Moria Dailey
Published: January 9, 2006
Welcome to the first installment of Cheap Tricks – a guide for college students to enjoy Pensacola on the limited budget most college students share.
First order of business? Food, a big concern of many college students I know (myself included). Here’s cheap food that isn’t bad food.
First place you should check out is the Olive Garden. I know, I know, immediately people think “No! Expensive!”, but, for unlimited soup, salad and bread sticks during lunch, you’ll only pay $5.95. And it’s totally and completely vegetarian friendly – their minestrone soup is some of the best I’ve found around town.
If “vegetarian” has caught your eye, you ought to check out the End of the Line Cafe on Wright Street; amazing organic and vegan food (homemade soy cheese, folks!) and amazingly inexpensive, as well. Prices range from about $2.50 to $6 for enough food to fill you up. They’ve also got delicious coffee and teas.
Ah, good ol’ Panera Bread. I’ve probably eaten at Panera Bread more than most people, and for good reason. They open at 7 a.m. and don’t close until 9 p.m. They have delicious bagels for under a dollar, as well as wonderful sandwiches (it’s a bread company; it would make sense, wouldn’t it?). For breakfast, I advise going with the bagels – and a steaming cup of coffee, of course. My recommendation for lunch or dinner would be their “You-Pick-Two” special, which is $5.95 – you get a bowl of soup and half a sandwich or salad of your choice.
If you’re looking for something a little different I recommend Ichiban Japanese Restaurant on Davis Hwy. Not that everything on the menu is inexpensive, but there are things that are, i.e. the vegetable tempura that comes with more tempura than you can eat, as well as a salad and a side of steamed or fried rice. The tempura costs a bit more than anything else I’ve mentioned, meaning you’ll probably spend $12-$15 rather than under $10. Their sushi, however, is delicious and will cost you less than $10; I recommend the Green Dragon roll or their tuna nigiri.