Cox Hall

As I walked into Cox Hall on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, I was immediately hit with the sound of hundreds of people in conversation, and the smell of various kinds of lunch food. Since the dining hall serves everything from tacos to coffee, the cavernous room has a refreshingly unique smell that is inviting and makes my stomach growl. With tall windows covering one side of the building, Cox is open, light, and inviting, even during the lunch rush.

I went around 12:30, which was the main cause for the long lines and lack of seating. After waiting about 10 minutes to pay for my food, I walked out into the dining area with wide eyes. Every table in Cox is a long rectangle that fits 8 people. Being just one person, I felt awkward sitting alone at a table meant for 8. Cox is the perfect place to go with a large group of friends because of the long tables, but might not be the best place to sit and eat your meal if you are there alone like I was. That said, I sat at the end of one long table—that already had a few other people sitting at it—just lucky to have gotten a seat during the lunch rush.

One of the most alluring aspects of Cox is the variety of food that it offers, serving tacos, salads, sushi, coffee, Indian Curry, pizza, wraps, etc. With such a large variety of food and prices, it is easy to see why so many Emory students enjoy the food there. It is a nice change from the monotonous meals at the Dobbs University Center (DUC).

Emory students like to eat at Cox for many reasons. Freshman Brittany Calkins says that Cox is her favorite place to eat on campus. “I love the Chick Pea Curry at the Indian place. It reminds me of home,” she said.

While Cox is admired for the variety and taste of its food, there is a major downside to eating at Cox Hall: using Dooley Dollars. “My least favorite part of Cox is that you have to use Dooley Dollars instead of meal swipes,” Calkins said. Especially for freshman, who are required to purchase the unlimited meal swipe plan for the Dobbs University Center, having to spend the precious and very limited Dooley Dollars can be a disincentive to eating there.
Overall, Cox is a great place to eat a couple times a week, but not too often if you don’t want to blow your Dooley Dollar budget.