What is the worst meal you were ever served in a mess hall?

2016-06-03T10:04:20-04:00

Liver. I don't hate liver. In fact, I've had some very good liver served with fried onions and liberally doused in ketchup. I love liverwurst and chopped liver (I make my own with roasted garlic and schmatz – real chicken fat). It may clog the arteries but still my heart cries for more. However, the liver I was once served in a mess hall following the end of Advanced Infantry Training was inedible. It was even worse the following day when I was sent to a nearby Army recreation area to paint a cabin and discovered the mess hall had sent sandwiches made with dried out, leftover liver clapped between two slices of white bread. Even the sergeant supervising the work detail was annoyed and there was no place nearby to purchase a decent meal. Yes, that was the worst.

Response by SGT John " Mac " McConnell made Jun 3 at 2016 10:08 AM

2016-06-03T10:08:48-04:00

Every Thursday in the Mess Hall.. Always the same thing, And it was bad ! choice of chili mac or fish. Reminds me of that Mash episode. https://youtu.be/4sqBYziYBAs

M.A.S.H Kitchen Rebel

MASH Season 3 Episode 11, Adam's Ribs

Response by Alan K. made Jun 3 at 2016 10:24 AM

2016-06-03T10:24:19-04:00

Yum....!

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Jun 3 at 2016 10:33 AM

2016-06-03T10:33:04-04:00

C Rations and we had just returned from several weeks on a field exercise at Camp Lejeune. A few weeks later we had the Commandant visit our base and one of our Squad Leaders told him about this when he asked how the food was in our mess hall. The Commandant told our CO to look into this and report back to him so he could make sure that never happened again.

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 10:36 AM

2016-06-03T10:36:46-04:00

Fried all to hell rabbit, boiled king crab legs or liver.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Jun 3 at 2016 10:49 AM

2016-06-03T10:49:37-04:00

CPT Jack Durish - Never a bad meal. However, some were better than others!

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Jun 3 at 2016 11:20 AM

2016-06-03T11:20:08-04:00

Many times on board ship...fatty, gristley mystery meat slathered in glue-like gravy.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Jun 3 at 2016 12:07 PM

2016-06-03T12:07:23-04:00

Liver-consolidated mess Fort Dix NJ.1965 I still wake up screaming dreaming of that horrible plate of Liver suffice to say not a good memory.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 12:27 PM

2016-06-03T12:27:20-04:00

Anytime they tried to serve up some "Chinese" cuisine.
The rice was wrong. I've never been served Uncle Ben's-like rice in any Chinese restaurant anywhere in the world.
Vegetables, over cooked.
Meat, chewy.
Spring rolls, Soggy exterior, Gummy interior, filling, gray in color, mushy in texture, tasteless in flavor.

I liked the salad bar because I could get all the carrots, beets and black olives I desired.

Response by CPL Patrick Brewbaker made Jun 3 at 2016 12:30 PM

2016-06-03T12:30:51-04:00

Being a pedigreed redneck I love liver!! Great stuff!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 12:36 PM

2016-06-03T12:36:26-04:00

Never Liver!

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Jun 3 at 2016 12:43 PM

2016-06-03T12:43:13-04:00

Half raw pork.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 1:00 PM

2016-06-03T13:00:22-04:00

Green eggs! Literally they were green and grey.....

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 7:40 PM

2016-06-03T19:40:36-04:00

During a rotation at Hohenfels, I got served some liquid scrambled eggs next to an unidentifiable substance at a field kitchen. All the chow there was absolutely awful, but that was the worst of it. Even the coffee was bad. I still drank a lot of it though.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 8:30 PM

2016-06-03T20:30:56-04:00

CPT Jack Durish The mess hall that we went to in Advanced Infantry Training at Camp Pendleton, served us rabbit for quite a few meals. The mess hall had few selections, and overall the worst mess hall that I ever ate at. I was on mess duty for a month before starting Radio School at MCRD, San Diego. For breakfast, they usually had diced potatoes in a tomato type sauce. I don't remember what it was called, but it was excellent. I also liked the SOS.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2016 9:39 PM

2016-06-03T21:39:21-04:00

Don't you dare badmouth Liver and Onions. Sweet Jesus Palomino, I love it, Cap'n Jack!!!

