Meal plans, dining halls and union food. It gets to a point where everyone gets a little bit tired of on campus dining. Well have no fear! There is a handful of close-by off campus spots to enjoy a quick bite to eat! Plus you won’t have to shell out an insane amount of cash (Hey, we’re college students. We don’t have money to burn!), and these little gems are open to the wee hours of the night (or morning) so you can get some grub during that well deserved study break.
Pano’s (On Elmwood)
Location: 1081 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222
Directions: Cross the street from campus on Elmwood Ave, heading downtown. On your left hand side, its 1 block away between Forest Ave. and Bird Ave.
Cuisine: Mediterranean & Greek
Hours: 7am-1am Daily
Contact Info: www.panosonelmwood.com or 716-886-9081
Signature Dishes: Pano’s Famous 2-2-2 (2 pancakes, 2 eggs & choice of meat/home fries) – $5.99
Chicken Parmesan Dinner (house salad included) – $15.99
Fun Fact: Pano’s does NOT deliver, however they do have a pretty sweet outdoor patio that you can eat on (when it’s not snowing…)
Pano’s On Elmwood is one of those Buffalo restaurants that everyone knows about. Located at the beginning of Elmwood village, its rustic décor and homey atmosphere makes this establishment perfect not only for a grand dinner with a group of friends, but an intimate setting for a romantic evening. They serve breakfast ALL DAY (which is extremely rare) and their prices are agreeable for a college student’s budget: Nothing on the menu is over $20, a full breakfast is only $6 and their portions are overwhelming. You will definitely get your money worth here.
Zonies
Location: 1122 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222
Directions: Cross the street from campus on Elmwood Ave, heading downtown. On your right hand side, before you even walk a full block, look to your right. Voila.
Cuisine: ZONIES!!! (i.e. Calzones, which are Italian in nature)
Hours: 4pm-5am Daily (Free Delivery ‘Til 5am)
Contact Info: 716-882-ZONI (9664) or www.zoniesonline.com
Signature Dishes: Zonie Scramble (Eggs, cheddar & choice of meat w/ a side of syrup)
BBQC (Chicken, bacon, BBQ sauce, mozzarella & cheddar)
Fun Fact: Zonies’ usually waits until they have a massive order from Buff State so they can deliver a whole bunch of food at a time. So if you’re really hungry, order an hour before you want to actually EAT anything…
Zonies is the after party food of choice. What else is there to eat when you’re too lazy to leave campus after returning to campus from a night of fun at 2am? A ZONIE!!! All zonies are $6.25+tax so there will never be an instance where you spend over $7 (unless you order more than one…) and there are over 50 different types of zonies (including dessert zonies) so there’s definitely something for everyone. Plus, even if you’re not in the mood for a zonie, there are wings, mozzarella sticks, French fries, and other tasty sides. Everything a growing college student needs…
Vasilis Express
Location: 1066 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222
Directions: Cross the street from campus on Elmwood Ave, heading downtown. On your right hand side, its right across the street from Pano’s (seriously).
Cuisine: Greek & American
Hours: 10am-12pm (Sun-Thurs) 10am-4am (Fri & Sat)
Contact Info: www.vasilisexpress.com or 716-886-4976
Signature Dishes: Chicken Fajita (Grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa & cheddar) – $5.95. Fish Fry Daily (Beer battered haddock served w/ coleslaw French fries & macaroni salad) – $8.95
Fun Fact: Though Vasilis doesn’t deliver, if you call ahead to place your order, you food will literally be done in 10 minutes. Which is great if you’re starving.
Vasilis, which has a full restaurant on Kenmore Ave in Tonawanda, offers delicious Greek cuisine at delectable prices. Nothing on the menu is more $10, the food is super fresh (like they picked everything moments before putting it together for you, and they provide quick service. They have everything from salads and sandwiches, to burgers and wraps. They even have Greek desserts, so if you’re looking for a refreshing in the middle of the night (that won’t take forever), take a walk to Vasilis.
House of China
Location: 250 Forest Ave, Buffalo, NY 14213
Directions: From campus walk down Grant St. heading downtown. It is two blocks away on the corner.
Cuisine: Chinese (Szechuan, Hunan & Cantonese)
Hours: 11am-11pm (Mon-Thurs), 11am-11:30pm (Fri & Sat), 12noon-10:30pm (Sun)
Contact Info: 716-881-1888/1889
Signature Dishes: Bourbon Chicken (w/ fried rice) – $4.75.
Beef w/ Broccoli – $4.75 (pint), $8 (quart)
Fun Fact: House of China has lunch specials from 11am-3pm. All of these specials come with fried rice, and none of these specials are over $5.
There are a lot of Chinese restaurants near Buff State. The main three are Great Wall, Hong Kong, and House of China. Though House of China is actually the lesser known of the three, the cuisine is closest to that of an actual Chinese restaurant and thus is the winner of this review. Their minimum is $10 for delivery (unlike the typical $5 for the other two restaurants), however you will get your food quite fast. Much faster than its competitors which happen to be closer to campus. Thus, if you want REAL Chinese food without the hassle of wait time, give House of China a chance.
Joe’s NY Style Pizza
Location: 345 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14207
Directions: From campus walk down Grant St. heading away from downtown, cross the bridge and walk into Tops Plaza. Joe’s is at the far end near Amherst St. (You can also take the 206 circulator on campus straight there.)
Cuisine: Italian
Hours: 10am-11pm (Mon-Thurs), 10am-12midnight (Fri & Sat), 12noon-10pm (Sun)
Contact Info: 716-447-0165 or www.joesnystylepizza.com
Signature Dishes: Cheese slice – $2.25. Deep-dish Buffalo Chicken slice – $2.99
Fun Fact: Joe’s is possibly the closest anyone from NYC will get to having pizza that taste like home.
Joe’s NY Style Pizza is a saving grace for the Buffalo pizza scene for one reason: the pizza doesn’t taste like it was made in Buffalo. At Buff State, there are a lot of students who come from downstate, particularly NYC and its surrounding regions. To a native New Yorker, there’s nothing like a slice of thin pizza from a local pizzeria and that’s exactly what Joe’s provides: NY style pizza at NY style prices. They happen to be one of the only pizzerias where you can actually get a SLICE of pizza (and different types of slices too) and are not forced to order a pie (or sheet as they say in Buffalo) as most places force their customers to do. They have an array of subs, pasta, entrees, and even garlic knots (another NYC staple) instead of breadsticks. Plus, every Monday you can get a large 1-topping pie for about $9.50+tax. Now I don’t care where you’re from, that’s a deal in any language.
— April Baptiste Brown
*Stayed tuned for more Off-Campus Excursions where tasty treats and a college budget collide.