Hare Krishna

To be honest, I actually think the food from here is pretty good/​decent. It is well worth the price. It also beats any other foodplace on campus (I guess when you’re sick of everything else). That pink (dessert?) food thing is pretty delish :)

Hmmm. I don’t really understand the hype here when it comes to Wednesdays. You can usually see 10+ people in line waiting for the buffet styled food. But it’s hard to complain much considering the lunch is only $ 5 here? Plus it is $ 1 each time when want to fulfill your food after the first time.
I really hope to give this place more stars, but the taste is just very average (except the semolina dessert). Plus the food just look not appetizing to me when they are coming from those large boxes… When it comes to food, I think quality is better than quantity even though the price is very inexpensive, and this place is just the opposite way around.
The line can be long sometimes, but it moves very fast because the food is all pre-​cooked. The entrees can alter from time to time, but most of the time they are the same. Two entrees, rice, and semolina pudding are available in large individual boxes, and you can find a drink (weird looking fruit based drink that is sweet and sour.) on the side as well. I usually get the entrée that have potatoes in it (curry based I think) and the semolina dessert. However, when you are here long enough (eating your food nearby), you can see the staff put empty boxes away after people finish taking large chunks of food from those boxes and then fulfill new boxes with food. The whole process was just not tempting. I kind of feel like I’m homeless going there waiting in line to get my food…
I mean not everything is bad here. If you want to try something different on a Wednesday on campus, this would be a nice place to give it a shot. Plus the food definitely worth the price that you paying for because you can fill your plate absolutely full for $ 5. The only reason I’m back to this place from time to time is because it is a quick lunch stop and the semolina dessert is tasty. Yet if you want some appetizing and good quality food, you probably want to go somewhere else.
P. S. This place is very likely to make you feel «OMG I’m eating too much» because of the style of the food. Careful of the binge eating disorder LOL.

Hare Krishna is the reason I look forward to Wednesdays. This little vegetarian food cart is set up every Wednesday from around 11:30 — 2:30 in the old student center. I believe that the cart is managed by people from the Hare Krishna temple, who cook and bring the food to UCSD. There will always be two entrees (usually one creamier curry and one tomato-​based one), rice, drink, and semolina pudding dessert. The food varies a little every week in terms of the vegetables that they put in the curry, ie. broccoli, spinach, beans, occasionally tofu, etc. and the flavor of the dessert. Some people have claimed the food is bland, but I personally appreciate how it feels like a home-​cooked meal in that it’s warming, satisfying, and I don’t feel gross after eating it.
The best part is the price: you pay $ 5 and they give you a plate that you can pile as high as you’d like with food. I walk away with my plate stacked until it is literally dripping on the sides (no shame) and easily make two meals from one stacked plate. Other payment options are: $ 6 for bring-​your-​own Tupperware, $ 8 for AYCE + take-​home.
The fact that it’s vegetarian, packed with protein-​rich vegetables, and freshly made every Wednesday, makes it feel like a pretty wholesome meal overall compared to the abundance of greasy and salty fast-​food options on campus. As a commuter not on a dining plan, Hare Krishna is an amazing and delicious deal.

Pros:
— if you are a starving and broke college student or just broke person then come here on Wednesdays 11 – 3 at the old student center in ucsd.
–5 $ for a plate that you can pile with their dishes.
— they usually have a creamy curry, rice, and a veggie side dish. Then some wheat of cream desert and a refreshing juice.
–curry and veggie dishes always filling and just so yummy. Their food isn’t too salty and is always vegetarian.
–I love that its only five bucks for a good amount of food (not cafeteria food tasting) and their dishes are always delicious.
Cons:
–none
Overall:
Broke? Hungry? This place is all you can pile on plate for five dollars. Vegetarian dishes but they are very filling and homey good tasting curry and veggie dishes with rice. Desert is a must too.

For $ 5 you really can’t complain. You get to fill your plate up as much as you can. I like coming here once in a while after class. Lines can be long sometimes but they move pretty fast. Overall, would recommend for price and portions. Quality of food would be 3 – 4 stars.

Exactly my style — quantity for a cheap price.

5 dollars for a plate, 6 dollars for tupperware… is one of the BEST deals on campus! Especially for a hungry college student who loves flavor!
Hare Krishna is this little secret on the UC San Diego campus that comes around every Wednesday. Its this little vegetarian food stall outside the student co-​op in the old student center. The food is served BUFFET STYLE aka BEST STYLE! For a meager 5 $ (or 6 $ if you bring a big tupperware), you can stack-​on-​stack your plate with delicious delicious varieties of Indian-​spiced foods.
Your typical lay-​out of the buffet is rice, 2 sides, and their AMAZING dessert (If there were berries used, the dessert would be a purplish tint– it screams EAT ME). Lactose intolerant? No fear. Just let the nice cook or cashier know, and they will be able to serve you something delicious with no dairy in it.
You’ll definitely get your money’s worth here– and for truly exceptional food. There is a reason why I come here NEARLY every Wednesday after all! ;D

