As I go into my sophomore year, I can't help but smile at all the freshman chilling around the Market and the SUB during lunch. However, there are the ones with the special diets (vegetarians, gluten-free, vegans, etc.) who are just so lost on what to eat on campus! .Â
Tech has a TON of dining locations on campus, but how many of them cater to these forgotten individuals? Before you go off whining to The Toreador about how limited the eating options are on campus, here are my top picks for the Best Eats on campus.Â
The Market at Stangel/Murdough: The Market is the student
body's favorite place to eat hands-down. They have a great salad bar with many options to choose from (Chicken? You got it. Cranberries? Yes please! Spinach? Oh yeah!) and The Carvery has some of the best mashed potatoes on campus. The Carvery is basically serves your mom's pot roast with your favorite sides, may it be broccoli or mac and cheese, and a roll. Now they're also serving different flavors of cobbler! In the mood for some cheese fries? Look no further! Right in front of The Carvery is the new Flav'r, a fry bar. It's like a sandwich station, but you choose what to put on your cheese fries, like bacon or jalapeños. The best part about the Market in general is that if you use dining bucks you get 50% off your receipt. That's right. You can buy a $20 meal and only pay $10. The Commons at Talkington Hall:  A pricier option, but probably the better quality option. One of the most popular stops in the mornings, The Commons hosts Einstein's Bagels and Coffee from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Einstein's has been at The Commons since its opening in 2012. If you have an 8 a.m. at the Honors College or have to bike over to Media/Comm Building, definitely stop in and get a bagel and a White Chocolate Latte! Another one of The Commons' qualities is that their Mexican Station, Parilla's, has the best Burrito Bowls on campus. In the mood for something cheesy? Look no further than Say Cheese! Say Cheese serves a mean grilled cheese in many different flavors. The Commons has two stories, unlike many of the other eateries on campus. The second floor hosts a sandwich line, another carvers station, and Ciao! Risorante, their Italian Restaurant. Smart Choices at Horn/Knapp Hall: I'm usually not a fan of "All You Care to Eat" places on campus (Trust me, I lived in Hulen/Clement last year. Their food is a whole article in itself.) but Smart Choices is just like what your mom cooked, but better! They have a delicious fruit bar all day (with watermelon!) and they have a "Make Your Own" station. It differs every day, for instance they'll Pad Thai one day and then they'll have tacos another day. In the mornings, it's an omelet station. Also, the cooks WANT to get to know you. Dwight, one of my favorite chefs, makes some of the best desserts and is always open to a hug. Did I mention that he makes some of the best desserts? If you're not in the mood for pasta or desserts, then they have a make your own flatbread pizza.  StrEAT: I am a huge taco fanatic, but sadly I can't eat wheat or corn for my tortilla. StrEAT is really cool about that and will just add the fillings instead. StrEAT serves street tacos, like the ones you'll find in Cancun or Mexico City. Some are spicy, some are chill, and some are even sweet! Sometimes you can custom order if you don't want one or the other on your taco (For instance, I get cabbage instead of lettuce). If you're sick and just want soup, they have DELICIOUS Tortilla Soup! For dessert, they have churros with all the fixins! Just don't get the vanilla filling. Hopefully you all will take my advice, but I'm not here to form opinions for you. I'm just here to influence them ;)Â