Krishna Lunch

Krishna Lunch has always been one of my favorite things about the University of Florida. It is a cherished memory, something so special that I will never forget about the University of Florida. Krishna is a place where people gather to bond. I remember eating Krishna Lunch every single day of my sophomore Fall semester with one of my best friends. It will always have a great place in my heart.
Krishna always means comfort to me. The best part is that it is comforting without the guilt. Sure, the meals probably are not as clean as most vegan meals, but they are delicious and that sir, is what counts. It is extremely filling (carbalicious). There is a weekly menu, that basically never changes. I have been at UF for five years now and the weekly rotation has been the same besides a change to the Tuesday menu. The sauce that the eggplant is in is a little different, but still delicious. You can view the menu on their website:
It seems like everyone’s favorite is Wednesday aka Spaghetti Day, but my heart has always belonged to Tuesday. I really enjoy the eggplant because it is the tastiest. The rich, earthy flavors really go well with the creamy sauce it is cooked in. The spices in this dish really shine and the basmati rice and salad with almond dressing are the perfect compliments. The almond salad dressing gives me life in general. I have tried recreating it using the dressing packet they sell, but I can never get it as heavenly and nutty as the original.
Each Krishna dish is cooked with love. Each dish is rich with flavor and each dish is unlike anything you have tried before. The halava dessert is something that changes everyday. The accuracy in flavor in impeccable. My favorites are the toffee and chocolate varieties. They are spot on with making the wheat based dessert taste exactly like what they are modeled after.
For $ 3.50-$ 5.00 a meal, I believe that Krishna lunch is a steal. Purchasing 10 meals at a time for $ 35 saves for $ 15! Krishna is also all you can eat, so it is perfect if you want a snack later in the day or want to save some for dinner. All you need to do is bring tupperware. They usually start serving a few minutes early, so come at 10:55AM if you are hungry! The Hare Krishnas will be waiting for you with yummy food, bright smiles, and tons of wisdom.
The only true cons to Krishna lunch are the seating availability and time spent in line. Sometimes the line is ridiculous, but that is out of their control. It is not their fault their food is fabulous now is it? The new location between Plaza and Turlington offers a lot more space to sit, but it is pretty uncomfortable sitting on the brick. I wish there were a few lawn chairs since Krishna lunch is now prohibited at Griffin Floyd Hall.
All in all, Krishna is one of my favorite parts about UF. I will never forget and will stop by and have some lunch every time I visit.

I was HUGELY disappointed in the Krishna Lunch. My husband has been talking about Krishna Lunch for as long as I have known him like it was the greatest thing ever. He says they were his sole real meal for lunch everyday going back to the 70’s. He has fond memories of how it was just a dollar, «suggested donation,» and if you did not have a dollar, it was still cool to eat their lunch if you sat and listen to their teachings while you ate. And he must have listened a lot, because he knows an awful lot about Krishna Consciousness. He is like an undercover Krishna. He even does the Krishna chant and dance. And he does it often. So when we finally happen to be on campus between 12 and 1, and close enough to partake, I was expecting peace, and love, and food, and community — I was expecting nothing less than a religious experience. What I got was a HUGE disappointment.
The first disappointment was the sticker shock. $ 5 each for lunch, and it is not a suggested donation; they are charging $ 5 for lunch. Then there was the food itself. Yes it was vegetarian, and while it was actually a lot better than what Jeff described, it was not a good value for $ 5. If this was a restaurant I would be indignant. They have little or no fixed costs to pass on, they are not paying the people dishing this food out, they have a location that is PRICELESS when it comes to access to students, and this is what I get for five dollars? This must be a CASH COW for this church! Where is all the money going?
Second disappointment was the lack of love. The volunteer kids were not giving out food with love; they were slopping it onto plates like they work for a boss they hate. I should see love in their eyes and faces. They should exude the peace of Krishna Consciousness. Instead they were like employees released from the DMV for not showing enough enthusiasm. I was shocked!
Third disappointment; where was the out-​reach? Where was the teaching? There was supposed to be a guy in a flowing Monk robe, with paint on his forehead, leading a meditation or teaching me interdependent co-​arising, or something. I did not get any feeling of spirituality. All I got was a feeling that I was forking out money that is not going back into the spiritual community. I do not know where it is going, but it is not going into outreach from what I could see. I was horrified.
My husband tried to defend them for a bit, but eventually, even he had to agree, what we experienced today did not represent the love, values, or spirituality that he has been describing for more than 35 years. He said, «I learned and grew by sitting here, listening.» He believes he would never had pursued Transcendental Meditation, or his time at the Plumb Village in France, or the Zen Center in San Francisco, or his time at Esalen, if it had not been for those seminal experiences he had at the Krishna Lunch when he was a child. Based on Jeff’s memories, I expected help to experience my own spiritual nature, but I left feeling like I just gave money to one of those prosperity televangelists. What a disappointment!
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
See, I know the Mantra by heart. Who do I see about getting those brain cells back?
I hope Krishna Lunch finds the path back to the values and Spirituality upon which it was founded.

So, healthy Indian food at lunch time in less than $ 5. With dessert. And salad. And yummy almond dressing. It’s a win win! I love it and have it everytime I’m on campus during lunch time. However, I’m not a fan of a spaghetti they serve every Wednesday.

Karma free goodness. You always get as much as you want. You always leave knowing you just ate some heathy goodness.

One of the best Indian Vegetarian food available around the campus. Too good option for a vegetarian.