This is authentic homemade Indian food. Lots of veggies and lentils, light curry (not the greasy stuff you find in restaurants), and a decent dessert.
For all those wondering what the dessert is, it’s called sooji/​rava halwa. The basic ingredient is semolina (the one used for making couscous). Indian semolina is made from wheat, but this could be from maize. They put pineapple and cherry chunks in it too :) The drink tasted like some kind of fruity Jaljeera, lightly sweet and sour.
This is a no pretense place, focusing on just providing students with low cost healthy good alternative food. I enjoyed whatever was on my plate: a dal, a veggie curry, cilantro rice, halwa and the drink.
I’m not sure if they accept cards. But the ATM is in the same quad, so it’s not a problem.

When I went to UCSD, I always looked forward to Hare Krishna. I loved that the food options are vegetarian even though I am not. The food is really good and they tend to rotate what they serve week to week so the food does not become rountine and boring. I love that it is self-​serve so you can scoop as much of what you want and still be able to try a little of something else you haven’t had before. My favorite was always the berry cream of wheat dessert that they have. One plate from here would usually last me two meals. I call that a win!

At UCSD, you get tired of the food really quickly. I no longer live on campus, and prefer not to eat at the dining halls. I hardly eat at any of the restaurants at the Price Center besides Santorini and the Sunshine Market for snacks. After awhile, everything gets really repetitive with the exception of the Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays.
I started looking at foods outside of the Price Center, stumbled across this little gem at the old Student Center. I always passed by it, but never really took the time to look at it. They serve Indian food and it’s vegetarian. The line was pretty long today, a definitive sign their food is good.
It’s cash only! There is BoA, Wells Fargo, and Chase ATM near by. I paid $ 5. You grab a plate and stuff as much as you can on it. They offer two types of curry: a thicker, yellow vegetable one and a thinner, red beans and vegetables one. They also offer white rice and some sweet, cinnamon-​y dessert.
It was definitely worth my $ 5 and I was really satisfied. I think everybody should definitely check this place out!

My friend decided to take me to this place, mainly because it is all you can eat, and he knows how I feel about all you can eat. He told me that it was fairly cheap, 6 dollars for all you can eat, but that it had a limited selection. That was fine with me as long as the food they had us try was good, and indeed the day I went, it was.\
5 dollars for a plate, 6 dollars for all you can eat, and they have a take out option to fill your own Tupperware for 8 bucks? That sends good news around the world. This is vegetarian friendly, which is going to fit a lot more niches than it use to nowadays. And even if you aren’t a vegetarian, I think you would still enjoy the food. They put protein rich vegetables in their dishes, so you don’t have to worry about being protein deficient, since that’s everyone’s biggest fear. If you are a big eater, you will at least be going through two plates, which will be a good deal since one plate is already 5 dollars. I know I enjoy the rice of course and everything else they have to offer. The drinks that you get along with your plate will vary from week to week and it could be a hit or miss depending on the person and the week, but more than likely, it will be good. Although this place only pops up once a week, it’s worth a go. Prepared to bring your stomach!

Food is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME for UCSD students who are coerced into solely eating dining hall pizza and pasta. But for those who want amazing, out of this world, fancy shmancy Indian food, this probably isn’t your place.
As some people said, the vegetables are occasionally overlooked and mushy but I feel that’s the general trend for Indian food. (If you want fresh vegetables, go to a farmers market???)
Also, the food does not look necessarily appetizing BUT that’s kind of what you expect when getting any kind of Indian food. I truly believe it’s a «don’t judge a book by it’s cover» type of cuisine. On that same note, this is a lunch buffet at a university co-​op not a swanky sit down restaurant… Plus they make it in bulk so give em a bit of a break.
I’m a UCSD student and seriously look forward to Hare Krishna each Wednesday but there are some eaters who prefer to spend their non-​dining dollars at Panda Express or other chains. I say give it a try, though, because even if you hate it, it’s only $ 5 so not too much will be lost! :)

I heard of Hare Krishna at the beginning of the year but only got to try it for the first time about two months ago… and ever since then, I’ve eaten here almost every Wednesday for lunch. (See photos!)
For $ 5, you can stack your plate as much as you want, and it’s definitely really worth it! Super filling, healthy (yay for all those veggies!) and quite yummy too. There’s always plain rice, two curry-​like entrees (usually a creamier curry and a thinner one), dessert (some type of corn polenta thing, with different kinds of fruit mixed in), and a drink (so far I’ve had a refreshing ginger lemonade and a chamomile drink). Not exactly sure what any of them are called, but they’re all quite delicious! Usually not spicy at all, though the thinner curries occasionally have a little kick to them. I LOVE the dessert — I could probably get just a plate of that and be perfectly happy.
Usually they repeat the same few entrees over and over, occasionally switching to a different one. After eating it about 6 weeks in a row, I had to take a break… Too repetitive. But I’ll definitely be eating here many more times during the next three years! Lots of food for your money. For those who don’t have dining dollars, Hare Krishna is the place to eat on Wednesdays!
Also, you can stack a plate to the max and then share it with a friend if you don’t have a huge appetite; you’ll still be satisfied at the end! (I do have a huge appetite and by the time I finish the plate, I’m bloated… Should probably split it the future to save my poor stomach the strain!)
Cash only.

