UConn Storrs boasts eight dining halls that serve tens of thousands of meals every week, with a dizzying variety of dishes that ranges from comfort food staples to international cuisine. But while the dining halls share a commitment to great food and service, there are individual features that make each one a distinctive experience. Here, each dining hall’s area manager shares some of their specialties with UConn Today.
North Dining Hall
North Dining Hall is known for its diverse slate of “action bars.”
A BLT bar takes place every Thursday during lunch with a chef, a chef’s assistant, and a kitchen assistant helping to prepare students’ choice of sandwiches. A chef’s choice crepe bar happens every Thursday during dinner and is what the dining hall is most known for. A fried dough bar, happening every other Sunday, is a Spring 2026 addition.
The slider bar, which debuted in September 2025, happens every third Thursday. The three options include pulled pork, barbecue chicken, and a sweet potato vegetarian burger served from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “They usually sell out before lunch is over,” North Dining Hall Area Manager Joseph Ferris says.
Prior to becoming area manager, Ferris had 30 years of experience as a chef and enjoys experimenting with new food items. He strives for North Dining Hall to “be known for our quality of food and service.”
Ferris says that another unique feature of the unit is that the chefs make their own cinnamon rolls and frosting for every Saturday and Sunday brunch.
Connecticut Dining Hall
Connecticut Dining Hall is the newest addition to the dining hall scene, having opened in August 2024. It is the only one that has wood pellet smokers, offering a unique element to food selections. Area Manager Cheryl Folsom says using the smokers offers a distinctive variation of recipes only served at Connecticut Dining Hall. Various meats, fruits, vegetables, and tofu are often smoked.
Folsom says she enjoys the layout of the dining hall, where there are different kiosks that help to prevent long lines.
The “Revive/Thrive” kiosk offers yogurt and fruit served through lunch service. This kiosk is considered an “evolving station,” where there are pop-up milkshake bars and dragon and acai fruit bowls.
The “Feast” kiosk is where students can find pasta, pizza, and food items that have been smoked. A signature food choice is the smoked brisket.
“It is the most popular meal we have other than chicken tenders or tikka masala,” Folsom says.
The “Home Style Classics” kiosk offers more of a “comfort food” selection. The “Fresh Fusion” kiosk is where students can find the dumpling bar, “California Roll in a Bowl,” a pho bar, or others, depending on the day. The “World Fare” kiosk offers more of an international flare, again dependent on the day and meal period.
“The layout is ideal for students to mingle,” she says, adding that the large windows facing Mirror Lake also give students time to decompress.
South Dining Hall
Luis Saul Diaz brightens students’ days with his well wishes, and contagious positive energy. At South, he says he “does it all,” from food preparation to washing the dishes. He also says he ensures everyone is safe and having a good day.
“I go around to make sure everybody is happy,” he says, adding that the students are those who fill his heart with love and optimism. “You guys are the ones that bring my energy, I feel the love a lot and that’s what keeps my heart going.”
Working at Union Street Market for 13 years, Diaz says serving food is what brought him joy, seeing students’ smiles and having conversations with them.
His signature catchphrase is “have a great day and good luck with everything,” and often proclaims his catchphrase “Soop Doop,” which is his way of saying “God Bless.”
He has worked in dining services for 18 years and says he almost never calls out of work because he deeply enjoys what he does.
After 5 years of working at South, he was nominated for “Dining Services 2026 Employee of the Year.”
“He is one heck of a worker,” Area Manager Eric Janssen says. “Our staff is a huge part of what makes South distinctly unique.”
The unit is one of two dining halls open for “Late Night” service until 10 p.m. every Sunday to Thursday. It is also one of two dining halls with a halal food station.
From Feb. 17, lasting until March 19, students observing Ramadan are able to sign up and have dinner each day of the week until 10 p.m. Students are also able to collect breakfast to-go meals featuring dates, eggs, bagels, and fruits every night to have before sunrise the following morning.
The most popular dishes in South are tikka masala and General Tso’s chicken, and the most consumed menu item is grilled chicken, offered every lunch and dinner.
Currently, South is repairing the edging of the tables from their original rubber material to wood, with the goal of having all tables refurbished by the summer.
McMahon Dining Hall
McMahon is the only dining hall that pre-plates its dishes.
“We can show off the chefs’ talents,” Area Manager Matt Sroka says, emphasizing chefs’ freedom to experiment with different plating designs and combining different palate flavors.
According to Sroka, the most popular dish at McMahon is the chicken parmesan, where the chefs hand-bread and deep-fry the dish themselves.
McMahon is also known for its stone-cooked pizza, where the dough is hand-stretched and tossed instead of using a pre-made crust.
With an abundance of international students living above the dining hall, the menu items tend to accommodate a variety of cuisines. International standout dishes include lomo saltado, grilled polenta, chicken shawarma, curried roti chicken, and dumpling soup.
