AMHERST — The University of Massachusetts Amherst has won bragging rights for having the best campus food in the country for the seventh consecutive time, the Princeton Review determined, based on feedback from college students across the country.

The flagship campus operates four all-you-can-eat dining halls with options for grab-and-go meals, along with more than 30 cafes and retail dining locations, and two food trucks. Among popular themed events hosted in the dining halls, chefs prepare steak and lobster for students every Halloween.

Ken Toong, who leads UMass Dining as executive director of UMass Auxiliary Enterprises, celebrated the achievement, saying in a statement he is “immensely grateful for our students, faculty and staff and entire UMass administration for their support and invaluable feedback, which has contributed to shaping and enriching the quality-of-life experience.”

Students who live in traditional residence halls are required to purchase an unlimited meal plan, but the Massachusetts Hunger Free Campus Coalition says food insecurity remains a predominant issue for many students at the state’s public colleges. The organization supported a $1 million line item in the fiscal 2024 budget Gov. Maura Healey signed into law last week that establishes a grant program to ease food insecurity on college campuses.

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