Pippin Commons

As a current undergraduate at UCI I visit Pippins Commons daily. Compared to the other dining halls available for students I have to say nothing tops Pippins. I have found that the service is impressive. They are always so welcoming and friendly that I find it strange if I do not leave Pippins with a smile on my face. I recognize most of the workers there and they always brighten my stressful days when I hold a conversation with them. The workers manage to keep it quite clean so it has a nice welcoming feel. In other words the atmosphere here at Pippins is like no other dining hall. Furthermore, the food varies from day to day, which is perfect for people who get bored of the same food easily. Funny story is that among my hall mates we all know when one has gone to eat at Pippins by the smell Pippins leaves. We joke around constantly about going naked to Pippins because afterwards our clothes smell purely like Pippins, which we dislike. Now for the fun part! The food ;) Many people complain about the food, but honestly I love it. It’s like having my own buffet close to my house. It is vegetarian and vegan friendly. I like the variety. From having Taco Tuesday to having homemade delicious smoothies. My favorite dish has to be the exquisite fried rice. They cook it in front of you and you can pick the ingredients you’ll like to go with it. Lines tend to long, but once you give it your first taste it is worth the wait. Overall the food tastes good, yet the quality needs to be improved. The only two downsides of Pippins would be the odor it leaves and the lack of quality in food. Other than that Pippins is quite satisfying and that it is why I give it four stars.

The service is alright. The food lacks pizazz. The place is somewhat clean but definitely smelly. I like going to pippin because it is close by and has a lot of food varieties but there has been too many times where the food is either salty, lacks flavor, or does not look appetizing. On days that the food is good, the smell combats that and my friends and I walk out with a pungent smell in our clothes.
The one thing that makes it all worthwhile though is the sesame salad dressing and the passion fruit juice! & Charles! He along with some other staff are very friendly (:

Pippin is the perfect place to go to for some food poisoning. Hair is always on the food. I know someone who found a cockroach in her soup, and they dont wash their dishes correctly… Like at all… So if you absolutely have to eat there I suggest you take your own cutlery

Today for dinner they had the typical foods they usually offer. They range from a variety of food like a grill to main entrees to side dishes, fruit, dessert, deli section, pasta bar, a fresh and healthy bar and a few others. They offer a variety of dirks as well. From hot drinks to cold drinks but for the main entrée they had spaghetti, Brussel Sprouts and Carrots with garlic bread. I decided to have the main entrée tonight without the Brussel Sprouts and Carrots because Brussel Sprouts aren’t my favorite. They spaghetti was decent. It smelled like tomato sauce. It looked like a scoop of noodles then a scoop of tomato sauce with ground beef scattered on top. It tasted like basic spaghetti, but the sauce was kind of watered down. The garlic bread didn’t taste like garlic bread, it smelled like cheese and was hard. I got a slice of pizza that highly disappointed me. It appeared better then it tasted. The cheese on the pizza wasn’t so good and it didn’t have much marinara sauce. The pizza smelled like cheese, and the crust felt really tender. I also got a banana but it wasn’t ripe yet, it was a bit green. Its probably because Brandywine, the other dinning commons, is having a late night special which consist of banana splits. Overall from all the three dinning commons Pippins happens to be my favorite. They always offer many different types of options, the food tends to always be great but tonight just happened to be otherwise.

I was an undergraduate at UCIrvine for 4 years. I spent 1 year in the Middle Earth dorms, so Pippins was the nearest cafeteria. If you are not a picky eater, then this is the place to be. I was not a picky eater but I knew my dorm-​mates were and would complain about how bad the food was. Although the quality is mediocre, the selection is great. It’s basically a buffet with many options (including vegetarian and vegan selections).
After my first year, I moved out and lived in the Apartments off-​campus. Although I was not in a dorm anymore, I continued to eat here. They had a deal, where you buy a big bundle, and the unit price came close to $ 5.00 a meal (this was back in 2007). Even though the food wasn’t restaurant gourmet quality, I came back for several reasons:
(1) It was literally right next to my classes. As a science and engineering major, Pippins is near the Henry Samueli School of Engineering
(2) All you can eat. If you are an active person, or just have a big appetite, this is the place to go.
(3) This is probably my favorite reason. I cooked, and I ate out too in other restaurants. Although the food in restaurants were good for a change, coming here was really really convenient in terms of meeting up with friends nearby. Trust me, it takes a little bit more time to meet up with friends outside of campus at times. Whereas, it’s easier to meet on campus especially after class and eat at the cafeteria. When I ate at restaurants, or cooked, it was either by myself, or with my roommates. But when I ate at Pippins, it was with my classmates, because we would go together after class. It was a definitely a bonding experience.
The food here on weekends can really suck. I have a feeling they do recycle some food (that’s been untouched). The best time to go is on Thursday nights.

