The Northern Star Staff ranks campus dining halls on a variety of topics.

The best dining hall is … Gilbert Dining.

Haley Galvin  | Opinion Editor

Jazzy lighting, comfy chairs and superior food are what set Gilbert Dining Hall apart from the rest of the boring dining halls.

Gilbert serves superb options, including a flatbread pizza to die for. The ultra-thin crust adds a crunchier texture, and it is a thin-crust lover’s fantasy. It is also light on sauce, a personal preference of mine.

Other items exceed expectations as well such as the chicken, which seems fresher and juicier at other dining halls.

The dining area is also more comfortable than the others. The booths are more cozy compared to New Hall’s sometimes flat seating. The lighting is also dimmer, creating a laid back atmosphere. This all makes for a relaxing vibe, much needed after a long day of class.

The most anticipated dining hall is … Stevenson Dining.

Stevenson Dining is renovated and will hopefully be a much happier place for students. It will be a different type of dining hall with a fast food stop vibe.

Prior to the renovation, Stevenson Dining Hall was bland and boring. It seemed like a forgotten dining hall, which is why the renovation is so exciting.

There will be different food stations students such as a sub shop and a grill. Students will be able to use their meal plans and take food to-go.

This experience will feel more like a mall food court than the college dining hall students are used to. This renovation will hopefully amp up Stevenson Dining and offer better options which appeal to everyone.

The best dining hall pizza is … New Hall pizza.

Sam Malone | Editor in Chief

Everyone knows the best thing about getting back to class is the constant consumption of cheesy, gooey pizzas, and New Hall is the best place to go to start shoveling it in.

The pizza oven in the hall gives its pizza the best quality, no matter how you slice it. Plus, if you’re an adventurous eater, New Hall often hosts the strangest, yet yummiest, pizza creations, such as the mac-n-cheese pizza. Albeit a weird combination, the creamy cheese sauce on top of the soft dough make for a meal you’ll be dreaming of.

When that unstoppable craving for cheesy goodness creeps in, New Hall will serve satisfaction one slice at a time.

The best vegetarian options are at … New Hall Dining.

Kurt Bitting | Digital Manager

Vegetarians and vegans have a challenging lifestyle. We scour menus for meat alternatives while selecting foods with just the right nutrients. Luckily, New Hall Dining has everything a vegetarian or vegan could hope for.

No matter how fancy a salad bar may be, salads get old fast. I was worried I’d have limited options at the dining halls, so imagine my relief when I walked into New Hall Dining to find a multitude of vegan and vegetarian options.

A staple of New Hall Dining is its pizza. There is always at least one kind of vegetarian pizza loaded with tasty toppings like mushrooms, bell peppers and olives.

Black bean burgers and vegan chicken patties are also served every day at lunch and dinner, and they make you wonder how vegetables can taste so good.

A variety of mixed, cooked vegetables can be found at Home Fires, which also serves vegan barbecue, vegetarian lasagna and seasoned fish fillets from time to time.

Vegetarians always look for ways to get enough iron and protein, and this is no problem at New Hall Dining. NIU has made being a vegetarian easy, and New Hall Dining has the best options.