Dana Lepper ’27
Guest Writer
It’s September 2024, where GrubHub is in and in person ordering is out. Forget going up to the register and ordering; it is time to do what we college students do best and rely solely on our ability to online order. Who needs those soft skills of interacting with other humans anyways, it’s the twenty-first century! The goal of online ordering, as stated on the GrubHub app, is to beat the line when you get out of class. While that is a nice idea in theory, it has created a new challenge for students who just want to have a sandwich between classes. Forget skipping the line, you are now 74th and have to wait a range of twenty to forty minutes in order to get your food.
As we are an academic institution, I have used my creativity to devise a system to ensure I am able to eat my lunch with my mere forty five minutes between my accounting and dance class. What I now have to do is set up my order on my phone before my class starts to maximize the amount of time in class that I do not stress about putting my order in. Then, at precisely eleven forty four, I quickly and discreetly open my phone with every intention of ensuring that my professor does not see me as “unengaged” and a problematic student, and click checkout on the app. Now the fun part ensues, I get to see the wait time, usually it claims fifteen minutes, but often that is a lie and it takes twenty or thirty minutes. If I am lucky, after walking from Stein to Crossroads, I will be able to pick up my lunch and truly skip the line. What a joy online only ordering is!
Now that I have shared my feelings on the new online only ordering system, it is only appropriate to address Holy Cross dining as a whole. On top this fall is Kimball, and while this may be an unpopular opinion for most, I am personally attached to Kimball. As a Kimball Captain, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my beloved dining hall. It truly is the pinnacle of fine dining mixed with excellent customer service. They offer all three main meals plus a midday meal that is made to order; could it get better than that? The yogurt bar is unmatched for breakfast, and donut friday never disappoints. Some personal favorites for dinner are the dumplings, the chicken tikka masala from the base, and of course campus wide favorite chicken parm. The next best option is Crossroads, since the food is usually very good and they pretty much always get my order correct. But as previously stated, the lines have made this experience less enjoyable. Third on the totem pole for me is cool beans because it is convenient. That is it. They usually get my bagel wrong, I often have to ask for my coffee that came with my breakfast, and the toaster could not be slower. Next would be Steinbucks, as it is pretty reliable, but it does not feel like a true Starbucks. The prices however are on par with the real deal. Now, the O’Connor Family cafe used to be one of my favorites because the coffee is good, the protein bites are arguably the best thing on campus, and the performing arts center is a great study spot because nobody is ever there. However, this year they open at eleven opposed to nine, which has really ruined my ability to enjoy what they offer. The prices are outrageous, so if you are going to get something it has to be a treat. Personally, I am not a fan of D’Agostino’s Cafe, which is why it is last on my list. I do not like their sandwiches, and their coffee is fine but I think it is overhyped, but if nothing else their chips are good. The only people who actually like D’Agostinos are science majors because they simply cannot afford to leave the science building. I am unable to rate the new Sader Kitchen Nutrition because I am not an athlete so who knows if I can even go there. I do plan to try and sneak in sometime in the near future because my dance class was hyping up their smoothies. Until then, Kimball stays on top.
Featured image courtesy of College of the Holy Cross
Copy Edited by Annamaria DeCamp ’27
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