Now that the school year is off and running, it is time to review the hot lunch at school. Hot lunch has been offered at the school for over 50 years, and has reduced the number of hungry Berkley students throughout its time. Today, many hungry students line the halls for hot lunch right as the 4th hour ends, and the get to decide between various food options and drink options when indulging in hot lunches. I set out to interview daily hot lunch-eaters, and to try all the hot lunches for myself for a week, in order to find the best combination of sides and main dishes. My goal was to find the most delicious lunch available for students!

Monday, I advanced through the hot lunch line looking over my options. For lunch that day, the menu was fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes. To add to my main meal, I grabbed a bag of carrots, an apple, and chocolate milk. This meal was already piling up on my plate and I was very excited to try it all. Surprisingly, the fried chicken was fantastic. It had a nice crunchy texture and had a great chicken to bone ratio compared to other restaurants. The corn was soft as a pillow and extremely buttery. This was similar to the taste of the mashed potatoes, however, the gravy ultimately ruined the entire meal. The gravy was tasteless and the texture was extremely thick and displeasing. As for the sides, they were a nice addition to the meal, and I thoroughly enjoyed the carrots and apples. For the main dish, I enjoyed everything besides the gravy, and therefore I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. However, everything about the side dish was amazing! I would rate those 5/5 stars.

Tuesday, the main course that day was a chicken sandwich and green beans. For my side, I decided to try the mixed fruit cup and whole milk. As I sat down, ready to dig in, I noticed that my meal did not look as aesthetically pleasing as Monday’s meal. However, as it turned out, the chicken sandwich was extremely tasty with the added barbecue sauce. Yet, the squishy green beans were below average, and the bread was just fair. I had mixed feelings about the fruit cup.. At some points, I didn’t even know what fruit I was eating. This meal did not impress me at all and seemed to follow the norms of public school hot lunch. I would rate the main meal 3 out of 5 stars because of the below-average green beans. For the sides, I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars because of the very average bread roll and the fruit cup which I would never recommend to anyone journeying through the lunchline.

Thursday, I started my journey through the hot lunch line and started my main course with Mac’n cheese and sadly once again green beans. The sides consisted of apple sauce and strawberries. I was very excited to try the mac’n cheese and it did not disappoint! As soon as I took my first bite I was engulfed in the cheesiness and creaminess of the mac’n cheese. The mac’n cheese filled me up quickly and was definitely worth the wait in the lunch line. Yet the green beans, as you know, were not worth the wait in the long, spirling lunch line. As for the sides, the apple sauce was fabulous, reminding me of my childhood days. The strawberries were also good but they were extremely sweet and were watered down inside the cup. I would rate the main course a 3 out of 5 stars because even though the mac’n cheese was spectacular, the green beans were the meal’s downfall. For the sides, I would rate them 4 out of 5 stars.

Friday, the main course was calzone and steamed carrots. As for my side, I chose baby carrots again and topped them off with orange juice. I know orange juice does not sound like a great pairing for the calzone, but I had not had it yet. The calzone was wonderful! Think of a huge hot pocket that is cheesy, warm, and delicious. This was my favorite main course this week! The steamed carrots were not my favorite. The carrot’s texture was not appetizing, as they were mushy and moist. The side of carrots made up for the mushy steamed carrots. You can’t go wrong with a side of carrots and ranch, this combo has been my favorite of this week. The orange juice was a little out of place, but I did enjoy it; as soon as the liquid hits your tongue, you experience a rush of fresh, cold, orange taste. Overall, I would rate the sides a 5 out of 5 stars because the carrots with ranch are the best side out there! For the main meal, I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars because the calzone seems as if it was made by Gordon Ramsay. However, the steamed carrots were not my favorite and I will not be getting them again.

Keep in mind that these reviews were only for one week of hot lunch. Maybe better food options are lurking in the shadows which I have not reviewed yet. When I asked Senior Dominique Ware what his favorite meal was and why, he responded saying, “The bosco sticks are my favorite because they just hit differently.”

Senior Cameron Youngquist, another daily hut lunch attendee, also agreed that bosco sticks were one of the best meals, but also stated, “The pizza is one of my favorites and has been since middle school.”

Now that students have an idea of what the best main dishes and sides at Berkley High School are, hopefully, students can use this to their advantage and have the best experience at lunch! The best side and main course combination are carrots (including ranch) with either calzone and steamed carrots or fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Altogether I had a great time doing this and the staff that works the cafeteria are awesome!

Meals and sides
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Carrots and ranch

⭐⭐⭐⭐: Calzone and steamed carrots, apple sauce, strawberries, fried chicken and mash potatoes

⭐⭐⭐: Chicken sandwich and green beans, mac’n cheese and green beans,

⭐⭐: Fruit cup, bread