Five weeks into my first year at Mercyhurst, and I have only one thing to say.

It would be really hard to beat the dining options here at the Hurst!

Let’s start with the Grotto Commons, I mean, it’s pretty great, right?

There’s a giant wall of cereal, a well-stocked dessert table, a mini-waffle maker and a fancy chef station!

Who could forget about Darcie and Rhonda, who greet you by name at the cashier station when you walk in?

They’re the real stars of the Hurst Dining program.

And don’t even get me started on the ice cream.

I, a humble Pittsburgher, have had very limited access to the delicacy that is Perry’s Ice Cream — until now.

I don’t know how I got by without it.

Seeing that one of the day’s flavors is Graham Canyon or, better yet, Chocolate Panda Paws, instantly destroys every bit of my willpower.

I don’t know how you could see those and not want to eat all of it.

I suppose that’s why we have the REC Center just down the road, right?

Next is Ryan’s 501 Grille, a relatively new addition to Mercyhurst.

I’ll be honest — I have yet to eat here, but I’ve heard good things.

Honestly, the fact that this dining facility is located in a residence hall earns points for convenience.

It must be really easy to wake up and have a delicious dining hall right down the hall from you.

Now we come to the Laker Inn and the Roost, the final destination on this tour of Mercyhurst’s dining.

Both of these are located in the Student Union.

The Laker Inn is another success.

Not only can you use up your Bonus Bucks, you have a variety of options, from Mexican food to smoothies.

I personally recommend the frozen hot chocolate more than anything else.

I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Finally, there is the matter of The Roost.

The Roost caused a lot of controversy when it was first announced.

Now that it’s here, I only have two solitary words to say: giant pretzel.

If you haven’t eaten at The Roost, I humbly recommend that you reevaluate your life choices and give it a try.

So there you have it, all of the dining options avaliable to us as students.

Here at Mercyhurst, we really got lucky in terms of dining options.

Now, if you will excuse me, I really have to go and raid the dessert station in the Grotto Commons.

Writing this made me really hungry!