At the Forty Acres, there are many options for students to have a good meal. One of the most affordable options for students is a dining hall plan, especially for those living on campus.
That plan grants access to the three dining halls on campus; J2 Dining, Jester City Limits and Kinsolving Dining. The main two are the buffet-style dining halls, Kinsolving and J2.
J2 Dining is the oldest dining hall at UT, located in Jester Center. The newer Kinsolving Dining is located on the other side of campus in the Kinsolving Residence Hall.
With the dining halls completing over 3 million dining transactions yearly, students have always debated whether J2 or Kins is the superior dining hall.
So, I put them to the test to settle the debate once and for all.
Since the menu changes daily, I got a similar dinner at Kins and J2 on the same night. Here’s my rating based on the atmosphere, cleanliness, variety and, of course, food quality.
Atmosphere – J2 Wins
When walking into the dining halls, you can immediately tell the difference between the two. Kins is a bit more quiet and reserved as it’s in the part of campus with less dorms. J2 is louder with large groups of friends gathered since it’s in the south part of campus where the biggest dorms are located.
Both dining halls upgraded their furniture over winter break, replacing the decades-old tables with modern furniture. They both feature a variety of seating options, ranging from spacious community tables to smaller two-tops
Unlike J2, Kins has an outside patio, allowing students to eat outside, which is a nice touch.
Despite having vastly different atmospheres, during peak lunch and dinner hours, it’s equally as difficult to score a seat in either hall. For me, J2 wins based on atmosphere as it is larger and more social, making it easier to sit by and talk to friends.
Cleanliness – Kins Wins
We have all seen how disgusting a dining hall can get with trash on the tables and sticky floors, making it a crucial factor in my ranking system.
J2 often has more spills on the floor and crumbs littering the tables and buffet lines than Kins.
J2’s larger size combined with multiple buffet lines wrapping around the hall makes it harder for staff to clean up. Meanwhile, Kins has one section for their food lines.
Kins was pretty clean. The tables can be a little sticky, but nothing an ordinary dining hall wouldn’t have, making it the winner for cleanliness.
Variety – J2 Wins
Depending on the day, the halls may have some differences in menu, but there’s a variety of food for students at all three dining halls, ranging from made-to-order sandwiches and pizza, to vegetarian and vegan options, like tofu meatballs.
Kins has a couple unique features like a ‘U Top It’ line where you can make your own sandwiches, house prepared salads, ice cream cups and popsicles.
J2, however, has an unbeatable selection of food as the hall is larger and has space for more options. In addition to the regular offerings served at both locations, J2 has a baked potato bar, grill specials, a Tex-Mex line and a vegan section, setting it apart from Kins as the clear winner
Food Quality – Kins Wins
Now the part you’ve all been waiting for– the meal. In my quest, I tried to get the same items at each dining hall, but there were some differences due to what the halls were offering that day. The meal I had at J2 and Kins consisted of creamy spinach, pasta with red sauce, chicken noodle soup and lemon cake. At J2, I also had mac and cheese, pickled cabbage, sauerkraut and corn dogs to mix it up. At Kins, I had a sauerkraut hot dog with pickled onions and mustard and linguine with parmesan sauce and bell peppers.
When having my meal, there wasn’t a substantial difference within the food quality between the two locations. Overall, the food was mediocre and not salty enough.
The corn dog and the hotdog bun on the sauerkraut were both a bit stale and cold. The chicken noodle soup was mostly chicken and veggies, without many noodles. The lemon cake tasted too strongly of lemon and was overly sweet.
My favorite food item during my J2 meal was pasta with red sauce. It was simple and definitely hit my pasta craving.
Out of both meals, the linguine pasta from Kins was my overall favorite. It was flavorful and good quality.
Additionally, Kins has the tiny differences that make the world when enjoying your food. With soup spoons available and flavorful food, Kins’ food quality and experience beats J2 by a mile.
Overall
If you’re looking for a quieter meal, Kins is the way to go with a cleaner atmosphere and better quality food. If you’re feeling bored of the dining hall, J2 is the place to go as there are many more options to choose from. At the end of the day, the best way to make the decision of where to go is to look at the menu before going.
As students continue to debate the superiority of UT dining halls, one thing remains certain; whether you’re Team J2 or Team Kinsolving, everyone’s a winner as long as they leave with a satisfied stomach.
