We had a terrible experience at UC Irvine today, and the negative review was primarily for the Brandywine dining hall. This was our son (high schooler)'s first visit to UC Irvine, which was one of his top choices on the list. While on campus, my son was urgently looking for a restroom, and we tried about 5-6 of them around the campus, and every single one was locked. Finally, we saw Brandywine open and my son started to walk to the restroom when the front desk man stopped him with "hey what are you doing dude?" He said that the restroom was not open to public, and we had to purchased entrance tickets first. We told them that we just ate and we didn't need another meal, however we were willing to pay to use the restroom. They requested us to purchased the entrance ticket first, and it turned out to be $17+ per person. $17+ to use their restroom once. We decided to leave the campus right away, went to a nearby store, and decided not to return to the campus. It's understandable that they are following rules. However a good college to us should be at least humane. So far our other UC school visits have been much better. read more

For a dining hall, brandywine is quite good! They host thematic events every week where the chefs cook a special dish, and the food is pretty decent. Lunch is usually better than dinner and weekdays (mon-thurs) trump weekends. It's always super crowded during lunch hours, so it's difficult to get seats. They have music playing for ambiance, but when it's closing time, they change it to a goofy clean up song. read more

Brandywine Commons - ancho lime grilled chicken - American Near Me - Irvine, California

Most of the time, they have a good selection of food that tastes decent. They occasionally host event days featuring special dishes, which is a nice touch. However, it gets very busy around lunchtime, which is inconvenient because I often have to sit outside where there are many flies. Overall, the meal plans are quite expensive for the quality of food provided; in reality, you are paying for the convenience, with the 'all-you-can-eat' aspect being a nice bonus. My suggestion would be to add more indoor seating and rearrange the layout, as it is currently quite disorganized. Some areas become way too crowded, making it difficult to navigate through the space to get food during peak hours. read more

Food is horrible and lacks variety. It's pretty much just some variation of dry chicken breast or pork loin 80% of the time

Food is aight. Service is aight. Ambience is terrible don't play music please, the entire experience will be saved.

Like the Brandywine dining hall in the Middle Earth housing area. Maybe 2 months old as of 11/19. All u can eat. Sorry to say music did not thrill wife, but 92 year old mother in law liked it a bit. Thankfully, easy to park with handicap placard. Helps to be hungry. $12.50 flat fee for brunch at 2:30 pm on a Sunday. Included lunch, breakfast, and dessert items. Nice salad bar, pizza, Stromboli, garden burgers, fries, soups, smoothies, coffee, fruit drinks, pancakes, eggs, sausage, hash browns. Liked the posters and maps from Middle Earth, signs to places in Middle Earth, second breakfast area (see The Hobbit). Lots of trees on campus, many bike users, handy paved paths. Fun to people watch - walked around campus after. Pretty idyllic setting - and pleasant service. read more

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The food here is terrible. Very very overpriced and very very low quality. At the same price you can get really any option across the street. Also most of the reviews for this place are like from 10 years ago. It should not just be a means to an end and even if it was, it would be better than it is now. There's no love in this food or attention. This place is just a way for the school to profit off of the students who are already being exploited and paying way too much for things that are worse than they would get at an alternative place. read more

Food is expected to be bad. Meat is dry and some are over salted. Stations are always closed for some reason. Not sure why lunch always has more options. And it's always the same food every week. read more

I loved being a UCI student, and I loved living in Middle Earth even more! Brandywine is a dining spot right between where Middle Earth ends and Ring Road begins - I think only former/current UCI students will know what I'm talking about. Popular for their soup in bread bowls and their custom pasta stations, BUT it's kind of small and the ventilation isn't that great so the common complain was that going to Brandywine will make you smell like no other! In class, I'd always know if someone went to Brandywine for lunch cuz you can smell it on their clothes. read more

The Brandywine is kind of a new dining hall for me and it has become one of my favorite spots for lunch already. I think it is amazing that they have a bunch of outdoor tables in the dining hall and the staffs are super nice. read more

