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Food on US Navy ships

kristovkristov Member Posts: 6,633
edited August 2007 in General Discussion
On the History Channel an episode showed the serving of breakfast on an aircraft carrier and that food looked pretty darned good! We have several navy vets here on our boards so I'd like to know just how good the food served on our ships is really is. Are we talking cafeteria food or is it of a much higher quality?
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Comments

  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
    edited November -1
    It's pretty good these days. It was Spam or Beans in WWII.[}:)]
  • ripley16ripley16 Member Posts: 4,834
    edited November -1
    My brother just arrived at Diego Garcia and he reports the food there is outstanding. They won Navy Mess Hall of the year. One thing that enticed him to go to the DG was knowing he'd be fed Navy chow. Not a ship but run, staffed and managed by the same people.[:D]
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's the luck of the draw. Some ships are "excellent feeders" most of the time. Others, you would rather bring a lunch if you could. Most feed pretty good on Holidays or when there is a TV crew there.
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • jimbowbyjimbowby Member Posts: 3,496
    edited November -1
    [8D]-Having eaten meals on Nuke subs for close to 23 years (lobster and Prawns are not rare)--

    --the only comparisons are Cruiser Escorts--

    --[:p][:p]--JIMBO
  • jwb267jwb267 Member Posts: 19,666 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i can remember my dad saying about the mutton and brussel sprouts. he said you could smell it through out the ship he said the only good thing was fruit cocktail , which they made torpedo juice out of . this was the WWII era
  • victorlvlbvictorlvlb Member Posts: 5,004
    edited November -1
    I lived on CVA 61 for six months , on a West Pact cruise.The only thing I never ate was sos.
  • JorgeJorge Member Posts: 10,656 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It was shrimp and steak on Saturday night at the boat.

    [:p][:p][:p]
  • SCorversSCorvers Member Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    At see for extended periods, you get sick of powdered eggs, UHT milk, and soybean sliders. In port the food is pretty damn good. Depends on the Div Occifers attitude and the Capt.
  • dkb2003dkb2003 Member Posts: 816 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
    It's the luck of the draw. Some ships are "excellent feeders" most of the time. Others, you would rather bring a lunch if you could. Most feed pretty good on Holidays or when there is a TV crew there.
    UMMMMM YUP
  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022
    edited November -1
    My recollections are too long ago to count much. An old Carrier in the early 70s, deployed in South China Sea and bombing 24/7. River Division 13, in country. Later, reserve status in California with RivDiv 11, later Special Boat Unit 11. I recall the food at sea was okay, and there was plenty of it. My expectations were not high, but they were exceeded. In Vietnam, the same. On the little boats, we heated C-rats on the engines and fought over the sliced peaches (to this day, I relish sliced peaches). Stateside, in the reserves for 8 years, I was amazed at the food served in the mess hall. Pretty good stuff, almost as good as college dorm food. That was 30 years ago, and I'd bet it is even better now.
  • Henry0ReillyHenry0Reilly Member Posts: 10,878 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I served (very briefly) onboard a couple of landing ships in the early '80s.

    The squids complained incessantly about the chow but I thought it was much better than chow than I had been served ashore.
    I used to recruit for the NRA until they sold us down the river (again!) in Heller v. DC. See my auctions (if any) under username henryreilly
  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886
    edited November -1
    Rat: I remember hitching rides on PBR's. C-rats. Back on the YRBM chow was pretty decent. Yes, lobsters/steaks. Could not stand the air conditioning, though. Chief gave me a jacket to wear when I went below. Joe
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    CVA-41 USS Midway (VAW-115 1972-1974). Food was pretty good, as a general rule. After a line period we would usually have Steak and Lobster when we left the line headed for what ever liberty port we were going to. If we were extended on the line you could count on running out of fresh milk and start getting sterilized milk. Sterilized milk tasted like crap, but if someone screwed up and JP-5 (jet fuel) accidentally got into the water system, the sterilized milk improved, but the Kool Aid tasted like crap.[:D]

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Depending on stewards on duty, you might get a ...

    Lumpia.jpg
    starter like this ...

    Pancit.jpg
    followed by a teaser ...

    SanMiguelBeer.jpg
    ... then chase it down with something cold [^]
  • acdoddacdodd Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
    CVA-41 USS Midway (VAW-115 1972-1974). Food was pretty good, as a general rule. After a line period we would usually have Steak and Lobster when we left the line headed for what ever liberty port we were going to. If we were extended on the line you could count on running out of fresh milk and start getting sterilized milk. Sterilized milk tasted like crap, but if someone screwed up and JP-5 (jet fuel) accidentally got into the water system, the sterilized milk improved, but the Kool Aid tasted like crap.[:D]


    I was on the Connie CV64 in 73 with VAW 116.I was an AT2.
    We had good and bad chow.
    Mid Rats were the best. They did go on a roast beef kick for 14 straight days. It was tough and dry. Tasted bad and looked even worse.
    Milk ran out on day 7 without fail.
    I put bug juice on my cereal instead of sterilized milk. That stuff would gag a snipe.
    Steak on most Fridays.

