My ultimate guide to Rutgers dining halls, swipe-friendly cafés, and the downtown New Brunswick food scene…

By Alex Toomey, Rutgers New Brunswick, USA

Dining Halls: All-You-Can-Eat

Livingston Dining Commons (Livi) – My Home Base 10/10
Livi was my second home and easily the best dining hall on campus. I would sometimes swipe in once and stay the entire day, setting up my laptop in a booth with friends and turning it into our private study lounge. Unlimited coffee refills and decent Wi-Fi made it a surprisingly productive spot. The food kept us going too. The salad bar was my favourite on campus, with endless fresh toppings, grains, and seafood (sometimes even mussels and prawns) so you could build something different every time. The Asian section served stir-fries, dumplings, and rotating noodle dishes that were reliably fresh and flavourful. Livi also won the dessert game: cookies and a soft-serve ice cream machine that let you make your own cookie-ice-cream sandwiches. It also had an electronic counter section where you could get fully customisable burgers, hot dogs, and fries that were made fresh in front of you.

Busch Dining Hall – 7/10
I only ventured to Busch Dining Hall once or twice, but it left a memorable impression thanks to a plate of deep-fried Oreos. Otherwise, it struck me as a plainer, slightly less exciting version of Livi. There’s plenty of variety and a decent salad bar, but I never felt compelled to make it a regular stop.

The Atrium – College Avenue Dining Hall – 8/10
As much as it gets hate, it sure is convenient—especially because it all comes in takeaway containers. If we couldn’t be bothered to make the trip to Livi, the Atrium definitely came in clutch, especially on the weekend. It’s also the dining hall open the latest: Monday to Thursday 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m. It has more of a shopping-centre food court style. You order on the electronic counters and get a selection of different “restaurants” to choose from. With a meal swipe, students can order a main dish, snack, and bottled or fountain beverage. The Atrium’s menu is formed from five different restaurants serving varying types of food. Pi Pizza serves a whole pizza, Mezze serves Mediterranean food like pittas, Scarlet Ginger serves Asian cuisine, Three Chillies serves Tex-Mex food, and King’s Hawaiian serves burgers, chicken, and sandwiches. Each restaurant contains multiple items on its menu, which do not really vary daily. My personal favourites were the burrito bowl from Three Chillies—fully customisable like something from Chipotle—and the bao buns with gyoza from Scarlet Ginger. It definitely felt like a novelty at first, but I do think it would be so much better if there were more of a rotating menu like the other dining halls.

Neilson – Cook/Doug – Unknown Territory ?/10
Can’t rate it—I never made it to Cook/Douglass dining. But I did eat at Harvest, the sit-down café on Cook/Doug, and it’s a gem: locally sourced ingredients, creative seasonal plates, and delicious healthy food.

Meal-Swipe Cafés: Grab-and-Go

For days when I couldn’t face a buffet:

• Henry’s Diner (Livi) – A retro-style spot right by the bus stop that felt straight out of a classic American movie. The menu they had was insane with so much included for just one meal swipe—definitely something for everyone’s tastes. But their pancakes were genuinely the size of a dinner plate—fluffy, golden, and served with endless syrup refills. I would definitely recommend the egg fry-ups; they were always delicious and did a good job of filling you up for the day.
• Cafe West (College Ave) – Tucked into the West Academic Building, this was the reliable “grab-and-dash” option. Think crisp paninis pressed to order, steaming soups that changed daily (the chilli was a lifesaver on rainy days), and a good tea selection. It was perfect if you were having a study session in the academic building and needed a bite to eat.
• Harvest (Cook/Douglass) – More of a sit-down experience than a café, Harvest had a relaxed, slightly upscale vibe with an open kitchen and big windows looking out onto the green campus. The menu leaned seasonal and local—roasted root-veg flatbreads and pastas in autumn, lemon-herb salmon with quinoa in spring. It was one of my favourite spots for lunch and always had great options.

New Brunswick: Beyond the Meal Plan

When we wanted a break from campus food, downtown New Brunswick was a five-minute walk from College Avenue and full of options.

• Sakana – Super good value for all-you-can-eat sushi at $35 for 2 hours. It was a favourite spot for birthdays; however, with three rounds of ordering it did lead to almost inevitable food comas.
• Daniel’s Pizza – Cheap, delicious slices, especially their penne vodka pizza topped with actual pasta. A little far away, but I can’t tell you how many times we made the trek regardless.
• Artichoke Basille’s – The slightly pricier rival of Daniel’s, it was just as good if not better, even if it was lacking the pasta on top. It was a lot closer to home, so a definite favourite for post–night out scran.
• Old Man Rafferty’s – Hearty American comfort food; their mac and cheese was exceptional. Just a nice sit-down restaurant that was really good value and not too far away.
• Any Seafood Boil – A fun, messy feast when we could persuade friends with cars to take us.
• Crumbl Cookies – A one-time taste of America’s sugar obsession. My verdict: too sweet, too pricey—stick with Livi’s free cookies.
• Stuff Yer Face – A pub-style venue with a lively beer-garden atmosphere and giant pitchers perfect for long evenings with friends, which somehow felt both unmistakably American and a little reminiscent of a Spoons night back at home.