Hungry? You’re in the right place.
On campus, students have multiple eating options.
Cafeterias: To start with, there are two dining halls: Gator Corner Dining Center, located at the intersection of Gale Lemerand Drive and Stadium Road, and Broward Dining Center, which is by its eponymous dorm.
Pick-me-ups: No time to sit and eat? UF offers a number of grab-and-go stations. For the essentials like chips, pre-made sandwiches, fruit and yogurt visit a P.O.D. Market, located on the ground floor of the Reitz Union, in the Hub and at the Rawlings bus stop. You can also grab a coffee or pastry from one of the Starbucks found at Library West, the Reitz, the Hub. If your dorm room needs some restocking, other convenience stores on campus include Beaty market, Graham Oasis, Little Hall Express, Chomp & Go at Pugh and Hough Halls.
Fast food: There are plenty of fast-food restaurants around campus to choose from. The Reitz Union food court offers up Burger King, Papa John’s, Pollo Tropical, Panda Express, Home Zone and Starbucks. For healthier alternatives, Turlington Plaza has a Jamba Juice and a Subway. The Hub offers Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, a P.O.D. Market and an Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Vegan-friendly: For the veggie-lovers, there is a Croutons Hand-Crafted Salads in the Reitz Union first floor. Pre-made snacks and pastries can be picked up at convenience stores on campus. With a menu full of soups and salads, the Camellia Court Café in the Harn Museum of Art is also a good option for vegan and vegetarian students.
But let’s be real. At some point, you’re going to get sick of on-campus food. Luckily, when this time comes, Gainesville has a spread of delicious restaurants. Here are a few all-time favorites:
The Top. Try the corn nuggets or black bean cakes as a starter. For the main course, the restaurant has a huge collection of burgers with patty options for meat and non-meat eaters, as well as sandwiches and pasta. The restaurant also has a full bar and photo booth, making it a great night-spot. Located at 30 N. Main Street.
The Gelato Co. You would think this restaurant would only have gelato (15-20 flavors made daily). But their sandwiches are delicious. If you order a drink with your meal, you get a free small gelato. Another plus? The restaurant is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Located at 11 SE First Ave.
Satchel’s Pizza. This is the place you take pretty much anyone who’s visiting you from out of town. The pizza alone is impressive enough (get the deep dish!), but the restaurant itself has character that’s just so Gainesville: There’s a table inside of an old-school van, and in the back of the restaurant, you’ll find the Lightnin’ Salvage junk museum and an ATM, which you’ll almost certainly end up using because the restaurant is cash only. Located at 1800 NE 23rd Ave.
La Tienda. Three words: Authentic Mexican food. The menu includes enchiladas, chimichangas and other Mexican dishes, most including flavorful green or red mole sauce. Plus, the restaurant has ethnic sodas to accompany your authentic meal. Located at 2204 SW 13th Street.
Dragonfly. This menu is full of fusion sushi. It offers standard options, and then it also has sushi like the surf ‘n turf roll: grilled shrimp, bacon, cucumber, krab delight, asparagus, cream cheese, scallions, beef tataki and teriyaki apple cream sauce. Fun fact: it’s Ryan Lochte’s choice eating establishment for dates. Located at 201 SE 2nd Ave. Suite 104.
This story originally ran on page 10 on 8/14/2013 under the headline "Gator bait: Restaurants on- and off-campus offer dining options"
