Red Earth offers students taste of Oklahoma

An eighth dining establishment has made its debut in the Student Union food court.

Red Earth Kitchen opened Wednesday, giving students the chance to try food from the state of Oklahoma.

Terry Baker, director of University Dining Services, said he is glad to see the restaurant open and is eager for students to try it.

"We worked very hard to make the menu," Baker said. "We had tested all summer to make many good recipes."

The restaurant is open from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For breakfast, students can choose from breakfast sandwiches, biscuits, eggs, sausage or various combo meals, Baker said. During lunch, students can order Made in Oklahoma products such as chicken, garlic roasted potatoes, homemade soups and fresh salads.

Chris Casey, the restaurant's supervisor, said he was pleased with the amount of people who came out on opening day.

"A lot of people were here thanks to word-of-mouth," Casey said. "It was a little busier than I expected it would be, but everything went really well, and it's going great."

Casey said he knew people were anticipating the restaurant's opening and is glad they can offer something the public seems to want.

Reactions to the restaurant were mixed among some students.

Matthew Rogers, a biosystems engineering freshman, ate at Red Earth Kitchen during its first few days.

"I think it's is a really good place," Rogers said. "I like that it gives students a healthy choice to eat on campus."

But Benton Painter, an aerospace engineering sophomore, said his expectations weren't met.

"While the food was good, I was disappointed with the portion sizes," Painter said. "I ordered the garlic roasted potatoes, but they only put like three potatoes into a huge cup."

Kathryn Rykard, an accounting freshman, said she had hoped for more choices on the menu.

"There weren't as many options as I expected, and it was kind of expensive," Rykard said. "I would probably come back to give it another try though."

As for the rest of the food court, two other restaurants, Baja Fresh, a Mexican restaurant, and Passport, which features cuisine from different countries around the world, are set to open soon.

Baker said Baja Fresh is expected to open within the next few weeks, and Passport is expected to make a grand opening sometime in the first few weeks of February.