Some students have noticed the new restaurant on campus, Qdoba, which has taken the place of Tres Habaneros.
While it adjusts to the new flow of the record-high number of freshmen on campus, there is a mix of responses on whether it’s worth the price and wait time. Most students compare it to its past counterpart, using it as a means of comparison.
Student Colby Commune said he has eaten at the Mexican-style restaurant a handful of times and has enjoyed the food but prefers Tres Habaneros.
“In terms of food, Qdoba is fantastic, but everything else—how much you get, the quality, like the actual, not the presentation of the food, but like the wait times and all of that—would go back to Tres Habaneros,” he said. “It just feels like a downgrade.”
Commune said he was left disappointed by the food he received after ordering, saying that sometimes the option to eat off-campus is better. He said that Qdoba considers making changes to become a better and more desirable option for students eating on campus.
“Consider maybe adding a little bit extra protein when someone puts it in, instead of what could essentially be looked at as like a quarter-size piece of beef put in like 50 cents worth,” he said. “And bring down the prices of the protein because paying extra for something that should be on there to begin with is just a slap to the face.”
Commune said the food was delicious but not worth the long wait. He said eating there is more beneficial for students like him who have multiple hours between classes and can wait as long as needed.
“More often than not, your wait is like 20, 25, 30 minutes for food,” he said.
Another student, Aiden Kane, also critiques the restaurant, saying its prices are the main reason he has not been interested in eating there yet.
Kane commutes to campus and said his schedule this semester also makes it harder for him to bring his own lunch, leaving on-campus food as his only option.
“Honestly, it’s more the price than anything, and then their choices,” Kane said. “It’s a couple of dollars more expensive, which I’m not willing to, I really don’t want to pay for. So, I usually go for another alternative like The Grill or Sub Connect.”
He says the prices of the restaurant make it harder for him to consider Qdoba, and he’s more likely to travel off school grounds to get similar choices for lower costs.
While some students are critical, some cashiers in Devil’s Den said the lines speak for themselves. They said the best time to go to the restaurant is after the noon-time lunch rush while students are more likely in class or at work to beat the line.
Some also said that the feedback has been split, with some students already becoming regulars and others said it’s not worth another visit.
Those looking to try Qdoba, it’s open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
