Select from Eight Eateries at Penn Pavilion

Duke community members looking for a restaurant-quality meal without straying from campus have a new way to eat well.

Tucked alongside the Bryan Center, next to the University Store is Penn Pavilion, the latest addition to Duke's dining options for students, faculty and staff. Completed this summer as the first step of the West Union's renovation, the Penn Pavilion is home to eight different eateries, offering options from a slice of pizza to Mexican dishes. Many "combo" meals can be had for as little as $6.

"The Pavilion is unique not only because of the specials and variety of food, but also the setting," said Robert Coffey, director of Duke Dining. "The views from Penn Pavilion are gorgeous this time of year, with the tall glass windows showing leaves changing and Duke Forest around us."

Along with Sitar, a local Indian food vendor, Penn Pavilion features the following dining options:

• Bistro (carved meats and sides)
• Comforts (comfort food)
• Stacks (deli-style sandwiches)
• Cilantro (made-to-order Mexican)
• Alforno (pizza and pasta)
• Greens (soup and salad)
• Dash (grab-and-go sandwich options)

Every eatery accepts cash, credit and FLEX as payment, with prices that rival many off-campus dining spots. Visitors to Penn Pavilion can get two pieces of fried chicken and two sides for $5.99 at Comforts as well as a "burrito bowl" at Cilantro for $6.19. There are plenty of vegan, vegetarian and allergen-friendly options, too.

When creating salads from a salad bar at Greens, diners get the chance to eat locally grown produce, including items like eggplant from Creedmoor’s Lyon Farms or arugula from the Duke Campus Farm, which supplies a variety of salad greens to Duke Dining.

"It's the epitome of sustainability when Duke students or employees can eat food grown by their peers on a local farm supported by Duke," said Emily Sloss, manager of the Duke Campus Farm.

Duke Dining plans to host several "Meet Your Farmer" events throughout the academic year, which will include bringing in local farmers to talk about their produce, growing practices and agriculture. Kirsten Marinko, marketing manager for Duke Dining, also said that she's working with Duke dieticians to occasionally host a table inside Penn Pavilion to provide healthy eating tips and act as a resource for Duke community members with questions about their diet.

"We've seen a growing number of students, faculty and staff show an interest in eating more healthy, so we figured why not bring the information directly to them?" Marinko said. "Bringing these resources into the dining locations encourages students to engage and makes for a unique and immersive dining experience."

Along with hours to eat, Duke community members can find Penn Pavilion daily specials online at the Duke Dining website.