Lunch is arguably one of the most nutritious and necessary meals to have in a school environment. In a world where prices are always rising, and less and less food is being given out, it’s great that some children and parents can rest easy, knowing they’ll have one consistent meal for the day. But, that raises the question: what is the best lunch that Olympia has to offer?
Olympia’s menu is varied in its servings, from macaroni and cheese to spicy chicken bites with rice. In order to properly classify all of them, a three rank system was created: Disliked, Edible, and Delicious. Dislike and Delicious are self-explanatory, while Edible was for all the things in the middle.
To begin in the Disliked section, I constantly feel as if the cheeseburgers and burgers in general fall relatively flat. The meat itself isn’t bad, rather the bread is the problem. I felt myself having to swallow water just to be able to force it down my throat, because the texture is dry and chewy most of the time. The macaroni isn’t for me, the cheese clinging to the roof of my mouth like glue, an uncomfortable sensation. Anything spicy was just a no-go, due to personal preferences, so I have to say I’m not fond of spicy sandwiches.
More onto the Edible section, and frankly, some of these are usually pretty tasty. One standout is the grilled cheese sandwiches, quick to eat and a familiar snack, especially if you’re busy and in a rush. The po’boy sandwiches are tasty if you only eat it with the chicken, as I personally believe the tanginess of the sauce overwhelms the flavor of the meat. Plus, now you have soggy, chewy bread. Hot dogs are ok, but only when they don’t share the same problem with the dry bread.
The delicious category holds my favorite foods of the Olympia Cafeteria, particularly the chicken wings and legs. I admit, I am biased. When cooked well, the chicken wings taste great, though the fried chicken legs could use some work with how chewy the skin was instead of crunchy. The breakfast, or shall I say brunch, also helped the variety of food served at Olympia and gives those that missed it a chance to have some form of breakfast. Last but not least, while a little rare to see, the seasoned steaks taste delicious.
However, if I were to give criticisms to Olympia’s lunch menu, it would be the singularity of the meals. While steaks, chicken legs, and subs are nice, there is nothing to really add that makes the meal satisfying to students. The sides are entirely optional, and seem to not be produced as much as the main course. It leads to a lack of consistency that is desperately needed across the different foods served.
All my criticisms aside, I still think that the time and effort by the staff of the cafeteria goes unappreciated. Not only by students, but a good portion of the population as a whole. From the moment those doors open, to while classes are in full swing, they’re working their hardest to make meals for the students in under a few hours. We could afford to make their lives a little easier, even if it’s just being less chaotic in the lunch line.
