Where Should You Eat Next?

Sophie Feinberg, Editor

Lunch is an integral part of most students’ schedule. After hours in class, lunch is a time to reenergize for the rest of the day. Gables has a diverse campus with many areas available to sit and have a bite to eat or hang out with friends. Let’s take a look at lunch spots Gables has to offer.

Café 7:

Café 7 is spacious and bright. It's a different atmosphere than Diner 9.
Sophie Feinberg
Café 7 is spacious and bright.

Café 7 offers a lunch line and plenty of seating in your stereotypical cafeteria setting. With lots of tables and food options, this lunch spot is a go-to for many students. The line moves at a good pace and the area is a comfortable refuge away from the heat many lunch areas come with. It’s a great destination to eat at if you don’t bring your lunch because lunch lines tend to feel more crowded at Diner 9, due to its smaller size.

Diner 9:

Lines build up fast in Diner 9.
Sophie Feinberg
Lines build up fast in Diner 9.
This cafeteria offers a decent amount of seating, but it can fill up fast!
Sophie Feinberg
This cafeteria offers a decent amount of seating, but it can fill up fast!

Diner 9, formerly known as the New Cafeteria, is a small lunch venue. It provides less seating than Café 7, but makes up for it with unique booth seating and other lunch options. If you can get to the lunch area early, you are lucky because seating fills up fast. This venue is a great area to eat in with a small group of friends who bring lunch or are able to get in the line before it extends almost out the door.

Alumni Patio: 

Eat lunch surrounded by famous Cavaliers and tall trees.
Sophie Feinberg
Eat lunch surrounded by famous Cavaliers and tall trees.

Alumni Patio is a nice venue complete with covered picnic tables and murals. While the area is nice, it can get very congested because it is near a central hallway. Additionally, seating is limited and can be in direct sunlight during lunch hours. Many students enjoy the area for conversations in small friend groups. It’s a great area to grab a quick bite to eat and then chat with friends. It has an ideal location if you need to buy your lunch because it is right next to Café 7.

Pavilion:

The pavilion lines can get very long.
Sophie Feinberg
The pavilion lines can get very long.
The pavilion is a great place to hang out with friends.
Sophie Feinberg
The pavilion is a great place to hang out with friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pavilion is located at the heart of Gables’ campus. However, with its central location comes lots of crowds. Crowds are understandable given that the location offers additional lunch lines, vending machines, Jamaican patty sales and lots of picnic tables for seating. The area is home to a large group of events including pep rallies, Club Fair and other fun events throughout the year. If you are one who enjoys soaking up the most of your high school experience, the Pavilion is a great place to eat, plus there is plenty of room for your friends to sit.  However, very hot or rainy days can make lunch in the area less desirable than the indoor options that provide air conditioning and full coverage from the elements of the South Florida climate.

In the halls:

Students gather in the shade in front of the auditorium.
Sophie Feinberg
Students gather in the shade in front of the auditorium.
The new seating by the gym is a great spot to relax away from noise.
Sophie Feinberg
The new seating by the gym is a great spot to relax away from noise.

Many students struggle to find a seat in the areas listed above or prefer to eat in a secluded spot around the school. If that’s the case, Cavaliers can opt to gather in front of the auditorium and sit on the floor or in the grass, under the shade of a tree. The environment is more relaxed than the bustling areas offering lunch lines. The region now offers a small group of picnic tables adjacent to the gym and garbage cans are available to throw away any trash from your lunch.

“I like sitting out here because there is a lot of space and it’s not that hot and there’s not that many people,” junior Nicole Milan said.

With such an array of lunch destinations, you’ll never be left without a place to eat, whether you prefer to eat with the crowd or relax with a good book and snack.