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Incredible food choice! The versatility of brandywine chefs are showcased as there are fine dining options and the ability to get greasy pizza as well. The range of the dining in this dining hall is PHENOMENAL. Walking in here at least 3 times a day never gets old. The surprise behind what dishes they are serving each day is the only thing giving me reason for staying alive on this godforsaken planet. The smell of the dish drop is so exhilarating, I wish it existed as a candle. One of my favorite pastimes is emptying the salt shakers every time I come in to have a meal. I love trying to get my favorite drink, and being presented with a surprise EVERY TIME! Sometimes it's sweet tea, sometimes it's just water, sometimes it's unknown juice, and you know what? It is all worth the surprise as it reflects the unknown miracle of the meaning of life. I might dislike every single option they have, so I'm forced to go to the deli, but the workers at the deli work with such a sense of urgency that cannot be beaten anywhere else. I can get a sandwich in at least 20 minutes! Finding the occasional hair in my food delights me as I now have floss to last me at least a week! Additionally, there is ALWAYS seats available inside brandywine. You can always count on finding one by watching someone until they're done eating, and then sprinting to take over their seat. Lastly, one of my favorite things about brandywine is finding everyone's leftovers on the table you just sat at. If I went to every single table, and gathered every piece of lettuce left behind, I would have enough to make my own salad! How incredible is that?! Anyways, brandywine is a once in a lifetime experience, meaning you only want to go there once. Thank you brandywine! You've changed my life read more

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Whoa! I didn't know people reviewed this place. I lived at Misty in ME from 2001-02. So my experience is from that year. Brandywine Commons was a good alternative to Pippin because it was opened all day! There were somethings that were good, while others not so good. Friday nights was always good, fajitas and clam chowder! Yum! Every once in a while the "Pan-Geos" was pretty good. The chef/cook guy kind of looked like a turtle! haha! However I still like the food at Pippins better! It's been like 6 years since I've been, but it's memories are still fresh with me. I give this place a 3 because the ventilation sucks here! My friend used to wear this really ugly pink sweater whenever she came, that embarrassed the heck out of me!!! read more

Like any college dining hall, don't expect too much of the food. The food is well prepared, and the staff is always friendly. Honestly, that is all I can ask for. The menu changes often, and they have daily specials that are fun to try. It's a great place to stop by for lunch when you don't feel like walking a few more steps to Pippins. read more

I can't believe I forgot to rate this place.. This dining commons is my 2nd favorite (Lot 5 is a close 1st). The variety of food is always delicious and made to perfection each time. The grill serves excellent, juicy, and tender chicken breasts. Additionally, the beef, grilled cheese, patty melts, fries, and every thing is always consistently fresh. They have two sides for drinks, VERY delicious soft serve ice cream (sometimes even green tea!!) and the salad bar is always green and tasty. I usually got chicken breasts and some salad last year. Get a hard boiled egg too; it's worth. Dessert sections eh. Just the soft serve in my opinion. Sometimes brownies or cookies. read more

Brandywine... Loved it in the beginning, but in the end realized that the Dining Commons at Middle Earth and Mesa Court made my stomach smile more. I found myself getting the same orders every single time--turkey sandwich with a cookie. They do have random mixes of special items each day, but a lot of times I found myself reluctantly trying to finish it...ehhh just leave it. A lot of students figure that Brandywine is the healthier choice but let's be honest. No matter how healthy, it's the amount of food that really makes it or breaks it. I've seen tons of students who order hamburgers, side dish, cookies, pastries thinking that it's okay to go buck wild with food because they're at "Brandywine." Freshmen 15 makes you insane :/ read more

