When the Saint Mary’s campus shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, one of the College’s dining locations — Murphy’s Cafe — closed with it. But this semester Murphy’s has reopened with a revamped menu.
Murphy’s is now offering healthier alternatives through the national chain Freshens, including smoothies, flatbreads, salads, wraps and rice bowls. The cafe is located in the Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex and is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Sophomores Hannah Bruckman and Madison VanDress recently tried Murphy’s Cafe for the first time, since it was closed for their first year. Bruckman said she liked seeing the different types of food on the new menu.
“It was a great reopening,” she said. “It was my first time coming here, but I really like the variety with a bunch of food menu items. They definitely tried to appeal to people with food allergies, which is really good.”
VanDress said she was impressed with her order of the Thai chicken rice bowl.
“It is so good — I was surprised,” she said. “It’s either a hit or miss with food and you never know what to expect.”
She also said she was glad to have variety in the Murphy’s menu.
“You have options instead of just having the same thing every day,” VanDress said.
Bruckman said she plans to frequent the cafe because of its ambiance and location on campus.
“It’ll definitely be up there because no other places on campus have food like this,” she said. “It’s located in a good spot and it gives off the actual cafe vibe. It’s definitely a good place to sit and have a chat or do your homework.”
Junior Julia Crowley said Murphy’s is a good place to get a quick breakfast on the go.
“I mainly just get the smoothies,” Crowley said. “I don’t really eat breakfast, so it’s a good supplement and I like that it seems healthier than the stuff at the dining hall.”
She ordered the Maui Mango smoothie and noted that she enjoyed it.
“It is definitely worth trying and is something [I] love to get,” she said.
Aside from the redesigned menu, Murphy’s also offers a wider range of options for those with dietary restrictions, like senior Katie Alberts, who is a vegetarian.
Alberts frequented to Murphy’s as a first-year and sophomore, but said she loves all the new options for vegetarians. Because Murphy’s allows vegetarian substitutions for items that have meat, Alberts said she is excited to be able to customize her food.
“I love the feeling of having a personalized meal made for you as opposed to the feeling of eating in bulk,” she said.
Alberts ordered the vegan power-up smoothie and the Caesar wrap with vegetarian meat, expressing her gratitude for the expanded menu offerings.
“It’s always been the healthier option, but it’s exceeded what it was before,” she said. “There are a lot more options for people who are vegetarian.”
Alberts said she was impressed with the quality of products at Murphy’s and noted she would return often.
“It’s definitely going to drain my flex points this semester,” she said.
