Every NASH student has their opinion on the cafeteria food. As a senior, I’ve been eating the cafeteria food for over a year, so without further ado, here’s my take in ascending order. 

Pasta Bar

Okay, so this one is definitely going to be controversial, but I am just not the biggest pasta fan in general. Whether it’s in the cafeteria or at a 5-star restaurant, you will never catch me ordering pasta off the menu. At the NASH pasta bar, you get to build your own pasta with the options of spaghetti with alfredo sauce, meatballs or chicken, and adding cheese on top. Now, I definitely do occasionally eat just the meatballs because they’re honestly really good. Regardless, I may be in the minority when it comes to the pasta bar, because this line is always long.

Cheese Ravioli and Breadsticks

Continuing the pasta trend, cheese ravioli and breadsticks fall into the same category. Like the pasta bar, this menu option ranks low for me simply because of the fact that it’s pasta. However, it ranks above the pasta bar because of those breadsticks. I could eat fifty of those breadsticks plain. If I had to pick a pasta, ravioli would definitely be my favorite. 

Walking Taco with Doritos

This one I actually do enjoy eating. However, I’ve eaten it so many times that I’ve grown tired of it. I’ve probably had the walking taco or a variation of it more than any other meal in during my time at North Allegheny. Students get to pick their favorite toppings, but I like to go light on the toppings, put a ton of ranch on the side, and dip the chips into it. 

BBQ Chicken Nachos

These are the better version of the walking tacos. Tortilla chips with barbeque chicken, cheese sauce, lettuce, and salsa on top — it’s literally so delicious. Whenever the cafeteria serves these, you can find me in that line, and you already know I’m topping it with ranch. I would literally order the barbeque chicken plain if I could. If the BBQ Chicken Nachos were in a restaurant, I’d buy them.

Breakfast Bar

I swear that breakfast tastes so much better in the middle of the day than in the morning. You can’t go wrong with the breakfast bar, whether you’re eating French toast sticks or pancakes. I do think the French toast sticks are slightly better than the pancakes. 

General Tso’s Chicken with Brown Rice and Egg Roll

I couldn’t decide if I wanted this to be first or second, but the first pick just barely edged this one out. This isn’t the most popular cafeteria meal, but I don’t understand why. Chinese food is probably my favorite cuisine so, of course, I was bound to love this. There is always a perfect amount of sauce that makes not only the chicken taste good, but the rice, too. I swear that adding sauce to the rice makes it that much better. 

Toasted Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Soup

My choice for the best cafeteria meal. I love this menu item so much that I sprint down to the cafeteria on Mondays when it’s served. Dipping the grilled cheese into the soup makes it so much better, too. By the end of lunch, my tray is clear with no crumbs left.