Whaaa......? Students eat here? Students eat here every day? I don't know whether, when I was a freshman, I lived in a dorm with better food, or maybe when I was a freshman I had totally different standards for food. Probably a little of both. But I stand by the stamp of inedibility I branded upon nearly everything I tried today. Gyros? Cracking, peeling dry pitas stuffed with... oh no wait, not stuffed, because you can't stuff ONE limp and cardboardy sad skinny strip of beef in anything. Plus drenched lettuce and tomatoes and a microscopic teaspoon of yogurt... I lost my train of thought here. Chicken pho? Soggy rubber bands drenched in weird bouillon with canned chicken. Yep - canned. You can taste it. There were about two carrots and some brown bean sprouts hanging around too. Also included were the only jalapeños known to man to not taste like anything. Lentil soup with ham? Salty salt with salt - the end. Fries? They expanded in my mouth and almost choked me going down. I tried to wash the mass down with liquid, but: Strawberry pineapple smoothie? OK, this was the weirdest one. I actually watched them make it because they ran out right before I got to the front of the line. It consisted of a blender full of green foamy water, plus one scoop each of strawberries and pineapples. The end result tasted like a hybrid of Crystal Light, five hundred sugar cubes, and fruity mop water. Call me the snobbiest snob that ever snobbed but I even had a not so mini meltdown in front of surrounding undergrads. Hopefully none of them were my students. Although now I have more patience for bad student work when I see it, knowing that THIS is what is "fueling" them. read more

WHAT HAPPEN!? Lousy foods, limited selection, and no more ice cream. Brandywine has definitely lost its touch since I was a freshman in college here. I came here visiting my gf cousin who's a freshman. When I went there were no specials at the grill. The spinach was lousy and the root beer float was whatevers. They had a sandwich section where this girl looked like she dreaded every moment making sandwiches. The taco station was whatevers and the meat was gross. I honestly was very disappointed in the food selection. Brandywine has changed...for the worse. Lucky I experience the better side back in the day. read more

Freshman (especially when I first came to UCI) don't realize how amazing it is to have someone cook food for you after a long hard day at work or school. Brandywine really is where a lot of people go to get their grub after a long day and it really is the best dining hall at UCI. Although the lunch rush usually occurs in three massive waves from 12-3pm, the food usually is worth it. The lunch specials are extemely diverse, ranging from sun roasted tomatoes pesto grilled cheese sandwiches, to themed days such as garlic herbed cheeseburgers. the sitting area is a bit small, with limited seats and usually forces people to share tables with one another and leaving backpacks on seats as "unofficial" property holders. What I find great about Brandywine is the different stations scattered on the floor with a handmade sandwich area made for those who need food on the go and something nutritious. I usually get a simple ham sandwich that tastes just like my moms (usually when I tell the right workers how to make it via Subway style). Great place to eat, definitely recommend over the other dining halls read more

There are countless times that the Brandywine Commons has saved my life. But one in particular stands out. I was in a paradox standing outside the door. I had a choice. Calculus Final. Or Brandywine Commons. The Scantron in my backpack screamed at me to be bubbled in. Yet, I could smell the bubbling grease within. It slowly ignited a fire in my loins - a fire that could only be extinguished by the Commons of Brandywine. I chose to nourish my starved body with the sweet nectar that is Brandywine Commons. I think it is evident that I made the correct choice for my life. Brandywine has always kept it real. From the immigrant workers who serve you to the white hostess at the cashier to the foolish college students that surround the buffet line like frantic dogs in a dog park. I have once seen a student tear his girlfriend's ear off for trying to take his burger. If Brandywine were like sex, the smoothies would be the climax. If you had to have one thing at the Commons, it should be the smoothies. At the end of the Brandywine Buffet Line, there is a row of small, but succulent smoothies, worthy of the alliteration I have just given it. I have often seen college students shank each other at the end of this line for the last cup of Strawberry Banana. And if I'm ever in solitary confinement, awaiting death by hanging, my last meal will definitely be one from Brandywine Commons. read more

