Alma Mater Society of UBC

The Pit Pub and the Pendulum Café … oh, I get it! Gee, that only took ten years.
Seriously, when I was a UBC student, the Pendulum was my favourite place to eat. I went back yesterday while visiting campus, and it’s still just as good, and busy as ever. Hungry from all that walking around (UBC is a big place), I ordered a roast turkey-​pesto quesadilla ($ 7.25). I wondered if it would be enough food, but when the order came up, I was floored at the serving size. Three big slabs of melted cheese and meat goodness, accompanied by generous dollops of salsa and sour cream. MMM. I really wished for some cutlery that was up to the job, instead of the wimpy plastic jobbies I was forced to make do with because it was near the end of the lunch rush.
The Pendulum will be shutting down in January so that construction of the new Student Union Building can start, but I’m sure the Pendulum will be back, bigger and better.
PS if there’s any constant at UBC, it’s construction!

I’ve been on campus for a few months, and finally decided to check out Pendulum with a friend of mine. It was pretty busy at 1:00pm on a Thursday, but we were easily able to find a table. I can understand why it’s so busy, because for campus food it’s pretty great. There are lots of options to choose from, ranging from wraps to panini’s to bagel melts. The wait time is around 10 minutes, but the food is well worth the wait. All of these are made fresh in the kitchen and come with a salad. If you’re in a rush, they also offer plenty of quick meals in the cases near the cashiers.
I ordered the turkey bacon wrap and a coke zero and it was really reasonably priced at $ 8.20. The wrap was really light, tasty, and filling. The dressing on the salad was a bit bitter for my taste, but I was impressed with how large the salad serving was. I was absolutely stuffed. My friend ordered the veggie bagel melt and it looked amazing. I’m definitely ordering a bagel melt the next time I come here.
If you’re looking for a healthy, reasonably priced food place on campus, definitely check out Pendulum.

Lots of healthy food choices, including tons of vegan and vegetarian options. I’ve never been for breakfast, but apparently that is amazing as well. Much of the food comes from the UBC Farm.. Service is quick and they even serve beer. Prices are decent and there is lots of comfy seating.

I work at UBC and as a pasta fan the choices around campus are appalling — but the Pasta Special at the Pendulum on the chalkboard is almost always amazing. The portion is quite large for just under $ 7, and the selection changes every day.
The only one I don’t recommend is the spaghetti with sundried tomatoes and some sort of oil — of the many many times I’ve had it, it was practically tasteless all the time.
A chatty friendly crowd and they serve beer :)

One of the few places in the SUB where I purchase my food.
They have a board of specials that feature the different grill items of the day: pastas, soups, quesadillas, wraps, and sandwiches, plus they have their everyday available grill fare, and a display of refrigerated salads and pastas. Whew! AND they serve breakfast (before 11am), baked goods, desserts, and beer.
Most of their ingredients are sourced from the UBC Farm and they produce their food on site. It can get busy during rush hour so it’s best to order from the refrigerated display if you’re in a crunch for time — they can heat your food or serve it cold, depending on preference.
And seriously, Pendulum food is the best in the SUB. $ 6 – 7 for a solid, filling, and great tasting meal is hard to find on campus. Their quesadillas are bang-​on tasty and that’s usually what I go for, but the pasta and curry is also very yum.
In terms of the seating, it gets pretty squishy. There isn’t much space for maneuvering around seats and then the line gets busy and backpacks are everywhere and there are people scattered throughout waiting for their food… not fun. Best take it to go and find an airer place to sit when it’s the lunch rush.

Nice spot to just chill when it’s not too busy. The food I had here was really bad (salmon), so I vowed never to eat here again. Caught up with people here afterwards and saw what they were eating… Looked better than what I had. Maybe you just have to pick the right stuff there. I’m guessing it’s a hit-​or-​miss kinda place.

I’ve been a student at UBC for a while now, but for some reason I just never found myself in Pendulum until this semester. This is proof that the student society here is doing its job. Hearty, substantial food for rock bottom prices. I wander in here most days and order a sandwich or a slice of pie. It always hits the spot.
Pendulum also proves that we need a new SUB. Even when the lunch line doesn’t extend out the door and down the hall it’s difficult to manuever through the seating space for all the chairs and tables they have packed in there. But the food is good and the price is definately right. It’s even licenced!

Insider’s secret, you can order half a plate for half the price!
I’m not exactly what they call it because they don’t advertise it anymore but if you just want a small snack in between classes then I highly recommend grabbing something from their deli.
If you have more time then grab one of their menu options which are pretty tasty considering the bland options the SUB has to offer.
I frequented here many times and totally recommend it.

Blisters on the soles of my fee, t from a big long walk to save the farm at UBC, I saw the Pendulum. I was never a student at UBC, so every time I discover something cool (that we didn’t have at SFU) — I can’t help but get giddy.
I was led to the feature board and ordered the eggplant and feta quesadilla — only to be told they had literally just sold out! Oh bugger! But with other yummy sounding quesadilla on the menu — I knew I would be just fine.
And I was right. The three cheese is very cheesy indeed. Good value for the size and cheesiness of it all. I sat myself down outside and waited for them to call my name over the PA. (which, I’m not going to lie — was a little weird) I felt like I should have been hanging out at bingo hall or, at least, there should have been some music in the in between calling of names.
If I make it that way again, I’m saddling up with a beer too :) I saw some Shaftbury in the fridge, but I was forced to refrain.

This is probably one of the best places to eat on the UBC campus since they make everything on site and the prices are pretty reasonable. Especially for not being a fast food, chain place. I often go here for lunch. Their sandwich specials are usually really good. But they have some interesting burritos/​wraps and quesadillas on the menu too. I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, mind-​blowing food. But for campus food it’s great! It satisfies hunger. They also have a good selection of deli foods that you can get.