Brandywine Commons

Honestly, brandywine is the best commons out of the three. There is such a good variety all the time and you can never go wrong with the grill or deli!

I can’t believe I forgot to rate this place.
This dining commons is my 2^nd favorite (Lot 5 is a close 1^st).
The variety of food is always delicious and made to perfection each time. The grill serves excellent, juicy, and tender chicken breasts. Additionally, the beef, grilled cheese, patty melts, fries, and every thing is always consistently fresh. They have two sides for drinks, VERY delicious soft serve ice cream (sometimes even green tea!!) and the salad bar is always green and tasty. I usually got chicken breasts and some salad last year. Get a hard boiled egg too; it’s worth.
Dessert sections eh. Just the soft serve in my opinion. Sometimes brownies or cookies.

Contrary to popular belief, they do not serve brandy or wine. It’s a small location and not too hard to find, regardless it is never really crowded as people enjoy eating at Pippins more. I like the food and the guy making the spexials doesn’t make fun of you for being a fatass and taking seconds or even thirds (maybe he does, idk). He just smiles at me as if everything in life was perfect.
Food. What is it?
Do we live to eat or eat to live?
To top it off, they also have drinking water. I r8 ⁸⁄₈ would eat again
(° °)

Best Commons at UCI. And it’s by a land slide!!!

I’m sorry, but yet again during my usual lunch with friends, I encountered another RUDE worker at the front. I know they are student workers but regardless they need to act in a professional manner to all guests ‚** cough**JOANNA. Brandywine needs to teach better customer service especially to JOANNA.

When I was a freshmen here, I actually loved coming to eat here. So much variety, homey feeling, quick, easy, and tasty. Food was always prepared well. Everyday was always something new. Breakfast was always my personal favorite to help get the day started right.
Staff was always friendly and happy too! For it being «dorm» food it really was pretty good and way above average.

WHAT HAPPEN?!
Lousy foods, limited selection, and no more ice cream. Brandywine has definitely lost its touch since I was a freshman in college here. I came here visiting my gf cousin who’s a freshman.
When I went there were no specials at the grill. The spinach was lousy and the root beer float was whatevers. They had a sandwich section where this girl looked like she dreaded every moment making sandwiches.
The taco station was whatevers and the meat was gross. I honestly was very disappointed in the food selection. Brandywine has changed… for the worse. Lucky I experience the better side back in the day.

After fully flushing the nasty-​ness that is UCI dining out of my system I came back here my 3^rd year when a friend swiped me in and let me tell you I know why I gained 15 lbs my first year. The food is made with such heavy and low quality ingredients but when this is the only food you have to choose from you can’t really be picky.
Brandywine is definitely better than Mesa commons. I got food poisoning 2 times from Mesa commons. Brandywine has a relatively smaller selection of food and doesn’t have a lot of the denser items that Pippin and Mesa have (i.e. full blown meals like lasagna, chicken fried steak, etc.) Brandywine pretty much revolves around food that can be made in front of you so it’s a lighter option compared to the other dining halls. I would recommend Brandywine the most out of any of the dining halls. Now that I don’t have to have a meal plan though I would definitely not pay money to come here.

Freshman (especially when I first came to UCI) don’t realize how amazing it is to have someone cook food for you after a long hard day at work or school. Brandywine really is where a lot of people go to get their grub after a long day and it really is the best dining hall at UCI. Although the lunch rush usually occurs in three massive waves from 12−3pm, the food usually is worth it. The lunch specials are extemely diverse, ranging from sun roasted tomatoes pesto grilled cheese sandwiches, to themed days such as garlic herbed cheeseburgers. the sitting area is a bit small, with limited seats and usually forces people to share tables with one another and leaving backpacks on seats as «unofficial» property holders.
What I find great about Brandywine is the different stations scattered on the floor with a handmade sandwich area made for those who need food on the go and something nutritious. I usually get a simple ham sandwich that tastes just like my moms (usually when I tell the right workers how to make it via Subway style).
Great place to eat, definitely recommend over the other dining halls

Man, this place was the bomb! I really wish that I kept my meal plan after Freshman year.
Brandwine isn’t as big as the other dining commons, but it certainly doesn’t lack in taste. There are several food stations inside that offer something for everyone. You can get a freshly-​cooked burger, grilled chicken sandwich, grilled cheese, or daily special from the grill. Don’t forget to get some curly fries, chili, and/​or soup too. At the end of the grill, there’s always some sort of smoothie special as well. Then there’s the «deli» where you can get whatever sandwich your heart desires. There was also one food station that offered a specialty food. For example, you could get a wet burrito, baked pasta, or nachos.
Dessert was also pretty good. There are lots of baked goods such as brownies, cookies, and pie. Fresh fruit is always available as well. The ice-​cream bin is near the entrance and the staff lets you grab a bar or two on your way out.
Hopefully I can come eat here one more time!

This place served as my second saving grace of mine while I was an undergrad at UCI during 2009 – 2011.
I can’t comment on their quality now, but from what I do remember:
Their seasoned fries were delicious and the burgers are grilled on the spot!
I wish they had more variety like Pippin, but whatever. If I wanted variety I would have gone to Pippin in the first place.
Anyway, seating is fairly ample and the service from the employees is okay – nothing too crazy to rave about.
I’d recommend this place if you get tired of Pippin or are in the area. It’s a decent spot.

I love coming here! It’s right off ring road and oh so tasty! They have such a friendly staff here and always have a nice selection of specials to try.
Did you know it’s also a zero waste facility?! WOW!