I would love to know what incentive this place gave people to write some of the positive reviews to make this place 4 stars. This dining hall barely deserves 1/2 star. Call me the most boogie undergrad you've met, but this is a sorry excuse for a dining hall. Here's why: So the place is organised terribly. You walk in to swipe your card and theres three different places to get your food from. There's one smaller station walking straight ahead , a larger one by the kitchen , and then one on the other side where they usually do the sandwiches. The food is absolutely terrible and 10 times worse then any primary or high school cafeteria. The ice cream is disgusting and probably the lowest quality you can get. It literally just turns into a melted mess before you even get to take a bite. Don't even get me started on the cones .. The food selections vary (although super limited selections), but 70% of it is terrible. The grilled chicken is super dry , the burger doesn't even taste like one , fries have 0 flavour whatsoever , the list goes on and on. Also whenever they try to do something special like a crepe or pizookie they fail miserably. ( a tiny cold cookie with some melted ice cream on top does not make it a pizookie). Probably the only thing good here are the chicken nuggets , but who screws those up ? The sandwich station was probably the most edible thing here , but they don't even toast the bread for you there which is disappointing. (At least lot 5 does that for you always ). Additionally , the plates and cups must be from like prison. I've never seen uglier plates in my life. They honestly make the food taste worse. They're full of scratches and grime. It's disgusting. Not to mention the ambiance here sucks. This hall is super small and crowded. In dire need of some updating. I'm appalled at this dining hall (as well as the other two ) for how much students pay to eat here ! If schools like UCLA can create way better dining halls, so can UCI. I even went to Virginia tech and they serve lobster in their dining halls as well as many more fresh and healthy options for the students to chose from. They must really be cutting corners with this dining hall. No freshness and quality whatsoever in this food. So disappointed in this , you're better off cooking your own food. read more

Brandywine Commons - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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Brandywine honestly isn't any better than pippin, their selection is very very limited. Cheeseburgers/hamburgers, grilled cheese, grilled chicken (w/ the option of cheese), special of the day (it's rare for the specials to be good in my opinion), sandwhiches (tell them to make it to your taste!), and that random little corner of food where they occassionally have sushi rolls, pho, etc. It also gets really packed around 12, almost impossible to find a seat. I don't know which one's worse, having to walk around looking for a table at brandywine for like 15 mins or enduring crappy food at pippins for lunch. read more

When I was a freshmen here, I actually loved coming to eat here. So much variety, homey feeling, quick, easy, and tasty. Food was always prepared well. Everyday was always something new. Breakfast was always my personal favorite to help get the day started right. Staff was always friendly and happy too! For it being "dorm" food it really was pretty good and way above average. read more

My Top 5 things to get here: 1) Fish Tacos 2) Chicken Quesadillas 3) Grilled Cheese 4) Clam Chowder 5) Egg Salad Sandwich The grilled cheese and the egg salad are always here, but they only serve the fish tacos, quesadillas, and the chowder on certain days. The sandwich station is pretty neat because you can get whatever you want on your sandwich, though the quality of the meats isn't the greatest. The waffle fries are pretty good here, and all of the french fries are good with their honey mustard. This place is a good alternative to Pippin, I only wish they were open on weekends. Writing this review makes me want to go back here! read more

Mmmmmm, The best food on campus. I lived in the furthest possible dorm from this place, but it still became an everyday ritual for dinner. And when I thought that I would never step back into this place for the remainder of my college career, we would still find ways to get in for three years. Find some of your freshman buddies who don't appreciate their meals and either have them swipe you in or just straight up take their ID card to get yourself in (think they got a little stricter with this). I know this sounds a little shady, but they're not going to use it anyways. When you can get in, be sure to stock up. Four or five plates, no problem. Go to the grill, "Sir, give me a triple cheesburger", get a salad to balance that out, sandwich, maybe a grilled cheese sandwich to keep you going and top it off with an ice cream. My best memories of college were made here. Sad. read more

