September 10, 2024

Eating on Campus

UCalgary has an incredible selection of places to eat on campus — from indoor dining, to outdoor lounge style patios, quick eats, classic cafés and cozy comfort food options, there's something for every occasion!

Restaurants!

The Den and Black Lounge have been a student tradition for over 50 years – a regular hotspot for students with two floors of food, beverages, dance, and fun! Whether your preference is indoor dining, relaxing on the Black Lounge patio, or private partying in the Red Room, this is your place to make it happen. The Den and Black Lounge regularly have themed trivia nights and specials throughout the week. You can't go wrong with the Garlic Parmesan Pizza Bombas – unless it's Wednesday, then the chicken wings are a must!

The Landing offers a variety of fresh meals to meet the needs of all students: from health-conscious to on-the-go students. The All-You-Care-To-Eat (AYCTE) meal plan offers scratch-made dishes, ensuring we use fresh and local ingredients wherever possible and by making sure needs for Halal, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free ingredient options are met. Whether you're on a 7-day or 5-day meal plan, or 250 or 120-swipe plan, or just pay at the door - there are fresh nutritious meals for everyone, providing great value and convenience. The Landing is open 7 days a week and it is open to the public! The amount of food choices here is unmatched! You can make your own sandwich or Omelet, or even get a pre-prepared meal from there other stations. Their long hours are perfect for our students studying late! 

The Last Defence Lounge (LDL) is a fully licensed restaurant operated by the Graduate Students' Association, so any profits made by the LDL are reinvested in improving programs and services for graduate students at the University. The LDL welcomes the entire UCalgary community and their guests. It's an excellent spot to sit down and get fast service. With daily specials and excellent food, you cannot go wrong with grabbing a bite here. Make sure to try Curry Tots or one of their excellent burgers! 

Quick Eats!

A&W's Buddy Burger is a great go-to-fast snack; you can get it with or without cheese for an affordable price! For a larger meal a Teen Burger with Onion Rings and their signature Root beer is the best comfort food. 

Bake Chef Co is almost always ranked as the best place to get food on campus as voted by our students! They have low prices and the best food. The Cheese Buns are amazing for a quick snack, but the Beef State Sub is a staple at UCalgary. 

Canadian Pizza Unlimited (CPU)is fantastic for a single slice of pizza and a soda for a reasonable price. Canadian Pizza Unlimited has the best Donair Pizza!  

Carl’s Junior's Ranch Chicken Sandwich with Waffle Fries is to die for, especially with a milkshake! This is a great spot for a treat on busy days.

Dairy Queen/Orange Julius is the place to swing by on one of Calgary’s 333 days of Sunshine! You can't go wrong with one of their blizzards or a classic Caramel Sundaes. 

Domino’s Pizza offers great gluten-free pizzas and is famous for giving student discounts. They are an amazing option for a late-night snack on those long nights of studying! 

Freshco Poke is perfect for a customized Poke Bowl!

Jugo Juice is an excellent spot for when you are on the go! Our team loves the Dragon Force Smoothie.  

Kobe Beef's Chicken Teriyaki is amazing and is a must try, especially when you want something different!  

Konz Pizza is the place to try a Cone Pizza! And it is easy to take on the go for a tour or while reading and studying as a future Dino. 

Korean BBQ's Sweet Potatoes are always a fan favorite; their large sizes are also very popular with students! 

Haskayne Food Hall is an excellent place to grab food and coffee! Especially for students in Mathison Hall! The Market has a popular UCalgary alumni-run business, Phil & Sebastian. They also have fresh smoothies and homemade grab-and-go sandwiches and wraps for your busy days! If you are looking for pasta the Exchange is the place to go with fresh pasta and homemade sauces from D.O.P! Finally, Hot Seat serves hot made-to-order breakfast, burgers, fries and more. This is definitely a place to try on the UCalgary campus and if you are interested in business, you can check out our newest building, Mathison Hall at the same time! 

Mr. Pretzels is great for snacks! They have a Family Bucket of bite sized pretzels where you can also choose your sauce to dip in and they have Pretzel Dog Bites which are a must try. 

Noodle & Grill's Ginger Beef is a must have! Did you know? Ginger Beef was invented in Calgary in the 1970s at the Silver Inn Restaurant. Our team also loves the Sweet and Sour Pork, it is definitely a fantastic option! 

Opa! Firstly, their staff are amazing! Their fries are a must have and the Wrap meals are a great option for a full meal.  

La Fe Dim Sum has an excellent selection of foods to try and make into your own combo! Our team would recommend trying their noodles, veggies, and pepper beef. They are truly amazing! 

Subway is a great way to get 2 meals in one! By getting a footlong sub, cookies or chips and a drink you can make one purchase last 2 full meals by eating half of the sub. The fresh food and ability to customize your sub is also a major benefit! 

Umi Sushi offers packaged sushi for a lighter lunch! They also have bubble tea in so many different flavours! 

Cafés and Bakeries!

Brew & Blendz is the place for you if you want a refreshing drink, their smoothies are a great option or iced coffee, especially if you are not close to MacEwan Hall and want something closer to you! 

Cinnzeo Bakery Cafe is the best place to get a treat for a long day! Especially if you took the time to climb the Social Science Tower to read the story of Leon the Frog! 

Good Earth Coffeehouse is an amazing place to get a snack and coffee! Good Earth is a proud partner of the Campus Tour program! Their cookies, especially the Ginger Molasses Cookie, are a must try and are popular among our team! 

Starbucks is a great spot to get your caffeine fix! You can get fast service by ordering on their app and picking it up from them when it is ready with no lines. 

Tim Horton’s is a popular spot both among students and our Recruitment Team, you will often see us grabbing a coffee or snack from this infamous Canadian spot! A classic bagel with Butter or Cream Cheese is an excellent option and you cannot go wrong with a cup of coffee. If coffee is not your thing tea is the perfect drink for a cold day! 

Chaiiwala is an Indian street food cafe, and you cannot go wrong with a classic Chai!  

True Eats is a great spot to get soup or chili on colder days in the winter for a good price! Their ingredients are fresh and healthy and make the perfect comfort food on cold days. 

The Coffee Company is an excellent spot for coffee or tea, they also have fresh fruit cups made daily for a healthy snack!  

Looking for more content? View our other blogs by clicking here