Response by PO1 Tony Holland made Jun 4 at 2016 1:04 AM

2016-06-04T01:04:05-04:00

Two instances aboard ship stand out to me. First, surf and turf in which the turf was still frozen gray in the center and almost impossible to cut with a mess deck knife. Second, oysters in the Thanksgiving stuffing were absolutely vile. SOS would have been preferable in both cases.

Response by COL Sam Russell made Jun 4 at 2016 5:24 PM

2016-06-04T17:24:12-04:00

I haven't had a bad meal in my life since Ranger school, 1989.

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2016 8:07 PM

2016-06-04T20:07:14-04:00

Brown gravy.

EVERY time I have EVER eaten brown gravy in a mess/chow hall, it's tasted scorched.

In over 26 years of being in the military, I NEVER had it when it didn't have that nasty, burnt taste.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2016 3:16 AM

2016-07-22T03:16:50-04:00

Chitterlings (chitlins), boiled or fried (only meat for lunch and dinner). 2-504 PIR Chow Hall, Ft. Bragg, 1987. The Bn on DRF-1 (my Company on shortest recall as Initial Ready Company) and had to sign out at the CQ Desk to walk across the street to the Chow Hall. Talk about a captive audience! Pizza delivery folks made a killing that day after COB.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2016 9:07 PM

2016-11-10T21:07:15-05:00

Response by SGT William Harding made Nov 11 at 2016 12:00 AM

2016-11-11T00:00:40-05:00

Almost any food that was brought out to field from the dfac because it was not the right temperature and it was a lot of times late arriving so ate in the dark and standing up and not knowing what it was and did not taste good....

Response by LCpl James Schleich made Nov 11 at 2016 12:01 PM

2016-11-11T12:01:50-05:00

rehydrated beef patties for every hot meal while training in Korea for about 45 days so we could afford to have the toughest piece of steak and rehydrated shrimp for the Marine Corps birthday

Response by SFC Robert David Hummel made Nov 11 at 2016 6:39 PM

2016-11-11T18:39:37-05:00

Let us ever remember the Quote', from one of Americas Leader's of yore...
"No Army march's far without the COOK" unquote: Benedict Arnold.
The fact that "Military meal's are NOT all , the best in choice's... I venture to note>>> Meal's at home were about the SAME....
Just remember that, "Mom (or Dad), always gave us MORE of WHAT we NEEDED", rather than.
"ALL of what we WANTED".
Comment provided without any din or angst... from a OLD MESS SGT,of 1962-1985.... that spent a lot of time planning MENU'S, by monitoring the TRAY/DISH turn-in site, (EXCEPT ON "STEAK & FRIES" Meals).

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Nov 11 at 2016 6:53 PM

2016-11-11T18:53:23-05:00

For about the first year I was a drill sergeant at Ft. Jackson we had some really good cooks and they did a great job on liver and onions. To make it even better most people wouldn't eat it so there was no limit on how much I could have. The same with fried okra and a few other things. Unfortunately all of our cooks either got discharged or shipped to Vietnam along with our mess sergeant. They were replaced with a dumbass for a mess sergeant and a bunch of OJT cooks and our food went from great to horrible.

Response by SFC George Smith made Nov 11 at 2016 8:55 PM

2016-11-11T20:55:57-05:00

ok its on you...

Response by MSG Carl Leffel made Nov 12 at 2016 2:12 PM

2016-11-12T14:12:37-05:00

Can't say I ever had a bad meal, but ate some fair meals under some pretty shitty conditions. Eating frozen mashed potatoes and roast beef outside your track while on the DMZ in December and January come to mind.

Response by Cpl Rc Layne made Jun 3 at 2017 7:40 PM

2017-06-03T19:40:13-04:00

As a advance party to Korea in 1984, I was given a cup of cold coffee for dinner. Several days later I had one scoop of cold eggs and another cup of cold coffee.

