Going to restaurants and critiquing their food is one of my natural traits that I was born with.  

Ever since I was young, I was the type of person to judge things with brutal honesty. I’ve visited many restaurants in the Twin Cities and all over the country–all varying in cuisine and expense. As a person that grew up with a family and that cooked delicious food and went out to eat, I’d say I am pretty qualified to become a student food critic. 

When I first tried Wayzata High’s lunch, it was far better than my old school’s lunch by a big margin. There are a couple favorites of my own and some that I would never eat again. Below are the notes I’ve made for the school lunch as a new student:

My personal favorite is the buffalo chicken flat bread with the garden salad. One of the cafeteria ladies suggested putting the salad on top of the flat bread and wrapping it like a burrito. The color of the onions and herbs embedded into the bread didn’t look the most appetizing, but the garden salad really helped the presentation. The flavors of the ranch dressing and the buffalo sauce with the many different textures of the chicken and the flat bread all compliment each other very well. Unfortunately, this meal isn’t on the weekly menu but should definitely be featured more.

My second favorite will go to the dry rub chicken wings with homemade macaroni and cheese served with broccoli. The chicken wings are a crisp brown and the chicken isn’t too dry and the skin is seasoned to the brim. The macaroni and cheese is soft and savory, and when you bite into the corkscrew pasta the cheese explodes into your mouth in a satisfying bite. The broccoli isn’t really anything special though. It is plain and doesn’t have a lot of flavor but it isn’t overcooked. This is a solid meal with lots of variety.

The “make your own burrito” is a close tie to the dry rub chicken wings served with macaroni and cheese. Of course, this one is based on preference. But I personally like to add chicken, pico de gallo, lots of cheese, lots of Chipotle ranch, a pack of sour cream, and then a handful of lettuce. The combination of all the toppings are a mouthfeel of the different textures and flavors. It is a bit messy however.

On some days, it is a burrito bowl. I prefer the burrito wrap because it has more carbs and will ensure that your stomach is full. But the chips give a nice little savory to the meal and are much tidier and easier to eat. Either way, both variations are fulfilling and satisfying and will give everything a good meal needs.

A nice meal to eat would be the macaroni and cheese with the buffalo chicken or barbecue shredded pork. The macaroni and cheese is homemade and is the same recipe as the one served with the chicken wings. I like to sprinkle bits of bacon onto the creamy mac and cheese to give more texture. However, the bacon is not crispy and could be grilled better.

There are diced bell peppers as a topping on some days. The bell peppers add a pop of color to the macaroni and cheese but the crunchy texture overpowers the bouncy pasta. The flavors of the bell peppers and the bacon don’t really go well together as the bacon is not very flavorful. 

After I explored the Wayzata cuisine myself, I asked my peers and teachers and the lunch ladies what their favorite lunch meal is. To efficiently do that, I made a survey and sent it out to a couple people. Only four people answered: Naia Spoonheim, Chanell Wright, Joshua Ahouelete, and Katie Miller.

Naia Spoonheim suggested the black bean burger. She quotes, “The burger is a Goldilocks-type temperature, never too hot to eat or cold enough to discourage consumption, while the bun is also an ideal temperature and never soggy from grease.” She also adds, “This is a combo I haven’t strayed from since my best friend introduced it to me: add some lettuce, a decent number of pickles, and load on the fry sauce. Trust me. It always hits the spot.”

After trying the black bean burger, I was surprisingly in agreement with Naia. The burger’s warmth was nicely kept long enough for the consumer to eat. It was flavorful with the extra pickles and lettuce, while being drenched into the fry sauce. 

The black bean burger is far superior than the normal cheeseburger, which was Joshua Ahouelete’s favorite. The patty was dry and felt as if it had zero seasoning in it. The bun was nothing special. Not even pickles could save it!

With the burger, the fries are also served with it–Katie Miller’s favorite. Katie said in the survey, “It tastes pretty bland, but I like skinny fries. They are really good dipped in the fry sauce which has a strong seasoning of pepper.” I agree that the fries could use more salt, but the potatoes are light and soft and the outer layer is a delicate crisp that doesn’t feel too burnt. Katie Miller states that the fries should be crispier, which could be true for some but I think it is fine that way. 

Chanelle Wright’s favorite was the orange chicken with noodles. She said that she put the chicken in the eggroll, but on that day it was potstickers. The orange chicken was sweet but had nothing else to it. It wasn’t tender and the fried layer on top of it was not crispy at all. 

There were also no noodles, so I opted for the fried rice which was terrible and a waste of grain. It was mushy and had no solid texture. In my interviews with one of the cafeteria ladies, Sharon Pflazgraff, mentioned that her favorite was also the orange chicken and described it as “a bit spicy” and tasted like Leeann Chin, which I absolutely disagree with.

There are much better lunch options than the boring cheeseburger served everyday and the Panda Express knockoff. Ending my short lasting student food critic career, the school lunch has some great options and some very terrible ones. Don’t be afraid to try new lunch options, as there might be a new favorite you’ll enjoy.