UChicago dining halls, ranked

My order is Cathey, then Baker, then Bartlett, then Woodlawn. It is a personal ranking, and plenty of students would order them differently.

Per Dining, every hall has the same core stations, a certified kosher kitchen, a halal station and Pure Eats for allergies. The differences come down to one signature station in each hall and how the room feels at 7 pm.

On this page. Cathey · Baker · Bartlett · Woodlawn · Is the food good · Hours · Meal plans

1. Cathey Dining Commons

Cathey is first for me. It is the dining hall next to South, and I think it is worth crossing the Midway for at dinner. I find it the most consistent of the four. The back rooms, with their long house tables, look like the college you pictured when you applied. Cathey is known for its stir fry station.

6025 S Ellis Ave, next to South. House tables for South and Burton-Judson.

2. Baker Dining Commons

Baker is second on my list, though it could just as easily be first. It sits under North. The pasta station is the draw, and the food is why I rank it this high.

5500 S University Ave, in Campus North. House tables for North.

3. Bartlett Dining Commons

Bartlett is my wildcard. The taco line is the draw, with tortillas, meat, cheese, rice and salsa. The room is the university's old track and gym, and to me it is the best of the four for sitting a couple of hours. Bart Mart, the small store downstairs, is there for snack runs.

5640 S University Ave. House tables for Max P and Snell-Hitchcock.

4. Woodlawn Dining Commons

Woodlawn is fourth on my list, and it is the placement I am least sure about. It is solid across the board, with no single standout station.

1156 E 61st St, in Woodlawn. House tables for Woodlawn and I-House.

Is UChicago dining hall food good

It depends on the hall and the night, and the ranking above is my take on each hall. Their strong point is the range of options. All four have a certified kosher kitchen and a halal station certified by IFANCA, per Dining. They also have Pure Eats, which Dining says is prepared without the top nine allergens and gluten, and Dining runs a fully vegan station called Rooted, per Dining's nutrition page. Dining describes the halls as nut-avoidant. If you have an allergy, check Dining's nutrition page and talk to Dining directly.

Two things that matter more than the ranking

Fourth meal, the late night service Monday to Thursday from 9 pm to midnight, starts in week 3. Check Dining's site for which hall hosts it. On Saturdays, Baker and Cathey close at 2:30, and Hutch in the Reynolds Club is the usual fallback.

The second thing is your house table. Sit there for the first few weeks. The people at that table will matter more to your year than which hall it is in.

Hours, and what each hall can feed you

From each hall's page on dining.uchicago.edu, checked September 2026. Bartlett and Cathey serve a continental breakfast from 8 to 10:30 am on weekends. The UChicago dining hours page has every hall, cafe and market, and which are open right now.

UChicago meal plans for 2026-27, with the prices

There are four residential plans. Unlimited is $2,839 a quarter, Phoenix is $2,588, Gothic is $2,400 and Apartment is $2,012. Dining says every first-year starts on Unlimited. The other three are what people switch to later. The deadline to enroll or change is seven days after the quarter starts, so this autumn it is Monday, October 5 at 11:59 pm.

Every plan also includes 10 to-go swipes and 5 guest swipes a quarter. This year Dining Dollars replace Maroon Dollars. They roll over from quarter to quarter and expire at spring convocation. Phoenix cASH is the only campus money you can spend off campus. It works on Grubhub with a $0 delivery fee on the student plan, though additional fees may apply.

Two things to check

Dining says Unlimited is the default for first-years, and that it stays your default later only if you live in a single or a double. If you move into a campus apartment or VUE53, Dining says your default becomes the Apartment plan. Check which plan you are on in my.uchicago before Monday, October 5.

If you switch, check your bill afterward. Dining says your default plan shows up on the first billing statement and any change is billed the following month, so look at the next statement to confirm the switch went through.

Is the plan worth it if you can cook

If you live in University housing, part of the choice is made for you. Dining says meal plans are required on campus and cannot be canceled while you live there, so you are choosing which plan to have. Off campus the plans are optional, and the answer depends on your kitchen.

Dining Dollars are easy to misjudge. They come with the plan and work on campus only. They roll from quarter to quarter and then expire at spring convocation. Phoenix cASH works differently. You load it yourself, the bursar runs it, and it does not expire while you are enrolled. It is also the only campus money that works off campus. The Hutchinson Commons counters take meal exchanges, Dining Dollars and Phoenix cASH.

Fourth Meal runs Monday to Thursday from 9 pm to midnight, starting in week 3. It is dine-in only and for students on a meal plan. Dining's FAQ doesn't name the hall.

The residence halls stay open over Thanksgiving. Last year Cathey and Bartlett closed for the whole break week, and Baker and Woodlawn served a continental breakfast and a Thanksgiving meal from 11 to 2:30 on the day. Every hall closes over winter break. Break housing cost $1,100 in 2024, per the Maroon, with no dining.

The nights you eat off campus

For food off campus, you will usually end up on 53rd Street, home to Hyde Park's biggest cluster of restaurants, or on 57th if you are coming from the quad. The food deals map sorts them by walk from your dorm. If money is tight some weeks, the free food guide has the pantries and the Student Support Services meal swipes.

Pool is a food deals app for Hyde Park, free and only for verified UChicago students. For the nights you eat out, it has 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8) from Monday, September 28.