first timer today, and i’m not quite sure why there are such amazing reviews. yes, the food is perfectly decent (i got a yellow broccoli curry and a red chickpea/​zucchini/​carrot curry) but the food isn’t AMAZING.
yellow broccoli curry: very mild taste, broccoli a little overcooked? wilty. good for people that like their curries bland.
red chickpea/​zucchini/​carrot curry: i read today that chickpeas are 15g protein per cup and it made me happy that there are so many chickpeas in this curry. sliiiiiiightly spicy but the taste is also a little bland. could use more spices~ at least it will keep me full?
rice: too much water. no taste in particular although there’s something sprinkles in with it (some kind of herb, i assume)
cream of wheat dessert: so to me this is the worst part LOL. why was everyone so excited about it ?! this is a overly sweet, cooked in syrupy sugar cream of wheat concoction with purple ribbons of a fruit sauce all throughout. it kinda tastes vaguely cinnamon-​y …like a pie or dough or something like that. i took one bite and was so confused as to why everyone likes this. took another bite for the review and threw the rest away.
perhaps next time i’ll bring my own spices (sriracha makes everything better!) and try again. for now i do recommend it for the price, especially if you’re a big eater. load up on the super protein chickpeas!!!

I didn’t realize I could review Hare Krishna food. Their food is always delicious and flavorful (spicy, curry flavor). My favorite is the cream of wheat dessert which I could probably eat a whole bucket of. The best is that you can fill up your plate as much as possible for cheap!

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed Hare Krishna before! I’ve been here multiple times in my undergrad career, and it’s always something to look forward to if I’m free during lunchtime on a Wednesday.
In a nutshell: vegetarian Indian food that is $ 5 for all you can fit onto a paper plate, and you can pay more if you would like to fill up your own tupperware (only $ 8, I believe? I haven’t tried it myself though). Intrigued? Yeah, you should be. The long (but fast!) line in front of the Food Co-​Op attests to the greatness of Hare Krishna.
There will always be rice, two main dishes, a unique sweet dessert that reminds me of quinoa (WHAT IS IT?!), and a sweet iced tea. Everything is in rotation, but I honestly can’t tell the differences between some of these dishes. What I do remember are: a potato based curry with vegetables, chickpea based curry, green vegetable curry, and some sort of pasta. My favorite is the potato, but if you are coming here for the taste, do not be misled. Everything is kind of bland, but man is it hot, filling, and cheap! I think the dessert makes up entirely for the okay main course.
Overall great alternative to the offerings at Price Center and in the dining halls. Only problem is that I have to roll myself to class afterwards.

$ 4 self-​serve, pile-​as-​high-​as-​you-​can plates of indian fusion food? And it’s tasty!!! Dude, no wonder there is a line of 50+ students every Wednesday afternoon! And it includes a drink!

Yummy! I’ve never been here, and was told I was missing out, so I tried it today. I was a little afraid of the mountains of food, but everything tasted fresh and hot. I’m not usually excited about vegetarian food, but this made me not even notice that it was missing meat. The potato dish was incredible and rich. The black eyed pea curry thing was also good and filling.
The dessert that was made with cream of wheat, sugar, spices, and blueberries was freaking amazing. Like I wanted an entire extra plate of it even though I was stuffed. They let you take basically as much food as you want for 4.50, so its definitely a good idea even if you’re poor like me.
Note: if you have a sensitive stomach to spicy indian-​ish food, don’t eat this before you do something important. My stomach was a little angry at me, but it certainly won’t stop me from trying it again… and that says something for how tasty it was.

I hate to do this but the food I tasted last week left me very underwhelmed. The only thing I enjoyed was their dessert, which looked a bit like bread pudding but not as sweet. They added a new item to their buffet that looked like a spinach curry, which is fine. But they also went ahead and added penne pasta to the mix, which completely threw me off. I thought this was Indian… I tasted the mixture and it was very bland and mushy. I mean it didn’t cost me much to get the plate ($ 4.50) but I guess compared to the food they served last time, this was very mediocre. I couldn’t finish what I got, which is a shame because I really did try.
I do like that the line moves fast despite a lot of people being there. Anyway, if there is a next time, I hope they do better for all the vegetarians out there and others who are just looking for some yummy cheap, on-​campus food.

I love this place. Why?
1. vegetarian. (sometimes vegan)
2. locally owned
3. DELICIOUS
4. stack your own plate for 4.50
5. although the lines are long, they move pretty fast.
6. atmosphere
the only bad thing about this place is that it’s ONLY on wednesdays… wah :(and that it’s cash only but it’s no big deal since there are atms (boa & wells) close by.