Best Cost-Efficient Places to Eat on Campus

UWT is not the typical college campus in many ways, especially when it comes to finding food. With no cafeteria or food plan, it can be tricky at first to figure out where to get lunch, especially on a budget. Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of places to choose from when you’re looking for food. West Coast Grocery: Housed on campus between the Joy and BHS buildings, this is a small but packed convenience store, perfect for grabbing something to go. Whether you’re looking for sandwiches, salads, drinks, a frozen meal, or junk food, you’ll find something you like here. A word of warning—it tends to get incredibly busy at lunchtime, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if what you want isn’t refrigerated, pick it up early. Be sure to check out the refrigerated section for the variety of freshly made salads and sandwiches. Dawg House Café: Situated in the Mattress Factory, the Dawg House Café sells a variety of foods, including sandwiches, bagels, chips, and drinks. It’s run by the same people who run the West Coast Grocery, so there’s a lot of overlap in the selection, with the Dawg House Café having less, as it’s a smaller location. If you want to eat something warm, try the soup of the day. They often feature specials, so be sure to check their sandwich board outside the shop to see if there’s a deal for you. Subway: Down the Grand Staircase and directly to the right is Subway, which is—frankly—like any other Subway out there. With their sandwiches, you know exactly what you’re getting in terms of content and price. Their six dollar meal, with a select six inch sub, chips, and a drink, is hard to beat. However, if you’re going in at lunchtime, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays, be prepared to wait, as the line gets long. Abella Pizzeria: Located on Pacific Avenue, Abella serves pizza, pasta, and salads. As most students probably don’t want to order a whole pizza for lunch, Abella also sells pizza by the slice. At three dollars a slice, this is the cheapest restaurant option. Hot Rod Dog: Located on Pacific Avenue between the Purple Peacock and Hello Cupcake, Hot Rod Dog serves—you guessed it—hot dogs. Hot dogs that range from beef to pork to vegetarian, and all under five bucks. The service is usually fast, even when other places are backed up, so this is a great place to order a quick lunch. Jimmy John’s: Located on Pacific Avenue next to Pho Than Brothers, Jimmy John’s sells sandwiches that start out at less than five bucks. With less customization options than Subway, Jimmy John’s is generally the faster choice if you want to get a sandwich and get out. It still can get crowded in the lunchtime rush, but the staff are generally fast at cranking out their orders. You also have the option of having your food delivered on campus, thanks to their self-described “freaky fast delivery.” Pho Than Brothers: On Pacific Avenue, between Granola’s Frozen Yogurt and Jimmy John’s, is Pho Than Brothers, which primarily features pho, a Vietnamese rice noodle soup. The pho starts out at a little under seven dollars, with spring rolls for less than five. It’s a good choice for those who are sick of eating sandwiches everyday