Only a year ago, Wackadoo’s Grub and Brew opened its doors to FAU students on its main campus in Boca Raton. This sports bar is the only place on campus where you can get a “fat-ass” burger and a beer in a college atmosphere. A year later, many students prefer the food and atmosphere at Wackadoo’s to that of the cafeteria.
“The atmosphere is more relaxed [here] than [when you’re] sitting in the cafeteria,” senior Nicole Sallenbach said.
She is a regular at Wackadoo’s, along with friends Amanda Powell and Linda Rivera. Senior Tamika Saunders also prefers the sports bar over the cafeteria, even when there are events going on and it’s busy.
“It doesn’t matter, anytime I prefer [eating] here,” she said. She doesn’t live on campus but often eats lunch with a friend who works at Wackadoo’s. Besides the atmosphere, students also like the food. The menu includes things like chicken wings, chicken sandwiches, “fat-ass” burgers, and beer.
“It’s better-tasting [than the cafeteria],” freshman Cynthia Robertson said. The food is also the main reason she goes to the sports bar.
“I just come here to eat,” Robertson said. Some of the favorite foods on the menu include the “fat-ass” burger, buffalo-chicken sandwich, meatball sub, and the chicken sandwich.
Junior Cooper Brownell likes the cheese ball. “It’s the sourdough roll with tons of cheese in it. It’s real good for you,” Brownell said sarcastically. Brownell and his friends Jennifer Moor and Matt Eube end up at Wackadoo’s every once in a while. They all like the chicken wings.
Concerning food, there are students who haven’t tried a lot of the variety on the menu and there are others who have. For example, Cynthia Robertson admitted she hasn’t tried everything on the menu, but said, “What I’ve tried I’ve liked.” Her favorite thing to eat at Wackadoo’s is the very popular “fat-ass” burger.
“I’ve tried almost everything,” Tamika Saunders said. She likes the cheese bricks and the grilled chicken sandwich. However, she’s not a big fan of the Reuben sandwich.
Brownell, Moor, and Eube have all have tried a lot of food on the menu, but don’t like the burgers.
“The burgers aren’t that good,” Moor said. “Because it’s a government building they can’t cook them any less than well done,” Brownell said. Matt Eube also added, “[The burgers] come out like hockey pucks.”
The students may like the atmosphere and the food, but they still think Wackadoo’s could be improved. For example, one big concern is advertising, so more students would become aware that it exists.
“A lot of people don’t come here,” Nicole Sallenbach said. “[They should] advertise more, and maybe have coupons for free fries or something that would get people to come here more.” Another big concern with students is the service.
“A lot of times it’s packed in here and they only have one register going and it takes 20 minutes to get your food,” Sallenbach said.
Brownell would like to get fraternities more involved at Wackadoo’s.
“They need to get the fraternities and the Greek life more involved in here. That would blow this place up,” he said.
Those concerns aside, students clearly like Wackadoo’s. It’s the one place at FAU where they can sit back and relax with a beer or a “fat-ass” burger and forget about class for a while.