Response by PVT Raymond Lopez made Jun 3 at 2017 11:29 PM

2017-06-03T23:29:54-04:00

What is the worst meal you were ever served in a mess hall? Mess hall? Honestly, I never had a bad meal in the Army even when by sweaty mess cooks in dirty tee shirt over gasoline stoves in Vietnam. I do have one problem though will the Veteran Administration up my disability because I became addicted to SOS? I go to my VFW Post to get my SOS fix every Saturday and Sunday but the coffee isn’t as good as Army coffee!

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 3 at 2017 11:36 PM

2017-06-03T23:36:19-04:00

CPT Jack Durish A mess hall at Camp Pendleton kept serving Rabbit and the other items on the menu were poor, as this was a very bad mess hall. Most of the mess halls that I ever ate at, served fairly good meals.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Jun 3 at 2017 11:42 PM

2017-06-03T23:42:16-04:00

Liver, from any creature, is revolting to me, CPT Jack Durish. My mother never served it, and I unknowingly tried it in elementary school. Never again after that horrific episode!

Response by Maj John Bell made Jun 3 at 2017 11:51 PM

2017-06-03T23:51:35-04:00

A turkey sandwich that was sitting in 1/4" of standing water so long that the cheese slice was starting to dissolve, the lettuce was brown and limp, the tomato was white, and the turkey was so dry that I think is sucked enough moisture from my brain that my skull fractured.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2017 2:32 AM

2017-06-04T02:32:47-04:00

Ive never had a bad meal in a CONUS mess hall. ..
Sometimes in iraq it seemed as if the steak was boiled..? IDK but it would get pretty gnarly.

Response by SP5 Michael Rathbun made Jun 4 at 2017 1:13 PM

2017-06-04T13:13:48-04:00

Fort Gordon, GA in 1969 featured Roach Pie at lunch and Weevil Cereal at breakfast. Most likely not intentional.

My favorite "Beetle Bailey" cartoon, back from when the strip was funny, was one I kept in my wallet for years. The lads look at the chow list on the way in and see "BEGF STEW" for today. They speculate on whether there was a typo. After a few bites, they agree: "This is, in fact, BEGF STEW."

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2017 1:18 PM

2017-06-04T13:18:26-04:00

Actually it was a hamburger with cake as the dessert. The hamburger was bad but edible. The cake was burnt badly on the bottom and the icing consisted of chocolate of some form poured over the top. Been about 33 years ago and I still have visions of that so called meal.

Response by PVT Raymond Lopez made Jun 4 at 2017 4:05 PM

2017-06-04T16:05:20-04:00

I will not make vile accusations however, I dreaded being put on KP because my parents made me learn to cook because that way I could take care of myself. My uncle on the other hand told me that I had to learn to cook because American would do ABSOLUTELY anything to stay out of the kitchen. I learned later that it was not just American women!!!

Response by SFC Brian Chambers made Nov 8 at 2017 6:26 AM

2017-11-08T06:26:17-05:00

Wr were given chicken graby two times a fsy for over 30 days, soldier's,would get plate,and throw it away!

Response by SGT Aric Lier made Nov 8 at 2017 7:05 AM

2017-11-08T07:05:04-05:00

monday baked chicken: Tuesday Fried chicken: Wednesday chicken and noodles: Thursday chicken casserole: Friday chicken soup .....nothing like military leftovers

Response by PVT Raymond Lopez made Nov 8 at 2017 9:44 AM

2017-11-08T09:44:11-05:00

I never recall getting a bad meal in the Army even in the field.

Response by MSG Alison Klein made Dec 7 at 2018 1:00 PM

2018-12-07T13:00:54-05:00

Halal humanitarian meals issued 9 years ago. Post shut down for ice storms and these were going to expire sooner than the MREs. Got one with lamb, one with lentils. One had fruit loops did I mention I hate lentils, lamb and fruit loops! Tried killing the taste with tobasco sauce. Failed! Swore I would seriously hurt the next individual who tried giving me those. Apparently they have gotten better since then? Don't care!

