Rough Draft

When choosing a college campus, one aspect that is often overlooked is the food choices available on campus. The University of Central Florida is an area with food options for everybody including Chinese, Mexican, Mediterranean, sandwiches and fast food. We are lucky enough to have a sit down restaurant in the main hub of campus, which is Wackadoo’s. Located in the student union, Wackadoo’s, is a restaurant run by the University’s alumni and current students. They serve typical American style cuisine with a diverse menu including burgers, wings, sandwiches, salads and soups. Whenever I have walked through the student union and looked inside it always appears packed, so I decided to try it out one day.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is really casual, more like a sports bar then a place to get lunch or dinner. There is evidence that Wackadoo’s is really a place for students and alumni because UCF memorabilia is everywhere! There are pictures of the university on almost every wall and the ceiling is decorated with posters of the Knights and sports jerseys from football and basketball players. On the right side of the eatery, there is a game room with about ten different video games and multiple pool tables to play on. I rate the atmosphere of Wackadoo’s five out of five chicken wings, because the atmosphere is really laid back and relaxed. They also invite you to stay longer to play some of the video games or pool.

The food quality at Wackadoo’s is pretty average. The first time I went there I got Broccoli and Cheese Soup which came with plain saltine crackers, which was pretty good but about the same quality you could get at Panera Bread. My friend Ryan who accompanied me ordered a Cuban sandwich which tasted how a Cuban should taste and contained the proper meats on it. The second time I went out to eat at Wackadoo’s I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. The pork was a bit plain but it was still tasty. I rate the food quality and taste four out of five chicken wings, the food was good but there was nothing special about it to make me feel like I found a real winner.

When I found out that there was a sit down restaurant at the University of Central Florida, I figured there would be a lot of students working there. When I arrived I discovered my assumption was correct, but not just the servers were students, everybody working there was. I don’t have a problem with students working with food, but I feel as if they are sometimes unreliable or slow in a service situation. When I went out to eat with my friend Ryan our waitress showed up quite promptly to take our drink order, but to order food took at least ten minutes. Then once our food was ordered it took at least twenty minutes to receive our lunch which was only soup and a sandwich. When it came time to pay our bill, our waitress never came back to take our checks which led to another fifteen minute wait. I would rate the service of Wackadoo’s a two out of five chicken wings because of the length of time I had to wait, but our waitress was still polite each time she visited our table.

I feel that whenever I go out to eat that the most important aspect for me of whether I’ll return is if the food I paid for was worth the price I paid for it. There are many places out there that will charge ridiculous prices for food that was crappy, but Wackadoo’s isn’t one of them. When I ordered my broccoli and cheese soup, it only cost five dollars in total including tip. This is a pretty good deal for a sit down restaurant. My friend Ryan got a special which was only seven dollars in total for his Cuban sandwich. Also, during tailgating they offer special deals on their Fat Ass Burger and pulled pork for 3.99. This is a great marketing tool to get the hungry students tailgating into the eatery for a good burger (and beer if they are over twenty one). I rate the prices of Wackadoo’s five out of five chicken wings, they offer good deals during tailgating and the normal menu prices aren’t that expensive for a student or professor’s budget.

Overall I would rate Wackadoo’s four out of five chicken wings. The restaurant’s atmosphere is suitable and the prices are right for a college campus but, they still have some work to do in regards to service. Also, the quality of the food could be raised in order to bring in more business that could be going to local eateries. Most students don’t have the opportunity if they don’t have a car to go off campus to eat, so I think that having Wackadoo’s in a central location in the student union is good for students who want to sit down to eat. There are many restaurants close by to the University of Central Florida’s campus, but having a place so close for students to will bring in the crowds for a long time.