They recycle food daily. It is the food that doesn’t taste good and makes you feel bad afterwards. Their fajita pizza gives you the poops like thunder, crap like fire and stomach aches like earthquakes.

I don’t know, I keep hearing that Pippins is the best dining hall on campus, but I went the other day and wasn’t too impressed. Granted, it IS dorm food. But it felt kind of cramped and icky. And a bit dungeon-​y. Like a prison cafeteria.
But you can’t complain about the food — it’s pretty good. I like that you can make your own pasta at the pasta station :) And just sit here drinking unlimited soda refills.
If I were a freshman undergrad, this would be my safehaven. But since I’m not and my palette has been spoiled by yummier things, this place is meh.

Considered the best dining hall at UCI, Pippin never fails to offer a vast selection of food. It always has vegetarian options, and they regularly serve food from around the world like burritos, enchiladas, mandarin chicken, and stir fry. The workers are super nice and helpful. When I was having lunch recently there, one worker offered to give me a vegetarian option for one of the dishes; it wasn’t even part of the menu!
Like most eating facilities on campus, the prices are quite high. If you do not have a meal plan and want to save money, then do not come here regularly! Better yet, try to get a freshman to swipe you in lol.

If you’re on Unilocal,you are most likely not looking to stop at a college cafeteria. With that being said, I still wanna give a shout out to PIPPIN, yea boiiii.
Pippin is the largest of the UCI eating commons and offers a plethora of options to suit both carnivores and vegetarians. Don’t be fooled and fill up your plate in just the first room, all the good stuff is found in the adjacent room! You’ve got your tea/​coffee corner, burger area, hot meal place, salad bar, cereal hangout, dessert stand, soda fountains and creative dish line. You never know what you’ll find!
We’re totally blessed to have a place like Pippin on campus as you can satiate just about any craving you have. Seating is plentiful, both inside, upstairs and outside. For $ 10, you can fill up for the day with limitless portions and to go boxes!
Zot Zot!

Consistency is the only problem here. It can range from super orgasmic (generally the themed nights) to middle-​of-​the-​year-​doldrums. When it’s good, lines tend to be long, cuz late adolescents are like that. Packed at dinner, fairly empty during lunch (the Brandywine-​then-​Pippin roll, I’d call it).

I used to dine at Pippins during my freshman year every once in a while. I lived in Mesa and didn’t think the walk across campus was worth it, unless they had a special menu. I recently went in for their Thanksgiving meal and it was soooo good. I don’t know whether the food got better or if I just miss dining here.
The food here is pretty good. Although it’s not 5 star restaurant quality, it’s pretty good. The variety of food is endless! I don’t think I’ve ever been able to try everything here in one day. They change the menu everyday and there are like 4 stations for different foods. There’s also always a create-​your-​own sandwich/​grill station, soup, salad, dessert, and of course… ice cream! Stay away from the pizza though…
Their Thanksgiving meal was amazing! I tried to eat a little bit of everything but I was completely stuffed from the main turkey/​ham stations. Everything was amazing! I was pretty surprised. The dessert selections were pretty good too. The pumpkin mousse dessert was sooooo good! I would come back JUST for that.
The seating area is huge so there are always seats available, and there’s a lot of outdoor seating too. I’ve always wanted to sit upstairs but never had the chance… Maybe next time.
Compared with Mesa, I would say Pippin is the better dining hall. But Brandywine will always be my favorite!

