I am a freshman at NSU, and I’ve been to Razors Reef more times than I can count. I think the prices are very fair, and it’s really nice that you can take home a container’s worth of food for the mere price of $10.50. I believe that the food at Razors Reef, as with every dining establishment, has its ups and downs. The food served is good enough for me, but I’ve asked some of my peers, and they claim the food is “heavily unseasoned” and “rushed.” This isn’t necessarily just a food review, but a review of Shark Dining in its entirety. I think that the food and workers at Shark Dining are criticized a little too much.
As someone who’s worked at a store that served hot and cold sandwiches, subs and wraps and on top of that, meals for our customers. Preparing food for customers is not the easiest thing in the world. Making food for students can be a trial, especially considering masks are very skilled at muffling not only your voice but the workers’ as well. The hustle and bustle of Razors Reef can make it very hard to hear what they are asking you, making you ask for clarification multiple times. I hate repeating myself, so I can’t imagine working hours on end constantly repeating myself. This isn’t anyone’s fault, so it’s unavoidable, but that is my point: it’s not our fault and it’s not the worker’s fault either.
The food that they serve isn’t bad. My personal favorite is a classic Italian sandwich from Mondo Subs. While of course the subs can seem a little rushed, it’s for good reason. The lines in the Razor’s Reef can get very long very quickly. They have to speed things up to keep up with the customers, and it gets difficult. Not only are they struggling to hear what we want, but they also are multitasking with cook times, the cash register and toasting our subs. I’ve never had a bad meal from the Reef, in fact I really enjoy the food they make.
Though I heavily sympathize with the workers who make our food and drinks, and I think they shouldn’t get half of the harsh reviews from us students, I can’t turn a blind eye to some of the things I’ve seen go down. Sometimes I believe the workers can be a little more cold than usual. Of course, I understand that working in the food industry can be frustrating, but also it is the industry you agreed to work for. I’ve been stopped multiple times from going to a place in the Reef because a friend or two pull me aside and tell me, “Be careful, the workers aren’t in a good mood.” I think that if you know you are going to make food for students, you should be prepared for that.