Filled with GOOD food here. TOo bad its only open weekdays. Thursday and Fridays it closes at 7. Mon-Wed it closes at 11. However, I think you should only eat here for lunch. They have great sandwiches and burgers. More than half the times, the specials are awesome! Unlike Mesa Commons and Pippen, Brandywine has packaged ice cream like twix and snickers ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, cones.... I used to burn meal swipes just to get Twix or Snickers ice cream, since they cost a lot at supermarkets. They have good cereal too! Honey nut cheerios, cinnamon toast crunch, special K, frosted flakes... I used to walk from Mesa Court to Brandywine all the time when I was hungry. Or I go immediately after class. It's definitely worth a swipe to go here. For those with a voluntary meal plan, you can only go in after 2. Man I am going to miss being able tom come here all the time w/ hallmates. read more

A notch higher than PIppins at times, but coming back to smell like meat is not. It averages about 3 to 4 stars I guess. They have late night service so it's always a relief to come back from a night class and still have some source of food available. The stuff served here is relatively better because it's smaller. The staff doesn't have to cook for a mass of people like Pippins does. They make it when you decide to order it. Their chicken sandwiches were pretty good, burgers were flawless as usual, salads were really good, and the sandwiches you make yourself are pretty decent. I was a fan of the soup bowls they served here, but I think they recently changed the bread. Oh well. Mmm and funny story, my hallmates and I used to sneak out food, mainly ice cream. It's always the best days when they have the Twix and Snickers bar ice creams. Oh and it's just like the buffet set up like Pippins, too. read more

Man, this place was the bomb! I really wish that I kept my meal plan after Freshman year. Brandwine isn't as big as the other dining commons, but it certainly doesn't lack in taste. There are several food stations inside that offer something for everyone. You can get a freshly-cooked burger, grilled chicken sandwich, grilled cheese, or daily special from the grill. Don't forget to get some curly fries, chili, and/or soup too. At the end of the grill, there's always some sort of smoothie special as well. Then there's the "deli" where you can get whatever sandwich your heart desires. There was also one food station that offered a specialty food. For example, you could get a wet burrito, baked pasta, or nachos. Dessert was also pretty good. There are lots of baked goods such as brownies, cookies, and pie. Fresh fruit is always available as well. The ice-cream bin is near the entrance and the staff lets you grab a bar or two on your way out. Hopefully I can come eat here one more time! read more

I wish I came here more often during my freshman year. Now that I'm not a freshman, I really miss this place! Two things that I will forever miss: their fries and their salads. Their on-the-go salads ' portion size is huge! Whenever I passed by, I would swipe in twice to get two salads to go: one for lunch, one for dinner. Granted, I love salads so my friends who were more pasta/meat kind of people thought I was crazy eating that all day every day. And their fries - yum. I have a lot of fond memories eating at this place during my freshman year. :) read more

Place is awesome. The GRILLED CHEESE IS SUPER GUUD HERE, I only wished that this place had more of a VARIETY OF food. The Soups are guud as well! To me...this place seems like your "healthy" spot...not sure why, but it seems like this place is place to go if your an athlete or looking to eat good. UNTIL THEN!! ^-^ read more

Contrary to popular belief, they do not serve brandy or wine. It's a small location and not too hard to find, regardless it is never really crowded as people enjoy eating at Pippins more. I like the food and the guy making the spexials doesn't make fun of you for being a fatass and taking seconds or even thirds (maybe he does, idk). He just smiles at me as if everything in life was perfect. Food. What is it? Do we live to eat or eat to live? To top it off, they also have drinking water. I r8 8/8 would eat again ( ° °) read more

Although the commons thing gets kinda old, I liked coming here when I was in the dorms/still an undergrad. This was my lunch stop with my friends, and then we'd all force ourselves to our physics class and suffer a food coma. Seriously, its much better than Mesa or Pippin. I usually made my own sandwiches,a nd the ingredients were fresh for the most part. The grill station usually had something good too, from fish tacos to philly cheesesteaks to some special burger. On Fridays I remember they served clam chowder and onion rings. That along with my sandwich was a damn good combination. Only thing I hated was having to wait for a table sometimes, but usually the tables opened up pretty fast. In addition, I didn't find out til later that people could tell you went to Brandywine because the place had a distinct smell that latched onto you. Forget Pippin or Mesa! It was all about Brandywine! read more

