This July, the National Association of College and University Food Services named Pitt’s main dining hall, The Eatery, best residential dining facility of 2025. While many students enjoy The Eatery, the accolade left some skeptical.
The Eatery recently underwent a $28 million renovation completed in August 2024 that added a diverse array of cuisines and an updated design. Students can choose between 11 stations “ranging from classic American comfort food to diverse cultural offerings, an enhanced allergen-friendly station, and plant-forward options,” according to The Eatery website.
The Eatery was judged against 21 other dining halls for the grand prize based on a self-submitted entry. According to NACUFS CEO Robert Nelson, The Eatery received its “highest marks” for the quality of its menus and many nutrient-dense options.
“The decision was made based on really looking at the many dimensions that make up the student dining experience,” Nelson said. “[The judges] felt that The Eatery’s menu had variety and a seasonality in it that made it stand out.”
Nelson explained that the judging process does not happen in person, instead focusing primarily around self-submitted photos and menus.
“We require [universities] to give us detailed written and visual submissions. We typically get essays, student feedback data and menus,” Nelson said. “We do not personally visit universities.”
Grace Rosenberg, a first-year public health major, said she likes the food The Eatery serves but expressed doubt at the high accolade.
“I think the food here is good, but I don’t know if I would say it’s the best,” Rosenberg said. “There’s some foods here that are not the best, but for the most part, [the meals] are decent.”
Adam Ward, a junior Japanese major, said his experience with The Eatery has been “varied” across the years.
“My freshman year was by far the worst The Eatery has been. They would serve undercooked chicken every day,” Ward said. “Thankfully, this issue has been fixed in the past two years. More variety plus better food overall is a much needed improvement.”
Ward said he feels labelling The Eatery as “the best” is an “inaccurate assessment,” based on anecdotal reviews of other university dining halls.
“Whenever I talk to friends from other schools, I don’t hear any comments about a particular reputation of their dining hall,” Ward said. “This is in comparison to The Eatery, which is known to have [a] terrible one.”
Despite his criticisms, Ward said he feels PittEats “does a good job overall” and highlighted its willingness to listen to student feedback through hosting monthly public town hall meetings.
“The staff is really friendly, and there are a lot of options outside of the eatery,” Ward said. “I always feel heard if I have any issues.”
SGB Chief of Staff Evan Levasseur stated the board plans to continue to hold monthly meetings in order to address student feedback concerning The Eatery.
According to Levasseur, student complaints have mostly centered around full dining hall shutdowns and unannounced station closures this school year.
“We’re going to continue the monthly meetings going forward this year,” Levasseur said. “I know that there’s been some complaints from students that The Eatery has not been open when it’s supposed to be open. There’s either been food missing or stations that are closed down when they’re not supposed to be.”
Even after the renovations, the quality of the chicken served at The Eatery varies, according to Juliet Labrecque, a first-year psychology major.
“The chicken is good one day, and the next day, it’s just not good,” Labrecque said. “Before I came here, I heard [The Eatery] was famously bad.”
Labrecque said she feels that going to The Eatery during peak times can be stressful, especially when dealing with long lines, utensil shortages and malfunctioning drink dispensers at peak hours.
“I have a really good experience when I go when it’s not busy. [However], at 1 o’clock or 6 o’clock, it’s really crowded and they’re often low on silverware or cups. Sometimes there’s no ice,” Labrecque said. “It usually depends on the time of day.”
The Eatery’s food is provided by Chartwells, which operates under the name PittEats on campus. Chartwells Senior Director of Marketing Maggie Weaver stressed how the dining experience brings connection and encourages diversity amongst students.
“I think The Eatery really stands apart because of how much feedback we took from our students, staff, faculty and the surrounding community,” Weaver said. “When you are in the dining hall, you can feel how community-centered that layout is.”
Levasseur said he feels The Eatery’s award is well deserved and makes him feel more positively towards the space as a whole.
“As a student, it makes me feel better about the dining hall,” Levasseur said. “I feel more comfortable and confident going there knowing that there’s national attention for what they’ve done with renovation.”