Everyone’s first experience of walking into Crossroads is overwhelming. The buffet style is obvious. But where are you going to sit? What if you lose your CalSO group? Is there really only American food? Where are the utensils? Do you just leave your dishes here? The questions and confusion are endless.
To save you the unnecessary worry, here’s a comprehensive guide to CalDining’s four dining commons.
Crossroads
Photo by Tamara Katoni
Normal Hours: Mon-Fri: 7 am-10 am, 11 am-2 pm, 5 pm-9 pm; Sat-Sun: 10 am-3 pm, 5 pm-9 pm
Late Night Hours: Sun-Thurs: 10 pm-2 am
Food Options: There are usually five or six stations for every meal in addition to the dessert counter, salad bar, pizza station and grill. Some of the stations are self-serve, so if you see a ladle pointed towards you, feel free to help yourself.
Cutlery, Drinks & Condiments: There are various stations scattered throughout Crossroads’ dining area, usually along a wall or wedged into a corner.
Clean-up: Bus your own table by taking your dirty dishes and utensils to the dish rack behind the salad bar, along the same wall as the entrance. Be sure to scrape off leftover food into the compost bins before setting your dishes on the rack and utensils in the appropriate bins.
Spoon Tip: Put all your leftover food onto one plate so it’s easy to dispose.
Foothill
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
Normal Hours: Mon-Fri: 7 am-9 am, 10:30 am-2 pm, 5 pm-8 pm; Sat-Sun: 10:30 am-2 pm, 5 pm-8 pm
Late Night Hours: Sun-Thurs: 9 pm -1 am
Food Options: In addition to the salad bar, dessert rack and pizza station, or fruit station for breakfast and brunch, Foothill typically has two to three other hot food stations. (Lunch on Thursdays is always fried chicken.)
Cutlery, Drinks & Condiments: Milk and juices are found on the right-hand side; soda is on the right just outside the doors. Cutlery and condiments are behind the cashier, and another set of condiments can be found in the lobby by the microwave (left wall).
Clean-up: Set your dishes and utensils on the dish rack between Cub Market and the bathrooms. Foothill is the only dining common without a compost bin.
Spoon Tip: During Late Night, if the line is out the door, check the cash register near the usual exit and see if it’s open. It’ll move much faster since the usual line prioritizes customers shopping at Cub Market.
Café 3
Photo by Smita Jain
Normal Hours: 10 am-2pm, 5 pm-9 pm
Food Options: Since Café 3 is open for brunch everyday, it always has an omelette bar in addition to the usual salad bar and pasta station. There are also three to four food stations that change daily.
Cutlery, Drinks & Condiments: Drinks are located right by the entrance and to the far side of the facilities by the cereal. Condiments and cutlery can be found to the right of the pasta station and by the cereal.
Clean-up: Café 3 is essentially a large circle, so head towards the back from either side for the dish rack. Be sure to separate your utensils and throw away your food into compost bins.
Spoon Tip: Keep an eye out for cool cooking demos at Café 3. Last semester, Mark Bittman hosted a workshop on easy, college cooking.
Clark Kerr
Photo Courtesy of Cal Dining
Normal Hours: Mon -Fri: 7 am-9:30 am, 5:30 pm-8 pm; Sat -Sun: 10:30am – 2pm, 5:30pm – 8pm
Food Options: Clark Kerr has a few food stations along with a salad and fruit bar, pizza station, dessert counter and pasta station.
Cutlery, Drinks & Condiments: After getting your food, get drinks and utensils at the corner where the two rooms meet.
Clean-up: The dish rack can be found between the cash register and desserts. Be sure to dump your leftover food into the compost bin.
Spoon Tip: Though this dining hall is farthest from campus, the food here is delicious. It also resembles Hogwarts a bit, so be sure to make the trek during the annual Harry Potter meal.
In addition to these dining commons, you can also use meal points at The Den, Bear Market, Cub Market, CKCcub, Golden Bear Cafe, Ramona’s, Common Grounds, Terrace Café, Pat Brown’s and Qualcomm CyberCafe, which are all scattered around campus.
Be sure to check CalDining’s website for updated hours and the daily menu.