Dining Services staff expresses gratitude
The student community can enjoy home-cooked style meals within their busy schedule and be part of the creative process behind the menu offered by the Dining Services department on the Brownsville campus.
Alejandra Garcia, chef manager at El Comedor on the Brownsville campus, started working for UTRGV in 2023.
Garcia said the Dining Services’ purpose is to serve students with distinct food options from chicken tenders, a quesadilla station to fast food-like options.
“We change our guisos every day and, on Tuesday, we do taquiza because we know tacos are a big thing here in the [Rio Grande Valley],” she said. “And we want to give students also that experience in the university.”
Garcia said the team prepares everything a day in advance, so they can start each day with a lineup of food ready for anyone who comes in. El Comedor, composed of 10 personnel, works seven to eight hours a day and up to 37 hours a week, happy to provide food to their regular clients.
The chef manager added she believes another of her department’s purposes is to help students away from home to find, in their food, a piece of home on campus.
“It’s mostly based on the season,” Garcia said about the process behind every weekly menu. “Right now because it’s Lent, we use fish. … We really just get creative. We plan the menu two weeks or a week ahead and try to get as creative as we can. I have really good cooks that know how to cook and have really good seasoning, and they also have suggestions.”
She added her team members take into consideration students’ interests and suggestions for food, adding some of the options are outside their comfort zone, but the staff chooses to learn.
Dining Services likes to provide students with fresh, good quality food options, working expectations and observing what works best for the students and even faculty.
Alejandra Leal, a cashier for El Comedor on the Brownsville campus with over 10 years of experience, said she started working at UTRGV six years ago.
“Aside from being a cashier, I arrange the merchandise, take Pizza Hut and Pepsi orders, and help in anything I can … as we all multitask,” Leal said.
She added she enjoys interacting with students and getting to know them every day. Although stressful, she said she will continue to enjoy doing her job every day.
The cashier said the staff likes to do everything with love and encouraged students to share any ideas they might have to improve the menu.
Melissa Hernandez, supervisor at El Comedor for five years, oversees all there is to do during the day, multitasking throughout her shift.
“I enjoy orientation days,” Hernandez said. “The day goes by fast, and I enjoy talking with the students.”
She added she would like for students to come by more often, even if it is the end of semester, and enjoy the food.
