
from, allowing students to have a well-balanced diet. Here is a basic overview about dining on Grounds.
Meal Plans
There are only two meal plans available for First-Year Students: Ultimate Access and All Access 7.
There is not much of a difference between the two. Both give you unlimited swipes into the dining
halls during business hours, but the Ultimate Access plan comes with 300 Plus Dollars per semester
while the All Access 7 only comes with 150 Plus Dollars. Plus Dollars is basically UVA cash that can
used at any of UVA’s non-dining hall, on Grounds restaurants like the Chick-fil-A or the Starbucks.
Upperclassmen students have a larger variety of meal plans to choose from, varying in number of
meal swipes and Plus Dollars. A popular meal plan amongst upperclassmen students is the
Semester 80 which comes with 80 meal swipes and 350 Plus Dollars.
There is not much of a difference between the two. Both give you unlimited swipes into the dining
halls during business hours, but the Ultimate Access plan comes with 300 Plus Dollars per semester
while the All Access 7 only comes with 150 Plus Dollars. Plus Dollars is basically UVA cash that can
used at any of UVA’s non-dining hall, on Grounds restaurants like the Chick-fil-A or the Starbucks.
Upperclassmen students have a larger variety of meal plans to choose from, varying in number of
meal swipes and Plus Dollars. A popular meal plan amongst upperclassmen students is the
Semester 80 which comes with 80 meal swipes and 350 Plus Dollars.
Dining Halls
There are three main dining halls here at UVA: Newcomb Fresh Food Co, O’Hill, and Runk,
and typically have weekday hours from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Each dining has is unique in its
own way. This past year, Newcomb for example serves Korean food every Monday and
chicken wings every Wednesday. Newcomb is also the closest dining hall to classes, making it
extremely crowded during lunch hours. O’Hill is the closest dining hall to New Dorms and has the
best salad bar and the largest variety of fresh fruits. However, O’Hill typically has the fewest number
of entrees for students as it only has three main stations. Runk is my all-time favorite! During the
weekdays, Runk has an international station featuring different entrees from around the world.
Starting at 10:00 AM on the weekends, Runk brunch with fluffy pancakes, an omelet station with
a variety of meats and vegetables. This all may sound good, but Runk is also the furthest dining
hall from classes and most of the first-year doors meaning a longer walk for most students, but
less time standing in lines.
and typically have weekday hours from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Each dining has is unique in its
own way. This past year, Newcomb for example serves Korean food every Monday and
chicken wings every Wednesday. Newcomb is also the closest dining hall to classes, making it
extremely crowded during lunch hours. O’Hill is the closest dining hall to New Dorms and has the
best salad bar and the largest variety of fresh fruits. However, O’Hill typically has the fewest number
of entrees for students as it only has three main stations. Runk is my all-time favorite! During the
weekdays, Runk has an international station featuring different entrees from around the world.
Starting at 10:00 AM on the weekends, Runk brunch with fluffy pancakes, an omelet station with
a variety of meats and vegetables. This all may sound good, but Runk is also the furthest dining
hall from classes and most of the first-year doors meaning a longer walk for most students, but
less time standing in lines.
Other Dining Options
When you ever get tired of the dining hall food (and you will), there are plenty of on Grounds
restaurants to choose from. The most popular restaurants are Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, and Subway
located on the first floor of Newcomb Hall in a place called the Pav. Another popular place is the
Amphitheater. During lunch time, the Amphitheater has four different food trucks that serve BBQ,
Greek food, pot pies, and Chinese Fried Dumplings. My favorite on Grounds restaurants is Rising Roll:
a restaurant that serves fresh sandwiches, brewed coffee, and has the coolest Spotify playlist on
Grounds! Need a late-night snack and all the dining halls are closed? On the first floor of O’Hill,
there is a place called CrossRoads that stays open until 2:00 AM. They serve burritos, pizza, pasta,
burgers and other quick meals. CrossRoads also has a convenience store where you can buy chips,
soda, and candy. Remember, Plus Dollars can be used at any of these locations and even at a local
Papa John’s when your order a delivery.
restaurants to choose from. The most popular restaurants are Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, and Subway
located on the first floor of Newcomb Hall in a place called the Pav. Another popular place is the
Amphitheater. During lunch time, the Amphitheater has four different food trucks that serve BBQ,
Greek food, pot pies, and Chinese Fried Dumplings. My favorite on Grounds restaurants is Rising Roll:
a restaurant that serves fresh sandwiches, brewed coffee, and has the coolest Spotify playlist on
Grounds! Need a late-night snack and all the dining halls are closed? On the first floor of O’Hill,
there is a place called CrossRoads that stays open until 2:00 AM. They serve burritos, pizza, pasta,
burgers and other quick meals. CrossRoads also has a convenience store where you can buy chips,
soda, and candy. Remember, Plus Dollars can be used at any of these locations and even at a local
Papa John’s when your order a delivery.
Meal Exchange
UVA Meal Exchange allows you to purchase certain meal combos from on Grounds restaurants
using a meal swipes instead of Plus Dollars. For example, at Chick-fil-A between the hours of
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on the weekdays, a student can purchase an original or spicy chicken sandwich,
an order of fries, and a medium-sized fountain beverage for just one meal swipe. So as a First-Year,
you could technically eat Chick-fil-A everyday without spending any of your limited Plus Dollars.
However, there is a limit to just two meal exchanges per day (the Ultimate Access Plan gives you
three) and only one can be used per hour. Meal Exchange can also be used to buy a To-Go box
from the dining halls which makes it convenient for for you to eat a quick meal in between
back-to-back class.
using a meal swipes instead of Plus Dollars. For example, at Chick-fil-A between the hours of
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on the weekdays, a student can purchase an original or spicy chicken sandwich,
an order of fries, and a medium-sized fountain beverage for just one meal swipe. So as a First-Year,
you could technically eat Chick-fil-A everyday without spending any of your limited Plus Dollars.
However, there is a limit to just two meal exchanges per day (the Ultimate Access Plan gives you
three) and only one can be used per hour. Meal Exchange can also be used to buy a To-Go box
from the dining halls which makes it convenient for for you to eat a quick meal in between
back-to-back class.
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