EVK Dining Hall @ USC

This place sucks. Poor service, incorrect orders, they mix meats (sometimes you get beef in a chicken order at the hot bar), utensils are never properly washed, many people are rude, they always miss ingredients at the hot bar, half the week the food is inedible. Worst dining hall ive ever been to. Meal plan is total ripoff.

Oh gosh, EVK brings back some bad memories o_​O
«Everybody’s Kitchen» is the main dining hall for the freshmen at USC. It’s literally 2 seconds away from New North and 30 seconds away from Pardee Tower where I lived so my dorm-​mates and I came here a lot. EVK sucks you in because it’s convenient. It is centrally located so that it is the closest option to the freshmen dorms but that doesn’t mean it’s good.
Breakfast here is actually not bad, I’ll give it that. With the installation of the waffle makers EVK breakfast got a whole lot better. I really enjoyed making my own waffle and topping it off with a bunch of fruit and syrup. Also if you went up to the window in the back you could ask the chefs to make you eggs any style: sunny side up, scrambled, omelette, you name it they would make it. That was as good as EVK got though…
Lunch and dinner were never very good. The line was always huge to get in, then you had to fight for a seat after you piled your plate full of semi-​edible looking food. EVK was always coming up with weird concoctions like caesar salad pizza… what the heck?! The fries/​tater tots were solid but those are hard to mess up. They always had pasta as well but the sauce was usually flavorless and who likes to eat plain pasta? The salad bar was consistently pretty good and at least we could always count on a hearty meal when it was chicken nugget day or korean rib day. Those were the best.
The grill out back was also pretty good, especially when they would mix it up and have different options. Occasionally there would also be a special dinner going on in the next door room for the New North people, so my friends and I would sneak through the connecting door (behind the pizza station), grab some food (it was WAY better quality meat, vegetables and bread), then sneak back out to the main dining area. We loved these nights, we called them «Deluxe Meals». I’m not sure if this is still going on but those dinners saved our lives.
In the end Parkside was always better but EVK was right next door. I’ve heard they have made improvements so hopefully EVK will get better and better as the years go by.

It’s dorm food so you can’t go expecting too much pizzazz or flavor. This place is not as good as Parkside Dining hall but at least it is closer to most of the class buildings. They have an outdoor grill here so the burger is always popular. I usually just like to go here for breakfast since it’s hard to screw up eggs, bacon, and potatoes. They have waffle makers and customized omelets here now. They also re-​vamped their decoration so everything is more chic and modern. It’s cool and all but still nothing special. Best thing about this place is the famous EV-​Kitty. There’s a mommy and baby cat who lives outside and gets fed scraps from everyone. They are totes adorbs!

As a former USC student, I’ve seen the good and the bad at EVK. While the good wasn’t all that great… but the bad is bad. But what can you do as a student? You always end up coming back.
I am writing this review mainly because EVK has changed A LOT this last year. They completely remodeled the interior, and changed the menu/​options. Finally, it no longer looks like a cafeteria from the 1950’s! Everything looks very modern now! They still have a lot of improvement to do with their vegetarian menu though.
Now the food!
Here are the basics, and what you can expect every time:
Salad Bar: Iceberg lettuce, mixed greens, olives, corn, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, bell pepper, tofu, and tuna are usually there. They also have shredded cheese and various standard dressings.
Pizza: They usually have one pizza that has meat and another that has vegetables. This pizzas always differ (meat loves, bbq chicken, buffalo chicken etc). These pizzas are okay. Nothing spectacular.
Sandwich Bar: This is new! Now, they have a section where you can make your won sandwich on either toast or french bread. You usually have the option of ham, roast beef, or turkey. Additionally, you have spreads like mayo, mustard, hummus, and avocado (although not really fresh).
Hot Food: Now this is the part that usually differs. They’ll usually have some type of meat here, and some vegetarian sides. It could be salmon, chicken, meat load, pork, or anything for that matter. This is usually what makes it a good day or a bad day at EVK! Once they had tri-​tip and salmon on the same day, and they were both delicious! Other days, it could be a curry fish that is just awful.
Grill: One thing that EVK has over the other dining halls at USC is the grill. At the grill you’ll usually have burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and/​or some grilled veggies.
Hot Iron: This is also new. They have a flat iron now which allows them to make things to order. For example, I’ve seen them make omelets, fried rice, and Mongolian bbq noodles here. They make this in front of you according to what you have choose to add.
Final Verdict: EVK has definitely gotten a lot better over the years, so if you haven’t been here recently, then you should come. However, it’s really hit or miss. Some days it’s just awful, and other days it’s really good. For a USC student, this is kind of like the ex-​girlfriend that keeps reeling you back in. You don’t really know why you go back… but you usually do.