“These dishes really reflect the creativity of our culinary team and the international identity we strive to showcase at McMahon,” Sroka says. “Stop by and try something you haven’t had before.”
Gelfenbien Commons Dining Hall
Gelfenbien Commons, often referred to as “Towers,” is the only dining hall that has a kosher kitchen. It’s open Monday through Thursday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Fridays, the kosher kitchen serves breakfast and lunch, sending meals to UConn Hillel – a Jewish student organization – for dinner and for brunch the next day, for all students who observe Shabbat. On Sundays, students can request meals to pick-up during brunch, and the station opens again for Sunday dinner.
There is also a halal station open every day of the week for lunch and dinner.
The dining hall also has a “Grab & Go” station that is open Monday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays, 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Popular options include bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel and turkey and Swiss on a whole-grain croissant.
Area Manager Jim Kupchunos says students most enjoy the “Fusion Bar,” where they can customize their own omelets, stir-fry, and quesadillas depending on the day.
Making their debut in Spring 2026 are Gelfenbien’s homemade specialty donuts, served every Friday during breakfast.
Northwest Dining Hall
Northwest Dining Hall operates every Sunday through Thursday until 10 p.m. for “Late Night” service.
Area Manager Kimberly Howlett says students enjoy nights when the dining hall serves “comfort food” such as macaroni and cheese, ribs, and chicken tenders. Every three weeks, the unit also serves Indian cuisine items popular among students, such as tikka masala.
According to Howlett, one unique aspect of the dining hall is the way the unit’s executive chef repurposes leftover menu items into new dishes. For example, if there is unconsumed ham one day, the executive chef may make ham and pea soup the next day, or unconsumed pita bread may become fried pita chips.
“She plans it in her menus how we will repurpose to minimize waste as much as possible,” Howlett says.
Howlett says the executive chef also likes to enhance food items, such as adding roasted chickpeas or peppers to plain hummus: “These tiny details make a difference.”
As for overall ambiance, Howlett says students like the dining hall because it has “a cozy feel” and “it feels like home.” She said another unique element to the unit is the “sunroom,” surrounded by windows where sunlight brightens the space, further adding to the “warm atmosphere” students attribute to the dining hall.
Whitney Dining Hall
Whitney Dining Hall is the only unit located on the east side of campus, and is the smallest.
Area Manager Stephen Anthony says it used to be a unit that served vegetarian and organic food items, and even though it has evolved over time, it remains “one of the healthier dining halls.”
There are no sodas available, so students can choose from several assortments of juice, such as “Strawberry Dragonfruit” and “Berry Patch,” or Vitamin water.
All dining halls serve ice cream, but Whitney is the only one that serves ice cream from the Dairy Bar.
Anthony says the most popular menu selections are, “without a doubt,” the chicken tikka masala and the Philly cheesesteak bar.
New additions this semester are the popcorn and mashed potato action bars, where students can choose a variety of toppings. For the popcorn bar, students have an abundance of options, including sprinkles, coconut, caramel, and chocolate.
Besides menu selections, Anthony says that because the unit is small, staff are able to interact with students more. He says students also enjoy the atmosphere of the dining hall. “People like the little nooks,” he said, referring to the “Cafe” room where students go to relax, do homework, and enjoy coffee.
Putnam Dining Hall
Area Manager Christopher Delmastro says Putnam Dining Hall’s two floors are its defining characteristic, enabling a wide variety of menu choices.
The lower level is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. That’s where students will find the popular “omelet bar” before it moves upstairs for the weekend.
On the lower level, students can build their own soup bowls. Two broths are available, such as beef and miso. Students can then add vegetables and grains, including barley, quinoa, and farro. The “Grain Bar,” where students can build their own soup or salad, is “for people looking for a healthy option,” Delmastro says.
The lower level also features a build-your-own grilled cheese action bar. There is also an “International Station,” which offers different food items daily, such as a baked potato bar, California Roll Bowl bar, or a sorbet and fruit bowl, which is similar to an acai bowl with dragon fruit sorbet.
According to Delmastro, the two levels contain similar offerings, such as a variety of cereal, beverages, and stations, so students don’t have to continuously travel between floors.
Putnam is the only dining hall that offers an allergy-free juice bar every day of the week. Some combinations include the “Mint Mojito” or the “Red Zombie” that contains beets, ginger root, carrots, and a splash of orange juice. Special offerings have included a “Mock Mary,” made with tomato, lemon, and pickle juice, Tabasco, cayenne pepper, and horseradish.
“You don’t get this many options at some other dining halls,” Delmastro says.
Putnam is one of two with a “Grab & Go” station open Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the executive chef, new menu items unique to Putnam are coriander sweet potato, Dijon pork loin, and his own recipe for bolognese.
