Best food for your buck at Sac State
Kelly Kiernan - The State Hornet
A variety of restaurant options at Sac State. Students expressed where to buy affordable food on campus.
Finding a good meal to eat without it eating up your bank account can be difficult. There are plenty of food options on campus but only a few are both tasty and budget-friendly.
Throughout the years, there has been a spike in price of food on campus.
The State Hornet previously reported that a bacon cheeseburger at Burger King was $1.69 in 2017, and is now $2.19. A sandwich at Good Eats! cost $5.75 in 2017 and is now $7.50.
Though prices have changed slightly, every cent counts.
RELATED: A guide to campus food that won’t break the bank
According to an informal poll on Twitter, the top-five most popular eateries on campus are Panda Express, The Bagel Place, Togo’s, Baja Fresh and Gordito Burrito.
Charlize Cruz, a freshman kinesiology major, said her go-to restaurant is The Bagel Place.
“I usually get the bagel with salmon because I’m a pescetarian,” Cruz said. “That’s the only place I can get protein. Usually if I can’t get that then I’ll just get fries from anywhere else.”
Bagel sandwiches range from $4 to $7.50 depending on which sandwich is purchased. The more meat the higher the price. A traditional bagel with the choice of any shmear is $3.00.
Cruz said as a pescetarian, Gyro 2 Go is her second go-to choice.
“There’s a chicken plate but instead of the chicken I just replace it with fries,” Cruz said.
What is your budget friendly go-to restaurant on campus? @TheStateHornet
— Kelly Kiernan (@kkiernan98) January 26, 2019
The most affordable eateries don’t completely align with the most popular. The restaurants with the best prices are Subway, Burger King, Gyro 2 Go, with Gordito Burrito and Panda Express also falling on that list.
Burger King has several affordable options on its value menu that will fill up a hungry student.
Sally Szeto, a senior mechanical engineering major said, “I know what the prices are, I get chicken fries, chicken tenders, or the crispy chicken [sandwich].”
A four-piece chicken nugget is $1.56 and a value fries is $1.77.
Senior chemistry major Diego Tapid said “I used to go to Burger King last semester, I would get the chicken fries. I got tired of it, once it gets repetitive it’s not that good anymore.”
Panda Express, one of the most popular eateries on campus has many options.
“I always go to Panda,” Tapid said. “I get chow mein and teriyaki chicken.”
Last semester he said he would eat Panda Express every Tuesday.
Panda Express provides a quick bite for a nice price. A bowl that comes with one entree and one side is $6.30. The plate is slightly more expensive but comes with two entrees and a side bringing the total to $7.50.
A large side is $4.30 and a medium side is $3.10. Two veggie spring rolls are $1.95.
Niurka Robleto, a freshman criminal justice major said her go-to place to eat on campus is also Panda Express.
“I feel like Panda is really fast because they already have everything made and there’s two places on campus, on either side of it so it’s easier to access it,” Robleto said. “But if you don’t like fake Chinese food like people say, I think Subway would be a good spot but it’s pretty far because it’s behind the bookstore.”
A variety of restaurant options at Sac State. Students expressed where to buy affordable food on campus.
Subway is known for its sub of the day deal. Subway’s six-inch sub of the day meal costs $3.99 and is paired with a drink and chips. Students have the option to have the meal or upgrade their sandwich to a foot long.
“At Subway I get a veggie patty and I add guacamole and jalapeños to it. They have a veggie patty that’s really good there,” Robleto said. “I am vegetarian and there’s not a lot of options on campus where I can actually get my nutrition that I need.”
Though it’s on the more expensive side, Gyro 2 Go has popular platters that match portion with price.
They come with the choice of chicken, beef, falafel or mix served on rice, salad, or fries. Customers can upgrade their meal which includes a side salad and a fountain drink, bringing the total to $8.25.
John Joshua, a junior criminal justice major said, “the Gyro place is always number one because it’s the cheapest, I always get the chicken platter with fries.”
Gordito Burrito has stayed true to their prices. A chicken soft shell taco still sells for $2.49 as it did in 2017. Gordito Burrito also offers a side of rice or a side of beans for $2.75.
A breakfast burrito with ham, bacon or chorizo is $5.29. Gordito Burrito is vegetarian-friendly and offer a veggie breakfast burrito for $5.09.
Natalya Guter, a sophomore liberal studies major said that she tries to eat everywhere on campus.
“There’s different foods for different people,” Guter said.
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