    You and I cruised Olongapo at the same time. D Cave [:D]D L club.[:D]
    Small world.
    AC
  • acdoddacdodd Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by FEENIX
    Depending on stewards on duty, you might get a ...

    Lumpia.jpg
    starter like this ...

    Pancit.jpg
    followed by a teaser ...

    SanMiguelBeer.jpg
    ... then chase it down with something cold [^]


    You're killing me.
    What was the name of that little restaurant the the SP's on beat 1 ate at?
    They had the best Lumpia and pancit after a night of bar crawling.
    20P and you were full for hours.
    AC
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was lucky....the Submarine Base I was stationed on in Pearl Harbor had a lot of officers stationed there to retire at the end of the career. It meant the meals were all either fancy....or super fancy....depending on where you sat. I remember looking up from my tray and seeing the ice sculpture and thinking....wow.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • zipperzapzipperzap Member Posts: 25,057
    edited November -1
    Depended on 'Cookie(s)'!
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by acdodd
    I was on the Connie CV64 in 73 with VAW 116.I was an AT2.
    You and I cruised Olongapo at the same time. D Cave [:D]D L club.[:D]
    Small world.It is a small world. When the wind is just right, can you still smell S*it River?[:D] We may have fallen down in the same mud holes![:D]

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • acdoddacdodd Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
    quote:Originally posted by acdodd
    I was on the Connie CV64 in 73 with VAW 116.I was an AT2.
    You and I cruised Olongapo at the same time. D Cave [:D]D L club.[:D]
    Small world.It is a small world. When the wind is just right, can you still smell S*it River?[:D] We may have fallen down in the same mud holes![:D]


    I pulled a 12 hour SP watch on the S*** river bridge.
    I don't think the smell ever came out of my Whites.
    Did you see what the exchange rate is now?
    Sorry about hijacking your post.
    I'll stop. But thanks the memories made me smile.
    AC
    AC
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 25,750
    edited November -1
    Overall the food in the Navy is the best of all the services. I did three years on FORRESTAL (CV) and a year on the WASHINGTON (CVN), on comrats while in a flying status so never ate much at galleys during that time. The chow on the bird farms was always plentiful, hot, and a variety. The slider galley (cheeseburgers) ran 24/7 at sea, so anytime you wanted one you could get one.
    The green bug juice sucked, but once in awhile we had orange and it was good cold. We unreped and vertreped fresh milk all the time so we were seldom without it. Surf and turf was once a month for everyone's birthday and Friday always had fish.
    We had soul food days (sweet potatos, chicken, turnip greens), Irish days (potatos and corned beef with cabbage), etc., whatever Cookie felt like making.

    Considering everyone else was lucky to have warm cans, sailors eat like kings.
    [8D]
  • SuburbanNoizeSuburbanNoize Member Posts: 10,142
    edited November -1
    The Navy gets the gravy and the army gets the beans! Some of you older guys might remember that jerry lewis movie.
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This is a second hand sea story, so I can't vouch for it, but the Master Chief Engineman who told me about it said "Now this ain't no s*it".

    Back in the Johnson days when the Army was having trouble getting enough people even with the draft, they came up with what we called "Johnson's hire the handicapped program". We weren't very sensitive back then. They were drafting people who normally wouldn't have qualified because of intelligence (lack of).

    The Army started complaining that they were getting all of the rejects, so the Navy had to start accepting some of them. One of them ended up on a MSO (Mine Sweeper Ocean) as a Fireman Recruit working for this Master Chief Engineman (Chief at the time).

    The MSO's allowance for cooks was one First Class or senior Second Class and one Third Class or striker, and one Mess Cook. The Master Chief said this Fireman was dangerous in the engine room, and he was afraid he would destroy the ship or get himself killed so he wound up being a full time Mess Cook.

    The Third Class cook got discharged with no replacement. The Fireman wanted to be a cook striker and the Master Chief was glad to get rid of him, so he talked the First Class into taking him on as a striker.

    The first Sunday morning when the Fireman had the duty by himself the menu called for ham omelets. The Fireman didn't know how to make an omelet, so he went down to the berthing compartment in a panic and woke up the First Class cook. He told the cook he had to have some help because he didn't know how to make an omelet and there were people on the Mess Deck wanting to eat. The First Class told him to break out one of those canned hams, cut it up into little cubes, break a couple of eggs in a bowl and beat them up, then mix in the ham and fry it on the grill.

