With seven dining options on campus to choose from, it can often be difficult to decide where to eat your next meal at Brown University. Whether you prioritize location, hours, or food quality, here is a jumping-off point for indecisive diners who need a suggestion for where to eat next.
7. Gourmet to Go (Campus Marketplace)
Location: Below the Blue Room on the lower floor of the Campus Center (75 Waterman St.)
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:00AM – 9:00PM; Sat-Sun, 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Conveniently located in Faunce with virtually no lines, Gourmet to Go lives up to its name as you can grab a pre-wrapped sandwich or salad and quickly be on your way. However, if you like to customize what you eat or desire a more filling meal, maybe try another dining spot. Gourmet to Go serves more as an on-campus convenience store, since it also supplies pencils, cough medicine, or anything else you may need as a college student. Thus, seek out this location as an on campus market more so than a place to eat a meal, hence making it last in this ranking.
#Spoon Tip: If the Blue Room line is especially long, check out the pastry section in the corner of Gourmet to Go.
#6: Ivy Room
Location: Bottom Floor of the Sharpe Refectory (144 Thayer St)
Hours: 11:30AM – 1:30PM (Lunch); 6:00PM – 11:00 PM (Late Night)
For lazy late-night eaters, the Ivy Room is the place to go. With the Ratty closing when many haven’t even thought about eating dinner yet, walking downstairs to the Ivy Room is a quick fix when you’ve noticed the clock has already struck 7:45 PM. While the Ivy Room could use some more variety, their naanwichs (naan topped with falafel, samosas, or fried cauliflower and a sauce of your choosing) and avocado toast are surprisingly filling. Unfortunately, the Ivy Room often suffers from long lines and running out of avocado or tikka sauce during popular hours. But, if you visit at a time when there’s a lull, the Ivy Room is a nice option.
#5: Andrews Common
Location: Pembroke Campus
Hours: 11:00AM – 3:30PM (Lunch); 5:00PM – 11:59PM (Dinner)
Perhaps the most controversial ranking on this list (my apologies to Andrews lovers), Andrews’ location on the outskirts of main campus is this dining option’s downfall. While nothing on Brown’s campus is terribly far away, when Providence winds are blowing or I’ve just finished my three-hour lecture absolutely starving, the added 15-minute walk from Faunce and all the way down Thayer or Brown Street to Pembroke Campus is not worth it, in my opinion. Also, Andrews’ seating options are scarce, and nobody’s got time to hunt down a high table. Nevertheless, when it comes to the food itself, Andrews’ above-par pizza, baked pasta, and curry nights are (sometimes) worth the trek.
#4: Sharpe Refractory (The Ratty)
Location: Wriston Quad (144 Thayer Street)
Hours: 7:30AM – 7:30PM (10:30AM opening on Sunday)
What the Ratty lacks in food quality, it gains in location. Centrally located off of the Main Green, the Ratty is an excellent option to stop by after finishing classes. Despite a daily rotating menu, it is actually the Ratty’s everyday options that make it worthwhile in the food department. If the specials of the day aren’t up your alley, you can always depend on cheeseburgers, pasta, pizza, salad, or cereal being available every day. If you are running low on points but have an abundance of meal swipes, consider getting your bagel here instead of at the Blue Room.
#3: Verney-Woolley (The V-Dub)
Location: 135 Cushing St. in Emery-Woolley Hall
Hours: 7:30AM-7:30PM (closed on weekends)
Chicken Finger Fridays are not to be missed at the V-Dub (even their vegetable substitute is worthwhile). Like the Ratty but better, the V-Dub is also an all-you-can-eat style with several standard items. However, the salad bar and toaster stations are far better at this location given the added options. Like Andrews, the V-Dub is also off the beaten track for those who do not like to leave Main Campus. But, located off Thayer and near the Nelson gym, the V-Dub is still pretty accessible. A great sit-down option for those looking to grab a second round of pretty quality food and who do not mind walking a few extra minutes.
#2: Josiah’s (Jo’s)
Location: In Gregorian Quad (114 Power St.)
Hours: 6:00PM-2:00AM
Ah, if only Jo’s was opened more frequently. Sometimes you’re just craving a good broccoli and cheddar soup in a bread bowl for lunch, but alas, one must wait until the depths of the night (or just dinner) to get their Jo’s fix. Even if you want to eat healthily, the salad station and fruit available by the snack section are an option, though overshadowed by chicken sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, and onion rings. Overall, Jo’s does not disappoint. Between delicious grilled cheeses and the infamous “spicy with,” a delicious chicken sandwich topped with melted cheese, Jo’s is a must for all Brown students.
#1: Blue Room
Location: Stephen Robert Campus Center in Faunce House (75 Waterman St.)
Hours: 7:30AM – 9:00PM
If you don’t indulge in a Blue Room muffin at least once a week, do yourself a favor and start making it a staple in your diet. Given their delicious pastries and variety of grab-and-go options, it is no surprise students run out of points so early on in the semester, considering that the Blue Room doesn’t accept credit before 4:00PM. Crafting a sandwich with ciabatta bread, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and fig jam at the Blue Room has truly changed my life. Hopefully, the Red Velvet muffins don’t run out while you wait in line during the Blue Room’s lunch rush.
Whether you are a prospective student wanting to sample the Brown experience or a full-time Brunonian who still has not picked their go-to culinary destination, there is sure to be a perfect Brown University dining spot for you.