My Love/Hate Relationship with Martha’s

Morgan Marcus

My personal favorite place to eat on campus is Martha’s. That may be a controversial opinion, but it’s one I stand by. Big Red Barn and Mac’s come close, but nothing beats the overwhelming smell of lemon tahini at 11 A.M. 

While my Martha’s bowl looks stunning, you can’t judge a book by its cover. I must tell you about the magic that goes into this bowl. I start with the field and mixed greens and then add the rice and quinoa. Never red harissa sauce. Next, I add chicken, pickled onions, cucumber salsa, and, just recently, was converted from carrots to corn. My cheese addition is always feta, and my crunchy toppings include pumpkin seeds and croutons. I’ll clue you in on the secret to the perfect bowl: the dressing. I ask for a mix of lemon tahini and citrus vinaigrette, and it’s perfection. 

What you’re able to get at Martha’s is amazing, but you can only get so much. One thing that really bothers me is their stingy portions. Cornell students are extremely hard-working and need fuel for their problem sets and prelims, so why does Martha’s make a bowl large enough to only feed a 10-year-old? The vegetables at Martha’s change daily, but it’s typically broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potato. Instead of dumping a fat scoop of broccoli into my bowl, Martha’s often gives me two stalks. TWO? As a loyal customer of Martha’s, that’s laughable. 

You may be thinking, why don’t you just ask for more? Trust me, I do. Whenever I ask for more lettuce or broccoli, Martha’s employees inform me it’s a 60-cent upcharge. I think we pay enough money in tuition to get four pieces of broccoli instead of two, but maybe that’s a hot take. 

Another troublesome aspect of Martha’s is the long lines and lack of dedicated seating. If you hit up Martha’s after a class ends, chances are, so do forty other students. In addition, after waiting in a long line, there’s often nowhere to sit! There’s nothing worse than looking around for a table while making eye contact with a bunch of people you know. 

My friends and I have a running joke that it’s a good day if you get multiple pieces of a vegetable at Martha’s, and it’s true. When I’m stressed about essays, prelims, and internships, the last thing I want to do is worry about how much lettuce I’m about to get. Although begging for extra veggies is absolutely ridiculous, the chokehold Martha’s has over me will never die.