At Hogwarts, there’s only one place to eat – the Great Hall. Enchantments are embedded into tables that can sense what students want to eat that day – lucky pure-bloods, half-bloods, and muggle-borns! Whether Harry Potter is in the mood for a pumpkin pastie or a turkey leg, he could eat whatever food he craved.
Unfortunately, at UF we haven’t quite mastered the magic of the Great Hall. But we do have as big a variety of options as Hogwarts does – they are just spread across campus.
Now, if a UF student could trade lives with a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Hufflepuff for a day, there would be only one hotspot to eat at Hogwarts. But where would the witches and wizards eat at UF? I’m curious to find out.
Harry Potter
The Boy Who Lived would be perfectly fine with the food at UF. He grew up in the muggle world for eleven years and is used to our food. Harry hardly had any time to concentrate on good food while he was at Hogwarts anyway, since he was always preoccupied with solving mysteries and saving the day. He would eat at the Broward Dining Hall because it’s great for grabbing food on the go, and there are also tons of options for whatever you feel like munching on.
Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger is the best heroine we’ve seen in books in a long time. She is the “brightest witch of her age”, incredibly driven in school, and loyal to her friends and defeating injustices. Because she has such an intelligent head on her shoulders, she knows quality food when she sees it.
Hermione would be a huge fan of Au Bon Pain if she came here. She would love their different types of food, from salads and sandwiches to mac and cheese and soup. They also have quality coffee, which would be perfect for her late nights studying for her O.W.L.s.
Ron Weasley
This boy could eat anything and everything. Throughout the series, we’ve seen him devour all the candy on the trolley on the Hogwarts Express, many a turkey leg in the Great Hall, and his fair share of Butterbeer in Hogsmeade.
He would 100% head straight to the Reitz Union food area and eat everything in sight. Ron would grab some spicy orange chicken at Panda Express, a slice of pizza at Papa John’s, a frosty from Wendy’s, and of course some delicious mac and cheese from Pollo Tropical. Ron knows how to create a quality spread – and that would be for only one meal!
Luna Lovegood
Lovely Luna Lovegood, the eclectic sweetheart of Ravenclaw House, has quite the affinity for sweets. She’s mentioned several times throughout the series that she likes desserts, so if she were to grab a bite at UF, she would be drawn to Starbucks. They offer a variety of sweet treats, and Luna could plop down in one of their comfy chairs to read the Quibbler.
Ginny Weasley
The youngest Weasley is a force to be reckoned with. Ginny is one of the bravest people in Gryffindor house, and she never backs down from a challenge. She is also a Quidditch team captain for her house, which means that she practices the longest and hardest and needs quality food to fuel her for practice.
Because of that, she would frequent Jamba Juice and Subway for lunch and Gator Corner Dining for dinner. That smoothie-sandwich combination would be plenty to get her through a grueling Quidditch practice, and then she would scarf down some delicious and carb-rich pasta at Gator Corner Dining (side note – that pasta is seriously heavenly).
Neville Longbottom
This poor kid never seems to get a break. Neville is constantly finding himself in danger, so when it comes to grabbing a bite to eat, he would probably want to have something that puts him at ease. Chick Fil A would be the place to go. Neville could stay in his comfort zone and get some nuggets, or if he’s feeling brave, he could have a spicy chicken sandwich (my personal favorite). Either way, he can top it off with an awesome milkshake and waffle fries and feel totally at peace with the world for once.
Draco Malfoy
Malfoy is the the lovable antagonist (what an oxymoron). The pretentious, slick-haired enemy of Harry is never afraid to share his opinion on something. Draco enjoys all things posh and high-quality and wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best. He also cares a great deal about his personal health and well-being.
Malfoy would definitely enjoy Shake Smart on campus. They have the highest quality ingredients and tasty smoothies, smoothie bowls, and breakfast foods. Malfoy would also appreciate that there are two locations on campus – one in the Reitz Union and one in Southwest Recreation Center.
Mischief Managed
I hope you enjoyed this way-too-thought-out look into where your favorite Harry Potter characters would eat on the University of Florida campus. Which character can you most relate to? Are there any characters I left out that you know would dine at a certain place? Just like Harry said, “Hogwarts is my home,” we would say, “UF is my home.”