Response by CPL Michael McKeon made Dec 7 at 2018 5:05 PM

2018-12-07T17:05:24-05:00

During Reforger 84 we were operating with "B" rations which means everything comes in a tin can. We were issued some bizzare sketchy Spam like substance which was simply not edible!! We tried frying, breading, you name it we tried it but nothing worked. It was truly horrible!! Sad thing was we were in the field with no other options so you either forced yourself to eat it or went hungry!! Bleh!!!!

Response by SPC Craig Miller made Dec 7 at 2018 8:08 PM

2018-12-07T20:08:23-05:00

Thanksgiving 2008. Fort Dix. Turkey dinner served by inmates. Came later in the meantime because of premobilization training. Got a smirk from an inmate who put some fat and skin on a plate next to the side scrapings of mashed potato tin. Fort Dix and First Army are jokes.

Response by Cpl Bill Johnson made Dec 8 at 2018 7:27 AM

2018-12-08T07:27:30-05:00

I one went to the dfac at Camp Geiger, NC (6th Marines) for lunch, and one of my Marines came over to me in the NCO area, and showed me his plate. The "Salisbury Steak" was completely raw on the inside. I took it it the line NCO, a Staff Sergeant, who was pissed because I confronted him (I was a corporal). So I took the plate to my 1st Sgt., who snatched his cover and said "let's go!" We went back to the dfac and my 1st Sgt. ate that Staff Sergeant alive. My private got a cooked to order meal, but most importantly, he got the lesson about the chain of command AND a good example of leadership... you always take care of your Marines, even if it means your own chow goes cold.

Response by PO1 Kevin Corcoran made Dec 8 at 2018 2:48 PM

2018-12-08T14:48:07-05:00

Ham stakes with rice, it was a very thin slice of ham, could see through it without even holding it up. That was the meal for lunch and dinner. Most of us didn’t go to the chow hall anymore.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Dec 8 at 2018 10:32 PM

2018-12-08T22:32:33-05:00

The ultimate insult was a mess Hall at Otis AFB, MA had the nerve to actually be serving C Rations in the mess Hall for one meal. That's one too many, I was only there two weeks but didn't eat those, and it being post Vietnam where i ate plenty of them they are about the last thing I'd want. I never want to eat another can of C rations as long as I live. It would be a pretty desperate situation before I'd eat them. I was very happy to return to Hanscom AFB, MA, My permanent base then, where daily there were four great meals served and NEVER any nasty C rations !

Response by SSG Jess Peters made Dec 8 at 2018 11:13 PM

2018-12-08T23:13:43-05:00

In the field with 8/61 ADA IN Korea. We went in for a hot breakfast. When I stuck myfork into my pancakes batter ran out. Bacon was not cooked properly, eggs were soggy scrambled. When I complained the BC offered me the job of Mess Sgt. They were all OJT, Not one of them were trained. I of course turned it down. I was a Chaparral Squad leader, loved my job.
Also received a case of C-rats for my squad. We are some of them in the dark. Next morning we found they all had maggots in them. Tried to get them replaced, but there weren't any more available. Fortunately we had plenty of Ramen.

Response by SGT John Graham made Dec 9 at 2018 12:33 AM

2018-12-09T00:33:31-05:00

When out in the field for a week we were told our next hot meal was coming. The line got set up and the word got passed that we had "small steaks and scrambled eggs with coffee!". The mood shifted though when word was that it was Liver and Onions. The liver looked like dried out boot sole. The onions were terrible (I did not know you could screw up onions!). The eggs were watery, powdered eggs, kind of green tint and barely warm. The coffee looked hot and dark. It was hot and dark, but it wasn't brewed it was instant. I struggled through it. It turned out that those who ate it all got excused from the next work detail. I have not touched liver since. The next day we got shit on a shingle. The best meal with large portions because many skipped fearing liver again.

