If you walk down Zanfino Plaza and ask every student what they think of Wayne Dining Hall, the general consensus would be that it stinks. Whether it’s the lack of options, the doubts about the freshness of the food, or the overall quality of the dining hall. However, Sam’s Place at Montclair State University really sets the bar high.
William Paterson and Montclair are both big commuter schools, with 80% of WP and 75% of MSU students being commuters. When a school’s ratio is that dramatic, you would expect them to focus on them and their needs more. However, when it comes to dining, there shouldn’t be any excuse.
The first thing that I noticed about Sam’s Place, Montclair’s main dining hall, was that it was bigger. They had the same things as Wayne Dining Hall like sandwiches, salads, burgers, and such, but Sam’s was definitely offering a bigger variety and better options. For example, they had two different areas just for coffee and offered different syrups and dairy options. They also had a bigger spread for things like the sandwich bar, even offering pre-made sandwiches and wraps.
Montclair students know them best for their “Make Your Own Pasta” station that offers a variety of noodles, sauces, and add ons.
Something that always bothered me when I lived off of the dining hall last semester here was that I felt like the food wasn’t fresh. There would be the same rice out for two or three days and by the last day, it was hard and had clearly been sitting out.
Honestly, I’m not looking for a 5-star meal at Wayne Dining Hall but things like that were extremely frustrating, especially considering that that is what many students, including myself, relied on for their meals.
When I was at Sam’s, the quality of the food was noticeably better. It tasted fresh and hot and I noticed the staff refilling and stocking up the food many times throughout my visit. It made me wonder why those same morals can’t apply here when it’s basically the same food.
However, the thing that angered me the most was that Sam’s Place offered To-Go containers.
Yes, that’s right. Montclair actually lets their students take the food from the dining hall that their tuition pays for to their dorms or classes.
I can’t help but think about the time that I was told I couldn’t take two apples from Wayne Dining Hall because they thought I was taking them home.
Personally, I think that To-Go containers are perfect for students who don’t have time to sit in the dining hall between classes or are stopping for dinner late at night before closing and still want to eat. I don’t see anything wrong with taking food outside of the dining hall.
Especially on Fridays and Saturdays when the dining hall closes at 7pm. I would’ve loved the option to take food back to my dorm before work so that I had a hot and free meal for when I come home.
I asked a Montclair student, who has eaten at both Wayne Dining Hall and Sam’s Place about his thoughts.
“I feel like Montclair just has a little better options and with the addition of to-go containers, I feel like it has adds a lot of versatility.” Says freshman, Derek Melissant. “You guys got a really good burger over there but you guys lack options and the eggs did have crystals on them once.”
I just want to be clear on one thing: I don’t hate Wayne Dining Hall. I think that they do have some good options and it’s not as bad from what I see online. However, it does have a few shortcomings that can absolutely be fixed. The biggest thing that I would like to see implemented, especially after visiting Sam’s Place, are the To-Go containers.