God I miss the Commons. I miss Brandywine even more. It's been a few years, but I remember those hot delicious meals conveniently located on campus. After the dorms, I bought a meal plan. It helped out when you have no time to cook or drive home from campus. read more

I'll give it that it is better than pippin. The food just tastes more flavorful and there isn't any pippin smell.However the variety sucks hard core. Basically every day is the same thing day after day, and because of that I prefer pippin even though they do the same thing, pippin is bigger so there is more variety. Also this place gets mad packed. Food recs include tomato soup with that tomato basil grilled cheese, and most of their other specials. Curly fries and the strawberry smoothies. OH and nutella cause cmon, its nutella. read more

This place served as my second saving grace of mine while I was an undergrad at UCI during 2009-2011. I can't comment on their quality now, but from what I do remember: Their seasoned fries were delicious and the burgers are grilled on the spot! I wish they had more variety like Pippin, but whatever. If I wanted variety I would have gone to Pippin in the first place. Anyway, seating is fairly ample and the service from the employees is okay--nothing too crazy to rave about. I'd recommend this place if you get tired of Pippin or are in the area. It's a decent spot. read more

This rating is strictly compared to the other two on campus cafeterias. I used to dorm at Mesa Court, but would make the walk to Brandywine to eat instead. The sandwiches and clam chowder were great and had bunch of ice cream in the freezers. Only downside is very fattening, maybe that's why im so fat right now. Mesa Court cafeteria will keep you off that freshman 15 for sure. read more

Usually my go-to for lunch when I was a first year walking along Ring Mall. Sometimes for dinner and late night once in a while. They had more of a limited selection back in the day (haha well like 3 years ago) I stuck with my grilled cheese, cheeseburgers, clam chowder, fries and nachos when they had it at the exhibition station. Not the healthiest selection, but compared to their salad, and having the salty tooth that I do, I would naturally go towards those choices. While all of that is still good now, they have definitely re-vamped the place to add a little more variety and spice. More choices in terms of not just a sandwich and fries. Last time I went last week there was corn, potatoes, and stuffed bell peppers where the burgers are served. The deli is still there, as well as their desserts, which is now equipt with a soft serve machine. Mmmm. Their exhibition station too also adds variety. I had spam musubi..pretty good! Only cons are that they do serve most of the same things over again, and it's pretty small, so sometimes you have to wait for someone to get up and hunt down their table. Or sit with people who have room. It's cool to meet others, but sometimes I just wanna eat with my hallmates/friends I came with. A solid place to go on campus..oh if only I was a first year again with swipes.. read more

After having a meal plan for four years now, I can honestly say that the overall experience has definitely gone down a lot. First and foremost, the food: The overall quality of the food has more or less stayed the same, but the variety and menu options has dramatically suffered. I see the same few things on the menu every week and it grows tiresome. The atmosphere is also a bother because the music is played way too loudly and everyone has to shout to talk to each other. The lines are also really long when it is lunch or dinner time because it is so crowded. Maybe if you were to come here once in a while when they have "good" specials, it is alright, but don't get your hopes up for good food. My friends and I just come because it is convenient and is buffet-style. They do have a take-out section, but it is not worth it, they give you a sandwhich, salad, chips, and water. read more

I miss this place... Fish taco + clam chowder bread bowls on fridays was the best :) The sandwiches here are amazing too and the ice creams are always popular. They also had great vegetarian burgers (the herb crusted one was awesome) read more

Can always expect excellent service and great food at Brandywine. Always clean, and much better than the competition. The only downside is everyone knows it's good, so they come and seating is limited. Edit: I must say, over the weeks Brandywine has started to slack off. Not only do they have lower quality food now (the bell peppers in my Santa Barbara sandwich were not roasted like before), but their service has gone down as well. If things keep going like this, I'll probably just stay away for good. read more

I love coming here! It's right off ring road and oh so tasty! They have such a friendly staff here and always have a nice selection of specials to try. Did you know it's also a zero waste facility?! WOW! read more