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firstyearstories · 7 years

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Campus Eats

When I was entering first year, I had many questions about university and student life: Did I choose the right program? Can I handle the workload? Will I still have a social life? How will I find my way around campus? Will I find true love? What is the meaning of life? However, my biggest and most burning question was...

Where should I eat?!

Cafe Leva - 11053 86 Ave

After four years at this fine institution, I have compiled this list of tips and tricks. Please do not take this as a comprehensive and definitive guide, but as a starting point for your campus gastronomic adventures. This map is a handy resource, but please note that some of the restaurants have closed since the last time it was updated. If you have dietary restrictions, check out this blog post for some helpful suggestions.

There are endless options open to UAlberta students when it comes to dining, which can be simultaneously exciting and overwhelming. I have separated them into categories and highlighted my favourites to hopefully facilitate your decision-making.

Coffee, Drinks, and Quick Bites

If you're looking to grab a bite between classes you can find Tim Horton's, Starbucks, and Second Cup locations peppered across campus. There are also a couple of Provisions On Demand Express kiosks, where you can purchase bottled drinks as well as ready-made meals. Additionally, many of the buildings on campus have cafeterias, including the Central Academic Building (CAB), the Housing Union Building (HUB Mall), and the Students' Union Building (SUB). The cafeteria in Education sells Starbucks coffee and the Health Sciences cafeteria includes Engrained, which also sells Starbucks coffee as well as food from the popular restaurant Filistix. A recent favourite of mine is Chopped Leaf in the Van Vliet Complex, where I like to customize my own chicken wrap. If you’re looking for a local cup of coffee at a great price, The Daily Grind in the Students’ Union Building serves coffee from Coffee Concept, a craft roaster based in Alberta.

Editors Picks

BEST BUDGET: Tim Hortons

BEST OVERALL: The Daily Grind (Try the Rocket Fuel if you’re into dark roast)

RUNNER UP: Teapsy (Bubble Tea, Soft Serve Ice Cream, pick your poison)

Tim Hortons - CAB, Katz Centre

Central Academic Building (CAB)

One of the first things that I notice when I walk into the main floor of CAB is the pair of parallel lines leading to the two Tim Horton's locations. Choose your queue accordingly, because the location facing Main Quad is a full-service location, whereas the location closer to Cameron Library serves only beverages and pastries. Other popular restaurants in CAB include Filistix, which serves Filipino-inspired dishes, Smoke’s Poutinerie, an awesome poutine place with a ton of options and flavours, and Panda Express, which serves Chinese food.

Editors Picks

BEST BUDGET: Panda Express Single Plate

BEST OVERALL: Filistix

RUNNER UP: Smoke’s Poutinerie

Smoke’s Poutinerie - CAB Filistix - CAB & ECHA

HUB Mall

As an engineering student, most of my classes are on the other side of campus from HUB Mall. Consequently, I don't dine here often. However, HUB Mall is filled with restaurants, shops, services, and study lounges. For a complete listing of the businesses in HUB, click here. Popular restaurants here include La Pasta Trattoria, Ho Ho Chinese Food, Beez, New York Fries, Burrito Libre, A&W Restaurant, Cookies by George, and Chosun Korean Restaurant. When you are walking through HUB Mall to obtain your sustenance, please walk on the right side of the hall because it can get very congested.

Editors Picks

BEST BUDGET: Burrito Libre (Special is $6.00 for a ton of food)

BEST OVERALL: La Pasta (Try their paninis, you won’t regret it)

RUNNER UP: Savoys: (It can be tough to find a place that does South Indian food in Edmonton, this place kills it. It’s also brand new.)

La Pasta - HUB Mall

Students' Union Building (SUB)

In addition to housing a plethora of student services, SUB is also where you can find one of the most bustling cafeterias on campus. One of the restaurants in this cafeteria is Marco's Famous, where you can find the legendary Tombstone: an extra large, extra cheesy donair stuffed with a poutine. In my first year, I attempted to conquer the Tombstone with two friends but still fell short. This donair is massive and I would recommend it to any adventurous meat-lover.

