When I first toured Temple University, great emphasis was put on the food trucks that surround the front and sides of the student center. The great variety, quality, and prices (not to mention the rapid service) was appealing and remains so. But the quality and prices, like most things nowadays, do not match up properly. Often, I find myself eating something that I got for a decent price but drowned in some kind of sweet or spicy sauce, and carbs outnumber the meat in most meals.
For example, last semester I paid a visit to a Korean food truck. If I remember correctly, I ordered soba noodles. I was prepared to eat a plain but not bland dish, something comforting and not too overwhelming in taste. I had seen people eating several types of Asian cuisine around campus, and it always looked pretty good, so I was excited, thinking that I could make myself a regular and come to this truck during the chill of Fall and Winter for a warm cozy meal.
I sat down to eat, and although it was tasty and enjoyable, the sauce problem presented itself. I know I’ve used the word “drowned” and I hate redundancy and overbearing repetition, but there is no adjective more applicable. I experienced that same issue with a Jamaican food truck located right outside the student center. I wanted to try something new, and I’ve recently acquired a taste for spicy foods, so Jamaican cuisine seemed perfect. I took the box, sat down, and there sat three pounds of rice, some beef, and a couple liters of sauce.
I also take issue with the lack of inexpensive healthy choices. Two spots I’ve found are a restaurant style place located in Ritter Hall (though I have yet to eat there) and Saige Café. But $8.00 for a BLT or a nearly $3.00 for a cup of microwaved soup is very steep. Other than these two locations, everything else is filled to the brim with carbs, fats, and sugars. As good tasting as they might be, they aren’t for every day, if not more than once or twice a week.
The best option by far is a fruit truck located directly outside of Ritter Hall that, for $4.00, packs in as much fruit as possible plus a banana, and also sells $1.00 water bottles large enough to last you an entire day. The two people that run the stand are very nice, but as of the beginning of the 2018 Spring Semester, they seem to be closed, and I’ve been checking everyday to see if they have reopened, and I truly hope they do (I can only imagine the extreme quality of their fruit during the temperate Spring).
This isn’t to say that there are no good options for eating. A halal food truck that serves Middle Eastern style meals is another favorite of mine, and though I’d like to peruse their menu more, I can’t help but indulge in a lamb gyro sandwich every time I go there.
A Mexican grill located at the far right of this stand is also good, though I’ve only ever tried their Burrito Al Pastor (they also gave me some limited but valuable Spanish practice). The burrito is very nicely sized and about $6.00 but is certainly worth it if you are looking for something to hold you over a long day of classes and homework.
The more permanent and immobile food stands located directly across the street from Paley library and the Bell Tower are extremely popular, and are mobbed at lunch time. For this reason, I only have experience with their two pizza stands, both of which comforted me my first week in both adjusting to college life and the blisters that afflicted both of my feet.
Overall the food situation at Temple University isn’t terrible, but I do wish that they would go easier on the sauces and include a little more protein in meals where this applies. I also hope that healthier options are presented at some point in the future, and that the prices in healthier venues are lowered somewhat. I recommend sampling every truck around campus, as I plan to do, and to find a few favorites to treat yourself to every now and again.
