Surviving as a college student can be tricky on a limited budget. Whether you’re avoiding cooking at all costs or attempting to supplement your meal plan after eating Market stir-fry six times last week, eating out is always a great – and an expensive alternative. Here’s a list of some of the top deals on campus you should look out for to ensure your dollar is getting you the most, and most delicious food, every time.
Mad Mex:
Located on the corner of Atwood and Bates, Mad Mex might be the closest thing to authentic Mexican food on campus (sorry, Chipotle). While normally it can be relatively expensive – averaging about $10 for a burrito – every night 11 p.m.-1 a.m. you can get half-off on a majority of their menu. Additionally, with a student ID, Mondays from 2-4 p.m. also offer half-off select items, for those who aren't big night owls.
http://www.madmex.com/pittsburgh/oakland
Stack’d:
The newest restaurant in Oakland is all the rage right now, located conveniently on the corner of Forbes and Oakland Avenue. While Tuesdays are notorious for half-priced Stack'd burgers after 9 p.m., they also offer half-priced chicken strips on Monday nights, Quesadillas on Wednesdays, and wings on Thursdays, all offered from 9 p.m.-Midnight. Whether you live on or off campus, Stack’d is prime real estate if you don’t want to walk all the way into South O for some food. Not to mention, their deals start two hours earlier than nearly any other late night specials on campus, so you really can’t go wrong here.
http://www.stackdoakland.com/#!specials/c3i5
Fuel and Fuddle:
Just a few doors down from Stack’d is Fuel and Fuddle, famous for their pulled-pork sandwiches and delicious sweet potato fries. However, it tends to be expensive which is why I hold out for their late night deals. For $5 you can get nearly anything on their menu, including pizza, burgers, and wings. Not to mention, if you dish out an extra $2 you can indulge in those aforementioned sweet potato fries.
http://fuelandfuddle.com/late-night/
Antoon’s (or Sorrento’s)
Definitely a no-brainer, but what would this list be without the most famous pizza place in a three mile radius? You can’t walk around campus for more than 10 minutes without hearing someone bring up Antoon’s, and for good reason. While they recently raised their prices by an entire dollar (20 percent), I’m still putting my money on Antoon’s over Sorrento’s. The service is almost always instantaneous, and while the jury’s still out on this one, the consensus usually seems to be that Antoon’s has better pizza. Walk down Atwood on any weekend evening and you’ll see a massive flock of drunken kids ending their night with some greasy carbs. $6 for a whole pizza, depending on your appetite (or self-control) can break down to $2-3 per person, which is definitely the most affordable option you’ll find.
