If you are a University of Massachusetts Amherst student who eats at the dining halls, at Blue Wall, or grabs a bite at any food provider located on campus, downloading the UMass Dining app is a no brainer. With tons of informational content, the app allows students to intuitively navigate what to eat, where to eat, and when to eat. 

Home Page

The first page you will see upon opening the app contains a list of all the food providers on campus, from dining halls to cafes to food trucks. Click on a location and you will be able to see its hours of operation, a description, accepted payments, the contact information of the location’s manager and even a map with directions. The app also keeps track of how busy a specific location is at the given time you are logged on. Another great feature is the option to view the full menu of the location by date. Hankering for a salmon sushi roll? With the app, users can find exactly where they can get a specific food item by browsing the menus of dining halls and other retailers alike. 

The app also lists which locations are currently open and which are closed. This saves you the trouble of slips ups like going all the way to Blue Wall for a Green Fields’ salad only to find out it’s closed (been there). 

Have an absolute favorite spot for grub on campus? Favorite it by clicking the plus icon in the upper right-hand corner once you are on the location’s page and it will appear in your “Favorites,” which is located on the home page.

Preferences/Dietary Restrictions 

For those who have allergies or simply preferences, users can build their own personalized menu. Click on the three dots on the top right corner of the app and a drop-down menu will appear. Click the carrot icon, titled, “Your Menu.” Here users can select their preferences or allergies and dining locations will appear by date of what food choices are available for you. For example, if you are vegan and allergic to shellfish, select these two options, and the date and location you prefer. The app will then list food choices specifically for you. Note, however, that this personalized menu option is only available for dining halls.

Other features

If you’re truly a UMass Dining fanatic, you can also check out the app’s “About” section, located in the same drop-down menu as “Your Menu.” Here, users can view galleries of past food events, check out UMass dining in the press, watch videos, and browse frequently asked questions such as information about meal plans or food insecurity. They also have a “Contact Us” page.

So the next time you find yourself in need of some more specific information on where to eat on campus, check out the free UMass Dining app. 

Email Emma at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @emma_sammuli