How to Get the Ultimate Dining Experience at UMass Amherst

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It's no secret that UMass has one of the best on-campus dining programs in the world. The collection of Worcester (Woo), Franklin (Frank), Hampshire (Hamp), and Berkshire (Berk) Dining Commons, along with all the cafes and restaurants (like Roots Café, Blue Wall & People’s Organic) is what truly puts this campus on the map.

So, if you just got here, how do you navigate this food cornucopia? Well, here’s my way of getting the ultimate dining experience here, and making sure you get the best of the best from each dining hall. Warning: I may be biased towards Frank (just a little bit), but nonetheless, this should be a perfect guide to the halls.

Breakfast: Frank!

I personally love a good Frank breakfast. They have an omelet station with the sweetest worker ever (she even helps you figure out what veggies, meats & cheeses to add in case you’re new to it) and DIY waffles with the best range of spreads and toppings. I also love the french toast sticks (though I think you can find these at all the dining halls at some point? Not too sure about this, so go to Frank as a safe bet!).

Omelet frying station at the University of Massachusetts

Plate with waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon & potatoes at the University of Massachusetts

Frank breakfast station at the University of Massachusetts

Special Mention: Woo has acai bowl Mondays, so if you love acai bowls like I do, you should definitely try them out! They have them for breakfast every Monday, so make sure to get there before eleven!

Lunch: Hamp!

This was SO hard for me to figure out. I mostly go to Woo since it's closer to all my classes, but now that I’m living in Southwest, I’ve been spotted at Hamp & Berk a lot more, and most of my friends live in Central so I went to Frank a lot as well. After a very long and hard thinking session, I now declare Hamp as the winner.

The thing with Hamp is, the quality of their food is really up there. They also aren't as crowded and have a good variety of cuisines. Plus, I have a huge sweet tooth, and I absolutely LOVE their desserts. They have two to three options for desserts, AND ice cream with toppings in another section.

On top of that, their fresh juice section is what brings it all together. With a variety of concoctions everyday, those drinks are what sealed their victory for me.

Dinner: Woo!

Now I love a good Woo dinner, the options are endless AND you get to stay till 12 a.m. with late night, so what’s not there to love! I personally love their Tandoor/Mediterranean section, they have really good falafel with hummus and naan. It's a little rare, but you HAVE to try it if you see it. I also like how close Woo is to most of my classes and love their late night options. Once, they even had late night waffles with ice cream and it was the best night EVER. They had a million different toppings with like six to seven ice cream options, it was just too good. 

So that’s my spiel on UMass Dining. Maybe you think my opinions are completely wrong (I beg to differ) and maybe you completely agree (which sounds about right). Anyhow, here’s what my friends had to say about it.

(Also, side note, I figured you might be reading this and being like “Who’s this random dude and why should I listen to him” and honestly, you have a point! So I added a few thoughts my friends had in case you wanted to read another opinion as well.)

Myles: Don’t go at an active time to the dining halls, go whenever you’re hungry so you miss the rush. 

Caroline: Hamp has better quality food, but Berk has a good variety. 

Trisha: Woo stir fry is the best!