Response by CPT Derial Bivens made Dec 9 at 2018 10:41 PM

2018-12-09T22:41:01-05:00

I was attached to a battalion for a couple of months back in the '80s that had the worst mess hall in the army. One evening, the CSM and Bn CO were the only ones to show up for dinner. The next morning they decreed that everyone one in the battalion, officers, NCOs and junior enlisted would eat, as a minimum, breakfast and lunch in the mess hall every day. The very first morning, before taking a bite of the rubbery eggs, rock-hard biscuits, or powdered bacon (it was cooked completely dry and crumbled into a sand-like consistency), I opened a cartoon of milk, took a big gulp and threw up right there in the mess hall. The milk was soured. Well, that sparked mass vomiting... even the colonel tossed his cookies. That day's lunch was prepared under the supervision of a new mess sergeant.

Response by CWO2 Shelby DuBois made Jan 9 at 2019 3:49 PM

2019-01-09T15:49:26-05:00

Boot Camp... lunch...some Chinese food concoction ... and of course, then you ate everything and had to pass by the DI's table and he'd give you a nod , yea or nay, to leave or go back and eat more. Plus, we stepped outside we immediately did max set of pull ups at a bar conveniently located a dozen paces outside the hatch. I did my pull ups...my stomach groaned and I launched what had to be a near world record for a Chinese bio-assault missile... That prompted two or three more to follow suit.
Next up in training was PT and we were on a run when I fell out and launched a second salvo...again, several followed. The DI looked at us disgustedly and asked if we needed to go to sickbay. Surprisingly, though, I felt great after that last one...as did the others. Later that night there was a chorus of gag monsters in the head ...all night.... By morning most of the platoon had food poisoning and had bed rest and yes... those of us who did preemptive strikes early on didn't get sick...but we had to play nursemaid and janitors to those who held it in.... Aghhh... still to this day can't eat Chop Suey.

Response by SSG Paul Headlee made Jul 2 at 2021 1:24 PM

2021-07-02T13:24:05-04:00

Don't know if this counts since I skipped it but one of my Bde Cdrs had us assemble on a beach during an FTX just before sundown. He had some crates of live chickens kicked out of helicopters for us to kill and eat. I s'pose that with a bit of prior training and education we could have done alright. We were big on noise, light and litter discipline in that particular unit so no one expected to be cooking chicken in our steel pots while in the field. Raise your hand if you've eaten about a pound of gnats in your rice. Once I dropped a piece of pork on the ground as I went through the chow line. One side of it was completely covered in fine dust/dirt. I picked it up and put it back on my paper plate, giving it a rinse with my one quart. There was no way I was going to not eat that meat.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2021 5:06 PM

2021-07-02T17:06:23-04:00

Worst side was boiled okra at PI. It was steamed to slimy pulp, but I ate it. A caloric and hunger thing. I love fried okra, pickled, in gumbo etc. , but snot is my best description of that at PI.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 2 at 2021 7:31 PM

2021-07-02T19:31:26-04:00

The unit had a week long field problem at Ft Riley in December. The temperature was zero degrees and much snow had fallen. One night we received dinner from the DFAC and the food was horrible. The Kool-Aid was horrible because it did not have enough sugar. I was pissed because food is a morale builder or breaker. 1SG and I went to the DFAC. I told them the quality of their food sucked, and they did not even meet minimum standards. Someone had to tell them that their level of care in preparing meals was unsat.

Response by LCpl George Williams made May 6 at 2022 10:08 PM

2022-05-06T22:08:07-04:00

While during basic training at (MCRD San Diego) we spent several days at Camp Mathews for rifle qual. The first day there we had afternoon chow at the Mess Hall. I saw what I thought was my childhood favorite cream of wheat..I ask if I could skip cold cereal and have a bowl of cream of wheat instead? Go ahead grape as he slapped a second helping in my bowl. got my butter, and sugar. That was the worst stuff I have ever tasted. DIs were watching me, he ask what's wrong pvt grape I told him "that my cereal was bad, and I could not finish it". That's not cereal, its grits AH and U R go n to eat it all. within 6 min. GRITS GRITS I hate Grits.

Response by SGT Jerry Walker made Jun 4 at 2022 2:36 PM

2022-06-04T14:36:09-04:00

One time our mess hall treid to do the soul food thing and their chitlins stunk the place like a pigsty. Yecch.