As a Senior Chief, I (De’juh) have been eating in the lunch lines since I switched back to in-person schooling in August of 2021. Since my return, I have tried almost every item on each line’s menu and today, I am here to inform you about the foods that I have and will continue to eat during my remaining months at Santaluces.

It’s my (Gaby) second year at Santaluces, and I’m currently a Junior; due to my experience at Inlet Grove during my first year, I stayed away from school lunches. Some of my friends, like De’juh, encouraged me to try the lunches this year at Santaluces, so I did, and I can say that at this point, I’ve tried almost everything from all the lines and found some favorite items.

Strawberry Yogurt Parfait:

I (Gaby) give the yogurt a 9.5 out of 10, the yogurt parfait is a fine delicacy with vanilla yogurt and sugary strawberries in the middle. Personally, I like to pair this with graham crackers instead of the cinnamon granola. De’juh introduced me to this meal in the “Gourmet Deli” lunchline and I understand the hype, they ran out very quickly.

I (De’juh) would give the parfait a 10/10 I love the taste of the yogurt alone, but the strawberries and granola add in that extra flair.

Peach Yogurt Parfait:

I (De’juh) would give the peach parfait a 6 out of 10. I love the taste of the yogurt, but the peaches throw me off a bit. Sometimes, they break apart, causing small little orange bits to be distributed throughout the parfait.

For the peach yogurt parfait, I (Gaby) rate it a 6 out of 10 as well. This meal has a pleasant taste to it in theory because it is just fruit yogurt and granola, but, at the same time, most would agree that the bland taste of the peaches brings its rating down by a lot compared to the strawberry parfait. 

Spicy Chicken Salad:

Ah, the spicy chicken salad. This salad is something I (Gaby) very much stay away from. I detest spicy foods, and admittedly, I am very much a wimp when handling any form of spice. I dislike the salad because of this and rate it a 0 out of 10. 

I (De’juh) would give the spicy chicken salad a 10 out of 10, if you know me, you know I love spicy foods. The chicken isn’t overly spicy, it can be enjoyed without having to worry about your mouth feeling like it’s on fire. I hope to continue experimenting with the different flavors of salad dressing to see which one is my favorite.

Regular Chicken Salad:

I (De’juh) give the chicken salad an 8 out of 10. I have been trying to experiment to see which salad dressing pairs well with it, but the salad itself is really nice. I love the amount of salad that is offered and the taste of the chicken is delicious.

Now, the regular chicken salad is truly something else. I (Gaby) immensely enjoy this meal. It is all filling, nutritional, and easy to grab on the go as it comes in its plastic container. As De’juh previously mentioned, it pairs amazingly with salad dressing, for which the lovely lunch ladies serve multiple options. In total, I rate this meal a 10 out of 10. 

Chorizo and Chips:

This combo is something other than what I (Gaby) typically reach for in the lunch line; it is alright in taste and a solid meal, but nothing special about it draws my attention. In the end, I rate it a 7 out of 10. 

I (De’juh) would give it a 6 out of 10. I love that it has a little kick of spice to it with the addition of a cheesy taste and soft texture. The chips also add that extra crunch.

Pulled Pork Sandwich:

The pulled pork sandwich is packed with flavor and I (De’juh) love the perfect amount of grease it has. I would give the pulled pork sandwich an 8 out of 10. It depends on the day you get it but sometimes the pork is a bit fatty and I have to open my sandwich and separate the fat before eating it.

This meal was introduced to me (Gaby) by De’juh, and it has a pleasant, almost sweet and salty taste. Even with this, I rate the meal a 6 out of 10. If there isn’t anything else I’m craving, I will get this, but the downfall is, as De’juh stated, the additional fat of the pork. If you don’t check the meat before you bite, you might be stuck with a mouthful of gross, unwanted, greasy “pork.” 

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich:

This sandwich has to be the best of all the lunch lines. It has a classic cheesy taste with decent bread. If you get to the lunchline later than everyone else, it might be cold and dry rather than when you get there before everyone else, and it’s warm and savory. I (Gaby) rate this sub a 9 out of 10.

I (De’juh) love the Philly cheese steak menu option, it’s the perfect combination of savory and sweet. I love that you can cleanly eat the sandwich without having to worry about the steak falling on your clothes or causing your hands to become greasy. I would rate it a 10 out of 10.

Burger:

Today was my first time trying a burger from the lunch line. I (De’juh) would rate it a 7 out of 10. The buns were soft, the meat had the perfect texture, and I was able to add my preferred condiment of ketchup.

The cheeseburger is something easy to screw up, especially for school lunch. This cheeseburger is alright, not bad, but not unique. This cheeseburger is reliable; you can trust that it will always be good and taste the same, and its pretty filling. I recommend adding mayonnaise and ketchup to it. I (Gaby) rate it a 9 out of ten.

Teriyaki Chicken with Fried Rice and Broccoli:

Teriyaki and fried rice with broccoli is something I (Gaby) recently tried from the Asian Experience line. Eating this feels like a real meal, not a school lunch. Something about this, though, makes it feel like an acquired taste as most people don’t like the smell or the blandness of the rice. I rate it a solid 8 out of 10.

This meal option comes in around number 4 or 5 on my meal list, I ( De’juh) would rate it 8.5 out of 10. I don’t really like broccoli, but I always hide it’s flavors by putting a larger amount of teriyaki chicken and fried rice with it.

Overall, we love eating lunch together every day, our favorite part is choosing a random line to eat from every single day. You may find us walking back and forth from one line to another, standing in the outside line, or walking through the center of the courtyard. We hope you enjoyed reading about some of our favorite and least favorite menu options from each lunch line, tune in next time for more of our lunch line advice and opinions.