After having a meal plan for four years now, I can honestly say that the overall experience has definitely gone down a lot.
First and foremost, the food: The overall quality of the food has more or less stayed the same, but the variety and menu options has dramatically suffered. I see the same few things on the menu every week and it grows tiresome.
The atmosphere is also a bother because the music is played way too loudly and everyone has to shout to talk to each other. The lines are also really long when it is lunch or dinner time because it is so crowded.
Maybe if you were to come here once in a while when they have «good» specials, it is alright, but don’t get your hopes up for good food. My friends and I just come because it is convenient and is buffet-​style.
They do have a take-​out section, but it is not worth it, they give you a sandwhich, salad, chips, and water.

Whaaa???
Students eat here?
Students eat here every day?
I don’t know whether, when I was a freshman, I lived in a dorm with better food, or maybe when I was a freshman I had totally different standards for food. Probably a little of both. But I stand by the stamp of inedibility I branded upon nearly everything I tried today.
Gyros? Cracking, peeling dry pitas stuffed with… oh no wait, not stuffed, because you can’t stuff ONE limp and cardboardy sad skinny strip of beef in anything. Plus drenched lettuce and tomatoes and a microscopic teaspoon of yogurt… I lost my train of thought here.
Chicken phở? Soggy rubber bands drenched in weird bouillon with canned chicken. Yep — canned. You can taste it. There were about two carrots and some brown bean sprouts hanging around too. Also included were the only jalapeños known to man to not taste like anything.
Lentil soup with ham? Salty salt with salt — the end.
Fries? They expanded in my mouth and almost choked me going down. I tried to wash the mass down with liquid, but:
Strawberry pineapple smoothie? OK, this was the weirdest one. I actually watched them make it because they ran out right before I got to the front of the line. It consisted of a blender full of green foamy water, plus one scoop each of strawberries and pineapples. The end result tasted like a hybrid of Crystal Light, five hundred sugar cubes, and fruity mop water.
Call me the snobbiest snob that ever snobbed but I even had a not so mini meltdown in front of surrounding undergrads. Hopefully none of them were my students. Although now I have more patience for bad student work when I see it, knowing that THIS is what is «fueling» them.

Usually my go-​to for lunch when I was a first year walking along Ring Mall. Sometimes for dinner and late night once in a while.
They had more of a limited selection back in the day (haha well like 3 years ago) I stuck with my grilled cheese, cheeseburgers, clam chowder, fries and nachos when they had it at the exhibition station. Not the healthiest selection, but compared to their salad, and having the salty tooth that I do, I would naturally go towards those choices.
While all of that is still good now, they have definitely re-​vamped the place to add a little more variety and spice. More choices in terms of not just a sandwich and fries. Last time I went last week there was corn, potatoes, and stuffed bell peppers where the burgers are served. The deli is still there, as well as their desserts, which is now equipt with a soft serve machine. Mmmm.
Their exhibition station too also adds variety. I had spam musubi. pretty good!
Only cons are that they do serve most of the same things over again, and it’s pretty small, so sometimes you have to wait for someone to get up and hunt down their table. Or sit with people who have room. It’s cool to meet others, but sometimes I just wanna eat with my hallmates/​friends I came with.
A solid place to go on campus. oh if only I was a first year again with swipes.

Brandywine…
Loved it in the beginning, but in the end realized that the Dining Commons at Middle Earth and Mesa Court made my stomach smile more. I found myself getting the same orders every single time – turkey sandwich with a cookie. They do have random mixes of special items each day, but a lot of times I found myself reluctantly trying to finish it… ehhh just leave it.
A lot of students figure that Brandywine is the healthier choice but let’s be honest. No matter how healthy, it’s the amount of food that really makes it or breaks it. I’ve seen tons of students who order hamburgers, side dish, cookies, pastries thinking that it’s okay to go buck wild with food because they’re at «Brandywine.» Freshmen 15 makes you insane :/

My Top 5 things to get here:
1) Fish Tacos
2) Chicken Quesadillas
3) Grilled Cheese
4) Clam Chowder
5) Egg Salad Sandwich
The grilled cheese and the egg salad are always here, but they only serve the fish tacos, quesadillas, and the chowder on certain days. The sandwich station is pretty neat because you can get whatever you want on your sandwich, though the quality of the meats isn’t the greatest. The waffle fries are pretty good here, and all of the french fries are good with their honey mustard.
This place is a good alternative to Pippin, I only wish they were open on weekends. Writing this review makes me want to go back here!

Place is awesome.
The GRILLED CHEESE IS SUPER GUUD HERE, I only wished that this place had more of a VARIETY OF food. The Soups are guud as well! To me… this place seems like your «healthy» spot… not sure why, but it seems like this place is place to go if your an athlete or looking to eat good.
UNTIL THEN! ^-^

Whoa! I didn’t know people reviewed this place. I lived at Misty in ME from 2001-​02. So my experience is from that year. Brandywine Commons was a good alternative to Pippin because it was opened all day! There were somethings that were good, while others not so good. Friday nights was always good, fajitas and clam chowder! Yum! Every once in a while the «Pan-​Geos» was pretty good. The chef/​cook guy kind of looked like a turtle! haha! However I still like the food at Pippins better! It’s been like 6 years since I’ve been, but it’s memories are still fresh with me.
I give this place a 3 because the ventilation sucks here! My friend used to wear this really ugly pink sweater whenever she came, that embarrassed the heck out of me!!!

I loved being a UCI student, and I loved living in Middle Earth even more! Brandywine is a dining spot right between where Middle Earth ends and Ring Road begins — I think only former/​current UCI students will know what I’m talking about.
Popular for their soup in bread bowls and their custom pasta stations, BUT it’s kind of small and the ventilation isn’t that great so the common complain was that going to Brandywine will make you smell like no other! In class, I’d always know if someone went to Brandywine for lunch cuz you can smell it on their clothes.