    That's exactly what the Fireman did. He cubed a ham, mixed it in with two eggs, fried it on the grill, and served that for omelets. He was back to cleaning bilges by Noon.
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    Chow was good on the Mighty Ike (CVN-69). At least from 81-85.
  • bigtirebigtire Member Posts: 24,800
    edited November -1
    My neice is a LT. on the Carrier Enterprize right now. She says the food is not that great. But she is an extremely picky eater too.
  • nards444nards444 Member Posts: 3,994 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    even Army food is good if your eating at the cafeteria
  • GeoMan42GeoMan42 Member Posts: 209 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bigtire
    My neice is a LT. on the Carrier Enterprize right now. She says the food is not that great. But she is an extremely picky eater too.


    Officers have their own mess as do the Chefs[:D]. Our ready room was next to the O's mess and occasionally I would get a peek at their menus. It beat the heck out of the rock potatos served in the enlisted mess. They also used real china and silverware.

    Rank has its Privileges'
  • iwannausernameiwannausername Member Posts: 7,131
    edited November -1
    I've not served, but I remember as a Boy Scout headed to the keys that the free overnight stay and breakfast at Homestead kicked butt...

    A friend joined the Navy right out of highschool, he said the Mediterranian tour was best for foods because of all the fresh fruits, etc. that got picked up in Israel...
  • BigGun74BigGun74 Member Posts: 189 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Depends on the ship and which port you pick up groceries from (say what you want about Europeans they take their food seriously). I spent a couple of weeks on a command ship for a NATO exercise. The ship had an MCS (civilian) crew for engineering and mess. I ate in the enlisted mess and considering that the ship was one of the oldest in the fleet and that the ship was loaded to full capacity for the exercise the food was pretty good and I would say higher quality than standard cafeteria food. Heard the folks eating in the officer's mess ate like kings. On the other hand I talked to a Chief who served on an Amphib carrier and he told me he traded his meal tickets to the marines for MRE's because the food was so bad. On the ships, where there are no MCS personell, they take the brand new E-2 and E-3's and make them "mess cranks" for about 12 weeks or so, and they tend to bring less than a gourmet sensibility to their job. Sort of like everything else in the Navy, its either like a paid vacation or like a prison sentence.
  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022
    edited November -1
    To FEENIX: Thanks for the photo of a San Miguel! But that/s an EXPORT bottle not an In-Country bottle. Different breweries. Man, that stuff gave us the runs! Need a photo of "Four-Star Pilsner." Of course, that was a long time ago and things do change. But EXPORT San Miguel is one of my favorite beers today -- especially the dark beer, which is awesome.

    Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Good thread.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by River Rat
    Different breweries. Man, that stuff gave us the runs!Memories! If I remember correctly if you looked at the back bottom of the San Miguel bottle there was a 3 and a 4 line address. I don't remember which was which, but one of them was bottled very green and would really give you a bad case of the runs. We had to bingo into Da-Nang one night so we spent several hours drinking at the Red Dog Saloon and all they had was the bad stuff. The next morning as we made our way back to the plane, it hit me. I saw a couple of outdoor toilets and made a beeline for them. After the eruption I noticed there was no toilet paper, so I went through my underwear, T-Shirt, and both socks cleaning up. I had to get into my torso harness and fly back cinched into the seat with only a flight suit protecting me! Man was I glad when we got back to the carrier.

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • Joe DreesJoe Drees Member Posts: 2,953 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    All depends on the staff. Worsw food I had was in Great Lakes in the early 80s. Food on the Nimitz was real good. Fresh baked bread was the best. Certainly better than the KBR stuff I had in Iraq.
  • kristovkristov Member Posts: 6,633
    edited November -1
    Thanks guys (and Locust Fork). As usual, the amount of first hand information around here is simply amazing!
  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,235 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was at Subic in 72 in the Seabees clearing jungle and moving houses up the big hill.Olongapo was like Dodge City with all the bars ,fatladys and everything 20 year old sailor could want.I wonder what happened to the town when the base closed.
  • acdoddacdodd Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Master Chief Engineman who told me about it said "Now this ain't no s*it".

    The difference between a Fairy tale and a sea story is the fairy tale starts with "once upon a time" and a sea story starts with "this is no s***" [:p]
    AC
  • oldgunneroldgunner Member Posts: 2,466 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, I'd tell you how good AF food is, but then ya would just complain about us gittin' room service..[:)]
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by oldgunner
    Well, I'd tell you how good AF food is, but then ya would just complain about us gittin' room service..[:)]
    It is funny; being in the Navy most of us thought the Air Force had the best food, etc. After all, I believe their priority for establishing a new base was 1) build the chow hall, 2) build the club, then 3) build the runways and other infrastructure![:D]

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • oldgunneroldgunner Member Posts: 2,466 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Gotta admit Colts..they took gud care uv us, but we earned it. We wuz all so brainy and all...
  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sheesh and you swabbies don't feel guilty about wearing campaign ribbons.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    Sheesh and you swabbies don't feel guilty about wearing campaign ribbons.Man, I knew I should have read the citation, I thought it was a champagne ribbon.[:D]

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

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