Butler County college dining halls offer smorgasbords of food

By Matthew Glover

Eagle Correspondent

February 08, 2024 Last Updated: February 07, 2024 10:06 PM Local News

Sandy Van Horn of CRH Catering, right, refills the chip bowl while Joyce Fisher takes an order at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

The spring semester is now in session, and students are looking for the best balance of speed, quality and variety on campus to quell their hunger between classes.

At Slippery Rock University, one student, who spends about 10 hours per day on campus, ranked Rocky’s first, Weisenfluh Dining Hall second and Boozel Dining Hall third.

“I think Rocky’s is the best dining place,” Slippery Rock University senior James Cressman said.

The food court located in the Robert M. Smith Student Center offers Italian, Mexican and sandwich options but can be slow because the space is too small for the amount of people.

During the lunch rush, lines are all over the place, Cressman said. Rocky’s has four stations, with each having a line for ordering and a line for pickup, and students often don’t know which is which. There is usually only one cashier working the register, Cressman said, and measures to limit the number of students in the space were lifted with SRU’s COVID-19 restrictions.

Cressman ranked SRU’s Weisenfluh Dining Hall second for its thick, juicy burgers, which are different from those in the main Boozel Dining Hall, and for having the main sushi restaurant on campus. However, he added that Weisenfluh is only convenient for students on the north side of campus.

Despite being ranked third, Cressman most often visits Boozel, the traditional buffet-style dining hall on campus, for its variety. Boozel has stations dedicated to grill items, salad, pasta, pizza and desserts and has three other stations that rotate menus each day.

Both Boozel and Weisenfluh also have stations that remove the top nine food allergens from all offerings. A dietitian is always available at Boozel and Weisenfluh for students to ask questions.

“Menus are planned taking ideas from Aramark and then putting local touches to the menus,” Lisa Rodgers, Rock Dining’s general manager, said.

Aramark, which manages Rock Dining, also explores multicultural offerings through their Chef Spotlight program, which features chefs who offer dishes that honor their traditions and cultures.

SRU also has a Quaker Steak & Lube and a Starbucks in the Smith Student Center, and a second Starbucks in the library. Quaker Steak offers its traditional menu items, but the line is often long and slow, Cressman said.

Starbucks in the library has a similar problem to Rocky’s, with the space being too small for the number of people it serves, he said. Starbucks has its own line space and waiting area in the front of the library, but the line often trails further into the library near the circulation desk.

However, this location offers a larger selection of breakfast sandwiches and prepackaged sushi and salads not part of Starbucks’ traditional menu. The location also has an outside window that can be used for pickup, but neither Starbucks location accepts mobile orders.

Carson Petras, first-year, eats food at a dining hall in the student center on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Rock Dining also recently implemented a plastic reusable container policy to take meals home. Students can purchase a container from Boozel Dining Hall for $5 in addition to the admission cost and fill it up with any of their offerings. When finished, students bring back the container and are issued a clean one for another meal, and the containers are washed and reused. If students do not want another meal right away, they can get a ticket for another container later.

On Butler County Community College’s main campus in Butler Township, students can choose from the Pioneer Café, the Logan Café and the Bistro To-Go Market.

The Pioneer Café offers a variety of weekly specials, sandwiches, appetizers, beverages and a spread of the day. Most of these are meant to grab-and-go.

“They have their staples like sandwiches and wraps all the time, then they’ll do different specials and switch it up to keep it interesting,” Taylor Holl, BC3’s admissions recruiter, said.

The Logan Café focuses more on having a variety of hot and cold beverages with a few grab-and-go breakfast options. They offer different drink specials each week. The Bistro To-Go Market offers grab-and-go premade sandwiches, snacks and beverages.

BC3 manages to keep menu items below $6 despite not offering meal plans. SRU offers meal plans to students on and off campus to meet their needs, but without a meal plan, expect to pay around $9 for admission to Boozel Dining Hall. À-la-carte items at other dining locations can also quickly add up without a meal plan.

Joyce Fisher of CRH Catering serves up a meal at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Pam Zelinka makes the special of the day at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Sandy Van Horn works the cash register at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Bea Green of CRH Catering prepares a chicken sandwich at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Butler County Community College students Michael Drotleff, left, and Gavin Gilliland eat at the Pioneer Cafe on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Pam Zelinka of CRH Catering serves up a meal at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

The Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College has a lunchtime rush of students on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Pam Zelinka of CRH Catering takes a student's order at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Pam Zelinka, left, and Bea Green take orders at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Joyce Fisher of CRH Catering finishes preparing a chicken wrap at Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Joyce Fisher of CRH Catering serves up a meal at the Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

CRH Catering employees prepare the special of the day at Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Pam Zelinka with CRH Catering prepares a meal at Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Joyce Fisher of CRH Catering prepares a chicken wrap at Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Pam Zelinka of CRH Catering cooks on the stove at Pioneer Cafe at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Students eat lunch in the Boozel Dining Hall of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Kati Cumberland swipes in a student to the Boozel Dining Hall on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Marcy Krovak serves mac and cheese to students in the Boozel Dining Hall on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Megan Best, junior, takes a break from lunch for conversation at the Boozel Dining Hall on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

From left, Antonio Ambrosia and Megan Best enjoy lunch in the Boozel Dining Hall on the campus of Slippery Rock University. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Nassir Jones, junior, eats lunch in the Boozel Dining Hall on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

From left, Dylan Al-Kadi, Antonio Ambrogio and Megan Best enjoy lunch in the Boozel Dining Hall of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Students fill the Boozel Dining Hall for lunch on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Marcy Krovak replaces the mac and cheese in the Boozel Dining Hall on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Students wait for their food at one of three dining halls on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Ayden Dorman, sophomore, eats lunch in the student center on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

From left, Karlie Ondrejik and Ayden Dorman, sophomores, eat lunch by a window of the student center on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Karlie Ondrejik and Ayden Dorman, sophomores, eat lunch by a window in the student center on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme

Kirk Heise, junior, eats food at a dining hall in the student center on the campus of Slippery Rock University on Monday, Feb. 5. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle

Kyle Prudhomme