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| - With no visible signs or advertising, you could easily overlook this place during your entire stint at the university. (By the way, you can find it on the second floor, northwestern corner of the Union.) I would recommend this place for guests of the Union Hotel who want to stick close to their rooms, or anyone else who wants a slightly classier lunch option (compared to the mall-style food court in the Union's basement). My department often takes visiting professors and job candidates here for lunch, mostly because it is no fuss yet still feels professional. Although there are no actual restrictions against the public dining here, the location and atmosphere make it a more appropriate lunch option for the university community and campus visitors.
Food is served buffet-style, with daily soups, salad bar, sandwich bar, hot bar, and desserts. In terms of quality, I'm pretty sure that the Ballroom uses the same food service company as the campus dining halls. There's a good selection of crunchy veggies on the salad bar, meats and cheeses for sandwiches, and other items, but I can't help but feel that I'm reliving a slightly upscale version of my dorm years.
The hot bar is surprisingly good, and probably the only part of the menu that sees significant rotation (I've never seen the same thing on the hot bar twice in a month). This can be great if you plan to eat here regularly and don't like repetition; it sucks once you've found something you really like and know there's a slim chance of seeing it again. Some of the past items I've really enjoyed include: chicken piccata, eggplant parmesan, and potato-crusted fried fish. There is usually a vegetarian entree and sides, and the staff are good at answering questions if you have dietary restrictions.
Time has passed since Yelpers wrote about this place, and the price has rose to around $10 per person. This price includes access to the full buffet, plus beverages, and I think it is comparable to what you'd probably pay at other buffet places.
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