SWCS DFAC

I remember this place fondly from years ago and on my recent visit was thrilled to find the standard held high! They still have multiple lanes and offering to cater to every need for even fussy me. And I am fuzzy. There are always more options for food than employees keep things well-​stock and hot!

Hawkeye would have been thrilled to have a mess tent like the SWCS DFAC. It’s clean and spacious with cushioned seats, several televisions, huge portion sizes for proteins, fresh vegetables and a salad bar that includes raddichio, mixed greens and spinach. It even offers several options for dessert. However, as the chief surgeon in a war zone, Hawkeye would hardly have had time to worry about whether his broccoli was perfectly steamed or if dessert would fatten his waistline. Regardless of whether or not you are stitching bodies back together or shaping minds through the intricacies of psychological warfare, the SWCS DFAC is a great place to fill up your tank.
This DFAC is usually swamped for lunch around 11:30 am with a long line that spills out onto the sidewalk. By 12:30 pm, the line has thinned out considerably, though it is still fairly busy. The line moves quickly with 2 registers. Simply settle with the friendly cashiers up front, grab utensils and a tray, then step into the food serving area where you’ll find plenty of meal options.
It’s a very efficient set-​up. Multiple stations provide the same offerings so if one entrée station is busy, you can move to the next. There are several protein options like broiled fish, steak, pork, or chicken. There are at least 3 salad bars as well and while it appears that the employees keep things well-​stocked, if something is missing you can probably find it at another station just a few steps away.
During my reconnaissance mission to check out this dining facility, I found that the broiled fish was well seasoned although slightly overcooked for my liking. The portion size was huge. I was given 2 large pieces without even asking and I couldn’t finish it all. The red skin potatoes were perfectly seasoned and very tasty. The broccoli was fresh and lightly steamed to retain a slight crunch. Perfect for enhancing flavor while keeping nutrients. There was fresh fruit including grapes, whole kiwi, bananas, and apples. I also saw granola bars to snack on. Employees were friendly, efficient and helpful.
There were also a few different dessert options but since my willpower was working during my mission, I didn’t try any. Everything looked tasty though.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the black pepper was packaged by CDS which is an organization that assists people with developmental disabilities. What a wonderful opportunity for the military to support the local community.
Overall, the food is fresh, serving sizes are generous, and there are plenty of options for meals. Hawkeye would be 50 shades of green-​with-​envy over a facility like this. Someone would probably need to explain to him that it’s a military dining facility, not a restaurant.

This is the best DFAC on Bragg. Contrary to some of the previous posts, the portions as not small at all. They gave me two meats and you get to decide how many sides you want.
The salad bar is great, plenty of fresh lettuce and spinach… not the white and brown lettuce either and the cooks even make their own «homemade» salads to put out as well.
I’ve eaten at a bunch of DFACs on base here and if you can get past the AIT soldiers then everything is great

This barely deserves 1 star. I don’t know what Jeremy is talking about. Maybe if he weren’t so indoctrinated he would realize that this food isn’t healthy. Food covered in salt and butter isn’t healthy, even if it is fish.
Food isn’t healthy, not that good, portions aren’t good either. But at least we don’t have to eat here.. . oh wait, no BAS.

When I first began eating at the DFAC I thought it was awesome. There was even one week where they served steak everyday! Sadly though things have changed. I went on leave for 2 weeks and since I’ve returned the food has been sub-​par. Being told I can only have one vegetable??? Really??? In all the nutrition briefs I’ve attended I’ve been told to have 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. That’s tough to do when I can only have one veggie at lunch! The protein selection has been awful lately as well. What was that pink slime on the ham at lunch?!? The dietitian has done a great job with the signage and the education, and as I stated earlier, the 1^st year the DFAC was open the food was awesome. Now I will bring my lunch. Great job on screwing thing up Big Army!

I don’t know what Tommie is talking about. Maybe if he had more than a day or two in the service he could appreciate the work that has been done to create this place. The portions are a bit slim, but the healthy options make up for it. Every day, for every meal, there are healthy options. Lets face it, if your at Bragg eating at the chow hall, you don’t need the pound cake. This is the only chow hall in the army that serves fish every meal! Sure you still have your cakes and pie tucked away in the corner, but man up and walk past it Tommie. Cheers and here’s to healthy living. Way to go Christie…
Jeremy

This, is in my experience, is the best state side military dining facility I have been in so far. I think that the cooks do a good job cooking what they have; I haven’t had any over/​undercooked food here yet after a month of constant use. These salad bars are the best reason to go here, as they have loads of romaine, spinach and healthy toppings. Good job Christi from the Thor3 program in getting the menu where it is.

The worst.
Let me back up.
When first we heard rumors of a SWCS DFAC we were all pretty excited. And lo, the mill was churning them out. We heard that (owing to the physical demands of the course) the portion sizes would be as hearty as they are out at Mackall. We heard that finally the powers at be were going to embrace dietary science not from 1954 and actually serve up healthy options.
Instead, what you get is a shiny new building with the same old crap. The portion sizes here are weaker than nearly any other DFAC on base. And while I have to agree that they make an effort to steam more and offer a better baseline meat than what I’ve seen, those points can hardly be said to counterbalance the aforementioned weakness of serving size (who cares if it’s healthy if it’s also non-​existent?) and the other numerous and glaring negatives: the fact that they limit the amount of veggies you’re allowed as sides (instead oftentimes forcing you to eat starch or… nothing), the fact that they still have, oh, fast food/​cake/​ice cream/​soda machines — the same old crap you see everywhere, the stuff slowly softening the midsection of the force;
So again, there’s weak portions and poor offerings. But then on top of it all is this layer of gloss that makes me sick to my stomach. SWCS invested so much in the THOR3 program and this was an opportunity to put all of that research into action. But again, same old stuff with a few minor changes. Oh, and now the Diet Coke has a THOR3 Approved! sticker on there. What a sad thing it is to see that program so pathetically instituted. While that place rots from the inside, there’s the Kennedy Yarborough room (I assume) for the higher ups to hold meetings and lunches. The room is often full — do they not notice what’s happened?
And the bureaucracy. Ugh. When it opened you needed orders within 90 days (the Q course is 2 years long for many of us… and we were never issued meal cards/​orders are fine everywhere else. How does the SWCS DFAC turn away orders when it’s SWCS students who… mainly use orders? Who is this DFAC for?). Then they stopped taking orders altogether. I get wanting to maintain order… but I also get wanting to take care of the Joes.
Anyway, I could go on forever but again: pros: somewhat healthier main meal. Cons: smaller portions, limited offerings, long waits, general hypocrisy and complete bureaucratic missing of the point on nearly every conceivable level.
Oh wait, the flushless toilets are pretty cool. So, there’s your money’s worth I guess?