Whether it’s spicy Asian food, a slice of pizza or an all-American-style hot dog, the campus area offers a wide variety of foods, and many dining spots are within walking distance of classes and residence halls.
Places to eat are abound in the four square blocks between Kincaid and Hilyard streets and between 12th and 14th avenues. In fact, not counting the many coffee shops, there are more than 25 dining spots, with atmospheres as varied as the fare.
For early risers, Glenwood Campus Cafe has been known to pack the house by serving breakfasts starting at $3.95 for eggs, potatoes and toast.
Eggs benedict is the most popular item, however, and the restaurant serves it up for $6.50, said Jacqui Monninger, owner of the Glenwood for the past 25 years.
For lunch and dinner, the Glenwood offers a wide range of foods. The most affordable is the grilled cheese sandwich, which comes with soup, for $3.45. The Glenwood also serves salads, burritos, soups and sandwiches. The most popular lunch item is the Alder Street Sandwich, a grilled sandwich with bacon, turkey, cheese and sprouts.
Patrons may want to avoid trying to study at the Glenwood on Saturday and Sunday mornings — its busiest times. Mid-afternoon, on the other hand, offers up a calm, quiet environment, on both of the two indoor floors, and on the outside patio. The Glenwood is also open until 10 p.m.
Down the street from the Glenwood is Sy’s Pizza, ready to serve up a traditional, thin-crust Neapolitan slice for students craving a big, floppy piece of New York-style pizza. The stop also offers spicier, deep-dish Sicilian pizza.
And Sy’s owner Sy Zeer is the real thing. He has a thick New York accent, despite living in Oregon for the past 25 years. He’s from Manhattan, where he grew up cooking and eating pizza.
“New York pizza by the slice is very popular,” he said. “We brought it out here and it’s been a blast. We have a great relationship with students and the community. As long as you’re a nice person and want to have some pizza, come on in.”
Food doesn’t get more expensive than a few dollars at Sy’s, unless you buy two slices. His Neapolitan pizza runs $2.25, and the deep dish is 10 cents more.
Sy’s is open everyday until midnight. There is no delivery, but orders can be called in ahead of time and picked up. Studying there might be tricky, however, due to distractions and limited table space.
On Aug. 20, Sy’s celebrated its 25th anniversary on campus by giving away free pizza to everybody who came through the door.
“We’ve fed the University community, from students to their children to their children,” he said.
If it’s a taste from overseas that students are looking for, Maple Garden might be the place.
On weekday afternoons Maple Garden fills up with college students looking to fill their stomachs with chow fun, chow mein, Mandarin chicken, kung po chicken and other dishes, all for only $4.95. The lunch specials include an entree with rice, egg flower soup and a beverage.
Maple Garden has a huge list of meals, including vegetarian, beef, chicken, shrimp and fish dishes. The lunch menu is not served after 4:30 p.m., however.
Owner Kenny Wang developed a new, inexpensive menu of dim sum dishes this summer and will have them throughout the school year. They include everything from glutinous rice shao mai to shark’s fin dumplings to egg custard tarts, all running from $2.25 to $2.50.
“They don’t need to spend a lot of money and they can get a lot of food and feel happy,” Wang said.