UC Riverside students, staff, and faculty can look forward to more dining options, including a reopening of the Stable and new concepts such as a french fry station, an ice cream parlor, and restaurants specializing in noodles and kosher food.

The Stable dining lounge at the Barn, which had been closed over the summer, will open on Oct. 16, offering diners a full-service sit-down restaurant experience.

It’s part of the full experience of the expanded Barn, which was renovated in 2020 but had to roll out different elements slowly due to the pandemic.

The main restaurant at the Barn now has all four dining platforms open for the fall quarter after consolidating into one station during the summer. Customers can choose from a deli counter, salad bar, hot table, and grill station each offering different types of menu items.

With the Stable, Dining Services is seeking to offer an elevated dining experience, a place where faculty and staff members can bring in job candidates, hold group meetings, or host celebrations.

The 4,900-square-foot lounge, which can seat up to 79 patrons with a mix of high- and low-top tables, lounge chairs, and an outdoor patio area, is open to students, staff, faculty, and the general public. Reservations can be made through Open Table.

"Our vision for The Stable is to create a welcoming environment for the campus community, including faculty, staff, and the general public, to enjoy their lunch," said Moses Preciado, general manager with Dining and Hospitality Services.

The venue will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch with new menu items such as smoked brisket grinder, grilled tri-tip, and bourbon-glazed bread pudding. From 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. it will feature a happy hour menu called Distractions with appetizers, finger foods, and cocktails. It’s also expanded its drink menu to include non-alcoholic mocktails, which feature campus grown citrus and other fresh fruits.

The Stable also will be hosting regular evening activities starting this fall. 

On Oct. 23 it will launch a program called Lectures and Lagers, where faculty members are invited to host or give a talk. The inaugural one will feature Tracy Kahn, curator of UCR’s Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection. The Stable plans to hold two Lectures and Lagers events each quarter.

Also, starting Oct. 17, it will host a weekly trivia night.

Elsewhere, on campus all the dining venues are open and back to regular operating hours for the fall.

One of them, the Market at North District, has a new hot food choice with the Fry House, which launched during move-in weekend Sept. 21. Last year, the convenience store at the North District student housing complex added a Lollicup Boba & Tea franchise as part of its efforts to offer students a variety of dining choices.

The Fry House continues that effort, letting customers choose between seven recipes such as chile cheese fries, cheese burger fries, and funnel fries or build their own combination of protein, warm sauces, and cold toppings.

“It’s a brand that caters to the lunch crowd and later evening crowd that is fun, filling, and deliciously creative,” said Armando Melendez, manager of the market.

Also being developed this fall and coming soon are:

•    Noods. A noodle bar at the Market at Glen Mor, the Asian-inspired menu is aimed at student residents who in a spring survey said they wanted more late night options. Noods will be open until midnight.

•    Highlander Scoops. The ice cream parlor will open at the HUB Plaza, next to the Halal Shack.

•    Scotty’s Market with a kosher menu. The Scotty’s Market near Pentland Hills will offer a Mediterranean-inspired hot food menu with all kosher items.

More information including dining hours and locations are available at the Dining Services website.