While there are large-chain fast food restaurants in SUB and across campus, there are also businesses owned by the Students' Union. There is L'Express, where you can find homemade meals and desserts, The Daily Grind, as mentioned above, also serves fresh pastries, breakfast bites, and iced beverages, and SUBmart where you can pick up some produce and other grocery goods on campus.

The Students' Union also owns two licensed establishments: Room At The Top (RATT) and Dewey's. RATT is located on the 7th floor of SUB, where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Edmonton while having a burger and spending time with friends. During the school year, RATT hosts weekly events including karaoke and trivia nights! Dewey's is inside the North Power Plant, between CAB and the Rutherford Library. Come to Dewey's if you're looking for a hearty breakfast or a game of billiards. Dewey's also hosts special events, like open mic nights and Super Smash Bros. competitions!

Editors Picks

Best Budget: Subway

Best Overall: L’Express (Homemade meals at a reasonable price + a $3 Special on Breakfast during exams!)

Runner Up: Marco’s Famous (Because you need to try the Tombstone at least once before you graduate)

The Daily Grind - SUB Food Court

Slightly Off Campus

If you aren't in a rush, I strongly encourage you to walk 5-15 minutes from campus to the Garneau neighbourhood or take a bus ride along Whyte Avenue to discover more amazing restaurants. Edmonton is full of hidden gems and we are fortunate to be near so many of them here at the U of A!

There are two main concentrations of restaurants in Garneau: along 112 Street and along 109 Street. Some of the restaurants on 112 Street include Earls, Good Earth Coffeehouse, Burrito Libre, Sherlock Holmes Pub, and Press'd Sandwiches. Press'd was founded by UAlberta alumni who were inspired by the delicious sandwiches they had while in Phoenix for a Golden Bears road game. Their wonderful sandwiches are made with fresh ingredients and bread baked from scratch. Nearby on 111 Street we also have Cafe Leva, a bright, cheerful cafe that serves Italian coffee, amazing Neapolitan-style pizza, breakfast, and pastries.

A majority of the restaurants in Garneau are along 109 Street, from 84 to 88 Avenue. My favourites along this stretch are Highlevel Diner for brunch, Sugarbowl for the lamb burger or the chicken and waffles, Menchie's for frozen yogurt, Remedy Cafe for chai teas, It' Dog for crispy fried chicken, and Farrow for a rotating menu of unique and fresh sandwiches made from locally-sourced ingredients. There is also a Domino's Pizza along 109 Street, where students can save a whopping 50% on pizzas and breads by using the code UNI and showing their ONEcard.

Best Budget: Domino’s (50% off with the code UNI and a valid ONEcard)

Best Overall: Sugarbowl (Lamb Burger, Chicken & Waffles, Cinnamon Buns)

Runner Up: Farrow (Trendy, good music, and a sweet vibe, plus the sandwiches pack a punch!)

Sugarbowl - 10922 88th Avenue

Miscellaneous Advice

Aside from Domino's, other restaurants also offer discounts to students. If you have the Student Price Card (SPC), check their website to see where it is accepted. Keep an eye out for discount cards offered by your faculty club (e.g. GEER Card for Engineering, ISSS Card for Sciences, etc.). Eating out can get expensive, especially for students, so take any discounts you can get! If you want to try out some of these restaurants, come to Taste of the U! Taste of the U is a guided tour which stops at restaurants on and slightly off campus. Admission is free with a donation to the Campus Food Bank! All you need to do is show up at 4PM on Thursday, September 7th in the Students’ Union Building Alumni Room.

About the Author:

Shawna is a 5th year Mining Engineering student who spends her free time (and some of her not-so-free time) solving puzzles, collecting writing implements, and making lists. The way to her heart is through her stomach, but cute animals and dank memes are also acceptable. She has had a blast during her past four years of volunteering with the Week of Welcome program and hopes that you enjoy your time at UAlberta.

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