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Gorilla Crossing: a favorite establishment of many students in desperate attempts to avoid the dining hall. When the day comes where you can consume no more pizza and salad bar (as if there should ever be a day), it’s time to make the long trudge to the student center for slightly different pizza and now a slightly different salad bar. As of the beginning of the school year, the options available in Gorilla Crossing, however, are very different. Say goodbye to Noodles and hello to BBQ. While several restaurants were simply rebranded, the message is still the same. It’s time for a mix-up. The question is, which new dining concept did Sodexo best accomplish? Is it time to “season” up your life or are you OBC-ver the other options. Which will reign supreme when these three new concepts are BBQ Pitt-ed against one another.
First up is the OBC grill—a fresh and reimagined take on Sky Ranch Grill. The food is almost as fresh as the name change. With the quickest service in the crossing, it would be hard to beat. The chicken tender basket was the meal laid on the serving line for this round of food fight. The amount of chicken tenders, to begin with, was much more than this writer’s stomach could handle, just like the amount of butter on the thick cut toast served as a side dish. I’m not complaining, though, because it paired extremely well with their gravy. The fries were nothing to scoff at either. This was definitely a win, although the prices were not. They were somewhat high for the amount of grease in the dish and could have definitely used some improvement. Another highlight was the lovely condiment bar now provided to go along with the meals.
Shifting down in the crossing is the new BBQ Pitt. Just the smell wafting off their food was enough to make a person happily keel over. It was certainly the easiest place to pig out at. Up to the test was their loaded spud, a deliciously unhealthy combination of a face-sized baked potato topped with enough sour cream and butter to impress Paula Dean, loaded with exorbitant amounts of your meat and cheese of choice. Add extra barbeque sauce for a nice kick. This was too delicious for words. If there were any drawbacks, it was only that this writer wanted ever more. If you’re asking yourself whether or not to get seconds, don’t chicken out because this food is more than worth it.
After all of this “healthy” food, it was time for the real treat: the new salad bar “Seasoned.” Although options for a salad are really always dealer’s choice, the offerings available are quite vast and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the prices were not as wonderful. A large salad was worth it for the availability of toppings, but not for the heartiness. If you only have a bit of money and need to get full cheaply before your next class, skip being “seasoned” for now. Though, if you have the time and are looking for a healthy alternative to the normal crossing experience it is still a viable option.
Overall, the BBQ Pitt simply took the cake. The other options are still OK and it is purely a matter of personal preference, but this writer was shouting OMG for more BBQ. The loaded spud was delicious. The prices were reasonable. Anything you get here is sure to be worth your time, money, and loss of planned diet.