Normally, I don’t feel the compulsion to review dining halls like Pippin. In the end, the meals at the dining halls of UC Irvine tend to resemble what I imagine a meal from the replicator on Star Trek would be like, it certainly appears to be a reasonable facsimile but upon tasting it usually is nowhere close to the real thing. Such is the case with most dishes at Pippin, indeed some like the pizza seem to resemble the products of alien replicators unused to Earth recipes.
If this is the case, if all of the food at Pippin is merely a shadow of the actual dish, then judging by Pippin’s take on pozole, it might well be the greatest pork dish in existence. The pozole here floods the senses with pork, chili, cilantro, onion, lime, and smoke. The rich, creamy fire of a sauce given to pour on top is a beautiful compliment to the rich pork broth and the engorged corn kernels. It has to be the greatest dish I’ve had on a college campus and it’s a damn shame it appears so rarely on Pippin’s menu.
When pozole day comes to Pippin, my fellow Anteaters, do not allow it to pass you by. Sally forth onto Pippin Commons and sup on its succulent broth!

This establishment was my saving grace as an undergrad at UCI (2009 – 2011) on many occasions. I purchased my own meal plan [for the academic year] when I was a junior, and dined here at least once a day. My most favored meals were the made-​to-​order burritos, the Korean bibimbap bowls, and the made-​to-​order fried noodle bowls. Those meals were the bees knees!
I loved the fact that it’s literally all-​you-​can-​eat and that there is a TON of variety.
1star off for crappy pizza. If you’re going to serve crappy pizza, don’t serve it at all. You’re wasting money and Gina’s (which is equally crappy) is right across the street.
Also, their breakfasts sucked.
I should deduct one star for having crappy breakfasts as this place should replace the heinous waffles and disgusting pizza with made-​to-​order omelets.
I will not deduct a star because their Exhibition West station (where all the delicious made to order stuff comes from) is L-​E-​G-​I-​T.
Come early as the lines during rush hour get long and this place gets packed!

I love Pippin! They have a delicious selection of fresh food and if you have any allergies talk to the managers or chef there — they will be more than happy to help you!
Chef Baca is AWESOME!

This dining hall is better than Brandywine. Very occasionally, it’s actually good. Their Cuban pulled pork sandwich with plaintains knocked my socks off once.
This, being a cafeteria, is of course balanced out by a healthy dose of «what on earth am I eating right now?»:
Fried rice that tastes like sugar cookies?
BBQ tofu that tastes like ashtrays?
Banana pudding that is just whipped cream with artificial banana flavoring added?
Salad that’s so sour and sharp it’s like tipping up a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette and going to town?
Pizza that is covered in mayo?
Oh, just another day at the dining hall.
Luckily, Pippin is big enough and has a wide enough variety of dishes that you can usually find something inoffensive to eat. It also has a pretty good salad bar for those days when you can’t and have to build something yourself. Once I made an entire meal out of spinach and canned mandarin oranges…

Haha this is a pleasant surprise finding the cafeteria here. In any case, I’ve dealt with people complaining that they get sick and tired of pippins food — but I’ve had a meal plan all four years of my undergrad and I never once got sick of it. Why? ’cause I definitely knew how to mix up what to eat during the day and week.
FOOD QUALITY:
Hats off to Chef Ryan for really making this place an improvement from ’06-’10, I’ve seen a potential growth in their menu selection and for events. On to the food quality though.
The main area food will always be cafeteria food quality. Things will sometimes be a little too salty, or a little too sweet, or maybe a little too mushy for your tastes unless it’s an event night. Though they’re always OK and hardly ever grossing.
However, the Center Stage foods is one thing that I always liked the most. Mostly fresh and cooked to order, they served ranges from pasta, paninis, fried rice, and bibimap, fish n’ chips, and bacon-​wrapped hotdogs — soon expanded to okonomiyaki, tapsilog, kogi-​taco immitations, fish taco, and more. Although not the best ingredients, they did a great job at making things taste better.
So tip to get by the day if you’re a freshman? Main entrée + one center stage + salad for a meal. Other center stage + salad for another meal. Or mix it up with the grill. It makes things tolerable, and there’s always brandywine/​mesa too. I have to appreciate the salad because not only gives you the crunch but also the dressing can give a complementary flavor to a complete meal. Not to mention it’s healthier than eating fries and pizza all the time, like some of my former hallmates (how they remain stcik-​skinny without exercise and remaining in their rooms to play games all day, I have no clue.)
ENVIRONMENT:
Prepare to smell! Signature token of the only place you’ll ever get that’s not a KBBQ. It’s a large area, but can get very loud. I find that going to the cafeteria 11:30 AM for lunch, or 5:50 PM for dinner can get you any seat you want for any sized party. Varies upon time of year though. Just go before the crowd. and you should know when the crowd comes.
Overall. I miss this place! Staff has always been friendly and I’ve gotten to know quite a few workers here that have given good laughs (Charles!) Appreciate what’s there because UCI has been known to have one of the better cafeteria food than the other UCs.