EVK is one of those places you’ll reminisce about later in life and suddenly feel like a millionaire (even if you’re eating a PBJ).
Where to begin? I don’t think I even will; others before me have sufficiently covered its insufficiencies. Value for your money is awful if nonexistent, and it’s only good if you have a meal plan, are starving and too lazy to walk elsewhere.
That said, I hadn’t come here since my freshman year before going back with a friend my senior year, and the transformation was unreal. Seeing all the 1-​star reviews now, though, makes me wonder what they would have rated my freshie experience haha… –10 000?
So, to everyone bitchin’ about everybody’s kitchen, it could be worse. Way worse. Because it was!

Highlights of EVK: Chicken nugget Tuesdays, chili verde, sliced pickles, and chicken strips in the salad bar. The other dining hall, Parkside, does not have this. But Parkside still is the better dining hall for me. I don’t mind coming here every once in the while though.
However, I’d skip breakfast here and head over to Parkside. The quality of food for breakfast is just not the same here at EVK. Dry, tasteless breakfast pizzas and food that seemed to be sitting for a while even though I arrived 30 minutes after opening.

People complain about how bad EVK is and how they get sick of it, but i’m a fan. I always go there on chicken nugget Tuesday and go there plenty of other times throughout the year. It is also a nice break from Parkside. The only negative is that sometimes they run out of food, but for a college dining hall it is pretty darn good.

The food here is TERRIBLE. Nothing ever has much flavor and everything looks likes it’s been circulating in trays for days. On an aside note, the music is weird!

Because I live in the North Area dorms, Everybody’s Kitchen is very convenient. It only takes a short walk to get myself some grub. However, the food here is average. Everything is comfort food… as to how amazing EVK’s food depends from person to person.
Breakfast is usually the best time to come here. Fruits and yogurt are always available, as well as different varities of cereal, and are located in front of the entrance. The other section, for warm foods, differs from day to day, but are usually pretty tasty.
Lunch and dinner are subjective. Dinner usually consists of leftovers from lunchtime, and lunch is usually OK. Expect Mexican or American food though.
Overall, EVK is an alright place to eat for freshmen, but if you’re a guest and a freshman swipes you in, then the food’s better from that perspective =)

This food is gross. I’ve never been to prison, but I imagine the food is comparable. Even the salad is gross. How can salad be gross, you ask? Ask whoever is in charge of this place, because that is a mystery to me as well.

If you’re not a freshman, EVK is awesome.
If you are a freshman… well, EVK gets old pretty fast.
BUT I am giving EVK 4 stars because it has THE most amazing waffles ever. And it’s DIY nowadays, but when I was a freshman, there was someone making it for you.
Although… when I was a freshman, there was this outbreak of the a gastrointestinal virus that made people avoid EVK for days (they thought it originated there, but apparently that was just a rumor). We used to call this place E-​VEE-​GAY (no offense to my gay Unilocalers).
Nowadays, as a non-​freshman, I am always grateful whenever someone swipes me in, becuase a) free food (which is a luxury!!) and b) AMAZING breakfast. If you don’t come here for anything else, come here for breakfast. OH and the chicken nugget Tuesdays. They also used to have cous cous, which I LOVED, but they don’t have it anymore! :(I’ve always enjoyed their soups, too.
Freshman, ENJOY your newly renovated EVK while you still can – the EVK you have now is a million times better than the one I had my freshman year.

There was an issue this semester when EVK was given a B for some minor issues for a brief time (something about some broken gadgets and the freezer being too cold?), but they fixed the issues right up. See the articles about it here:
Other than that, I ate here when I pretty much was required to eat here. They had some interesting dishes that I’ve learned to make myself. (Their spicy garbanzo bean sauce thing is something I always thought delicious.)
Their salad bar is better than that at Parkside, I think. And even Parkside does not have the lauded pita-​bar, though I think the hummus is terrible and doesn’t taste real at all. But still, there’s plenty of grease to go around, if that’s what you’re hungry for, as well as some interesting vegetarian options. And for such a variety of dishes, the staff is always working to put fresh stuff out. I’ve never been satisfied with the watery pasta section or the tasteless tomato sauce that accompanies it, but the special of the day is usually edible, if not delicious.
Really, I can’t see what everyone complains about when they complain about EVK. I just don’t see much reason to praise it as extraordinary, either. It’s a cafeteria that tries very hard. They get an A for effort, B for the result in my opinion. I’m just indifferent to it, save when I get an odd something-​chewy-​and-​gross in my fajita or something. Thank goodness I live in Webb now and can eat my own cooking daily!

