A new addition to the food scene in Ithaca is always exciting – especially one that is so conveniently located in Collegetown. Big Red Food Court opened on Feb. 20 and sparked all of our interests in its relationship with the university that the name alludes to and the status it would achieve in the eyes of students, faculty and others dining in Ithaca. After seeing all of the chatter on Sidechat, the Lifestyle Department decided to put this newcomer to the test.
As the successor of Ithaca Beer Company, which closed its doors in March 2024, Big Red Food Court now sits directly across from the beloved Collegetown Bagels. If you’re living on campus, this location can be reached either via walking or Route 30 of the TCAT. Since it is situated in a relatively accessible spot for students, it was all the more important to review this food court in totality.
Kaitlyn Bell ’28 and I are both Lifestyle Editors and native New Yorkers, putting us in a unique position to challenge Big Red Food Court’s claims of being “New York City style.” When we showed up with our media team on Feb. 28 at 1:30 p.m. to film our experience dining at the eatery, the doors were locked, despite Google actively indicating it was open. When I knocked on the glass, a man came out to communicate that they were overwhelmed by the demand, and that they would be open the next day.
So, we returned two days later on Mar. 2 at 11:35 a.m., only to find out that they would not be opening until 12:00 p.m. due to limited “soft opening” hours. This was neither communicated on Google nor posted on any of their social media accounts at the time. With no other choice, we waited, along with the growing crowd of confused customers drawn in by the large “open” banner waving at the door.
Walking in, we could sense the overall sentiment of uncertainty curated by all of us overwhelmed by the vastness of the space and extensiveness of the menu. The TVs displayed long lists of food items across varying cuisines. With everything ranging from deli sandwiches to pasta dishes to shawarma, it was incredibly easy to get lost in all of the options. And for a food court claiming to be New York City style, I was personally shocked there were no pizza slices in sight.
Worried that this was a situation in which by trying to achieve everything, Big Red Food Court achieves nothing, Kaitlyn and I strategized the best items to pick out of the (over)ambitious spread in order to give you the most holistic review. We went with the North Three Sandwich, the Classic Burger, a plain bagel with scallion cream cheese, an iced latte with oat milk and sugar, and the Banana Mango Tango Smoothie.
Of course, we had to start with our bagel and its schmear. Our bagel was fluffy and soft, but it definitely did not have a New York City feel, as it wasn’t reminiscent of the perfect warm, round bread with a shiny crust and rich tan color. In fact, if bagels aren’t fresh out of the oven, I feel they should always be toasted. To me, it felt like I was eating a pretty average-tasting bagel I had gotten from a buffet at a speaker event. However, though Kaitlyn and I are both highly critical, we still agreed it was decent for an approximately $6 bagel, assigning it a final ranking of six out of ten.
At home, I always get a coffee with my bagel, and the quality of one’s coffee speaks volumes about its other drink offerings. I ordered one of the most basic coffee orders one can: an iced latte with milk and sugar. Upon receiving it, we were immediately skeptical of how it was going to taste, and for good reason, too. It was a light tan color with no ice in sight and a pool of white froth on top. My first sip told me everything I needed to know: it tasted like a watered down coffee, one that was neither iced nor sweetened. I was very disappointed, and even though it was just $5, I would have preferred a more expensive drink of higher quality. I rated this a two out of ten.
Along the lines of your typical New York City staples, the North Three Sandwich promised grilled chicken, mozzarella, arugula, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar on a roll for $9.99. Expecting big things from the “NYC Style Deli” promised by its menu, Big Red Food Court needed to deliver. When we opened the wrapping up, we were surprised by how small and condensed the sandwich was; we also noticed that it actually came on a burger bun instead of a bread roll, but for us, that wasn’t a huge issue. In general, the combination of ingredients made for an eight out of ten sandwich, not quite rivaling a classic NYC, but still making for an easy bite to grab if you’re passing through Collegetown.
Kaitlyn opted for a smoothie with mango, banana and orange juice to accompany our meal. She picked up the drink, swirled it around and found that it was somewhat on the liquidy side. After tasting it, she expressed dissatisfaction with the overpowering banana flavor. “It tastes like mashed up bananas,” she said at that moment. She also rated her $9.99 drink a two out of ten, indicating it was not her cup of tea (or smoothie).
Lastly, the Classic Burger surprised us with its satisfying combination of lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese and a mystery sauce tucked inside we assumed was mayonnaise. Priced at $7.99, it was the item we enjoyed most out of our selection. Again, it was a small single patty, but it got the job done in terms of quelling a craving. Our ratings averaged out to be seven and a half out of ten.
Would Big Red Food Court be my first option to dine at if I wasn’t crunched for time? No, it wouldn’t be. Even if I were on a tight schedule, it took us a little under ten minutes to order and another ten to get our food, possibly disqualifying it from being the best place to run in and grab a meal if you’re between classes. They do offer a 10 percent student discount, which brought our total to approximately $38 for five items. Though reasonably priced given the dining scene in Ithaca, Kaitlyn and I still agree on the fact that Big Red Food Court is far from achieving an authentic NYC feel.
Maia Mehring is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She can be reached at mjm743@cornell.edu.
