5: Quesadilla – The quesadilla is certainly more present this year than any other year I have been at Southwest High School. It comes with a lovely side sauce that brings out the flavor of the quesadilla immensely. Unfortunately, the quesadilla has fallen to the #5 position due to the small portions of protein and the quesadilla itself. When the quesadilla is the option at lunch, you can only get two for free and have to pay for more. More often than not, ¾ the way through eating the quesadilla, the protein disappears and you’re left with a crusty tortilla and dry cheese that is of no interest to anybody. The quesadilla would most definitely be higher on my list if the portions and protein percentage were increased. Braden Joyce (‘25) had this to say about the quesadilla: “I like the quesadilla, but I wish the tortilla was better.”

4: Taco Bowl – The taco bowl, for me personally, has dropped in quality significantly since last year. The rice is almost always stale, and you are typically provided with low quantities of protein and high quantities of said stale rice. However, the school does offer lots of delicious toppings that can help justify the negatives of the bowl. You also have the rare appearance of tortilla chips substituted for the rice, which does increase the enjoyment of the taco bowl. I asked Nolan Crane (‘26) what his thoughts were, and this is what he had to say: “[the taco bowl] is very customizable. The quality of the meat and rice is not always very good.”

3: Sweet and Sour Chicken – The sweet and sour chicken is nothing short of admirable. The sauce has a very defining taste, and you never get sick of it. The school also offers delicious toppings that help emphasize the deliciousness. Ingredients such as green beans, green onions, carrot shavings, sriracha, etc. are extremely recommended to provide your best eating experience. Unfortunately, the sweet and sour chicken cannot be higher due to the occasional staleness of the rice and its low appearance rate during this school year. Isaac Edelstein (‘25) had this to say about the sweet and sour chicken: “[The sweet and sour chicken] is very fulfilling, and it is a very creative school lunch.”

2: Pasta Bowl – The Pasta Bowl has made the #2 spot on this list for multiple reasons. A lot of people may believe that it deserves the top spot, but I beg to differ. The pasta bowl is very delicious. Most of the time, you have the choice of beef and marinara or chicken and white sauce. The school even offers parmesan and chili flakes to sprinkle on top of the pasta. The problem with the pasta bowl is the consistency of the noodles. Some batches will have stale noodles, which makes for a totally dissatisfying lunch and will leave you with an empty stomach. Jonah Paradis (‘25) shared this about the pasta bowl: “Freshman year, they gave [the pasta bowl] to us every day, which kind of ruined it. But with parmesan and hot chili flakes on top, you’ll be good to go.”

1: Nashville Hot/Regular Chicken Sandwich – The chicken sandwich at Southwest High School has clearly secured the #1 position on this list. From the taste to the reliability, the chicken sandwich is an easy choice for anybody at lunch. 99/100 sandwiches have a good piece of chicken, and with multiple choices of toppings, anyone can create a delicious lunch. If you get the normal chicken sandwich or the Nashville Hot is not hot enough already, there is also an abundant choice of hot sauces to the right of the stage in The Commons. The best part is the availability of the chicken sandwich. It is an option at school lunch every day of the year for whoever wants it. Chicken lover, Fynn Tiessen (‘25), was excited to make his comment on the chicken sandwich: “The chicken is good. You can get the lettuce, the pickles, and the onions. Ranch as well, if you’d like. The hot sauce is an even better option if you can handle spice.”