The University Centre food court: there are places worth going, places worth trying, and places worth avoiding.
If you often find yourself buying your lunch at school, skip the convenience store beef patties and check out this countdown of the top five snack shacks that are worth a bite!
- Burger 101
You might expect a burger in a university food court to be mediocre. You would be mostly right.
But starting at $6 for a burger, and around $10 for a meal, you just can’t go wrong for that price range.
While the food isn’t amazing, it’s not far off from an average burger, and the student-friendly price is sure to hit the spot. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time, because the wait times for this shop are understandably long.
- The Greens
While more expensive than an old-fashioned burger, this is a solid choice if you’re more health conscious. The vegan falafel is surprisingly delicious. You don’t even have to be vegan to enjoy it, it’s just genuinely good!
If you’re like the average student and have around $8 in your bank account, I would suggest spending it here on a wrap or salad. Just make sure to ask for extra sauce.
- Shawarma Palace
Ottawa’s local shawarma place is now at Carleton. Honestly, have you ever eaten bad shawarma? Not very likely. It’s hard to mess up making shawarma.
That being said, we have had our fill of shawarma here in Ottawa. Why did they remove that awesome bibimbap place that used to be in this spot?
Either way, super basic, but super good. Give it a shot, you’ll like it.
- La Cocina
This “authentic Mexican kitchen” is definitely not authentic, but it’s great nonetheless. It’s cheap, tasty, and a breath of fresh air in a city which is frankly lacking in good Mexican food.
Actually, it’s a pleasant surprise just how nice the food is here. It’s a good place to get a bite before class if you want something different than usual.
- Colonel By Chicken
Lots of food at a relatively fair price, what’s not to love?
Colonel By is by far the most expensive restaurant on this list, but also the best quality for your dollar. The fry sauce is terrific, and the chicken is surprisingly well made. We don’t have Chick-fil-A in Ottawa yet, but until we do, Colonel By Chicken makes a fine replacement.
It’s part of the human condition to be hungry, so why not treat yourself to something good? Stop going to Subway, Pizza Pizza (which upcharges the pizza price because they know students are restricted in their food options), and Tim Hortons.
Break the habit and go for something original. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good our food court options are here at Carleton.
Although, to be honest, even after seeing the quality of the food court, I would still recommend just going up two floors to the Atrium and having a tasty and inexpensive za’atar wrap sold at The Wing, the CUSA-owned restaurant by the Starbucks. Sometimes, plain and simple is best.
File photo.
