Welcome to Ruby Review, where I go in and review stuff here on our great campus. This review is based on the school’s famous chicken bowls that are served every Monday night.
I haven’t had one of these infamous bowls in a long time, so I traveled to the Dining Hall and purchased one. For my review, I got all the fixings and toppings with no extra servings of anything, and I got half buffalo and regular tenders as well. The bowl can come with mash-potatoes, chicken tenders, corn, stuffing, shredded cheese and is topped with gravy.
The bowl is prepared quickly and easily. Even with long lines, you will get your chicken bowl fast with little mistakes in your order. The chicken bowl comes in a small round black container. It’s perfect for taking it on the go and for microwaved leftovers – a college student’s dream.
The chicken bowl comes hot, and by the time I sat down to eat it, I could already see the cheese melting inside. I was told by my friends that it’s the best when you mix it all together. Before I did that, I tried a little bit of each part of the bowl while it was still separate.
The first thing I tried were the mashed potatoes. They looked creamy and soft and didn’t have any lumps in them. The potatoes were still warm and they tasted good, but they were deceivingly dry. I needed some water to help get it down, unfortunately.
Next I tried the regular chicken tenders. The chicken bites tastes exactly like the tenders from the grill, but in bite size. They were little on the dry side for me. I moved on to the buffalo bites so I could compare them to the regular tenders. The buffalo bites is a definite upgrade to the regular bites. It was juicier than the regular flavor and comes with a nice spicy kick to it.
The corn is just corn to me, and I could care less about it. So if you like corn, get it and if you don’t, then don’t.
The stuffing is the cream of the crop in my opinion. It is filled with flavor and just tastes so good. Always ask for extra stuffing. Only negative thing about it is that it comes in a small ball and can be difficult to mix in with the rest of the bowl.
The cheese is a nice addition to the bowl and helps to add an extra creamy flavor to the bowl, especially when it starts to melt. However, it is just a bit of an overkill for me, since I thought it overpowered the other flavors.
Gravy is gravy. If it is good or bad, it always helps gets the whole thing down. Always ask for extra gravy when you get it. After trying each piece, it was time to mix everything together.
For most people, they open the bowl and mix it up with their spoon or fork. But I think shaking it till all the goodness is mixed up is the best way. It helps combine all the flavors, so that you can taste it in every bite. The mixing of the bowl helps mix the gravy with the mash and eliminates the dryness that potatoes can have.
It is important to keep in mind that the quality of the chicken bowl varies. Sometimes ingredients may be fresher and less dry, other times they could be worse than my experience.
The chicken bowl is a quick and filling meal that everyone should try at least once. While it might not be one of the healthiest options at the Dining Hall, it’s a good meal after a long Monday. It’s too simple to get wrong, but you don’t expect it to blow your mind when you have it. Overall, it was almost like a little Thanksgiving party in your mouth with every bite.
