(Nathan Ferraro/Fourth Estate)

Food options, comfortable environment set Ike’s apart from Southside

BY NATHAN FERRARO, COPY EDITOR

What surprises me most about Mason dining halls is the diverse experience each one provides. Practically, Ike’s and Southside offer just about the same food options; however, aesthetically, the two are completely different. 

I cannot say I am a proponent of the pointless redesign of Ike’s stations by Chartwells Higher Ed, but the facility’s overall environment is often calmer and less crowded than Southside, making it a nice alternative. There is more space to sit and the music is often less loud. 

The factor that sets Ike’s ahead of the game when it comes to Mason Dining is the wok/stir fry station open every week day for dinner. Sometimes, the only way to serve good food is to reject mass production and actually make each plate per student. 

At the stir fry station, renamed “United Table” by Chartwells, diners can choose from a variety of proteins, vegetables and rice or noodles to be cooked in front of them. It may not be hibachi, but it is the best thing Ike’s has to offer. 

Ike’s is also the only dining hall on campus open 24/7, satisfying late-night cravings and providing food for those hungry after 10 p.m.  

There are still negative aspects of Ike’s. For instance, asking for “some of everything” at the “Delicious Without” station may get you just two small pieces of chicken and eight string beans. 

The unnecessary move of the coveted Tractor beverage organic drink dispenser from the main room to the back room also means that, when the back room is closed, the only drinking options are water or traditional soda.

Cleanliness is another issue. My experience at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 was a floor covered with napkins, garbage and smashed french fries. The conveyor belt of dishes was clogged with an excess of dirty plates and the table I sat at was covered in crumbs and sticky. 

Ike’s and Southside are typically dirtier during the week, though, due to an increase in foot traffic — so I was not surprised. 

Managing expectations is key when it comes to choosing Mason Dining for your meal. You can’t expect an experience on par with a restaurant when the at-door price of all-you-can-eat dinner at Ike’s is $13.50. 

Quality of food, for example, is one area I have my reservations about. Around a week into the year, Mason Dining switched from the “Everyday” app to a new webpage for forecasting menus at dining halls. One feature of the new website is the ability to see what ingredients are in dishes. 

Take scrambled eggs — a one-ingredient, whole food. Chartwells and Mason Dining have, of course, found a way to hide the truth about food quality. The scrambled eggs served at dining halls may not be made of eggs at all; of the two ingredients displayed (liquid egg and canola oil), only one is what it seems. There is a disclaimer attached to “liquid egg” that says “These items contain additional ingredients. If you have questions, please ask a manager.”

So what is really in the “eggs” Mason Dining serves? Why does the ingredient “chicken breast” also have a disclaimer attached to it saying more ingredients are involved?

Is Ike’s better than Southside? The answer is undoubtedly yes. Has Chartwells transformed Ike’s or made food quality better? The answer is undoubtedly no. 

For now, the university’s only seven-day operating dining halls continue to remain the least satisfying Mason Dining destinations. Whether Chartwells can pick up the slack is yet to be seen.