Wow, i don’t know what they did. But they certainly spiffed up.
I used to think Parkside was much more vegetarian/​international friendly… but NO, EVK has drastically improved– SO MUCH that i ate here more often than parkside’s cafeteria (even though i lived in parkside arts & humanities).
Their weekend «brunches» and weekday lunches are superb. Brunches aren’t really brunches… but more of REALLY good breakfasts. Instead of going to the omelette bar & telling the guy what you want in your omelette, you actually PICK OUT your ingredients from the salad bar (incl feta/​mozzerrella cheese, onions, better mushrooms, etc). this way, you’d feel more comfortable by knowing exactly how much is it in your omelette. Another great thing is their belgian waffles that are cooked to order. They’re so warm & fresh, & aside it are toppings incl various fruit (preserves), syrup, & cottage cheese. I don’t really consider it brunch because of the lack of lunch options.
Next, their lunch is amazing. I learned to love their lunches over parkside’s. Ironically, I feel they’re more vegetarian friendly than parkside now. They started to serve an extensive pita bread station with large pita bread pieces, taboule salad, dolomas grape leaves, avacado/​plain hummus, chopped onions/​tomatoes, fresh olives, rosemary olive oil/​vinegar, & other middle eastern foods. I ALWAYS eat from the pita bread station, it’s something I always crave.
Another thing they spiffed up with was their salad bar by the other end of the room. There’s now always a lady who makes fresh salads (greek, cobb, blue cheese, caesar, etc) in a bowl & serves it to you. Along her side are 2 other salads/​cold appetizers like beet/​bok choy salad.
As for the hot foods… meh, usually not that great. Only great ones are their baked sweet potatoes, mac/​cheese, & chicken nuggets. The fish usually doesn’t taste that fresh…
& lastly, the desserts. I’ve only tried the carrot cake & cinammon/​apple bear claws & mini muffins… & they’re all delightful ways to end my meals.

Run away. That’s all I can say of here.

I was invited by a friend of mine who was a student here. The food wasn’t the best, but why complain? It was free, since I was a guest.

2.5 Stars
I’m a regular here and I can tell you the food quality depends on what day you go. One day the food can be good (almost never great), and the next could taste like reheated plane food.
Best things: Salad bar (except for the olive oil and vinegar containers, they’re huge and hard to control how much liquid comes out…) And sometimes the fajitas (chicken and beef) at the Mexican station.
And if you talk to the staff (if you speak Spanish, better), they will be more than happy to help you with any request. I literally created a huevo ranchero from scratch just by asking them!
Sometimes Parkside is just too far, Paul…

Not bad, but there is a general agreement that Parkside is wayyyyyy better.
Thanks, Eli!

When I was a student here I ate everyday at EVK when I lived at Birnkrant. The food was great, salads, desserts, meat, potatoes and if that wasn’t to your liking, you could get a fresh patty of hamburger and take it outside into the quad to cook on the grill.
The breakfasts were good, the lunches good and the dinners good, SC did a really quality food plan for people. I don’t think anyone could complain. It is not 5 star dining but for what you pay, you could pretty much get anything that you wanted.
Also, this hall was where all of the other dorms came to eat so it was central to the social scene of that section of SC. So it was much more than just a place to eat, it was a place to meet and probably more important than the actual dorm floors because people would spend so much time here talking and moving from table to table catching up on the latest gossip. Great memories. Great times.

Evil Voodoo Kitchen.
If you’re going to SC the only reason you should ever be eating here is to share the misery with your fellow students. Get a different meal plan if you can.

I heard they revamped Evil Kitchen since we last came here as freshmen, but I refuse to believe that the roaches are gone and that they serve better fare than the make-​your-​own USC-​branded waffles stand. Plus the swipers tend to be super anal about letting people give their meal credits to other people, and the other cafeteria workers look like they hate you.