Photo by Chad Montano on Unsplash
Food is an important aspect to university life, and knowing the right places to eat can upgrade your first-year experience. Luckily, Brock’s campus offers many dining options. From the staple dining halls located in Decew and Lowenberger residences to the familiar chain restaurants found at Union Station, Brock’s food caters to every individual.
Not only does Brock’s campus hold a variety of options for its new and returning students, but the city of St. Catharines offers many exciting and delicious snack spots as well. Because of the multiple food options located at and around Brock, it is essential to learn where the top spots to visit are before entering campus life, so let’s take a look.
A fan favourite tends to be the Guernsey Market, a modern and marché-style form of dining that caters to the preferences of any student. Unlike the Decew and Lowenberger dining halls, which are only permitted to be used by students with an all-access meal plan, Guernsey Market is available for any student to drop by, while also accepting dining and flex dollars. The highly praised market offers a variety of meals, from freshly grilled burgers and fries to a build-your-own sandwich station as well as aquick and easy salad bar, the ,arket has something for everyone. The market is now conveniently located next to a fully licensed Starbucks, allowing coffee and pastry lovers a place to nest.
Another favourite option for food on campus is the variety of restaurants located at Union Station, which can be found next to Isaac’s Bar and Grill in the Student-Alumni Center. Union Station features some well-received restaurants such as Subway, Burrito Boyz, Harvey’s and Booster Juice. The dining area also contains Union Greens, a fresh and healthy meal option, as well as Ah-So Sushi, a quality kiosk for Brock’s many sushi lovers. Union Station’s variety of recognizeable favourites allows students the opportunity to pick and choose whatever kind of food they’re in the mood for. The only downside to this section is that student meal plans are not accepted, meaning students must use their own money when wanting to grab something from this area.
Although Brock contains an extensive amount of dining opportunities for its students, individuals may desire exploring options outside of campus every once in a while. While Brock offers quick and easy bus rides to areas such as The Pen Centre which has a decent amount of food options, the top dining spot in St. Catharines is hands-down in the downtown section of the city. Located downtown is St. Paul Street, which holds a variety of options for both a quick bite or a nice meal. Some notable favourites consist of Hambrgr, a delicious and modern burger joint, The Merchant Ale House, a craft brew pub with some delicious meal options, and Rise Above, an allvegan restaurant and bakery with incredible choices.
When downtown, a must-visit spot is Beechwood Doughnuts, a fully vegan doughnut shop with amazing flavours such as household staples as well as novel concoctions.! Visiting downtown St. Catharines is something every Brock student must do if they have downtime and an empty stomach to boot.
The big move to campus and the first day of classes can always be a bit stressful, but students can find themselves both excited and at ease by exploring the many food options at Brock.
Although students will have plenty of time to explore both on and off campus in order to discover which dining options are a favourite to them, this list of highly recommended areas gives newcomers a good place to start.