SMC Cafeteria Draws Mixed Reviews From Students
On a campus where thousands of students pass through each day, Santa Monica College’s cafeteria is intended to serve as a central gathering place. But some students say the food quality and overall atmosphere fall short of expectations.
Jonathan Pierce, a first‑year SMC student who previously attended John Adams Middle School and Santa Monica High School, described the cafeteria as “mid,” saying the food is neither particularly good nor particularly bad. He said the environment itself also feels less welcoming than the cafeterias at his former schools.
“People leave scraps of food behind on tables,” Pierce said. “A lot of students are fresh out of high school and might be more immature, so they don’t clean up after themselves.”
Pierce said he views the cafeteria as a place to eat quickly rather than a space to study, meet for clubs, or spend time between classes, something he believes takes away from what a college cafeteria should be. He said the breakfast burrito is the standout item on the menu, but overall, the food is “average.”
He also questioned why SMC operates both a cafeteria and a separate coffee shop when a Starbucks already exists on campus. “It doesn’t make sense to have all three,” he said.
Before the pandemic, SMC offered a wider range of dining options, including restaurants inside the cafeteria and multiple food trucks stationed around campus. Those vendors disappeared in 2020 and have not returned.
Pierce said the loss of those options has made the cafeteria feel more limited. “It’s stupid that they didn’t bring the restaurants back,” he said. “Food trucks used to be everywhere, but they never came back except for certain events because it’s too expensive.”
He believes the college could revitalize the campus food scene by bringing in smaller, more affordable vendors. “They could fill the quad with pop‑up stands and street vendors selling tacos, burritos, quesadillas, kabobs, wraps, all kinds of stuff,” he said.
Pierce added that even one major addition could change the cafeteria’s reputation. “If SMC brought in a Chick‑fil‑A, things would be different,” he said.
For now, the cafeteria remains a basic stop for students between classes. But as SMC continues adjusting to post‑pandemic campus life, students like Pierce say they hope the college will consider expanding food options and improving the dining experience.