Also known as Mesa Common Dining’s rival.
I am putting myself in a position of being a non-​biased UCI resident. I will probably end up picking Pippin’s over Mesa Commons, but that’s because of the endless variety of dishes they have on a daily basis. Oh hold on. UCI just fired Chef Ryan who was in charge of these new dishes. Back to Mesa Dining I go.
I prefer coming to Pippin’s for breakfast and lunch. Dinner can get a bit busy and the overwhelming amount of choices to choose from can become a headache at times. Another thing about Pippin’s is that it’s not as clean as it can be. I know the staff works hard everyday to keep it clean on a daily basis, but it’s the students – it really is. Unlike Mesa Commons there’s 2 floors to eat at Pippin’s but overall there is one big floor where most people eat at.
Not a bad choice. Your typical college dormitory cafeteria.

Very convenient for Middle Earth,
Bring containers and a large backpack, you’ll be craving for some of the stuff the next day; let’s just call it a perk of dining here.
The food is fairly good (they even had a person making okonomiyaki… seriously, okonomiyaki, try saying that 10 times) and it has a freaking ICEE machine. Weekends aren’t as good though, but free excess deli meat makes for great sandwiches in the dorm.
However, I am pretty sure that everyone will agree with me that the soda fountain choices taste funky, probably due to the different ratio of carbonation aside from the standard 1:5; bottom line, please don’t bring a funnel and a bottle.

Dorm food makes you extremely grateful for home-​cooked meals.
Dorm food also makes you gain massive weight because of all the oils and grease they use to cook the food. So much oil is used, that whenever you grab a slice of pizza, you can pat down it down with a napkin and a get a nice grease stain on the napkin afterward.
The utensils are not very clean, and sometimes you pick up plates that have random food bits on it. (Ew!) The cups are alright, but I never trust my lips to make contact with the rim, so I always grab a straw.
Food gets very routine and boring here. Not much variety, and Pippin is SMALL. You always have to plan whenever to go to avoid the rush, and you have to hustle to get a table. Otherwise, good look sitting in the stinging cold outside or walking and eating at the same time.
I’ve been told that Mesa Commons is bad, but Pippin ain’t anything great, either. I shudder to think what it would be like to eat there. I guess there’s a reason why all the kids from Mesa Court come to the Pippin yard. *plays Milkshake by Kelis* By the way, these kiddos are the reason why there are RIDICULOUS lines to swipe in AND get food.
Pippin, this is why I’m fat! *MIM’s theme song*.
Just kidding. I actually lost weight because of Tae Kwon Do. So I backtracked and avoided the freshman 15. Instead, I lost 15. But by doing this, I avoided the greasy things, and stuck with a rabbit diet of salad and carrots.

Relative to the other dorm food I had at other schools, I think Pippin is superior compared to the rest. I’m actually a senior now and I will actually miss the days of good dorm food. I can name so many reasons why I love dorm food here:
1. Choices: Heart, healthy foods, vegan friendly, burgers/​hot dogs, pizza, salad bar, two stands with freshly cooked foods (usually varying in cuisines), desserts, soups, yogurt, icees, fruits, RICE
2. It’s all you can eat
3. Prices aren’t so bad if you have a meal plan
4. Environmentally friendly — they got rid of the trays!
5. Themed/​Premium dinners
Ultimately, I enjoy the choices here. I only wished it was as this good back when I was a freshman!